Did love abound on valentines?

French Heart Meringues with strawberries and cream and Rolo Icecream and conversation heart - thats how I said I love You

I have a love hate relationship with Valentines day.


I don't want to buy into hype. I don't want to have to NEED a day to remind us to love. I don't want to pay high prices for flowers. I want random expressions of love throughout the year. I DONT want cliches. I DO want to use the day to REMIND the girls to LOVE us and eachother. I DO want to think Romantical thoughts since I am truly blessed with many loving relationships in my life. I DO want to do awesome valentines kids crafts.


I think of this post by a florist who mentioned “There’s a lot of pressure on Valentine’s Day,” he says. “People sometimes buy flowers and send them to themselves because they don’t want to be the only one at work who doesn’t receive them. There’s a bit of a competitive edge in the office"

( I am not opposed to buying your own flowers - I DO IT ALL THE TIME) but to have to do it to look good in the office? I don't think we need more Pressure in our lives. Why do we do this to ourselves?


BUT I can't go past a heart. I love hearts. I've got a collection of heart shaped photos - leaves, rocks, dirt, shadows. You know you've got an issue when your kids point out a heart shaped 'oil stain' in the school car park to you saying look mum.. its a heart!

I love almost everything about Valentines yet The Mr and I rarely exchange gifts or flowers. I dont think we have EVER been on a valentines date or out to eat.


This year (after our quiet anniversary) I decided that I was going to surprise The Mr by meeting him for lunch in the city. I was going to send an email to him a couple hours before lunch and say  Meet me at _____ for lunch,  I'll be wearing red..... (rawrrrr) Monday is my only day with just Miss N. I thought if I got a babysitter for a few hours, I could meet the Mr, have some lunch and have a look around the city. So I sat on this thought for a day or two when in passing he mentioned that he wouldnt be working at his office on monday, that he would be at another worksite. BOOOO! I thought it hilarious actually and told him of my plans. ITs the thought that counts right? I told him. Think of me while you sit alone and eat your dinner leftovers for lunch :)


We have some velvet fake roses that I got for The Mr to give the kids a few years back. I still have them and he handed them out again yesterday. I love a daddy giving valentines to his daughters. However we had a discussion whether this is a good thing or no. I thought 'are we setting them up for heart/love failure'? I mean how many people actually get things on Valentines?? (that arent married, or even if they are?)  When no one shows them the same affections will they be dissapointed? I'd like to go with the thought that well, they'll still have their Dad even if they have no other significant male in their lives (an idea(the no significan male thing) I'd like to keep till their over 20 anyway :)


Showing love through food is always something I enjoy and like to do. I mean we have to eat anyways right? So might as well make a dinner party out of it. Valentines also nicely clashed with our weekly 'Fancy Dinner Night' so the girls set the table and got out the stemmed glasses.


The funny thing is that The MR usually goes to work very early on a Monday so he can be back home at 5pm. The girls set the table and were helpful. By 5:30 they were pouring themselves glasses of sparkling apple cider and drinking them at the table... by 5:45 they were starting to get very upset that their Dad wasn't home. WHERE IS HE?? They kept asking. Usually we just check with Daddy online and ask what time can we expect him home, except yesterday he wasnt at his desk and I didnt want to ring him in front of his client. By 6:15 one of my daughters took matters into her own hands and rang his mobile to ask him "WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME"


It was so funny. I wasn't bothered but the girls were acting like they had been stood up! The tables done, drinks poured, dinner waiting, dessert being assembled and NO DAD!! It was so cute it made my heart melt. So know this. Never leave four girls waiting on you!


To be fair he was stuck in traffic in a taxi (ouch! that meter ticking over) behind a truck and taxi collision that was slowing traffic down considerably. It wasn't his fault we got stood up :)


So eventually we got our dinner, (though I didnt manage the 'heart shaped' lasagne the girls ordered. Just plain square.) minus most of the sparkling apple. We got time together and they even got to watch a DR Who episode (their latest love)



A Perfect day of love and misses.