One of my first Valentine memories was from second grade. I don't have many early memories, but I distinctly remember two things from that year. Our class party involved a game where you had to pop a balloon. Inside the balloon was a slip of paper, and you had to do what it said. Someone's slip of paper said "Kiss someone" (she didn't do it), and I remember being shocked that that was even an option. The other memorable part of that party was when a guy in my class named Mark gave me a special present -- a plastic heart necklace. He had never expressed any interest in me, so I was surprised to receive the gift from him. Nothing materialized after that -- no little childhood romance or anything -- but it sure did make me feel special on that day.
Fast forward many moons. I was single for every single Valentine's Day until I was 26. Was I bitter? Not at all! I've always LOVED Valentine's Day -- relationship or not. I would always dress up in a combination of red and pink (sometimes even for the whole WEEK!), and I enjoyed making, signing, giving, and receiving Valentines. In high school, my friend Penny and I decided to celebrate our singleness by eating together at Applebee's and sharing a yummy blondie brownie. It was a great "tradition" until the next year when she was no longer single. Ah well...
Valentine's Days of the Present...
Lucas is very thoughtful and romantic, but he prefers to show his love throughout the year and not on some overly-commercialized holiday. This year, things are a little tricky with a 3 month old. Our Valentine's Day was low-key -- our night consisted of our usual routine of dinner and Biggest Loser. Hopefully, we'll get to have a Valentine's date soon. Lucas did give me a very creative and thoughtful gift, though. I had been wanting a simple painting of a shepherd to hang in Carter's bedroom. Well, Lucas went over the top with this painting:
I love it! And yes, there are 99 sheep (one is lost, just like in the Luke 15 story from the Bible).Valentine's Days of the Future...
I look forward to creating fun Valentine traditions for our family. I can't wait to make the day special for Carter (and our other kids who follow) -- including heart-shaped food and fun crafts! I hope Carter enjoys artsy projects. I want our kids to see Valentine's Day as a Day of Love and not a day to make you feel left out if you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Hooray for holidays!
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