That icky stuff (get the bag ready I'm going to be sick)

I guess it must be an American thing, for children to be a part of Valentines Day. Cos everywhere online at the moment I'm seeing kids and valentine mix and matched like odd, but coordinated socks.

I'm afraid that as a Brit I have to take issue with this. To me the combination of kids and Valentines Day (a day of romance and potential thong action in the bedroom) seems a tad...well...inappropriate? Don't you think? Even distasteful? For us Brits, you see, Valentines Day is definitely a couples thing.

You know. It's the one day of the year that you actually try and forget about the kids. A day when you try and deny you ever had them, however much they scream, vomit or throw Shreddies at you. Especially if they throw Shreddies at you. For a moment - in between the screaming and vomiting - you might even get a glimmer of your life BC (before children). Or not. Especially if you're more of a middle-aged-big-knicks sort of lass, rather than a thong-action youthful hussie. [Note: count me in the former classification]

Anyway. Hearts and Valentines and all that icky stuff isn't really my cup of tea. Not since I was 15 and convinced that I would be doomed to an eternity of acned lovelessness if I was the only girl in class not to receive a valentines card.

But you see what happens? Eventually after years of hunting, catching, and ditching the opposite sex while claiming your annual Valentines Day tat, you get hitched and have kids. And then you wonder what the heck all the fuss about a giant quilted bear-and-heart-offence-to-all-who-have-taste-card from Clintons was all about.

So, where am I going with this?

Well. I saw this 'making heart pockets out of magazines' thing on the fab Unplug Your Kids blog and, despite my momentary instinctive repulsion ("valentines-kids, kids-valentines - no that is SO wrong on so many levels") I did think it was a good blog post. And dare I say it, a nice craft activity. I use the word 'nice' here in a sort of pleasantly neutral tone.

I'll shut up now. The blog post is here . Check it out.

And please Americans, please please please. Please don't corrupt Valentines Day for us like you did with Hallow-bloody-een. Valentines Day is for grown-ups.

Next we'll be celebrating Inde-bloody-pendence Day and St-I'm-not-religious-but-I'll-have-a-guiness-and-dress-up-like-a-gnome-Patricks Day and ...
Oh! We already do the latter, don't we?
Well, you know us Brits. Any excuse for a party.

Just as long as we don't have to share it with the kids.