I have to say that I'm actually still a bit stumped as to how exactly we'll be celebrating Valentine's Day this year, o__ur first year as a family of three.__ Traditionally, it hasn't been a huge deal for us, but we have made small gestures for each other throughout our relationship. I worked in flower shops for six years, so the holiday and the days leading up to it usually meant late nights and exhaustion. And now, my husband is away from home for job training the majority of the week, including the Thursday of Valentine's Day. One thing is for certain though, as with most celebrations that have occurred during this first year of our son's life, I'm betting whatever we do will be low key. Here are our (very limited) options:
1. I may hire a babysitter. I've toyed with the idea of trying to find a babysitter for one of the weekend days following the actual holiday–and this may seem like a no-brainer to some, but since my husband only gets to spend time with the two of us two days a week, he is generally against the idea of being separated from the little one. I get it. I sometimes miss him when he takes an extra-long nap, so I'm definitely sympathetic to this stance. However, we haven't been out on a one-on-one date since December, and the idea is appealing–at least to me.
2. Maybe we'll celebrate family style. Is it possible to celebrate the holiday of love as a party of three? I suppose so. I envision a RomCom movie marathon, lots of sweet treats, and a healthy dose of snuggling right at home. This actually sounds pretty awesome, and it's probably the option I'm leaning towards the most, but I have this niggling feeling that it kind of goes against what the holiday is all about.
3. We might make an agreement. I may suggest to my husband that rather than try to make a big deal out of Valentine's Day, we should simply agree to each present the other with a small token of our love. I would prefer that whatever the something is be handmade, heartfelt, and, frankly, cheap. In my mind, those parameters take the pressure off somewhat, and will give us each a chance to express ourselves how we see fit.
4. Or I may just ignore the whole holiday. Well, since my husband won't be home the day of anyway, I've seriously considered just letting the day pass without a mention. Is that terrible? I mean, it's just one year, right? We have an entire lifetime to get back on the bandwagon. And hey, maybe it will give us an excuse to make a habit of celebrating our love for each other throughout the year, rather than pointedly making a show of it on one day.
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