My Valentine...

I remember going shopping... on a mission to find the perfect dress and matching shoes. Making nail appointments and making sure my hair looked just right. Taking hours getting ready before Dwight would pick me up (flowers in hand of course) and taking me somewhere fancy smanchy. We'd buy a nice bottle of wine, splurge on appetizers and desserts and the entree of your choosing... not even glancing at the right side of the menu at the prices. That was Valentine's Day... long ago. Before 4 kids, a mortgage, bills bills bills... I did say 4 kids right? LOL

If someone were to ask me YESTERDAY to describe my perfect Valentine's night out... I'd have to say it was a night like that. But that was only if you asked me yesterday. Now if someone asked me about my perfect Valentine's date I'd have to say it was Valentine's of 2010.

It has now been about 5 days since I have been able to look in ANY direction other than straight ahead. Somehow I managed to pull a MAJOR muscle in my neck and even breathing hurt. Enter the husband. After working a long day at his side job he comes home to find me basically half dead on the couch. I had only gotten about 3 hours of sleep the night before and by the bags under my eyes you would think I even had less. I had planned on cooking a romantic dinner at home after the kids went to sleep but it was all I could do to muster up a "Valentine Breakfast Dinner" for the kids. Almost in tears at this point, trying to figure out what I could cook for us, Dwight had arranged with Kylie to sit with the little ones after he got them to sleep. He got them dressed for bed, washed up, teeth brushed, story read, tucked in... all while I'm in the kitchen contemplating a now "non romantic" Valentine's Day dinner of Pizza Rolls. Out Dwight walks from the kids room grabs my purse and says "Let's Go" and I just kinda stood there... bags under my eyes, no makeup, dressed in sweats, hair up in a ponytail. Dwight hadn't shaved in about a week, had the total homeless look goin for him as well... and off we go.

It might have only been Coronas (the local Mexican food restaurant) but I got to sit. Didn't have to cook, didn't have to clean up... I got to sit. Looking around the restaurant with everyone all dressed up on there "dates" it then hit me what I was wearing... and how exactly I looked. I just looked across the table at Dwight and I said, "Look at everyone.. I look horrible" and he just looked at me and told me to shut up and that I was beautiful... and that's pretty romantic for Dwight, even with the "shut up" in there.

So we eat our dinner and bring Kylie home some dessert for being so nice to watch the little ones for us. Dwight gets me settled on the couch with my blanket, heating pad, 2 Advils, my bottle of water, my laptop and my Valentine's Day card. It's the first night in about 5 days where I'm actually able to relax... as much as can be expected.

And Dwight obviously is relaxed as well... asleep at the other end of the couch...snoring... after a long day at work and a long night of taking care of his family. Two things in which he does extremely well.

So yeah... this might not be as exciting as all those fancy smanchy elaborate Valentine's Days of the past.. but after 5 years of marriage and 4 kids... this night was exactly what I needed.

I don't know why he thinks he knows me so well...