Happy Valentine's Day

I used to really hate Valentine's Day. I hated that there were all these expectations to have this incredibly romantic day and nothing you did could ever live up to the hype. When Duane and I got together he promised me that I would never have another bad Valentine's Day and he's been able to keep that promise each year.

Duane gave me a vase of beautiful yellow roses and a heart shaped box of chocolates on Tuesday night. He said he was going to hide them in the basement, but since we have an outside entrance to the basement, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to get to them this morning! I thought that was wonderful and more than I needed since we were also going out to dinner. But he had another surprise up his sleeve. When I turned the computer on, I noticed my background was totally different. Instead of a picture of Wesley, the screen was red with two arrows pointing to a new icon and the words "Try this! Happy Valentine's Day!" Duane waited until I went to sleep last night and downloaded my favorite computer game for me. I am totally addicted to the free version of Zuma, but I can beat it with my eyes closed. So Duane paid for the "real" version! You thought I had a Zuma habit before!

The weather is still pretty stinky and the library was closed again (I had already taken the day off though, so all that meant for me was that I didn't have to go in for a meeting.) Wesley and I spent the day hanging out together and it was so much fun! His Valentine's treat was a sippy cup of strawberry milk - yummy. I got to be the coolest mom in the world for awhile this morning too. I broke out the Gymboree bubbles and let loose in the kitchen. Wesley was running around saying "Bubbles! Bubbles!" and laughing up a storm. I think we had the whole room covered in bubbles! It was a perfect diversion for an inside day (even if I did have to mop the floor afterword)

Wesley gave me a great Valentine's Day gift too. We took a two hour nap together on the couch. I count this as a gift because for two whole hours I got to have my best little guy snuggled up against me. Wesley doesn't like to sit still for too long, so I know those moments are going to start coming less frequently. It was perfect for today though. I would have stayed there with him for hours more if I could have.

We ended our Valentine's Day by going out to dinner with Grandpa and Grandma H. There used to be a completely over the top Polynesian restaurant called the Kahiki. It closed several years ago, but some of the former employees have opened a smaller restaurant featuring many of the same dishes, tropical drinks and slightly more refined decor.For two hours we escaped the ice and snow. We wore leis, drank tropical beverages, listened to a guitar player sing Hawaiian songs and ate yummy food. It was like a mini vacation. Wesley wasn't overly interested in sitting to eat. He wanted to look at the fish tanks and dance to the music and jabber away to the guitar player - that's why he looks so thrilled in the picture. No one cared though. Everyone in the restaurant was there to have romantic getaway, but it was just loud enough that Wesley's occasional whines didn't interfere with any one's evening. The highlight for us, was the desert we ordered. It was called the Big Fat Mamasan and was a gigantic concoction of fruit and ice cream. It arrived at the table flaming and then the waiter poured water on a tray of dry ice it was sitting in. Wesley loved the "fog" rolling over the table from our dessert almost as much as he loved the ice cream. It was a perfect evening.