It’s the Dinosaur’s first Valentine’s Day! Yay! And I am determined to make it a love filled day of wonderful-ness. I have a small budget, a messy house, a clingy Alice, and my father-in-law is home all day … Challenge accepted.

Wayne’s coming home for lunch and I’ve got some Trader Joe’s sushi and potstickers plus some lightly salted edamame. I even put the sushi on a plate in the shape of a heart with the potstickers and edamame piled in the middle, all fancy-like. It’s not regular fancy; it’s grocery store fancy. Maybe we’ll have a tiny mimosa with lunch using the half-empty and slightly flat bottle of Prosecco we opened a few days ago. Alice is napping not in my arms (yay again!) As long as she stays asleep, we can have a quiet and lovely lunch together.

I’ve made a bit of an effort today. I brushed my hair, put on pants, AND slapped on a bit of makeup in the five minutes that I had to get ready this morning. My clothing is mostly clean. I remembered to brush my teeth. Then it was off to the pediatrician and pharmacy. Once I got my flu shot at the Rite-Aid I bought my husband chocolate and a nice card. Later tonight I’ll be making risotto for the family and serving a chocolate mousse cake that I bought all by myself for dessert. We’ll read books about love to Alice at bedtime. Then, if we can get Alice to go to sleep at a reasonable time, Wayne and I can take a moment to ourselves and play a game or finish that video game documentary that we never finished.

It’s a realistic Valentine’s Day. Maybe we’ll have the time and money someday in the future to have those super romantic Valentine’s Day dates that we see in the movies. This year we’re having a low-key family oriented Valentine’s Day. It’s all love and just as perfect.

Ultimately, the message of the day is this:

Wayne, you are my home. You make me light up as soon as you walk in the door, even if you can’t see it on my tired face. I feel it deep in my soul. I feel more than happy – I’m lucky, content, balanced, encouraged, supported, and loved. You somehow managed to show me a whole new world full of amazing experiences. You feel safe and warm. I am so proud of all that you do for us and I am floored by all the good that you bring out in me every day. You are my sun and stars. You are my favorite. I love you.