Valentine Villa

(Click on the pictures for close-ups)



Well, the night was a grand success, and even though I was totally in on all the planning and such, no matter how many times we rehearsed, it was a totally new deal once John walked through the door. Aleksa was to play hostess, and we'd practiced and practiced what she was supposed to say, and all that. John walked through the door and all she could do was plaster an enormous smile on her face and the BLANKEST stare in her eyes... It was like, "I'm-so-happy-and-excited-that-I-have-completely-forgotten-everything-including-my-name-so-don't-ask-but-I'm-having-so-much-fun-just-standing-here..."



So, I had to coach her a little, *wink* and then she was so excited she started hopping (not realizing she was, I don't think). She also kept gravitating over in front of us and not saying anything, just smiling and being excited. Liana, the waitress, (actually, she used her birth name "Valentina" last night as her "waitress name" - much more in keeping with the holiday), had to drag her away from us a few times. We asked her how she thought we could sneak kisses if she was going to hover... ;O)



Actually, all three were total hoverers, it was just that Aleksa was also the hopper ;O). I directed them toward their folders full of printed out puzzles, games and jokes to keep themselves occupied, but they were so excited, their attention span for those was pretty short. Liana, who had practiced all week on coffee-making, forgot to plug in the coffeemaker, so it took a LONG time. But when it did arrive, it was wonderful, and Liana's accompanying poem was adorable. "I love coffee. I love tea. I love you. Do you love me?" You have to notice what she's wearing - a curtain as a shawl, and while it might be hard to see, she has a hoop under her skirt, so she was Quite the lady last evening. :O)



I have to include a picture of our littlest Valentine, who slept through the whole party.



After Waitress Valentina delivered the "check" and mints, John stuffed three one dollar bills into the leather folder. Aleksa happened to notice them first, and you should have heard the screams from all three at once when they realized they'd been tipped! They hadn't thought that far ahead and weren't expecting it. It was the icing on the cake to see them so excited.

John was pretty impressed by all our hard work and preparations, we were all in stitches all night. A good time was had by all! :O)



By the way, I'll add the recipe for the "salsa chicken" just in case you want an easy recipe for your kid to cook YOU supper one night... Really easy and delicious. All you do is sprinkle some frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts with about a 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, then cover them in a 9x13 pan with about a cup and a half of salsa. Bake for an hour at 375, then the last three minutes of baking, add some sprinkled cheese on top to melt. Serve with sour cream and over rice. Easy, but it's one of John's favorite meals.