I am going to share a secret that my dear friend Jen, from Raleigh, shared with me before I had kids. It has brought so much love and tradition into my home, you are welcome to steal the idea too— mucho dividends!!!
The night before Valentine’s Day, once the girls are asleep, I stick hearts all over their room. It is called a “Heart Attack”. The hearts have phrases on them or just simple words. For example: Your smile brightens this world, your love for dance, you are a great athlete, you tell the best jokes, smart girl, pretty girl, big sis, little sis, great cartwheel, awesome at math, delightful, funny, charming, perfect friend etc. Each year I add to the hearts, but I never remove a heart. So when they wake up, you guessed it, the room has been completely transformed into a wonderland of hearts, affirmation hearts actually.
I also decorate the dining room, where all of our meals are served. It pays off, they love it. I do something similar on their birthdays as well and decorate the dining room for the birthday girl. When she comes out the whole dining room is in her theme, typically whatever she loves that year: Shopkins, Dora, Monster High Dolls…
This year I had met my match. Delaney, whose birthday was actually the day after Thanksgiving, stated she would love to wake up with balloons all over her bedroom. Yes, you are realizing the challenge as I write; no party store is open Thanksgiving night! So like any mom, accepting the challenge, I called Wegmans and requested 24 balloons for pickup, basically when they opened. I rushed home and put them all over her room and waited for her to wake. Success!! She was in sheer heaven. She told Jarrod, “Mommy must never sleep, between the hearts and the balloons, I don’t know how she does it all…”
And yes, as you can imagine, her sister, realizing she can ask for the same, stated, “I will know when it is my birthday because I will wake up with balloons all over my room”. Ok, so I got smarter, or so I thought. I went and bought a bunch of Mylar balloons the day before and hid them in my closet till morning. I would not suggest that route. As I was placing them all over the room, Deanna woke up, mind you with a very large smile. But still, she woke during my setup because those balloons are so loud!!
And if I am sharing all my secrets, here is my last one that has paid many dividends, even with our friends and their children. When we have a birthday celebration or a New Year’s Eve celebration we have a tradition. We each take a balloon at the close of the night, go outside, make a wish and let the balloons go. We all watch where the balloons are headed and there is banter about whose wish is coming true. This tradition started before my kids. Jarrod and I had New Year’s Eve parties in Raleigh and would give every adult a balloon to make a wish after midnight. It is exciting to see the thought process in everyone’s eyes. For one moment they are free, childlike, asking for their dreams to the universe.
So, please share my secrets that bring sheer delight with your family. And please, share some of your secrets that have paid dividends in your family…..
