Feelin’ the Lurve

In Target the other night, it occurred to me that this is the first Valentine’s Day in a long, long time that I haven’t had to buy either of the Demigoddesses a box of those little kid Valentine cards (and, of course, candy to go with them, because no self-respecting elementary school parent allows their kid to give out just the cards any more). It’s yet another one of those parenting requirements that one by one have fallen to the wayside as my children move closer to adulthood. I feel like perhaps I should be a little wistful and sad, but really, I’m all, thank the sweet lord I don’t have to deal with THAT any more.

Of course, counting out SpongeBob Squarepants Valentines, writing names on 30 miniature envelopes, and taping heart-shaped lollipops to each one has been replaced by other rites, like helping Demigoddess the Younger shop for a nude-colored strapless bra, which I was informed is a required part of her costume for the school musical. So really, the fun doesn’t end, it just becomes an all new kind of fun.

When Demigoddess the Elder was in kindergarten, she spent a long time carefully addressing Valentines to each and every kid in her class, all by herself. Every little envelope had a name laboriously written in lopsided capital letters, and the very best one of all was the card for her friend Clint. Not because her lettering was any better on his, but because she had forgotten to include the “n” in his name. (And yes, I fixed it before sending it to school.)

I totally resent the fact that flowers and cookie deliveries and restaurant dinners all suddenly cost three times more on Valentine’s Day than they do on the other 364 days of the year. The Valentine cards that aren’t flat-out disturbing pretty much just make me want to retch, and my gut instinct is to rebel against this Hallmark-invented pseudo-holiday altogether. A tiny, genuine romantic gesture on a random day is so much more meaningful.

And all of that is a complete bunch of crap, because I just went all girly and weak-kneed when these arrived at my desk:


(Thanks, Ho.)

Because, really? I love the love.

So here’s a little tip on keeping it in the every day that I think is fantastic, from The Sneeze: A Valentine’s Love Tip

Happy Valentine’s Day!