In Search of Sun (weather doesn't matter...): A Love Day

I really like Valentines Day

As mentioned previously certainly much more so than Halloween.

It’s surprising that I would actually like Valentines Day as overall I find the concept of everyone around the world running out at the same time each year after year to buy cards and chocolates and roses very odd.

Like most holidays….they are fun but I find all the moments in between them much better for the most part. I still love holidays though in some ways. Another paradoxical trait of mine that make me a bit odd. And I still do love Valentine’s Day for whatever reason (in general).

It started out as a pretty bad week for me (more later on this as a lot happened and lot to write but not ready yet to deal with some stuff).

After all the crap..there was a cancellation at the pain specialist I see twice a year for my back and neck and anemia issues and so I took the apt which is far and up north. Hubby often drives me as the tests make me dizzy and waiting can be hours and hours and so we decided to take a day off and go together and then enjoy the rest of the day at Trent right near the doctor. Sleepover and come back early the next day to work.

And so that we did. And it was really really nice. For some reason the normal 3 hour wait in that office was 3 mins for once which gave us the afternoon to enjoy . And I didn’t feel dizzy this time either so was able to actually enjoy a pre valentine’s day off.

So we took our 4 by 4 all the way on the frozen lake to the village and through the village and went for a great late lunch at a cheap diner. I have to say we both agreed it was likely one of the best and cheapest meals we have ever eaten! Yummy! Good old Quebec diner food like cooking from Mom and Pop’s kitchen. Plain old amazing. Our “go- to” place from now on.

Then we hopped back on our all terrain vehicle and went for a skate through the forests at the park. Then back to cottage for a long walk. Then a Jacuzzi and then lounging by the fire and reading and talking and a late dinner at 10pm (since lunch was at 3pm).

I realized we are just not the fancy type. We were very content in our pajama’s…eating homemade vol au vent…and a few Turtles for dessert and watching Modern Family.

And as I gleefully anticipated, Hubby printed out my (HUGE) blog book for the year 2012. I love this tradition. It is so beautiful and so thoughtful.And we gave each other cards and chocolates too. And fell asleep by the fire on the couch as usual.

And set alarms for 6am as before then had plans to tidy house, go for a sunrise walk on the frozen lake, stop by doctor for x-rays, and get to work for 9:15 am. Missions accomplished! We are good.

And then the highlight of mine and my daughter’s year where there is one tradition that in my book (and hers too!) cannot be beat. Her Dad….delivers her a single red rose wherever she is in the world…awwwww……even if it happens year after year it just makes her feel like a million trillion bucks. And this time he delivered it to the school in a new Justin Beiber schoolbag.

And she called him and told him in no uncertain terms:

“Je t’aime avec toute mon coeur Papa”

And then Dad had gone home after dropping me for my early meeting at work and decorated the kitchen for Valentine’s Day for the kids. Our traditional Heart Attack (guilty stolen from others!) where we each write one thing we love most about the others including Mom and housekeeper. We stick them up and enjoy reading them afterschool. Chocolates and cards for the kids.I love seeing what the kids write about us..makes me feel so appreciated.

And our rule that Valentines Day is for family and not couples. Noone is excluded. We bring my single mom out, our single kids etc…Valentines will always be a place to feel welcome forever.

So last night was sushi and soup as a snack for the kids and then we hit the movies as a family with my Mom. We saw” Impossible” which was entirely tragic and depressing but beautiful and wonderful at the same time. A true story that made my kids fight tears the whole ways, scare them a bit, make them appreciate life, and learn about mankind and humanity.

Just the type of film I like to force my kids to see for which I am famous for. And when I say force I mean it. Don’t go thinking here that my kids are all like “Yay!!! We get to go to the movies with our parents and grandma in public! Don’t go thinking my life is (still) that rosy.

I think last year was my final year of my boys wanting to go to the movies with their parents. Correction: they want to go to the movies with us they just don’t really think it is very cool.

Beauty thinks it is amazing and wonderfully cool.

And this is the thing about teens…I don’t really care what they think or think is cool. They are coming with us. I don’t care if they walk in with us, or walk in together or walk in alone or what they do. I don’t care if they complain about my choice of movie, or about who sits where or anything else. I ignore it all.

Because it is my valentine’s day and they are lucky to be invited.

And I know they will have a great evening

See I know them way better than they know themselves.

Most parents give up way to fast in my opinion.

So as expected and predicted they got over how cool they are supposed to be and walked in with us and sat with us and had a great time (even though they cried half the movie I am convinced and coughed to make it look like they were sick)

And they had fun being depressed with us watching it. As a family.Goal acheived.

And I was kind of glad this happened this year because in the last few months I have read three books that say that if your teens show no “normal” teenage behavior such as bad attitude, rejecting parents values, being embarrassed to be with parents in front of friends often etc.,,that likely there is something WRONG!

That either you are too authoritarian or that your kids self-confidence is not good enough, or they do not feel uncondionally loved enough…as it is perfectly normal and expected that teens go through this stuff as they move into teen and adulthood.

And I think I agree.

So here I have been wondering what we have been doing wrong for the last few years and why my kids tolerate us. Phew now I can relax a bit…since they are rejecting us even just a littleJ))

Conclusion is: all round good Valentine’s Day. Pretty much like most other weekends and weeks and days of ours and that is what I appreciate most when Feb 14 does roll around. That there is still a lot of love going on around here all the time…and it is fun to have an excuse and a holiday and some chocolates to celebrate that fact with.

Below a mix of some winter snapshots of many of my Valentines in general. Many are not below who are still my Valentines but are not on my Iphone (which PS takes some low quality but highly lovable) snapshots of our life lately