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Topic: Family
I remember, in elementary school, our teacher would send home a list of all of our classmates right before Valentine's Day. I always took those lists seriously. There was no grabbing any old valentine's card, signing my name to it, and stuffing it in an envelope. It was a very thoughtful process. I would lay out all of the cards and pick the perfect one that I thought fit the recipient's personality. It didn't matter that most kids just ripped open their cards and didn't even pay attention to who it was from. I had to make sure that they received just the right one whether they cared or not.
It wasn't until later in life that I became a failure in that area. Not a total failure, mind you, but sometimes not quite as conscientious. There are some bright spots in my past Valentine's Days. One year, right after Sarah and I got married, I heard an advertisement on the radio for a local fancy restaurant. If you ordered a Valentine's Bear from them, they would enclose a $50 gift certificate for their restaurant. I don't think the whole package even cost $50 so it seemed like a good deal. And it was! The bear was nice, but the eatery was fantastic! It was one of those places where you had a waiter that took your order and brought your food, and then a server just for the beverages. They hid behind a post in the middle of the room, but were constantly watching you. I remember taking a sip, and immediately they were over to refill my cup. Sarah and I laughed and giggled the entire meal. We weren't used to such service. We ended up going over our $50 limit so we had to pay some, but it was worth it.
Fancy restaurants were a thing of the past after children were born. Instead we had to start being creative. John Allen's first Valentine's Day, when he was only six months old, was one of those creative times. I concocted a plan while at work and had to stop by a local grocery store on the way home. When I got home, my plan went into action. I helped Sarah get John Allen ready and told her we were going someplace. When she got into the car, a card was waiting for her on the seat. We then drove to the lakefront in Kissimmee and I pulled a bottle of chilled sparkling grape juice, some snacks, and two plastic champagne glasses out of the trunk. I, of course, didn't forget John Allen. I had also bought some fancy apple juice to fill his sippy cup. After enjoying our appetizer, it was off to the restaurant. Along the way, I told Sarah to look under her seat where I had stashed a bag of her favorite chocolates - M&Ms. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable evening for all.
I haven't been that creative for all of my February 14 holidays. Some have just been flowers or going out for supper. It becomes harder to be creative when you have more children. I've already told you part of what happened this year. But, tomorrows another day. I wonder what fun I can conjure up this time? Mmmmm...
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