I'm not big on Valentine's Day. I don't appreciate all the bunk they sell at stores. Kyrce and I stopped by Walgreens on the way home. We stood in line behind half a dozen people clutching helium red foil heart balloons and grossly cutesy stuffed animals. I've never seen a larger group of overwrought people, not even at the mall on Christmas Eve. Kyrce was buying Kleenex and cold medicine. I was buying toilet paper.
The kid working behind the counter said to me, "Is this it?"
Yeah.
Kyrce and I just started laughing. The kid behind the counter laughed a bit nervously and looked a bit embarrassed.
I was proud to be buying toilet paper. I didn't even get a bag for it. I just carried it out of the store in my hand.
Dana and I really didn't have any plans for Valentine's Day, which was mutually fine with both of us. I don't like clutter and I didn't want to have to pretend to like some stuffed animal that says "I love you" when you squeeze it. And I didn't really want a greeting card which I would feel obligated to save. I have recently given up sugar so the only good thing - chocolate - was out of the question.
I walked into the house and it was in good shape. Dana had already fed everyone and they were all sitting together when I entered the living room. These are the nights I like to walk in the door!
Not only was everyone relatively sedate, Dana had three handmade cards constructed from some colored matte paper. One from Lily, one from Liam, and one from him. They were decorated with cut-out flowers and hearts and pasted onto the mattes. Lily drew a picture of 'Mommy' on hers and Liam scribbled in purple. It was obvious Dana spent a lot of time on these. That's not an easy chore when you have to wrangle them at the same time! Especially since Liam likes to eat crayons so you really have to watch him carefully. I can't imagine that they taste good at all, but he keeps trying to go back to them consistently.
The house was sane, and the cards were beautiful.
Seth came downstairs to say hello and give me a hug. He said he was making me something in Home Ec, but that it wasn't quite ready yet. Then he gave me an even better present by sharing with me the following story, of which you must read thinking of a very deep and surprisingly manly voice of 13 that my son has:
So, I was in Home Ec today and everyone was going around the room, asking who were we going to give our Valentine's Day thing to. And everyone was saying they were giving it to their girlfriend or to their boyfriend, and then they got to me...and you know what I said? I said, 'I'm giving it to my Mum.'
He laughed and smiled at me.
The house was sane, the cards were beautiful, and my son is awesome.
Perhaps Valentine's Day doesn't have to be so lame afterall.
The kid working behind the counter said to me, "Is this it?"
Yeah.
Kyrce and I just started laughing. The kid behind the counter laughed a bit nervously and looked a bit embarrassed.
I was proud to be buying toilet paper. I didn't even get a bag for it. I just carried it out of the store in my hand.
Dana and I really didn't have any plans for Valentine's Day, which was mutually fine with both of us. I don't like clutter and I didn't want to have to pretend to like some stuffed animal that says "I love you" when you squeeze it. And I didn't really want a greeting card which I would feel obligated to save. I have recently given up sugar so the only good thing - chocolate - was out of the question.
I walked into the house and it was in good shape. Dana had already fed everyone and they were all sitting together when I entered the living room. These are the nights I like to walk in the door!
Not only was everyone relatively sedate, Dana had three handmade cards constructed from some colored matte paper. One from Lily, one from Liam, and one from him. They were decorated with cut-out flowers and hearts and pasted onto the mattes. Lily drew a picture of 'Mommy' on hers and Liam scribbled in purple. It was obvious Dana spent a lot of time on these. That's not an easy chore when you have to wrangle them at the same time! Especially since Liam likes to eat crayons so you really have to watch him carefully. I can't imagine that they taste good at all, but he keeps trying to go back to them consistently.
The house was sane, and the cards were beautiful.
Seth came downstairs to say hello and give me a hug. He said he was making me something in Home Ec, but that it wasn't quite ready yet. Then he gave me an even better present by sharing with me the following story, of which you must read thinking of a very deep and surprisingly manly voice of 13 that my son has:
So, I was in Home Ec today and everyone was going around the room, asking who were we going to give our Valentine's Day thing to. And everyone was saying they were giving it to their girlfriend or to their boyfriend, and then they got to me...and you know what I said? I said, 'I'm giving it to my Mum.'
He laughed and smiled at me.
The house was sane, the cards were beautiful, and my son is awesome.
Perhaps Valentine's Day doesn't have to be so lame afterall.