"This is the greatest night ever!" exclaimed Mari Alice Monday evening.
Considering my infamous aversion to restaurants on holidays, Philip and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day at home with the kiddos. I asked the kids what would seem special to them. They agreed a breakfast feast would hit the spot.
We made sausage pinwheels and scrambled eggs plus blueberry AND lemon poppy seed muffins. Frozen fruit and decaf completed the deal.
The bouquet of BEAUTIFUL flowers that Philip sent earlier in the day crowned the center of our spread. Stargazers, roses and daisy-ish flowers in deep burgundy hues blended perfectly with the dining room. (happy!) Landen had worked a preschool party during the afternoon and brought home the spoils: baloons filled with helium, cupcakes with sprinkles, and candy-filled goodie bags.
Folks rode bikes and played baseball until dusk, then we ate. Since we had been separated: boys and girls all weekend, there were plenty of stories to share. The dinner table was alive with laughter and love.
I bought Philip his very own copy of "A Knight's Tale" so that was a solid consideration for evening entertainment. However, we also discovered that all 8 seasons of "Cosby" are on our Netflix instant queue. Since girls' bedtimes were approaching and the fellas were still recuperating from the D-now, AND we agreed that something suitable for everyone would be best, we opted for the pilot episode of "Cosby"...when there were only 4 kids and Theo was "Teddy". So funny to watch.
Then it was "all kids to bed" and the darling and I enjoyed two more episodes. My all-time favorite scene is when Theo thinks he can make it in the real world and when he's at school, they clear out his room and his whole family goes deep into character to teach him a little lesson about the real world.
Lily Farquar (played by Theo's mom) welcomes him into "Furniture City" where the bed from his room is for sale for $200.
Theo: "I don't have $200"
Lilly: "Well, you are in LUCK because Heeah, at Fuh-ni-chah Cit-ay, we accept all major credit cards."
Theo: "I don't have a credit card."
Lilly: "Well, you are in LUCK because Heeah, at Fuh-ni-chah Cit-ay, we accept personal checks."
Theo: "I don't have a checking account."
Lilly: "Well then, you are about to LEAVE Fuh-ni-chah Cit-ay!"
Classic.
All-in-all our Valentine's Day celebration was perfect. Netflix had delivered, Landen had brought sugar-laden loot, Luke & Mom had cooked a fantastic breakfast....er, dinner, and the girls all received a stuffed animal AND a photo frame from the most handsome man in their lives: Daddy, who had come home and did NOT get called out to work. As a lone ballon clung to the vaulted rafters of the living room, and everyone giggled and took turns giving bullrides and airplanes in the middle of the rug, Mari was overcome with joy.
"This is the greatest night ever!"
