Happy Valentine's Day!

It was Valentine's Day, but I wasn't feeling the love. I lay stretched across the floor of Publix reaching under a shelf for a canister of peanuts, bought and paid for, which had been hurled across two aisles just moments earlier by one of my children. Which one? I don't know. I didn't see who did it. What I did see was the green Emerald container whoosh by my face, hit the floor and roll under an endcap. When it didn't roll out the other side, I almost decided to leave it there; but, I had already paid for it. From the floor, I looked up at the two animals children in the race car buggy above me. Both were screaming. One was crying. One was scratching and trying to bite the other. One was attempting to escape by jumping over the side. One look at them and it was obvious, I wasn't the only one not feeling the love. I stood up and looked at the man sitting next to us. He was an elderly man, sitting on one of those stools attached to a walking cane. "Happy Valentine's Day," I said with a smile. He smiled back and said, "Yeah."

It wasn't exactly the Valentine's Day I had planned. I thought we would do special Valentine activities all day long -- make valentines, read books, bake cookies, etc... Instead, we paid the doctor a visit and went to the grocery store (a place my children rarely see anymore). I've been battling sinus issues since Thanksgiving and as a special Valentine's Day surprise, Annabelle gave me her cold. Those two things combined did not add up to "fun." I had to go to the doctor and I knew I'd be taking my kids with me. I called and made an appointment, praying the whole time for God to turn my children into the little angels I knew were hiding somewhere deep down inside themselves. While we were in the waiting room, things were good. Annabelle was happy sitting in the stroller looking at books. Jacob was working on his dinosaur mazes and playing with sticker books. "Thank you, God for answering my prayers," I said quietly. Then...the nurse opened the door and called my name.

Jacob became upset that he had to put away his sticker books for a few minutes until we got to the next room. He yelled and screamed and threw a fit. Finally he calmed down and the nurse led us to where we needed to be. Jacob happily sat down in the chair with his books again, but Annabelle wasn't so happy. She was tired of the stroller. She began to squirm and yell, so Jacob and I sang songs to her. It worked for a little while, until the doctor came in. As I talked to the doctor about my aggravating symptoms, Jacob began to do a little aggravating of his own. He tickled Annabelle, took away her books and did everything possible to make her scream...and scream she did. The doctor was trying to talk over them, but I couldn't hear a word he said. Thoroughly embarrassed, I quieted them down (ever so briefly) and tried to listen to what the doctor was saying. I didn't hear much except that my prescriptions would be waiting for me at the pharmacy.

I had to go to the store anyway. I did my shopping with two screaming kids, then strolled over to the pharmacy. My prescriptions weren't ready. They hadn't even been called in. I called the doctor's office. Oops. The fax didn't go through. I headed to the check-out counter, paid for my groceries, then went back to the pharmacy counter. As I stood there waiting, the peanuts went flying and...well, you know the rest of the story.

So, it wasn't the day I expected, but it did get better. Both of my little angels fell asleep in the car and took a long nap when we arrived home. I was able to put all the groceries away and bake a birthday cake in perfect peace. Aaaaaahhhhh. Valentine's day bliss. I was finally starting to feel the love that should be associated with the holiday. Just as I was putting the cake in the oven, the doorbell rang. Heath had flowers delivered to me. He later said he wished they had arrived earlier, but I think they came at just the right time.

The roses made the perfect table centerpiece for dinner that night. We celebrated Heath's birthday (a day late) with steak (no, I didn't eat any), sweet potatoes, a vegetable medley, and European mocha fudge cake for dessert. Yum. Jacob and Annabelle gave their daddy the valentines they made earlier that morning and it turned out to be a lovely evening. I was definitely feeling the love. How could I not? I have a wonderul, loving husband, two precious children, a fantastic family, and the best friends I could ask for. Happy Valentine's Day? Indeed.

No, Jacob's hair is not gelled. I took this picture first thing in the morning. We had just wet his hair a little to get rid of the rooster look.

Jacob and Annabelle both love this book. Each page features a different animal and every animal is made out of hearts. It's really cute. I love it too.