Why today is a great day

Of course, as a single woman, I hated this day. I know,  I could have looked at it as a day to celebrate love in general, but I was bitter. And bitter young women don’t celebrate love. I did, however, celebrate ice cream. Shout out to Kate and The Purple Turtle!

But since meeting Chris, I have been able to have a Valentine for 6 years in a row. We used to make a really big deal about it. You know, before life started. We used to get really great gifts and go eat at really great restaurants. It was nice. But because we were pregnant last year, busy, and trying to save money for the baby, we had homemade fondue and marinated flank steak at home. And we didn’t really miss anything.

This year, having a child has really rocked our world. Yes, we could get someone to watch Miles so that we could go to a nice dinner, and we could buy really great gifts. But let’s be honest, we’re poor. Or, more accurately, we have far less money than ever before.

But what makes this year a truly great Valentine’s Day is that I have two Valentines.

Chris said goodbye to me very early this morning, so I spent the majority of the day with my mini-Valentine. After his morning nap, we were able to go for a really nice walk with the dog at the park. It was so nice out that I was able to wear shorts and a T-shirt. As it turns out, I am pretty pale after a long, cold couple of months.

After his afternoon nap, I pulled out the camera to get some pictures of him in his Beatles: All You Need is Love shirt. As soon as I pulled out the camera, he gave me this face:

 

And then this one:

And then he enjoyed some dried Apricots:

When Chris got home, we ran to the grocery store to pick up some steak (yes, we only eat it on holidays, or when my parents buy it for us) and other goodies. This is where Chris volunteered to go get me some flowers, but I explained that, although flowers are great, it doesn’t really mean as much when I’m standing right there while they are being purchased. So I told him that what I really wanted was a People magazine and a Diet Dr. Pepper. I’m a simple girl.

And after a short walk around the block as a family, I got a couple of great shots with my little man, including this one of him doing his new favorite thing—clapping.

And yes, that is a brownie mix in the background. It is a holiday, after all.