Remember back when you were small… when the excitement of getting something… ANYTHING in the mailbox addressed to YOU was almost too much to bear?  Well, my children are no different, in fact they fight over who gets to bring in the mail every day… hoping, I’m sure, that there’s something in the box for them.   It doesn’t happen often but when it does… woo hoo!  

So, yesterday they each received a Valentine from their grandmother… individually addressed in handsome red envelopes.  My 6-year-old tore his open in a flash… took a moment to read it aloud… then promptly tossed it (and that beautiful red envelope) in the nearest trash can…  (which I then had to fish out so we could at least display the card for a Valentine’s Day… ugh… boys!)

Onto my 4-year-old… much more sentimental than his older brother, he took the time to carefully peel the sticker off that sealed the envelope and place it on the tip of his nose… seriously!  He then took the card out and opened it up.  (and tossed the envelope over his shoulder and onto the grass, sheesh!) 

A puzzled look came over his face.  When I asked if he wanted me to read the card to him and he said, “No, Mommy… there’s no money in my card!”  (as a point of context I must point out that his birthday was in late January and he received quite a few cards with “dolla bills” inside… so I can’t blame the kid for asking)

I thought to myself, “This is a ‘teaching moment’, Mom… think, think!  What do I tell this child?”

“Sweetie-Pie”, I said, “You got money in your birthday card but this is a Valentine’s Day card… it’s extra-special because your grandma put all of her LOVE inside and sent it to you.”  (I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with that on the spot)

Looking somewhat satisfied, but not completely convinced, he turned around to retrieve the crumpled red envelope he had ‘left for dead’ on the front lawn…  carefully unfolding it, he looked inside… then looked up at me and said, “Mommy, there’s no love in here either!”

So much for the ‘teaching moment’… Happy Valentine’s Day!