valentine's day and other stuff

 

February - the month of romance. 

I never really liked Valentine's Day in high school, I even wrote an essay on how much I hated it and I got an A on it although I think the teacher thought I was too young to be so jaded. LOL

But then I got engaged on Valentine's Day and suddenly I loved the whole idea of love and romance. Taz, who was not the most romantic of men, actually did a pretty decent job with Vday. I've never wanted bouquets of roses (I much prefer daisies) or fancy dinners or presents, I'm truly not the least bit high maintenance, but I loved the fact that he made an effort, even on the years when I didn't care, to get me a card, some chocolates and insisted we go out to dinner because we were celebrating not only Vday but also the anniversary of our engagement. I always started my Vday shopping early and usually got him something Darth Vader  related (you would actually be surprised at how many Vday Darth Vader products there are) but one year I got him a robot that pooped candy and that was a big hit. I know lots of people think Vday is too commercialized but so are Halloween and Christmas and we still go all out for them. I enjoy Vday now and I never want anybody to feel neglected so I make an effort.

I started my Valentines plans early this year because it was going to be on a Tuesday which meant we had the kids. I planned a special dinner, bought cards and a little gift for each kid and for Chris and even got a few balloons and flowers to decorate our porch.

Oh, I haven't told you about our porch! We decided to switch furniture around a little and moved our sectional couch out to the porch the weekend before Vday. It looks awesome out there and Chris put up some weatherproofing so that the furniture would stay nice and dry. 

So when the kids got home from school they had a good time opening everything and then I brought dinner right out there so we could eat on the porch. It was wonderful being unplugged and not watching TV while eating. We all talked about our days and enjoyed some great family time. It wasn't a romantic holiday or anything (which kinda sucks since it was our first as husband and wife but whatever) but it was sweet and I know the kids enjoyed the effort.

Then a few days later we finally hit some warm temperatures so we all went to the pool at the YMCA where we are members. Up until now the kids had not been able to pass the swimming test so an adult had to be in the pool with them at all times (and it was usually me because Chris doesn't love swimming) and they couldn't go in the deep end but this time they both passed! I'm very proud of them and VERY happy that I can enjoy a little pool time and then enjoy a little lounging time while they keep playing. I miss my old house and I really miss my pool especially on weekends when the temperatures soar so the YMCA is going to be the next best thing and I look forward to grabbing a good book, sipping on a cold drink while I relax poolside as the kids play on their own. This summer is going to be sweet!

This next weekend is the first Fancy Flea vintage market of the year. I LOVE the Fancy Flea shows and Taz and I made it a priority to attend all of them but for the past couple of years I haven't been able to go because there have always been other plans that took priority. This year I made a promise to myself that I would attend all of them (there are at least 6 of them throughout the year in various towns around the area) and it's a promise that I intend to keep - nothing and no one is going to get in my way. I will go with Chris or I will go by myself but either way - I'm going. Plus it's a payday weekend so I'll even have a little spending money. I usually set myself a very modest budget of only spending $20 which can sometimes be a challenge but I've found some really cute things for only $20 over the years. This time I might give myself a little treat and go all the way up to $30 so I could possibly get more than 1 thing.

I'm excited especially since it's being held in a town I've never visited before but I've heard has a lot of charm - Brooksville. I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it!