I just left the boys house. On his table sits 3 bags filled with valentines day cards, candy, and cookies. In the fridge are 64 cupcakes. Next to the bags? Shoeboxes decorated in pinks and reds, hearts and whatnot — their mailboxes, if you will.
The children are armed and ready for their valentines day parties tomorrow…if they go to school. (All signs point to a day back at school…probably delayed but they seem to be going. Praise the Lord!)
If I’m quantifying the cards that we have produced in the last 48 hours, I’d give you a number of 84.
EIGHTY-FOUR.
Yes.
That’s right. And these aren’t just your run of the mill valentines day cards….oh no!
Nothing is run of the mill for the 4 things that we love so dearly. These EIGHTY-FOUR cards are either pop up cards with bright, vivid, tropical fish and the like or hearts with arrows made of Pixie Stix through them….complete with arrowheards.
All EIGHTY-FOUR valentines day cards were assembled with love by the boy and I, either by putting the tabs attached to the fins and heads of the fish into the slots or sticking the sugar filled paper tubes through the heart and then attaching the arrowhead to the top.
I made the cookies. Then I get a text from Thing 1. “Do we have room for 64 cupcakes?” (Note: I have spelled all words correctly so you don’t know what horrific spellers my children are. Love them dearly but neither will ever be a spelling bee winner.)
I respond. “Uh, I guess so. Are they in a container?”
“34 are in a cake pan,” he responds.
“Where are the rest?” I ask.
“In a dome.”
So I wait for them to arrive and in they walk with 64 cupcakes. I move the cookies to make room and after their dad left I rearranged the fridge to accomodate the cupcakes.
And I’m sure this is why you think I strongly dislike valentines day isn’t it?
Nope.
I like to make cookies and do crafts with the kids.
That part doesn’t bother me.
I don’t like the over commercialization of the “hallmark holiday.”
Tonight the boy asked me what I wanted for valentines day.
“Same thing I wanted last year…nothing.”
And I’m serious.
I want to be shown love and affection 365 days of the year. And I want to give the same. (I take a day off during leap year.)
I don’t need a holiday to know that I’m loved or to tell someone else that I love them.
And the commercialization kills me. No sooner did the red and green decked halls come down, the aisles were filled with chocolate and roses and essentially looks like someone took a huge bottle of Pepto and splashed it everywhere.
I’m a firm believer that I should give cards and notes on days like March 3rd and October 12th…not because hallmark says I have to but because I want to.
Will I go get something for the boy?
Probably.
His love language is gifts and so he loves this holiday. I don’t want to rob him of what he loves and I did finally tell him that if he truly wanted to do something for valentines day, he could but that he would have to come up with the idea on his own…I won’t be providing a list of wants.
(Besides, with my birthday and christmas having just happened all within the last 8 weeks, I’m pretty much covered.)
So we’ll see what happens. But this is the one day that he could forget, chose not to acknowledge and I would be ok with that.
He shows me others days in different ways…
And that?
That’s what its all about.
Until next time…
{ 7 comments }
Gag. Hey I know. How about a bowling ball?
i think a bowling ball qualifies because she didn’t give you a list and you thought of it yourself
i am with you about the need to make such a big deal out of it and that loving someone should be a daily act. except, i love a card or a sweet note – nothing fancy, just from the heart- for Valentines Day. it’s not something i get on a regular basis but i still really want and need so i’m okay if Valentines Day makes that happen for me
{golf clap} BRAVO! Well written by a lady after my own heart
I detest V-day for so many reasons — and especially how it makes my single friends feel. Love Duck to death and he did all the “right” things for several years. Think I finally broke him of that 
Hear! Hear! I am on your page. TOTALLY. What a dumb holiday. Not that I won’t gladly take the red roses Paul brought me yesterday and enjoy them. But really. Valentine’s Day? REALLY? Ugh.
I asked for laser hair removal. For my beard. The long hair popped his head out of the shower and said(in his best shocked voice) I cant get you THAT! You might think I have a problem with your beard!
So Im taking him to a classy strip club for dinner instead. Cuz theyve got great food.
Amen! When I tell my husband there’s nothing I want I mean it too. I especially do not want him getting ripped off buying triple priced flowers and taking me to a restaurant that has a “special” menu which just means they pick it out, it stinks, and they’ll charge you triple what they usually do. Of course when the kiddies were younger I got into all the school stuff too, that’s cool, and fun for them (and me since I like baking too.) This year I’ll definitely will be getting something for the girl since her loser boyfriend just dumped her earlier this week. Funny thing, although probably not funny to her, is that last week I was saying that some guys usually break up with their girlfriends right before VD so they don’t have to buy them anything. Looks like mom was right again…
I am so behind in reading my feeds so I know that I am a very late commenter but V-day isn’t here just yet. Only a few hours away but not here. I have been reading your blog for a couple of years now. To be honest, I am not even sure where I found it but I do like it. My husband was the winner of the Christmas light gun thing (so techincal I know). I am with you for V-day. I hate the ‘romance’ behind it. This year at our house (and probably a day late because I have to work all night tonight) we will be having a celebration of God’s love and our love for each other as a family. We will be doing a red, pink, and heart Family Night. This year the kids will be getting their first Bibles that they can use. (We have hunderds of copies of the Bible in many translation and an old picture Bible from when my husband was little) I am hoping that they will be able to use them as they learn to read and be able to read them on their own. My 3 year old is working towards reading (Like she knows all her letter both big and small and is spelling out words) So I want her to have one of her own. My husband will be getting something but not from me, it will be from the kids. I REFUSE to get him anything from me. So yep we are celebrating in a different way and glad of it. I hope that you enjoy your day with the boy and the kids.
FW
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