Valentine's Day

Just some of my random thoughts about today...

I used to like Valentine's Day. Back when I was in grade school and we got to make a "mailbox" for all of our valentines. That was so much fun. I suppose I could still make one these days, but seeing that it would stay empty, it seems kind of silly. Oh well. Maybe when my kids get bigger we'll make valentine mailboxes again and then I'll enjoy the silly holiday again.

Now, let me explain why I've claimed it as a "silly" holiday. When I was little we gave valentines to everyone in our class. No one was left out. When I got older, I realized that so many people were "left out" of feeling special. It's also really expensive to "love" someone on this day. Seriously. When did spending $40 on a dozen roses become a great deal?? Any other time throughout the year you can buy one for about $12-$15 or less. Why the huge increase in price? Because everyone sees that this is the one day a year that you have to SHOW someone how much you love them. It's like a requirement or something.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as romantic as they come. But I don't think romance should just be saved up for one day a year. It should be shown throughout the year, but Valentine's Day has seemingly limited it to just one day. Why is that? Roses, candy, nice dinners out can be shared with your loved ones throughout the year. My aunt sent this e-card to my kids today. My thoughts exactly. :)

I had 2 massages today where the women I saw had no idea they were getting a massage this morning. They were just told to be ready at such and such a time. That's sweet. I'm all for surprises, I think they are so fun. But don't just keep the surprises for this day. Surprise them throughout the year. Show them how much they mean to you by giving them a surprise every month. I'm not saying pay for a massage every month (although I wouldn't complain if they did that! ;)), but do something little every month. You don't even have to spend money...just be creative and think of something that would really light up her day. Even something like getting home from work early, especially if you work fairly late on a regular basis. Or do one of her tasks that she doesn't enjoy, like emptying the dishwasher. Matt did that for me last night and I thought he was the most wonderful husband in the world! (I often think he's the most wonderful man in the world, so that is nothing new, but I'm trying to make a point here!) Something as "small" as that can really mean a lot to a person.

I enjoy hearing people's Valentine's Day stories. And when everyone asks me what I did/received for Valentine's Day, my reply will be as it always is: my husband wrapped his arms around me, told me he loved me and I got to spend the day with my family. What more could I ask for??

The thing I look forward to most about Valentine's Day? The candy. I always check out the clearance candy the day (or in this case, 2 days) after. I got some awesome deals last year. :)

P.S. I apologize for the lack of pictures on these last 2 posts, but our camera seems to be dying and I'm trying to make it last as long as possible until we can get a new one. Don't worry, the kids haven't changed much and I'll try to get some more pictures up here soon. :)