Valentine's Day Reform

 Kate with a giant Hershey Kiss from Aunt Jeni

 I have long believed that Valentine's Day was lame and I didn't love the expectations of it. I always complained that I wanted everyday to be loved and treated special, not just once a year.  Because of this, Scott and I never made a fuss about it. We gave each other cards and went to dinner. Sometimes I would bake him his favorite treat and occasionally he bought me a small floral arrangement with three roses or something.

A few days before the big day this year, Scott said as we were driving, "Now, we aren't making a big deal of Valentine's right? I mean, we aren't spending much and all, right? I just don't have any time to buy anything."

Well, I fussed about that. I whined that he could do SOMETHING. He didn't have to fully give up the ceremony of it just because he hadn't planned in advance. I told him he could give me a coupon for something. A card that says, "This is good for one... (date night, pedicure, massage, etc.). He got the picture and that was the end of that.

I don't know what got into me this year but I really wanted to be treated special.

This particular year, I actually went to the city (which I NEVER do) and bought Scott a remote controlled helicopter. His second one. That way he could play with one while he charged the other. :) I know, silly, but I knew he wanted it but was afraid to ask for something that he knew I thought was frivolous. Kate was my partner in the scheme and she promised to keep it a secret. She near told him several times but held to her promise.

She requested that we wake her up early on Valentine's so she could watch Daddy open our present. She never even asked what I was going to give her, she was so focused on giving Scott his present from us.

Scott loved it and he gave me a box of Mindy Mints and a fabulous card with all his own words in it (I hate those cards when it has a lovely Hallmark message and the person just signs it, lame), and a 50 dollar bill with instruction that I could splurge on a spa treatment or something wonderful for me. We gave Kate a Princess Bedtime Stories book, lip gloss, and a light-up pen. Scott came home for lunch and made Kate and I pancakes, sausages, and eggs and let me know that we were going to dinner as a family so I didn't have to cook. Then around 4:30 pm, I came home from cleaning my mom's house and found a delivery box filled with a dozen red roses with a cute message on it from Scott.

Scott really surprised me with this. I don't know if I am fully denouncing my former opinions but I'm for sure rethinking them a little. My Valentine's day was wonderful and I felt cherished and I loved it! I am treated wonderful all year long but Valentine's day was now a punctuation point.

I loved eating a dinner, that I didn't have to cook, together as a family. I loved Kate calling the Roses a "family" gift because we can all enjoy them. I loved seeing Scott make efforts to pamper me and show his love in a visible way. He's never been the romantic type. He seems so often like he isn't listening at all to my endless chatter. But clearly, I don't give him enough credit.

I loved most watching Kate see all the love and giving that went on throughout the day. I realized that showing love in the big ways that Valentine's allows brings us closer together as a family, it illustrates to Kate how people who love each other treat one another, and it gives us fond memories that we can treasure for years to come.