Valentine 'Date' With the Grands

Last night the two oldest grandchildren spent two hours with grandma while dad took mom out for a Valentine dinner.  We had lots to do and almost ran out of time.  First on the agenda was dinner.  I made grilled cheese sandwiches, mandarin orange slices, celery sticks, pretzels, and milk.  The eight year old was full, but the twelve year old was still famished.  He's been growing like a weed so I told him just go into the pantry and refrigerator and eat anything he wanted.  He chose two cookies from the pantry and a huge apple from the refrigerator.  I forgot to mention he had 2 sandwiches for dinner.

After clean up - they helped - we made cards for their mother.  I got out the doilies and glue stick for them to create cards.  After a few minutes their creativity was shining through.  The eight year old put a streamer of ribbon on the heart doily then attached a marshmallow heart to it.  I love it and I know their mom will, too.  (I was so concerned about not taking pictures of them that it didn't occur to me to take pictures of their creations.)  I'm thinking he got the idea from his older brother because he put a pack of raisinettes on the bottom of his streamer.

After we cleaned up the mess and wiped down the glass kitchen table, I made frosting for the cupcakes  that came out of the oven before they arrived.  The boys each had four cupcakes,  a bowl of cherry frosting to use, and shared the 'decorates'.  The younger boy put a series of conversation hearts on the two cupcakes that went to his mom.  Then added sprinkles.  LOL  It was a typical decorating job for an eight year old.  I'm sure mom will be removing some of the sugar before she consumes her hand made treat.

This is the result of the 'adult' made cupcakes.  Cherry juice colored and flavored the frosting. 
As an added treat cherries got chopped up and mixed in the frosting.

Since my daughter knew I purchased tulips for myself this year, she brought me a bouquet of mixed flowers.   They were, of course, beautiful and colorful.  They have gone from this:

To this.

There are times the flowers get cut low and used as a center piece on the kitchen table.
I got this from the Barefoot Contessa's show on foodtv.

The wrapper had pictures of hearts on it so one of the hearts will get cut out to be used as a template for next year.

I think I've awaken the creative side of my brain.  Even though my
'creativity' is in it's infant stage, I'm quite pleased that I
saw an opportunity to use these hearts as a template.