I Didn’t Take Pictures

I had big plans for Valentine’s Day. As Friday night turned into Saturday morning I was silently crossing things off my list of adventures. The boys are not feeling well. Owen and Aron both got me up in the middle of the night Friday night. Owen with an earache and Aron with a stuffy nose.

So minus a few details and a lot of pictures, here’s what happened on Valentine’s Day:
I made a late breakfast of bacon, waffles and scrambled eggs. Just before I served everyone I was presented with beautiful yellow potted tulips, a cute card and my favorite Girl Scout cookies. The Thin Mints are now in the freezer where they retain their yummy minty cold and crunchity goodness.

After breakfast we got ready in a relaxed sort of way and headed downtown to the World’s Greatest Hobby Show. It’s a model train show and we went as a surprise for the boys. It was fun but a little disappointing. There were things for small kids to do, but not enough of it for the crowd that was there. The area where they could set up trains was packed with little ones and the train that they could ride had only two cars so the line was backed up a length and a half of the convention center. The boys did want to ride it but even they were not willing to stand in line that long. So…we saw all the beautiful and intricate train table set ups and dreamed of one day having a room for that purpose because Kris and I both secretly love model trains too. When the boys are older we can do some of those things.

We wanted to do a few things downtown before we left. It’s a shame how seldom we get down there these days but Aron was exhausted and showing signs of the stuffy nose becoming more of a feverish full on sickness. So we headed home and ate a quick lunch. The boys all slept for a while and I worked on a few things around the house and prepared my Valentine surprises for my boys. It wasn’t much but it was fun. I had planned on making chili (the one thing they all love and it’s red too!) with heart shaped cornbread to go with it. Everyone seemed in the mood for something lighter so I gave them hot dogs and I ate an egg sandwich with some of the bacon on it left-over from breakfast. Oh yum. I put the boys hot dogs on heart shaped Valentine plates I got on sale at Kroger and gave them each a heart shaped box of chocolates to go with it. I set out chips and salsa for all of us and then after dinner I brought out a giant heart shaped rice crispy treat for Kris (and all of us) and surrounded it with peanut M&M’s. I couldn’t find Valentine M&M’s with peanuts so they were just regular multi-colored candy. Nobody cared. We don’t normally eat so carelessly but somehow you make exceptions on special days.

It was a lot of fun and I’m so glad neither of us felt the pressure to go out and attempt a Romantic dinner among the crowds. I really don’t like going out on Valentine’s Day. It always feels like we’re pressed right up next to other couples and to me the best part of going out is the freedom to talk. The last time we went out on Valentine’s Day it was a nice place with a wonderful menu and lovely atmosphere…other than the people. I didn’t feel like I could say anything without the couple next to us being a part of the conversation. We can be romantic another day…we don’t need a holiday to say I love you. Thank God we have a stable enough relationship that Valentine’s Day isn’t a big deal. It was neat to see the boys appreciate the expressions and of course the candy.

Ivan and Aron are both sick tonight, and Owen seems to be over it. I just pray it is as short lived for the younger two as it was for Owen.