Valentines Already?

Reese, at the tender age of 4, already identifies with the let-down feeling after the holiday season is over.  It didn't take very long after New Year's for her to ask "When's the next holiday?"  We had to explain that not all holidays are as big or as frequent at the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years run.  MLK day only meant Daddy got to stay home all day, which isn't good enough for her, it seems.  So she's gearing up for Valentines.

 

The heart surrounding Feb 14 was her idea.  I think she considered it very original.

I tried to explain to her that Valentines is still pretty far away (for a 4 year old it is anyway. Husbands and boyfriends reading this are welcomed to begin panicking at its imminence any time now.) But she was undeterred.  She asked me to make a calendar so she could cross off the days, the way we did for Christmas.

 And then she decided that she was going to have a Valentine's party that includes a treasure hunt. Though three weeks away, it's never too early to hide the "treasure" (read: knickknacks from the toy shelves) under rugs, in closets, beneath pillow and in other places I'm sure I have not found yet.
Luckily, her excitement and cuteness has overridden any annoyance for the hidden treasure.

And now I'm even wondering if I do need to throw a Valentine party.