Valentine Cards
This past Friday Easton's class had it's Valentine's party. Normally I roll my eyes at class parties as they are just an excuse for adults to pass out sugary treats to small children who do not need sugary treats while the child has no comprehension of the event being celebrated. But now that Easton is in kindergarten I can concede a class Valentine party. He is old enough now to "get it" and the sugar will probably wear off by the time he gets home so all is well.
Early in the week we received instructions for our Valentine cards. The letter said that the Valentine cards should be left blank (not addressed to individual students, I guess they are afraid someone will be left out) but the student should sign their name.
Great - we can do this. We pick out a cool card and Easton and I sit down one night while he signs his name 25 times. Put them all in his backpack and off he goes.
Friday evening Easton returns from school with his Valentine sack of goodies.
Now - if you know me and love me then you know where this story is going and you can keep reading. Otherwise I need to caution you to my strange over reactive nature. I know it's irrational but I can't help it.
Friday evening Easton returns from school with his Valentine sack of goodies. Together we look through all of his Valentine cards. I immediately notice that some of the other mommies DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES! There were several cards where the mommy had written in the child's name. Grrr. And there were some cards that were not cards at all - but little packets. Mommies had taken fancy colored bags and created an entire Valentine experience including card, candy, play-doh, small toys, and a partridge in a pear tree. Blech. Thankfully there were many cards where the child had carefully printed their own name on a cute Valentine card depicting some random cartoon character just like we were supposed to. My favorite card was Richard's card. He had cut out a single red heart and written, "love, Richard" in the very center. And finally, there was Emory's card. Emory's name was very neatly written on the back of her card.....in cursive. (Easton has also told me that Emory has never, EVER, gotten a yellow check or a red X in class)
8 comments:
LOL! How funny. I can totally sympathize with you on this one. I would have reacted the same way. Way to go, Mommy, for following the rules!
The fact that Easton actually sat down and wrote his name 24 times is pretty impressive to me. That's a LOT of writing not to mention a LOT of patience!!
Andrew's preschool does the same thing with "blank" ones. That way you can just walk down the line and put them in each decorated shoebox without having to doublecheck names, etc.
OK, let's talk about Emory......why is this kid in KINDERGARTEN???? Cursive?? Really?? Wow.
I have to admit I am one of those that does the little gift bags. Sorry. :-)
And Shannon - most moms are the ones who prepare little gift bags...good job!...but Miss Anti-room mom doesn't see things that way, and would rather baulk at the fact! Deep down inside, she yearns for being that mom!!! I know she does :-)I predict that Jenny's going to be Easton's room mom in the first grade! Just kiddin'
For the record we sent princess valentines, no bags or candy attached and we followed the rules and didn't address them as well!
JLH you crack me up!
OK Jenny........I wanna know how the science project is going? Will you be the science fair coordinator, OR, room mom next year?
:-)
Ok Jenny.....I just had another thought......in Katie's Mother's Day Out program, there was a mom who created itty bitty stuffed animals with each child's 1st initial on it.....I could TOTALLY see you doing that. Admit it... you know you could do that!
:-)
oh, Lord, the pressure! I think I am Mrs. Anti-Social-Room-Mom-Part-Deux, and just hearing this story makes me dread my life in 3 years. I'm already getting negative feedback from co-workers about mentioning that I will not be doing pre-school. I am a mommy outcast. This kid that wrote in cursive must have been in pre-school since the womb, and highlights why my kid is destined to be a moron because I am not ready to give him up. Wow, I took that to far, huh? Congrats on following the rules :)
So Lily has not graduated to valentine cards let alone cursive writing:) but she proudly sported her valentine outfit, until the 10am diaper blow out. . .
I must admit I am a rule follower and rather intolerant of those who do not follow the rules. But after I think about the situation a bit I consider other reasons why someone may not follow the rules.
I think it says a lot about the moms who don't take the time with the kiddo to allow the child to write his or her name. Maybe they aren't organized, or forgot, or don't have supportive husbands like we do and find they don't have the patience to sit down with their child.
i don't know if we had rules, but let me tell you -- the not writing the recipient's names on the front is the best idea ever. i volunteered at tiana's party and it was utter chaos watching every child walk around the room trying to find the right child to hand the valentine to. so much more simple to just hand blank ones down the line. (she wrote names on all of hers.) and i saw no gift bags at ours except the required ones from the room parent, but some kids did have suckers attached to the cards. and we got one with a free kids meal at frisch's. whatever that's about.
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