February Holidays

I really love holidays.  And in my mind I'd like to celebrate them all with perfect dinners and kid activities.  Of course, it doesn't always work out that way.  But we do manage some fun here and there.  February is always fun 'cause there are several smaller holidays all together.  Valentine's Day, Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year and President's Day are all pretty close together.  On Chinese New Year we have to have Chinese food.  And on Groundhog Day I always make something round and ground hog shaped.  Chicken Cordon Bleu with broccoli trees and mashed potatoes.  I know.  I need help.  Anyway, here are some pictures from our February activities.

Anna made this cute V-Day box for school.  I thought it was so wonderful.  A lot of the kids at school made super elaborate pinterest worthy boxes shaped like all sort of things.  Some of them involved batteries.  It was over the top!  Is that a Utah effect?  I don't know.  But the kids had fun.

Groundhog Day.  One of my favorite movies of all time is Groundhog Day with Bill Murray.  And since my kids are too young for that one we celebrate in other ways.  Scott and I usually watch the movie and then quote is mercilessly (or I do) for weeks after ("...WHAT-A-WASTE-OF-TIME!!  I mean...for someone else that would be an incredible waste of time...so bold of you to choose that...")  Last year I made a groundhog scavenger hunt.  This is the prize at the end - a groundhog shaped goodie bag.  Along the way they learn interesting facts about Groundhog Day.  This year the kids requested an encore performance (of the groundhog scavenger hunt).  So here it is again.  

They probably just wanted the candy.

This was our Groundhog Day meal this year - Chicken Pillows with Parmesan Sauce.  They were actually really tasty but a lot of work since I made them (bread dough and all) from scratch.  Does it look like a groundhog with a blanket?  It needs a head or something.

And my sister came into town for a week.  Here we are having Cajun Pasta for our Mardi Gras dinner.  Have I mentioned my crazy themed-meals-for-holidays obsession?  I was too lazy to make beignets or King Cake this year and made Mardi Gras cupcakes instead.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I started celebrating Mardi Gras when I lived in the Florida panhandle.  It's bigger there than in the west.   They sell moon pies and king cakes in the grocery stores at Mardi Gras time.  It's also pretty big in St. Louis.  We have a very mild Mardi Gras celebration.

It involved a lot of frosting eating.

And then my family hosted the party of the century!  My sister invited some of our friends from Fullerton (who have since moved to Utah) over.  They are like our family - almost like cousins.  We grew up together and yadda yadda.  So it was fun and crazy.  I think we had 33 people in the house.  It seemed like a lot.  And this was the only picture I took.  Anna and one of my friend's daughters.  This was before we reached critical mass with tons of kids running around.

And here is my nephew, Gideon.  We decorated some Valentine cookies on V-Day.  I think he got his cast off shortly after this.  Poor guy!

Decorating cookies.  Ruth's other son, Magnus in the background.  He is Grant's age.

Grant was sad when he woke up from a nap.  

He poured copious amounts of sprinkles over his sadness.

I think it helped.

Happy Valentine's Day!!