Valentine's Day 2018

Valentine's Day in our house, the tradition is for the kids to wake up to a treat. This year they woke up to a stuffed animal and small box of chocolates. i used to do the cute little pancakes and themed meals for the day but then i worried i was becoming too much of an overachiever on a day i really don't like, so i decided to back off and let those who love the holiday take over. i'll just grab my chocolate covered strawberries and read about your adventures.

i went off to work and received a special surprise while there! my boyfriend knows I'm not a fan of flowers, so he got me chocolate covered strawberries and pineapple. I ate one or two chocolate ones so i didn't get a stomachache and then ate the strawberries and pineapple.

I was busy that day and made it home with the treats so this little one could unwrap them for me. it's her FAVORITE thing to do--unwrap every package and present that gets delivered to the door and determine who the rightful owner gets to be. When she found my chocolate covered strawberries came with a teddy bear she was so excited that my boyfriend got her a teddy bear. "Oh thank you! I got a teddy bear!! BEST Valentine's Day EVER!!" The bear quickly disappeared and was not seen the rest of the night.

The bath bombs that were dropped off by a friend at the door? "Wow Mom, here's your card. I got some new bath fizzies! You don't take baths, so you don't need them." Those quickly disappeared.

When my boyfriend came over and delivered some chocolates to the kids--Ghiradelli chocolate caramels for the oldest, assorted chocolate for my son and Kit Kat's for my youngest, she once again screamed "BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER!!" (Because now she is eight hours into a sugar high and the volume in the house has slowly raised to a heightened level bordering shrieking and screaming). I told her she could have two, but somehow the Kit Kat's disappeared and there were only two left in the box. That girl had taken them and hidden them throughout her room and toys so we wouldn't find them. i found wrappers everywhere.

Valentine's Night was a fun one. my boyfriend and i did a quick workout, grabbed dinner at Winger's for the kids and I, and watched my oldest sob while watching the Notebook with her best friend. My son spent the night playing basketball with his friends and we all came together later that night before everyone went their separate ways. We drove kids to and from different activities and picked up and dropped off friends.

One of the hardest things was talking to my oldest about not having a date. in her world 'everyone' at school had someone, and she had no one. We went through the list of people who didn't have dates, but still in her high school mind 'everyone' had dates or someone. i reminded her that this is a great time to be single and we only have her for a couple more years. i wanted it to reach down to her that Valentine's Day isn't about having a date or a special 'Valentine' but it's about love. The love of your girlfriends, your family and eventually a special someone. In the meantime there is much more to learn about being comfortable with yourself and learning to love yourself.

We hope you enjoyed a Happy Valentine's Day whether single or with someone. Never forget that Valentine's Day isn't just about us--it's about love. And how Valentine's Day will "look" over the years will change. We will spend many years single, many years with a special someone, and many years running kids to their activities so they can have an enjoyable Valentine's Day. The great news is you can always buy your own chocolate (i've done that many times), spend it serving others, or enjoy sightseeing at the store watching men and women purchase last minute items. (Always a favorite of mine).