ToT: How do I love thee?

TOPIC:
Valentine's Day-what does it mean to you?  Do you give/receive Valentines? Do you go on a date with your significant other?  Do you do something special with your kids?  Do you do something special with your friends?  Do you have any Valentines traditions? Why or why not?

Valentine's Day, above ALL else, is my excuse to eat these:

 

I wrote about my never ending love for them here.  They are my FAVORITE holiday candy.  Peeps, but ONLY for Easter are a close second.

 

As with most things...and this probably should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway...Valentine's Day changes drastically when you have a child. 

This has been a part of my evening for the past 2 days:

 

And while I wouldn't change it for the world, it is vastly different from the way I would have spent Valentine's Day P.J. (pre-Jayna).

 

I LOVE that she loves Valentine's Day.  She loves to make crafts for her friends and fill out the names on all of her own cards.  She did her own name last year and then I addressed them to the kids.  This year she did it ALL by herself.  Her name AND her classmates' names.  And she knows how to spell...without looking...ALL of her classmates' names.  She loves her friends and she's very proud that they like her too. 

 

Before Jayna, Chris and I always did the classic Valentine's Day date thing.  We'd go to a restaurant and eat too much and then drink some wine or something.  We've never really bought each other expensive gifts for one another on Valentine's Day.  We'd rather go out and DO something together than just buy things.  We do exchange cards and maybe something very inexpensive (but sentimental), but we don't do expensive for this holiday. Never have.  Probably never will.

 

Although this year, Chris bought me this:

We close on our new house on Valentine's Day.  In just 2 short days, we'll be the owners of 2 houses. 

 

To me, Valentine's Day is sort of just another day.  It's so important...to tell those we love that we do, in fact, think of them and even if we don't tell them often, we love them.  But I can do that any old day of the week.  I don't usually send out cards for Valentine's Day.  I get Chris and Jayna something cutesy, but as far as everyone else goes, I don't get cards or gifts.  Chris and I usually celebrate with dinner on the weekend before or after and on actual Valentine's Day, we have a special dinner with Jayna.  It has consisted of the heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's for the last 2 years.  It's almost like a tradition. Almost.

 

For the most part, I just don't buy into this holiday.  I do like to celebrate love and all the greatness that goes along with it, but consumerism has made me almost dislike Valentine's Day.  Almost like it's been cheapened by all the plastic decorations and character Valentines for kids to hand out.  What happened to the creativity?  The goofy puns?  The handmade crafts? 

 

And last but not least, a P.J. Valentine's Day memory for your enjoyment:  When Chris and I lived in Bloomington, we got sort of dressed up and went to Outback for Valentine's Day.  We waited for what seemed like 3 days to get a table.  I had a cold at the time and wasn't 100% healthy...but it was just a cold.  By the time we were seated and the bread came, I was sick as a dang dog.  I was so upset that we had waited for so long and I was sick that I insisted we stay and get food.  I was so worn out and sick that I laid over in the booth for a minute.  I fell asleep.  I FELL ASLEEP IN THE BOOTH AT OUTBACK.  Hmm...and I wonder why I don't really care for Valentine's Day.

 

What are YOUR thoughts on Valentine's Day?  Just a made up Hallmark holiday or a true Day of Love? 

 

Be sure to go visit the other ToTers in the sidebar!!  And...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!