I am not going to “poo-poo” romance today because I get the whole “Valentine’s Day thing”, really, I do.
But neither am I going to give you some long, romantic tale about our plans for the day.
I will give you a taste of real life though, and perhaps, together, we can find some romance in that.
Valentine’s Day falls on a saturday this year, which in my youth would have been an awesome thing. In my younger years, the single years, I would have hit the dance spots with some friends, outwardly blazing independence and inwardly hoping for a romantic spark to be lit.
A this stage in my life Saturday’s only mean one thing: Soccer.
Both girls have off island soccer tournaments, so crack-o-valentine’s-morning this momma will be dragging a bundle of kids into the car to catch the 7:50am ferry.
The romance will begin as I quickly chug my cup of coffee, attempt to grab a handful of “snacks” to keep the 5 year old happy during the games, and rush out the door, unshowered (because who would shower at that time on a saturday morning)
We will race into Victoria. Watch, cheer and enjoy the sunshine. I will wrangle the 5 year old for apx 38% of the total playing time and probably miss the MOST IMPORTANT THING my daughter does the entire game because of it.
And then we will move along to the next kids tournament.
We will watch, cheer and enjoy the sunshine. I will wrangle the 5 year old for apx 38% of the total playing time and probably miss the MOST IMPORTANT THING my daughter does the entire game because of it.
(editor friends, please note that sentence was repeated on purpose. Welcome to my life and all it’s beautiful repetition)
I will bundle mucky, sweaty kids into the car and we will either RACE to catch the next ferry, or plan on hanging around for 2 hrs because we “just” missed it.
Where is the love of my life during all this, you ask?
He is working a trade show on Valentine’s Day. Great timing eh.
My gift to him was to support him doing this, and allowing him the freedom to work it, AND walk around enjoying it as well.
The kids and I will get home. There may (or may not) be food available. We will scrounge something together and we will pass along the Valentine treat we DID get them.
The fires will be lit and I will collapse, on the couch, with a glass of red, exhaustion settling in.
It will be at this point that I will look around me, see my family, and be utterly fulfilled. I will feel blessed that I have these kids, who are strong and healthy and excel at their sport. I will feel blessed that my husband has a business of his own to promote, (and probably spent the day learning a bundle of stuff we need to know) I will feel warm and at peace in my home, wearing my sweat pants, and being loved because of just being “mom”.
The kids will doze off. Hubby and I will snuggle in.
And my Valentine’s Day will have been perfect, and in the end full of the real life romance that is “life”.