I did the math last night. This February 14th will be the eighteenth Valentines Day that David and I have celebrated. Eighteen. More calculations and that means that the Mr. and I have been together for half of our lives. I met David October of 1992, when I was a mere eighteen years old. A teenager. Zachary is now closer to eighteen than I am.
I remember the first Valentines Day I spent with David well. I showed up at his dorm room to find a stuffed bear, I would later name Swanson holding a red rose (awwww....how 18 of us.) We had dinner at Paisans, a restaurant which has since been torn down and replaced with a parking garage, across the street from our dorms which have also been demolished.
It was my first real live out-to-dinner-I- have -a -Valentine, Valentines Day. Over the years we have celebrated the day in different ways. I trained the boy from day one that Cupid's Day was not one to be messed with. I do not care if flowers are more expensive on February 14th, I want them. I do not want to hear about how cheesy all of the greeting cards are, pick one. And he has obliged, and our Valentines Day's have been lovely. Until recently the holiday always meant dressing up, sipping cocktails and having a date night at a more expensive than usual restaurant. Steak, Sushi, tapas, always the restaurant was crowded and always the service was lacking, but I never cared. I always enjoyed the scene.
Once the kiddos arrived the nature and the meaning of the holiday changed. Now I have three Valentines. I shop for cards with puppy dogs and firetrucks. I buy the boys the same Russel Stovers chocolates my mom always got me. I greet them in the morning with heart shaped toast and pink cream cheese. David and I forgo the restaurant experience and opt for a quite evening at home. A bottle of wine. Home-made sushi. I no longer get flowers sent to an office, instead maybe supermarket flowers, but if I am lucky *maybe* I will be the recipient of a red construction paper heart with glittery stickers haphazardly glued on for decoration, handed over to me with sticky fingers and an eager smile.
How lucky am I?
I love each of you my three Valentines....
So sweet!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear more about the homemade sushi!
Oh, it isn't as fancy as it sounds. Just by some good fish and make some sushi rice-we stopped bothering with the nori, too much work :)
ReplyDeleteRachel, finding your comment on my blog was so awesome! Thank you so much for your words of support about my misadventure, and especially for your enthusiasm about my blog.
ReplyDeleteYou look terrific and this post was so lovely. (I'm a little teary, truth be told)
I, too, have two boys.
The only singing I do is around the house, or in the very rare karaoke situation. I miss it sometimes, and I annoy my children constantly. You, too?
Wonderful to hear from you,
Ann
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