That's right. That's me, a self-proclaimed Valentines' Day hater. Sort of. If my husband walked through the door on Valentines' Day with a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates, well, let's just say, it'd be a mistake he'd only make once.
I know there are other haters out there. And I know there are people out there who don't understand why I harbor such animosity for such a fluffy, feel-good holiday.
It boils down to two things. One: I was a florist in college and the parade of bouquet-seekers - typically men - coming in on February 14th at 5 o'clock left a bitter taste in my mouth. I'd like a dozen red roses, please. I wanted to scream, "Be creative!!! I have some crimson kangaroo paws over here. How 'bout some tulips?" Do you have any baby's breath to go with the roses? And ferns? And a card? No. No. And no. Would a little originality hurt?! C'mon, guys.
Two: Why February 14th? Why only one day a year? What about the other 364 days?!? You know, I actually blame the women for perpetuating this. Ladies, if your man tells you how much you mean to him all year long, give the man a break. Don't make him buy you flowers on the one day when the usual 300% markup on flowers jumps to a 600% - or more. Don't insist on chocolates or jewelry. I mean, those things are nice, really nice. But they are even more fantastic when he's getting them because he thought of you on a Tuesday in the middle of August...not on the day that Hallmark wants to up their sales.
I am not a complete 'grinch' or whatever the Valentines' Day equivalent is.
Every year that the boys have been in school, I spend hours with them, making cards and treats for their classmates. We usually make some cutesy little homemade card with a themed homemade treat. One year, Riley wanted to make these pink-feathered flamingos he had seen in one of my craft magazines that hang on a pencil; I burned my arm on the glue gun, more than once, but I smiled through it because he was so proud of those cards.
Last year we made gingerbread owls with cards that asked "Whhhhhooooooo wants to be your Valentine? I dooooooooo." We had to make gluten-free owls, nut-free owls, and even one dairy-free owl to accommodate the allergies in the classes. But, again, I did it all with a smile because the boys were so excited about their cards...after one edit. Dylan refused to sign the first cards because I had printed "Love, ___________." All he had to do was sign his name and write their names at the top. He looked at me and said, "Mom, I can't sign that. I don't love her. That's a lie."
This year, thankfully, I get a pass on the school cards. The Mann Clan will still be celebrating, enjoying each other's company, imbibing, and indulging. But we do that anyway...all year long.
