Love, Love, Love!

It was around this time nine years ago that I was reading the book "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman.  Justin and I were supposed to read it for part of our pre-marriage counseling class.  I'm gonna be honest here and just tell you that Justin never read the book (though he did watch the accompanying videos with me on VHS....yes, I said VHS).  But, me being the rule-follower that I am, I read every last word of that book.  Go me.

As our post reading assignment we were to choose which of the 5 Love Languages most closely represented how we showed love and how we wished to be shown love.  In case you aren't familiar with the book, the 5 Love Languages according to Dr. Chapman are: 1.) Words of Affirmation, 2.) Acts of Service, 3.) Giving/Receiving Gifts, 4.) Quality Time, and 5.) Physical Touch.

Well, I think you could roll these all into one and then you'd be speaking my love language.  However, when dishing out some love I definitely speak most often in languages 2 and 3...and 4.  Yes friends, I'm multi-lingual!!  I love helping and I love giving gifts!  And spending time with my loves is one of my favorite things ever!

My 3 Favorite Loves :)

Anyhoo, the reason I thought of this was because a while back I found a sort of Valentines Advent for kids on Pinterest.   The particular one I remembered was 14 days long...but I ain't got time for that.  So, I spoke to my kiddos using Love Language #3 for one week prior to Valentines Day.  They loved getting their little treats each day and it was so fun to give them!  We've had fun celebrating LOVE this week!  Thought I would share what we did, though most of it is stolen from Pinterest.  (I'm a thief, but an honest one).

Valentine Treat #1: Reese's Pieces and Kool Aid

The boys enjoying their first surprise

Valentine Treat #2: Bubbles! 

He later poured both bottles on my mini-van and smeared around the dirt. "Mommy, I washed your car!"

Valentine Treat #3: Goldfish

Valentine Treat #4: Hot Wheels and Pop Rocks

Yea, he totally rocks

We also had heart pancakes on Saturday morning, but the ones on Pinterest looked a lot better than mine did.

Sweet kiddo at breakfast

And the wee little one, too

Valentine Treat #5: Gummy worms and bouncy balls

Valentine Treat #6: Soap

It doesn't take much to excite him obviously

Valentines Treat #7: Art stuff, big pen, & big pencil

Coloring in his new coloring book

Liam using his new markers to make a Valentine monster

Valentine Treat #8: Animal crackers..so I guess we did more than a week :)

It's here!  Yay for Valentines Day!!

Valentines Day Treat: Teddy Bear cookies & conversation hearts

 

Liam's Valentines (teddy grahams) he shared with his friends at MDO

And the boys gave these cards & gifts to their teachers

Chan's Valentines that he has yet to give his friends at school...darn stomach bug

Inside of Chan's Valentine--we attached dino fruit snacks to his

My flowers from Jus :)

And his Valentine treat from me

And for Valentine Date Night, I surprised Jus with dinner at McNamara's and tickets to Flogging Molly!  We had an AWESOME time and even stayed out until almost 1:00!  Haven't done that in a while!

While I certainly don't think we should wait until Valentines Day to tell/show others how much we love them, I really have enjoyed showering the gifts on my littles this week in honor of this day.  And I haven't forgotten to tell  and show them either...just in case their love language might not be exactly like their Mommy's.  

"A bell is no bell till you ring it,

A song is no song till you sing it,

And love in your heart wasn't put there to stay

Love isn't love til you give it away."

~Oscar Hammerstein~ 

from "The Sound of Music"

Till next week friends!

Brittany :)