Valentines and Swaps

Some may call it crazy, but to be able to do date nights or temple visits sans kids and stay within a budget, we "swap" with friends to be able to earn our night (or morning) out.  For our temple swap, we trade with another family (also 4 kids around our kids' ages) once a month on Saturday mornings.  The mom of one family goes to the other house at 6:15 to stay with sleeping kids while the other couple goes to the temple.  When those four kiddos wake up, she feeds them breakfast and gets them ready for the day then transports them to her own house for a 2-3 hr playdate until the parents return from the temple.  Then, the other couple gets to go the next month.  Since going to the temple is about 5 hrs. total it seems a fairly painless way to make it happen and still have most of your Saturday left.

The Oakland Temple

We also have a "date swap" one or two times a month with two families.  This month was our turn to host the 10 kids (all under age 7) feed them dinner, entertain and maintain them for 3 hours on a Saturday evening and we actually had a lot of fun. It being the Olympics and all we helped the kids make these olympic medal crafts (coloring paper reinforcement rings the right colors and putting them on a golden medal with patriotic ribbon to make a necklace).  They marched around to patriotic music while taking turns holding the "torch" that Lillian made at school with a toilet paper tube and construction paper. The date night swap crew

"The boys" plus kenzie having dinner

"The girls" having dinner

For Valentine's Day I made my valentine some chocolates that he's been hinting about since Christmas time.  I wimped out during the holidays because my Chocolate tutor and partner in crime moved away (Thanks Tami :) and wasn't here to motivate me and we had so much other sugar then anyway.  Well, I failed to take a picture of the 150 or so chocolates I dipped but but we had caramels, almond joys, cherry centers, peppermint patties, and oreo truffles.  I tried to give many of them away but I think Jared got more than his fill so we should be good for another year or so!!  And Jared built me a pull-out garbage cupboard right next to the sink that I've been wanting for a while.  So convenient and easy to use.  I was so excited.

The kids were also spoiled by packages received from both Grandparents!  They got new clothes and treats and cards.  Here they are wearing the goods from the Otterstrom Grandparents

 And, of course, we did Valentine hairstyles on all the girls, and the Valentine's lamb came to visit (tradition from Jared's Family).  The kids received a barbie jet and motorcycle, a doll play crib and rollerskates.  Jared got all of them for free recently, but they were barely used and new to us so the kids were thrilled.

Jocelyn valentine's hair

Emma with doll crib

Lillian testing out rollerskating skills

Since I got a new computer (mine was on the edge of collapse), Jared wiped clean and set up the old one for the kids. He bookmarked all the educational sites I have been wanting to set up for them, along with headphones, etc.  They are enjoying it for Homework and the like and I really like not having to share my computer :)