The Valentine's Day Playlist (Pre-K Edition)

I hated Valentine's Day as a grade-schooler. I was a poofy-haired, Toughskins-wearing nervous pup to begin with. But the anguish of wondering if I'd score any Scooby-Doo cards in the shoddy construction-paper heart hanging from my desk was almost too much too bear. I usually fared okay, not a ton of cards, but not a barren wasteland of prepubescent shame, either. Still, the payoff wasn't even close to eclipsing the night-before panic attacks. It was brutal.

So it was with great heart palpatations that the Forever Fiancee and I bought our 4-year-old daughter, Kid Lulu, her first batch of Valentine's Day cards. Stars Wars for the boys, Bratz for the girls. She'll be handing them out at school today, and we'll make sure that everyone in her class gets one. At her age, I imagine that's the deal anyway.

But alas, it's just a matter of time before Lu starts dealing with the stress of selective Valentine's Day cards. When does that start? Third grade? Fourth grade? That's gonna be tough on her. She's already showing signs of being like her old man. Some days, my daughter will come home and, like a beaten-down used-car salesman, tell me about her day: "It wasn't a good one, Dad," she'll say with a sigh, slowly shaking her head. "I had a fight with Olivia." Sing it, sister. I hear you loud and clear.

So here's a playlist to send Kid Lulu out into the world of Valentine's Day with a positive boost. Don't sweat it, kiddo. You'll always get a card from me.

1.) Have a Heart -- Bonnie Raitt
2.) Why Can't We Be Friends -- War
3.) Turn of a Friendly Card -- Alan Parsons Project
4.) Happy Valentine's Day -- OutKast
5.) Baby Be Mine -- Michael Jackson
6.) Puppy Love -- Donny Osmond
7.) The Kids Are Alright -- the Who
8.) I Want Candy -- Bow Wow Wow
9.) Secret Admirer -- Pitbull
10.) My Funny Valentine -- Ella Fitzgerald

Comments

[Marissa]

yes! You added my favorite kid crush song: Puppy Love! Donny still makes me swoon and squeal like a little girl (saw him in Sept '07)

To Sir, With Love ~ LuLu

Rock n Roll Love Letter ~ Bay City Rollers

Love Me Tender ~ Elvis

Teddy Bear ~ Elvis

You Can't Hurry Love ~ Phil Collins

Sugar, Sugar ~ The Archies

I Think I love You ~ David Cassidy

I'm channeling my youth, obviously.

[Marissa]

Groovy Kind of Love ~ Phil again

I got you Babe ~ Sonny and Cher

Love Hangover ~ Diana Ross

Beautiful Soul ~ Jessie McCartney

Oh Girl ~ Paul Young

Calendar Girl ~ Neil Sedaka

Only 16 ~ Sam Cooke

You're Sixteen (you're beautiful, and you're mine) ~ Ringo Starr

[Sherrie]

My son is in 5th grade, and I'd guess this is the last year that he will have "mandatory" Valentines for everyone in the class and a V-Day party. That makes me kind of sad, as I also dread the trauma of selective(good descriptive word, by the way)Valentines to come.
But, Rick Springfield makes any day better so I will add:
An Affair of the Heart- Rick Springfield

[Sherrie]

A few more just popped into my chocolate-addled brain....

Love Me Like a Rock- Paul Simon and the Dixie Hummingbirds

Human Touch- my boyfriend Rick again

I Would to Anything for Love- the mighty Meat Loaf

Whole Lotta Love- Led Zep

[jane]

Aw... I sent the kiddo off with Scooby Doo valentines today (all boys in his class, believe it or not).

My suggestions:
"You Are My Sunshine" -- Ray Charles

"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" -- The Police

"Embraceable You" -- Francis Albert Sinatra

"You Made Me Love You" -- Judy Garland

[Jeff in Cuba]

I missed last night's Idol Chat because I was folding paper iPods with my 5th grade daughter. She found the pattern here:

http://homepage.mac.com/colinbaxter/ipod/oldipod.htm

She replaced the text on the "screen" with a Valentines message and put some candy in them.

[jane]

Now that's hip AND adorable. And what a great dad you are to be your daughter's Cupid Assistant.

[Jeff in Cuba]

It was crazy at our house last night. I was foldng iPods in the living room, my wife was in the kitchen helping our kindergartener prepare heart-shaped molds of homemade play-doh (complete with glitter and strawberry scent) to give to her classmates, and we were both stealing away to help our 3rd grade son build his "rocket valentines" out of Mentos rolls, Hershey's kisses and construction paper!

And our school has a strict "all or nothing" policy on V-Day. Teachers insure that each student has something for everyone before they allow them to start passing them out.

[Erin]

Your fifth grader found that on the internet? I'm so impressed and I bet her classmates will love it!

I don't have any good songs to suggest as I'm getting ready to go to the pre-school for my little girl's first valentine party

I will be humming "You're Sixteen" all day now.. I sang that to all three of my kids (when they were infants) in the middle of the night trying to get them to go to sleep..not exactly a lullaby but I know all the words.

Happy Valentine's Day!

[scooterbucs]

"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" Stevie Nicks and TP&THB

BTW - Try sharing a birthday with a sister that's 4 yrs older AND on Valentine's Day.

[Bassnote]

Be Careful It's My Heart - Bing Crosby
The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
Just Because - Ray Charles (from the movie 'The Sure Thing')
Somebody To Love - Queen
You're A Friend Of Mine - Clarence Clemmons & Jackson Browne
Burning Love - Elvis
Geeks In Love - Lemon Demon
When I'm With You - Sheriff
The Best Of Times - Styx

[John Hays]

Oh yeah, Bassnote bringing in the classics! I love that Crosby classic from Holiday Inn!

I'll weigh in with a bit of unrequited love:

You Don't Know Me - Ray Charles

and some other classics:

The Very Thought of You - Frank Sinatra
L.O.V.E. - Nat King Cole
Stardust - Nat King Cole

[jane]

John! "You Don't Know Me" pierces my heart -- unrequited love gets me every time.

Another classic: "Time After Time" (the other one -- not the Cyndi Lauper one) -- Carly Simon does a great version, as does Tony Bennett. Melts me.

[Brad]

My kids did a Valentine program at their school as kindergarteners. The program included them singing Nat King Cole's L.O.V.E. and the Beatles' All You Need Is Love.

It was pretty danged adorable. At the end my camera work was getting a little shaky - some dust got in my eye! Yeah, that's it. Dust...

(Enjoy it Daly, before you know it she'll be asking you to drop her off three blocks away from the mall so her friends won't see you.)

[Bassnote]

Valentine - Nils Lofgren
Valentine's Day - Bruce Springsteen
Blow Away - George Harrison

[lily]

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