AJ spent most of yesterday throwing himself into one Valentine�s project after the next. We made cards for all 16 of his classmates, his two teachers, both grandmas and his cousins. We have a few more aunts and uncles to do today. He has also made three cards for his father and at least one for me � I suspect he�s done another with his father as well.

I know about the card for me because when I came up to bed last night, there was a card underneath my pillow. There was a matching one under my husband�s pillow as well. I asked AJ, �Did you put these cards on my bed?� He looked horrified. �You weren�t supposed to find them until TUESDAY.� He decided to hide them for a couple of days. I�m pretty sure they�re under his pillow now. I look forward to a wrinkly valentine tomorrow.

I�m not generally the most crafty of women, but Valentine�s Day has long been the seat of all craft projects. Growing up, all our valentines had to be homemade. We were never allowed to go out and buy the store-bought ones that everyone else had. Valentines were supposed to take a certain amount of work to demonstrate that you cared enough to make a crappy card. As a child I hated it � why couldn�t I get those colorful paper ones with goofy slogans like everybody else? But AJ is so excited about �doing projects,� as he says, that it�s a lot of fun.

My husband and I have always had a tradition of making each other cards too. He actually started it, I think. We aren�t much for Valentine�s presents, usually, so we always invest a fair amount of work in the cards which are sometimes little works of art. I still have the one I received last year up on the bulletin board next to my desk. It features pictures of AJ and a dog that used to reside with my husband before we got married (she belonged to his roommate, but my husband ended up taking care of her much of the time since he worked at home and I was quite attached to her).

Last year, as part of our annual valentine supplies, I picked up a package of gorgeous origami paper that lent itself well for collages and I began making elaborate story-board style cards for the occasion. This year�s features a card within a card. I don�t usually enjoy finicky projects like this � making the miniature card for the inside of this year�s project required a very steady hand and teeny-tiny writing, but for some reason I really enjoy these. I�ve always enjoyed drawing and painting, although I�m not at all talented in these areas. Perhaps I�ve found my calling with a pot of glue and a pair of kindergarten scissors.

By bathtime last night, AJ was a mess. His hands were red with ink. There was a heart-shaped sticker on his ankle. His hair was full of glitter. I told AJ that he looked like a valentine himself. "Maybe we should write 'Be Mine' on my tummy." Personally, I don't think art projects get any better than AJ. But just the same, I don't think I'll be introducing to the performance art of Karen Finley any time soon.

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