I got flowers for Valentines Day. Not from Shawn, but from AJ and Charlie. (Yeah, I got a little teary. ) And that, in a nutshell, illustrates how Valentines has changed for me in the last 15 years. Shawn and I have never been Valentines Day people. We sort of forced it on each other when we were dating. But then as we have gotten older (and wiser) we couldn't care less. I don't really like traditional romantic stuff. The red roses, the champagne, the teddy bears, the chocolates in a heart shaped box, are all things I could do without. I always felt like the guy was reading from some "man manuel" and was following a list of instructions. All girls like that stuff, right? Nope. And that, right there, is the key to romance.
When our first son was born, instead of a more traditional piece of jewelry (which I am *sure* is listed in the Man Manual), Shawn bought me a set of pots and pans. In some households that would be grounds for divorce. I LOVED them and use them every day. They are amazing quality and I will be cooking on them for years to come.
The big joke this Christmas was that when Shawn asked me what I wanted, I told him I wanted a vacuum (a Dyson Ball to be exact). Then I explained that the beauty of this plan is that I would get exactly what I wanted and he would look like a complete jerk for getting me a vacuum for Christmas. (Insert evil laugh here). The man is not stupid, I never did get my vacuum.
But he is romantic in small ways every day. And I would take that hands down over a bunch of gifts that don't mean anything to me personally. I have had girlfriends argue, "But it's a day to celebrate your love!" No, that's what our anniversary is for.
AJ's class had their Valentine's Day party yesterday. It was fun to be there because it was all so simple. There were no hurt feelings or pining for unrequited loves. Just treats. Lots of treats. They had cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and candy. And then they had more cupcakes and cookies. The kids were in heaven. The sugar alone was enough to make anyone feel heady and loopy. Just like falling in love.
I too am no fan of V-day. Sometimes I just use it as an excuse to buy myself something and then I say "thank you Marc that was so thoughtful". Like you could buy your vacuum for Valentines day!
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