fishy.

My kiddos need no prodding to eat sugar.  I decided I wasn't going to stock the house with Valentine candy because I knew we'd be making our traditional heart cookies (in honor of my mom, a Valentine baby!), so the other day at Walmart I had an idea.  This is where the story should have stopped, a siren should have rung, a flag should have gone up... but alas,  I proceeded.  

We like to swing by the fish tanks during most Walmart trips, and this time I thought a 38 cent goldfish would make a mighty fine Valentine gift for Peanut and Buddy.  I figured if it didn't make it, no huge loss, and it would take the place of heart candy and chocolate.  The kids are good wheelers and dealers, and we left with three little fish... the gold one for Peanut, the greenish one for Buddy and spot for "our adoption child", as Peanut calls her.  So far so good.  

We made it a day before Peanut decided to feed the fish on her own, dumping a good pile of flakes into the bowl.  They lived, aside from residing in murky, nasty water.  I intended to change it but other to do list items won out.  Most importantly, we needed to make Valentine cookies.  My little helper joined me, along with my new double stacking cookie rack.  

All was well.  We rolled, cut, baked, cooled.  My Peanut is quite the sprinkler.  She firmly believes cookies are best when piled with a mountain of sprinkles, so I let her loose. She sprinkled and sprinkled until her little heart was content.  Time for a cute picture...

...then I snap another and notice through the viewfinder that my little helper (who must go wash her hands if she so much as licks a fingertip) is drinking the sprinkles straight from the jar.  Once I put a halt to it, I grab the dustbuster and go to work on the floors.

As I turn it off, I stand back up to see her blissfully throwing handfuls of sprinkles into the fishbowl!  Needless to say, I didn't stop to snap a picture.  I saw the fish already taste testing and rescued them from their death.  Below you will notice them all huddled together in the mixing bowl wondering what on earth just happened.

For all you PETA members, the fish survived and are happily swimming and eating fish flakes in their bowl as I type.  They are probably even happier because they got that aforementioned water change out of the whole ordeal.

...and I got my favorite Valentine treat of all, Mommy's sugar cookies!  

Happy birthday, Mom!

This one is my favorite cookie of all.  Peanut and I decided to make some crosses too, since Jesus' love is the best kind of love to have on Valentine's Day and every day.  She decided it needed one solo heart right in the middle.  Love it.  

Happy Valentine's Day to each of you!  Blessings, angela