I’ve always despised February. It’s so…pink. And the birthdays. Good gracious, the birthdays. And anniversaries. And proposals. I know like 20 wonderful people born or married or proposed to in February, many within days of each other. So let’s face it: before Facebook gave me an excuse to stop sending people cards in the actual mail, the celebratory dog pile on my calendar was easy to resent. That’s why Ryan and my anniversary is March 5th and not a week earlier. It’s also why we didn’t get married in May or June because…well…you do the math. No February babies for us, thank you very much.
Nothing is as bad as “Singles Awareness Day,” though. Except for maybe watching the desperate guys in the grocery store the night before. Step away from the white stuffed animals and stale chocolates. Shame on you for not ordering that thing she showed you on Etsy two months ago. Phish.
Wait, though, there’s more. Look at that mom over there buying those impersonal Valentines for her kids to take to school tomorrow. How generic and lazy of her. And wait just another minute…she’s not even going to buy some candy to go along with those? So cheap. Shame on you for not looking on Pinterest two weeks ago for a craftier Valentine your kids could give away proudly. Have you no respect for the month of February?
I hope you see where I’m going with this.
I’m the worst. Really, I am. And I need to repent of my bad February attitude before my kids catch on and get all jaded and cynical, too (and before everyone I know and love with a February birthday un-friends me).
Which brings me (finally) to the point of this post: The Caped Cute-sader.
I normally avoid subjecting myself to craftiness of any kind with my kids because the money spent and the messes made are rarely worth it. I lack the patience to help Landon get it perfect while repeatedly telling Evan that the project isn’t about eating, it’s about making, while also listening to Selah turn glue sticks into a family of “peoples” who all talk at once.
So handmade Valentines? Definitely not my our thing.
It’s a new year, though, and I have a new attitude (or so I like to think), so I proposed two crafty ideas to the boys and they chose the Caped Cute-sader. They honestly would’ve been fine with the generic, Target-bought Valentines they’ve come to expect from me, but that is not an option this year. No, we are going to make some memories, dang it, and we’re going to do it with capes on Totsie Roll Pops!
I bribed promised them they could watch some of the Pro Bowl if they shopped for supplies with good attitudes, so off we went.
Step 1: Gather Supplies
Card stock, hole punch, heart stickers, tape, suckers, black marker
Step 2: Download this template and print on cardstock for the mask and cape.
Step 3: Cut out all the capes and masks before bringing your kids to the table to help.
Step 4: Put it all together without yelling at anyone or being too much of a perfectionist about things.
Step 5: Blog it…
…and admit that you only completed two out of 42 because you didn’t follow Step 3, and Step 4 became difficult when a certain someone turned scraps of paper into a family of “peoples” with heart sticker eyes that were meant for the capes … and another someone kept asking if he could eat the suckers … and a third someone didn’t want to help because things weren’t perfectly ready … and you realized you are glad you tried this in January so that you can’t blame February for it not going as planned.
To be continued…
🙂