Valentines Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ben and I would not normally go out on a day so crowded, but offered to pick our exchange student, Jenny, up late (by our standards, ie 8:00)from her boyfriend’s house. So, we are going to see a movie. It has been awhile. We most recently saw Chipwrecked with our lovely daughter and it is time for us to go out. (Hint: When subjected to a horrible movie like the one aforementioned, try watching half while your loveable spouse is out shopping, then switch). We are going to see Chronicles featuring wayward, supernatural teenagers—as if we don’t already have enough teenage drama in our lives. We don’t have high hopes for this movie, but it got good reviews and the theater is empty as of 3:30pm. We’ll have to let you know how it goes.

Maia at Chipwrecked


This morning, we filled our children’s room with heart-shaped balloons. Their expressions were priceless! Akai’s eyes were filled with such wonder. Then, he discovered he got a box of candy and the balloons were forgotten. Pretty soon, pinkish drool was dripping off his smiling chin (a face only a mother could love). Maia was much more interested in the card we got for her. She wanted to know what it said and why. She made many valentines’ cards, herself, so she was probably storing the information for future creations. She opened it with her back turned to me to hide her excited grin. She cannot let anyone know how happy she is at any moment.

It is Maia’s Birthday tomorrow. She really wanted to visit the American Girl Doll Store in Chicago. She has been talking about it since August. We are taking her to LA instead. Hopefully, she won’t mind the city switch as long as the store is the same. She really wants her trip to be a surprise, but I think she has an idea of where we are going. She invited all of her friends from school and asked if Sophia’s dad, a pilot, could fly us. I don’t think any of them are coming along. Jennie is, though! Another surprise for Maia!

Ben finally talked me into getting a second dog two weekends ago. I thought it would take a bit longer, but this dog is really adorable. I am not sure why the owners would want to get rid of her. Her name is Addie, but because of political reasons, we are calling her Annie. Akai and Maia love her. The first day, Akai was calling her ‘Little Cutie,’ as in, “Do you need a drink, Little Cutie?” He says that she is his favorite dog, but actually prefers to walk Lani. If we can get her to come when we call, I think she will make a wonderful addition to the family. A little secret: I am still on a waiting list for a puppy in Colorado. We will see what this brings….
Annie

Lani