Valentine's Day

We had a great February 14, filled with lots of love, kisses and candy. You can't ask for much more than that!

Devin had school yesterday, which meant his Valentine's Day party fell on the actual day. I was the party coordinator for his room, so the girls and I headed over to his school around 1:00 to get all set up.

First we had a craft in which the kids made foam door hangers decorated with hearts and other such items. Then there was red punch and cupcakes. Afterwards was a rousing game of Valentine's Day bingo and then a quick game of "Heart" Potato, where we passed around a red plastic heart while the music played.

Finally we had a quick story and then handed out the party favors and sent the kiddos along their way.

By this time, the girls were exhausted. They'd woken up nearly an hour earlier than usual that day and had to be taken in for their monthly RSV shot. Combine that with just being shuttled around all day and you have two very cranky babies. Grace was inconsolable by the time we left D's school, so I put her in her crib immediately after arriving home.

I went back downstairs to get Faith and by the time I got her upstairs and into her crib, Grace was already asleep. Poor girl!

The real celebrating was last night, though, when Todd arrived home. Before he could even get his jacket off, Devin was begging for his Valentine's Day presents. So we ll exchanged gifts in the dining room, as is our family custom.

The girls got feather boas from Todd and t-shirts from me. Devin also got a t-shirt from me, while he got some "Cars" characters from Todd (as if we don't have enough of those). The kids also all got clothes from Grandma and Grandpa, which made mommy very happy! Because of Grandma and Grandpa, I hardly have to buy clothes! Good thing my in-laws have good taste!

Todd opened his gift from me -- a skin for his iPod. Now he can clip his player to his belt, his keychain, etc. He was very excited.

But the best part of Valentine's Day was my gift from Todd -- a digital camera!

I know I've talked about it more than a few times, but we have a fantastic digital camera. It's one of the best cameras on the market and takes exceptional pictures because there are lots of settings and options.

Unfortunately, this professional-grade camera is not meant for someone like me. It's meant for someone like Todd, who is a mix of techno-geek and artist. Todd knows all about saturation, aperture and other such photo-related items. I only know, "Point. Click."

And I haven't mentioned the size of this thing. It's enormous and requires its own case. Not exactly something you can just throw into the diaper bag or purse. It also weighs more than a pound.

The camera that is smarter than I

So I've complained for awhile that I needed a camera that I could take with me when I go places with the kids. I'm not very self-indulgent, though, so I could always find a reason to not spend upwards of $100 on myself. And our family photo albums suffered!

Knowing this, Todd took it upon himself to research and buy a camera for me. He knew that once I got my hands on it, I wouldn't be able to say, "No." The same thing happened with the iPod Todd bought me for Christmas. Can't say he doesn't know me well!

So I've been busily learning how to use my new camera. It has all kinds of odds-and-ends to it and has many of the same features the Nikon has. But I don't have to use those features like I do with Todd's camera. If all I want to do is take a photo or a video, I just turn it on, point it and hit the shutter button. Ta da! No muss, no fuss.

One of the best features the little beauty has is a voice memo that you can activate after every photo or video. Normally, I wouldn't use this very much, but with identical twin girls whose distinguishing features are often lost in photographs, it will be a lifesaver in determining who is who. Now, after I take a photo, I just have to say, "Grace is on the right," or, "Faith is the one standing."

I anticipate that I'll have to get used to always having a camera with me, but I am making a promise to myself that I'll keep my new camera accessible everywhere I go, so I won't miss another moment of adorableness or silly antics.

To top all of this off, though, was one of the best Valentine's Day cards I've ever gotten.

It's no secret that I think Goran Visnjic from ER is a very good looking man. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for his dark eyes and accent. Todd is well-aware of my fondness for this particular Croatian and likes to make little jabs about how doey-eyed I become when he comes on screen.

I'll just let my Valentine's Day card from Todd speak for itself.



Hope your Valentine's Day was as sweet and perfect as ours!