I got a conversation heart that says "tres chic!" How cool is that? I love Valentine's Day. Most people I know are either a) bitter because they're single or b) attached and worried about what they're going to do for their girlfriends or mad because their boyfriends never give them anything. But I'm happy. I make valentines for everyone I know and then go home and read all my old valentines from fourth grade, which I saved. I'm all about Valentine's Day in elementary school. That's how it should be, all pink and white and full of two inch cards with cartoon characters and a scrawled name on the back. I usually made mine. So I'm trying to continue things like they were then. This year and last year I made paper snowflakes with hearts on them.

Also, I read the poem from Father Fox's Penny Rhymes. "Country bumpkin, pick a pumpkin, put it in your cart/ For little Jenny half-a-penny Valentine sweetheart." I love that one. I love the expression on Jenny's face, especially. All holidays should involve people saying "Oh!" and clasping their hands delightedly. I've found I do that a lot. I have several drawings of Fremothians, all of whom look vaguely like hobbits, doing that. Fremothians are adorable when it comes to Valentine's Day.

And the prize for coolest person of the day goes to Kyle. This morning when I came into the commons at school, the first thing I saw above the milling people was a big red mylar balloon. This would not have been unusual for the day had it not been for the big white letters on the balloon saying "SALE." Kyle had gotten it for Liz, who I think he's dating. It seems he had seen it outside a Hallmark store and asked if he could have it. They said no. He asked if he could buy it. They said no. So, being Kyle . . . he ran off with it. So Kyle wins. Anybody who shoplifts a sale balloon for his girlfriend on Valentine's Day is too cool.

And Liz is awesome too. You can't see it in the pictures on her website, but she has incredibly long hair. It's about mid-hip now, but it used to be longer. I've been making a list and I've figured out that next year, I'll have the second-longest hair in the school. This is assuming that mine grows a little, Bridget's doesn't, and no freshmen with Liz-like hair come in. Here's the current list in order of length: Becky, the senior with the really long blonde braid; Liz with her river of chestnut hair that somehow never gets tangled; Sonu with the two black braids to her waist; Ariana with the long red hair like I want long blonde hair; Bridget with the wavy brown hair that made me want to grow mine out in the first place, and me. I'm not sure where it goes from there. But after all these years I'm beginning to think I've finally caught up with Bridget, so next year I may be second place. And yes, I know I'm taking this way too far. It's just another small fixation of mine.

February 2
February 15