As a mom who aspired to be a Pinterest mom but often missed the mark, I kind of used to love it when Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day coincided because it saved me two different craft projects. (I was always a little disappointed, too, because I secretly loved doing them.)
Over the years, I’ve spent hours on the week before Mardi Gras break baking dozens of purple, green and gold cupcakes; decorating them with a cinnamon-cream cheese frosting; and crowning each one with a King cake baby. When my kids were in pre-K through third grade, this was the biggest hit I had up my frosting-crusted sleeve. The king cake babies brought it over the top for my kids and their classmates. Some time after that, circa fourth grade for each of them, my kids gently told me that homemade cupcakes were out and could we just bring a normal king cake in like everyone else and skip the cupcakes altogether? (Note: I never brought the cupcakes in lieu of a king cake after one of my kids got the baby. That would be an appalling breach of etiquette. These were pure lagniappe cupcakes … and then, quite suddenly, they were unwelcome.)
Over the years, I’ve spent hours on the week before Valentine’s Day making treat bags of pink and red bubble gum balls with a Hershey’s Kiss included that said, “Blow me a kiss, valentine.” I’ve tied cards that say “Whoopie! It’s Valentine’s Day!” to tiny whoopie cushions. I’ve folded numerous paper airplanes that said, “You make my heart soar, valentine!” I’ve glued stickers on bags of microwave popcorn that said, “Have a poppin’ Valentine’s Day,” and used gloves to place glazed donuts in bags labeled, “I’m doNUTS about you!” And then, some time in middle school, my kids started asking to just bring candy to hand out, no cutesy puns or pink-and-red chevron designs needed or wanted. Last year, when Georgia was in fifth grade, I got away with a bag of Tootsie Roll Pops and a very basic card that said, quite truthfully, “My mom made me hand these out. Happy Valentine’s Day!” but I doubt I could even get her approval for that now.
They do come back around, at least to some extent. Now a junior, my daughter and her friends love baked goods, king cake baby toppers or no. I also am the Student Advocacy sponsor, and I bake for every one of my 16 students’ birthdays, and not a crumb goes uneaten. Last year, I put a bunch of Pop Rocks in my office in a basket labeled “Hope your Valentine’s Day rocks!” and they were all gone within an hour.
But middle schoolers are not having it. Even my existence is embarrassing now, and everything I say somehow provokes my almost-12-year-old to either tears or anger. Throw something as fraught as Valentine’s Day in the mix, and I’m just asking for a slammed door.
So this year, I’m 100 percent grateful to have the week of Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day off, saving me from the temptation of trying to convince Georgia that picking out valentines for her friends would be fun!
Instead, we will all be hunkered down on Feb. 14, recovering from the excesses of Carnival season. After I make it to an Ash Wednesday service, I’ll buy valentines gifts for my family.
But the punny stickers and cello bags full of sweet treats? Those are in my rearview mirror for now.
…unless I decide to give chew toys with a note that says, “I chews you, valentine!” to all the neighborhood dogs on behalf of my two border collie mixes!
