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Bee Mine

I love Valentine's Day.
I know a lot of people hate this "Hallmark Holiday," and I can understand that. But it's the Hallmark part that I love! Remember those tacky little Valentine cards we handed out to all our classmates? Nobody got their feelings hurt, because the teachers insisted that we give a card to every single member of the class. So everybody got some love.
The cards came in boxes of twenty or thirty and featured all kinds of images and terrible, terrible puns. In a fit of nostalgia, I went hunting on the internet for some of these little masterpieces, and I found a few that are appropriate for some of our Casababes. I know I should have sent one to everyone in the class, but it was a challenge finding sufficiently groan-worthy puns for everyone!
Here's one with a wolf, for Terry Spear:
And a mermaid, for Judi Fennell:
A kilted Scotsman, for Amanda Forester:
A "Domestic God" for Robin Kaye:
And a kitty cat for Cheryl Brooks:
But of course, the best Valentine cards had cowboys on them, and I found a nice selection of those for Carolyn Brown!
On Valentine's day, we'd put our specially decorated shoeboxes on our desks, with a slot cut in the top, and everyone would slip their cards inside. Once in a while I'd get a special handmade one from a "secret admirer" with a construction-paper heart pasted to a white doily. I'd spend weeks watching the boys, trying to figure out who sent it.
Do you have any special memories of elementary school Valentines? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Comments

  1. How sweet! Those valentines are perfect. My memory is of when I was in first grade. I was putting the valentines n the other kids' boxes and didn't use any kind of order and then couldn't remember who I had given a valentine to and who I hadn't. The teacher yelled a me for taking too long. So stressful!

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  2. I loved Valentine's when I was a kid! The treats and the cards. Sure, I knew that some of the ones were forced because we all had to give a card to each kid, no matter how much we didn't like them, but still, it was fun!

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  3. Thank you for the cowboys. I know it wasn't easy to give them away when you love them, too, so that makes them extra special!
    Momma always loved helping me decorate the Valentine's box to take to school and the time I got to spend with her is one of my special memories!

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  4. Joanne, thanks for taking us down memory lane. Those are so cute.

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  5. As one might imagine, this entire ritual was very subdued in Catholic grade school....This is the same place where the nuns made sure the boys stayed on their half of the playground at ALL times. Judging from the fact that I was one of seven children I gather there might be some rebound effect as those boys and girls mature.

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  6. Shana, that does sound stressful! Terry, I liked the fact that everyone got one, too. Most of us still found a way to give an extra-special one to the boy we really "liked," though:)

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  7. Carolyn, you're welcome to the cowboys. I don't mind giving away the baby ones, but I hang onto the grown-ups:) I'll bet your mom was terrific!

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  8. Thanks, Tracey! I wish Valentine's day stayed that simple after we grew up!

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  9. Grace, thanks for the chuckle! I never thought about the rebound effect, but I think you're right!

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  10. This was adorable and so clever! I dreaded VDay because I was always without a valentine--the little fat girls didn't tend to get tons of valentines. However, I made up for it once I hit college and met my husband. It was worth the wait.

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  11. Sara, you were a little fat girl?!?!? Those little skinny boys are kicking themselves now:)

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  12. Love it!!!!!!! Thank you for thinking of me! I love my Highlander Valentine. Oh, now that could be a nice book...

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  13. Yep, I remember those Valentines. I even have a mental picture of the box--doily and construction paper hearts and all. LOL! If those boys in my class could only read one of my books, they'd be totally freaked out that quiet little Cheryl is writing about uber-sexy aliens!

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  14. How fun! My favorite part of Valentine's Day was decorating the box for my Valentines. My daughter's school doesn't do that anymore. I suppose it's easier on patents, but my daughter would love that tradition. Now the just use gallon size ziploc bags.

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