Valentines for Junie

Our daughters' names inspire me. I didn't name them to facilitate my personalization of their wardrobe or the end of the year gifts to their teachers. But once the opportunities presented themselves, I found it impossible to resist.

I had an idea stewing in my brain last year for my kindergartener's valentines that didn't quite make the cut. Funny how a miniature person's vote can frequently trump an adult's. Junie wouldn't even let it go past the drawing board. But we've both grown up a bit in the last year. Valentines negotiations were surprisingly simple this time around. And I won!!! ...One of us has grown up in the past year, at least.

Juniper has a whole slew of nicknames in our family: Junebug, June Balloon. Morph those into a heart shape and, voila! A valentine, personalized to the core. Junie, our resident Paint expert, had free reign over coloring and embellishing my drawing. This collaboration seemed to clinch my victory as she snuggled next to me at the computer: "These are perfect, Mom!"