(I’m giving my blog readers a valentine story that was published in my book titled, Holiday Adventures for Kids. Consider it my valentine card to you. I hope you enjoy it. If you like the story, feel free to order your very own copy from Amazon.)
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The steep, snow-covered hill was perfect for sledding. Tina and her five-year-old brother, Timmy, had made many trips down the hill on their red plastic sled.
“My teacher told me to remind you to be good,” teased Tina.
“Mom is your teacher,” giggled Timmy.
That was true. Tina was in the sixth grade, and her mother was her teacher.
Every day after school, Tina babysat her brother so her mother could correct papers and prepare for the next school day.
“Okay, Timmy, let’s set a new distance record on this slide!”
Tina pushed off quickly, jumped on the sled, and crouched behind her brother.
“Whee!” the pair screamed as they whizzed down the hill.
As the sled slowed and stopped, their neighbor, Mr. Coleman, pulled up to the curb. As he stepped out of his van, he said, “Hi, kids. Are you having fun in the snow?”
“You bet!” replied Timmy, and the two children watched as Mr. Coleman carried a vase of flowers to his front door.
“Mrs. Coleman is going to be happy to see that her husband remembered that it’s Valentine’s Day,” said Tina.
“I would have rather had candy,” commented her brother.
As the children continued sliding, they saw other neighbors celebrating Valentine’s Day. Mrs. Brown arrived at her house carrying a large package wrapped in Valentine paper.
Policeman Bob carried a heart-shaped box of candy under his arm as he came home from work.
A young couple walked by holding hands. They said they were going out for a Valentine’s dinner.
As the two children pulled the sled to the top of the hill, Timmy said, “Let’s take a break.” as he plopped into the snow.
Kneeling by her brother, Tina said, “I bet Mom really misses Dad on days like this. I know I do.”
“Me too,” Timmy chimed in.
“If only it hadn’t been icy that morning,” continued Tina. “Dad wouldn’t have had that awful car accident. He would still be with us.”
“He used to read me bedtime stories,” Timmy remembered. “I miss that.”
“Maybe Mom wouldn’t miss Dad so much if we give her a valentine.” said Tina. “But we don’t have any money to buy something.”
“We could make a card.”
The two children sat quietly in the snow, and suddenly Tina cried, “Timmy, what a great idea! We’ll make Mom a card, but it will be a special card. Quick,” she told her brother, “run to the garage and get the snow shovel.”
Puzzled by his sister’s excitement, Timmy went to find the shovel.
When he returned, Tina was standing on top of a huge snowbank next to their mailbox.
“We will make Mom a Valentine’s Day card out of snow,” said Tina.
“How do we do that?”
Taking the shovel, Tina began digging into the large snowbank.
At first, Timmy sat on a snow block and watched his sister work. “It doesn’t look like a valentine yet.”
“You have to be patient,” replied Tina as she continued to dig in the snowbank.
Timmy began helping his sister move the snow. He stacked his sled high with snow blocks and pulled the sled to another part of the yard. He dumped load after load into a pile.
“Hey, Tina,” he cried. “Look, I’ making my own snowbank!”
“Cool,” she replied.
Timmy shouted, “I can see what you’re making. It’s a giant heart!”
“You are right, little brother.”
Timmy helped his sister smooth off some of the rough spots on the heart.
“There, it’s done.” said Timmy.
“Not quiet. Run to the house and get the container that Mom uses to mist the plants. I’m going to find some red food coloring.”
Timmy returned with the container, and Tina returned with a pail of red water. They filled the plant mister, and the two children took turns spraying a fine, red mist onto the snow heart.
“That should do it,” sighed Tina. “Isn’t that the biggest red valentine you have ever seen?”
“It’s awesome!”
Tina used handfuls of white, sticky snow to make letters on the heart that read WE LOVE YOU MOM.
Timmy and Tina stood looking at the completed valentine when their mom drove into the driveway.
The children could tell their mother liked the valentine made of snow. With tears in her eyes, she gave each a child a great big hug and a kiss.
The snow valentine outlasted all of the neighbors’ valentines. Mrs. Coleman’s flowers were dry and brittle the following week as the garbage man dumped them into the back of the garbage truck. The empty candy heart box was also in the garbage that week.
Spring came late that year, so the snow valentine graced the family’s yard well into April. But most importantly, the love represented by the snow valentine stayed with Timmy, Tina, and their mom forever!
The End!
