Pigeon's Celebrations: Four Friendly Valentines

Pigeon had guests for Valentine's Day. Mother was helping a friend by having her four daughters in for the day. With so many youngsters about, Mother had an excuse to throw a party. When Pigeon awoke that morning, his breakfast table was spread with a heart-speckled cloth and scattered with candies. A pink heart banner hung over his breakfast chair, and someone had left a package for him to open on his tray. Inside were two new books from Mother and Father. Pigeon knew it would be a special day.

Having the girls over in itself was special. So many people to play with! He shared his toys and his mother well. Together they made paper valentines. Mother helped Pigeon put glue on little paper hearts, which he pressed onto a red card for Father, along with stickers he picked out himself. Everyone's cards went into plastic sleeves. They dropped foil-wrapped chocolate hearts into each one to take the place of kisses, tied them up, and set them aside to hand out later.

After lunch, Mother brought out a tin full of heart-shaped cookies. They each got a pile to decorate with tubes of icing, sprinkles, candy hearts, and chocolate bits. The girls filled a whole box top with their work. Pigeon snitched chocolate bits when Mother wasn't looking. 

After naps, they ordered pizza and the older girls got to pick out a movie to watch while they waited for their parents to come get them. Pigeon liked having so many kids around his table. Maybe one day there would be other children there--the kinds, he hoped, who didn't have to leave at the end of the day; they'd already be home.