Anna Marie's Valentine's Day crisis

You didn't know a five-year-old could have a crisis centered around a semi-silly holiday, did you?

Yesterday, about 9:30, the babysitter called me.

"I hate to bother you," she said, "but I can't get Anna Marie to stop crying. She and Dayton were coloring, and I left the room for a minute to change a load of laundry, and when I came back, she was crying and he was hugging her."

I tried, twice during that call, to console her over the phone. All I got in return was crying.

The third time, I told her that there would be a special story teller at the library, and that maybe Ms. Kim could take the two of them. She seemed satisfied with that.

I went on about my day. Amanda came over to my house for lunch, and when she said she was going to the store, I asked her to pick up a small box of chocolates for Anna Marie. She did - complete with Winnie the Pooh on front. They were waiting for her on her bed.

When I picked her up that afternoon, she was in pretty good spirits. They'd come to the library, and gotten a book on puppets. When they got home, Ms. Kim sewed them up a couple, and let them decorate them. She'd even made a few Valentines for people.

In the van, I asked her what Dayton had done to get her so upset. Apparently, she had wanted to make Ms. Kim (his mom) a Valentine, and he said people could only get one Valentine each. And she was getting one from him.

We had a little talk about his having to share his mommy, and all was well. Or so I thought.

Just before bed, we were in my room playing Chutes and Ladders, and then she wanted to make my mom a Valentine. One that apparently involved Batman, because my job was to cut out his cape, and I wasn't doing it correctly! Then, I messed up his head - too small.

I had just ruined what was to be known later as "The Best Valentine Ever."

I spent the next hour consoling her. She never wanted to see me again. But then she wanted a bedtime story. I told her that was difficult since she didn't want to see me. She solved that problem by laying in her bed with her back to me.

Eventually, she turned around. But her evening did not.

Just when I thought I had her settled down, she came back into the living room.

"No one made me a Valentine!"

Now, nevermind that I had made a way for her to have not just chocolate, but chocolate with peanut butter in the middle. No one else had showed her any Valentine's lovin'!

She declared it the worst Valentine's Day ever!

Jason hurredly made her one on the computer.

I called mom, and instructed everyone at her house to get out their glue and glitter and construction paper, because my baby needed some Valentines.

She suggested that I tell her we could have a Valentine's do-over.

Anna Marie seemed to like that idea, that we could celebrate today.

I know it seems like we were "coddling" her last night, but seriously, we were at our wit's end.

How do you make a five-year-old understand that all that hype? About one day? Is not that important.

That we express our love to each other every day.

Please, moms of teens, tell me that this is NOT what they act like when they're 13 and no one asks them to the dance!

On the other hand, if this is her worst Valentine's Day ever, I guess things can only get better from here.