Valentines Day 2014

I tried to get back into the spirit of decorating our house with each holiday/season and not just Christmas. Usually it puts me in the spirit of things, and let me tell you I've needed a massive pick me up after this miserable winter we've been having.

I started by making a new wreath for the door. The one we had was looking pretty sad, and every year we would lose a few more of the flowers. So it had to go. Now we we have a lovely red rose heart in its place.

Then I went throughout the house decorating the mantel, walls, and coffee table.

The LOVE blocks I bought from Target a few years ago, and I reused the red candle holders from Christmas. The heart doilies were an impulse buy at the dollar store. 

Fresh flowers really liven things up. The ones on the mantel (on the right) are also real. They lasted much longer than these beauties though.

This year I also tried to implement a wall where we would write little notes of appreciation and love to one another throughout the month. So far I am the only who has participated. I thanked Fred for my fresh flowers, I told Mason I was proud of him for earning the Helping Hands award at school, and told Sophie that I loved her thoughtfulness of others, especially her brother (making sure I get him one of whatever it is she is getting). This was just my wanting to do more than say, "I love you" on one day, but more of a monthly celebration of the little bits of love we show every day, that tend to go unnoticed sometimes. Maybe next year.

I think as we get older, our expectations of Valentines Day tend to lessen. Or that could just be me. With two young kids, a husband who works from home (so that means he works 24/7), and schedules that are anything but predictable, it's hard to make any kind of plans. Much less ones that involve just the two of us. So, when V-day came around again this year, I had no high expectations. Especially with the winter storm that had just dumped 13+ inches on us, closing schools for the 10th time this year (no, not the school year, I'm talking about just in 2014 our kids have missed 10 days due to snow. This does not include all the holidays and teacher work days that happened to coincide with those snow days. But don't get me started on that. How I feel about the lack of school my kids have attended since we rung in 2014 is a whole story in and of itself). Moving on. Oh yes, V-day is here and once again my kids are home ALL DAY LONG. This is exactly how I wanted to spend the day. I mean wouldn't you too? (she says dripping with sarcasm). Thank God for good friends who willingly took my kids for a few hours for a much needed playdate. That and Fred having left with my sister to get his Grandparents truck so he could help her move out of her apartment this weekend left me with a few stolen moments to myself. Ahhh. What to do? Sit in front of the TV and watch back to back episodes of Law and Order: SVU, or catch up on my reading of the Game of Thrones series. I did a bit of both. It isn't everyday I get total peace and quiet to enjoy a good book. Let me tell you how hard it is to concentrate on the words you are reading when two tablets are running in the background: the first of which is streaming Power Puff Girls at the loudest level possible, despite my repeated requests to turn it down and the other is playing some ninja game or that seriously addictive Cut the Rope, in which I get the phrase,"can you just help me with this one level Mom, PLEASE!" like every 5 minutes. Is it really too much to ask that Mom gets 20 minutes to herself where no one needs her for anything? Apparently. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the dead quiet in the house that never happens. It was almost too quiet but I managed to get a few chapters read before it was time for chaos to reign once more.

Around 4pm Fred arrived home with this lovely bouquet of flowers for me. Sometimes he can really get it right without the help of the kids.

We exchanged cards before I picked up the kids and had Moby's for dinner (no way was I cooking anything tonight).  After putting the kids to bed we cuddled on the couch eating strawberries sprinkled with sugar and watching Modern Family. It might not have been the big romantic dinner that everyone expects us to have, but it was enough. It fit us where we are right now in life. Simple, yet sweet.