Sam’s been marking the days off the calendar all month in a slow-as-molasses countdown to Valentine’s Day. It’s not about candy or the party in the JK room: he can’t wait to hand out tiny valentines to his friends at school. They’re Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cards—little images of things like Michelangelo wielding a Samurai sword and saying “Let me get to the point: Happy Valentine’s Day!” Nice. Knife-point greetings. Sam loves them. There are 32 names on his school list, counting the junior child care crowd, so he’s been signing his S-A-M in batches over the last week, counting and recounting to make sure his friends are covered. “Everyone knows I’m handing out ninja turtle cards,” he confided, “Was that supposed to be a secret?”
Last night, I noticed that the teachers’ names are on the list, too. Eight of them, an
d we were out of ninjas. And, really, “Come out of your shell!” isn’t exactly an expression of childlike regard for a teacher. So we sat down after dinner last night and made up some good ol’fashioned homemade Valentines, with construction paper and crepe paper and glitter and googly eyes. Big smiley-happy hearts. Sam was keyed up with excitement as we walked down the hall this morning: “Ask them when we give the cards out!” he implored, apparently not wanting to appear too eager himself. And when he pulled out the bag of teacher cards at his cubicle, Katie gushed her appreciation for how beautiful they were and Sam nearly burst with pride: “I drew the smiles; I pasted the glitter hearts on…”. My last glimpse before leaving was to spy him shyly approaching a group of teachers, a handful of Valentines clutched tight to his side. Heart on his sleeve.
d we were out of ninjas. And, really, “Come out of your shell!” isn’t exactly an expression of childlike regard for a teacher. So we sat down after dinner last night and made up some good ol’fashioned homemade Valentines, with construction paper and crepe paper and glitter and googly eyes. Big smiley-happy hearts. Sam was keyed up with excitement as we walked down the hall this morning: “Ask them when we give the cards out!” he implored, apparently not wanting to appear too eager himself. And when he pulled out the bag of teacher cards at his cubicle, Katie gushed her appreciation for how beautiful they were and Sam nearly burst with pride: “I drew the smiles; I pasted the glitter hearts on…”. My last glimpse before leaving was to spy him shyly approaching a group of teachers, a handful of Valentines clutched tight to his side. Heart on his sleeve.Funnily enough, I came across a beautiful heart in his backpack last night-plastered in stickers and lace. When I realized it said SAI across the top, I wondered for a moment if he’d taken home the wrong artwork and Sai’s mom was now unpacking a Valentine meant for me. But this was definitely Sam’s printing, the giveaway being that it actually said IAS (lefty), so I asked Sam about it. “Oh, we were making Valentine’s for our moms today, but I decided that I would give mine to Sai.” His teachers must not have noticed my little boy’s change of heart…
Jeremy and I gave Sam a Bee valentine this morning, in the spirit of those little Bee books he loved as a baby (thanks, Jillie), and he liked it so much, he decided to put it in his lunch-kit for viewing later in the day. Today, on this wonderful day of card-swapping, it would be just fine with Sam to get an XO greeting from Mom & Dad in front of all the other kids at the lunch table.
We love you, Sammy.
P.S. Got home from a family Lone Star dinner to beautiful flowers, a new novel and lovely cards—all covered in hearts—from my sweet, sweet boys :)
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