Lydia’s just gotten done putting the finishing touches on her Valentine’s Day cards and Olof will shortly take them to the gas-station-cum-post-office to be sent for delivery to her friends’ mailboxes on Monday. Valentine’s Day isn’t a big deal in Sweden–yet, that is–but every year my mom sends Lydia a box of kids’ Valentine’s cards (Hello Kitty this year), and some Valentine’s candy, so we always have a modest celebration of one sort or another. Last year I took cupcakes and cookies to her after-school program, but the kids are off from school on the 14th this year so we’ll be having a little party here at home.

For me, Valentine’s Day has never been a big deal. I’m just not a hearts-and-flowers kind of gal, I suppose–which has served me well in my marriage to a man who might well be the least romantic person on Earth–but Lydia, as faithful readers might expect, loves it. She’s been making homemade cards for weeks now and leafing wistfully through the jewelry-store flyers–targeted heavily toward girls who are weak for pink and sparkly costume pieces–that come in the mail practically every other day.

Tage has been getting into the spirit as well, which is no surprise given that he’s as weak for Hello Kitty as Lydia is for glitz. He’s been carefully carrying around the two cards that Lydia gave him as if they were made of solid gold. They’re sure to remain his most prized possessions for … oh, at least another half-hour or so.