There was a time when we did the Valentine’s Day thing and did it up right.
The first year we were together, B sent an impressive bunch of roses to me at work. In that moment, he managed to tick both the crucial Valentine boxes – he sent me flowers and he sent them where the maximum amount of people would witness me getting them. Brilliant. And amazing work for a novice considering I was his first serious girlfriend.
B has always been good with romance. In that same year, clearly our honeymoon phase, he sent me one long stemmed rose and a poem he had written. There were a few hiccups on this occasion. Namely, the fact that he sent the rose to the wrong address. And then, the next day, when I found the rose still sitting on the porch of the house a few doors up, reading the poem made me gag. Just a bit.
In this way, B is probably more romantic than I am.
Over the decade we have spent together, he has always made a big deal out of this day that we both agree is bogus but that we also both agree he would be stupid to ignore.
And to his absolute credit, I have received, never once, a rose-holding, stuffed bear in a plastic cylinder.
There have been lots of flowers and lots of dinners.
So B has the romance thing sewn up.
But lately, there have been spanners thrown in works. One word: spawn.
Today, I cooked my love a roast beef dinner. And made him some hedgehog. Because I know the way to my man’s heart.
He was late home.
I figured he had stopped on the way home to pick me up something last minute.
That’s okay. I didn’t get him bupkis.
When he walks in, I am doing the dishes, Zee is throwing hunks of beef to the floor and I can’t say with certainty what LD was up to but I’m willing to bet that his penis was in his hand. Because where else could it conceivably be?
The moment screamed romance.
By the time B had showered and we sat down to our meal, Zee was done eating, had thrown every scrap of food left onto the floor and was now screeching, literally screeching, to be let down from his highchair. LD was almost certainly still occupied with the aforementioned activity.
“Cheers, my love!”
We smiled at one another softly and then proceeded to swallow our meals with virtually zero chewing.
We tried a little chit chat over the screeching.
“Why did you put my towel on the trampoline?” B asked me.
And then, I was annoyed because in what universe would he find something on the trampoline that shouldn’t be on the trampoline and assume that it had been put there by anyone but Penis Boy?
I soothed myself with the thought of the beer cooling in the fridge.
B bathed the children while I finished the dishes and then we each took our respective child (mine – Zee, his – LD), dressed them for bed and then began the goodnight ritual.
“Say goodnight,” B told LD as he led him out of Zee’s bedroom where we had read a story together.
“I close the door!” LD insisted. B acquiesced and walked away to ready a cup of milk. LD pulled the door to but at the last moment, stuck his little face through the gap and whispered loudly, “You a butthead. You a butthead!”
I nursed Zee as I do every night. And just like every night, we fought over where one of his hands would rest. I think it belongs by his side and he believes it should be stuffed down my bra. Stuffing and removing ensues for the longest time until such time as the little person must give in to the weight of his eyelids.
B is still in with LD. They read and whatever. I don’t care. My designated kid is asleep.
I think B is hoping the night will get better. I am, too.
And if you think B and I are even remotely on the same page as to what constitutes a better night, you’re out of your tiny mind….
Love your style Angie – I’m with you – once my ‘designated kid’ is asleep, I’m done! 🙂
OK – so first of all – did you take that love heart pic of the insects? If so, well that is just Valentines Day freaky!!!!!!
Secondly – ahahaha – i HAD to read this one to Paul tonight cause, yet again, it was oh so appropriate and real. Your Penis grabbing LD makes me laugh sooo much!
Happy Valentines Day guys xx
Happy (belated in-your-time) bogus day 😉
“They read and whatever. I don’t care. My designated kid is asleep.”
Ha! Sounds just like bedtime at our place.
Thanks, Fran!
And yep, totally done. One kid each. What happens with his kid – not my problem!
Rae, I totally took that photo. But not today. Dragonflies are pretty when they fuck, huh?
So glad you and Paul got a kick out of this post. And my penis-obsessed son(s).
We ended up on the same page afterall – nothing like champagne and Dexter to change a girl’s mind…..
Happy Bogus Day to you! I must be right on time, am I?
And yes, one kid each. Them’s the rules.
See, Paul was into Valentine’s Day for the first couple of years, then it was all about the commercialisation, why do we need someone to tell us a day to express our love, blah, blah, blah….Totally down with the one kid each thing, I think Paul’s copped the raw end of the deal though cos he has the older two & me Benny, although he’d need a nice set of boobs to help with putting Benny down!!!
I too, laughed at your reference to Penis Boy, I have one of them, hand almost permanently attached to his old fella!!! Great reading again babe, sorry about the essay in place of a quick comment!!!
I WAS wondering how Valentine’s Day went at your house post 2 kids and now I know. Somehow it all seems more real and loving than flowers and chocolates! All my love to both you and B (bless him)
I was wondering how Valentine’s Day went at your house post kids as it used to be so important to you. Now I know. Somehow it all seems so much more real and loving than flowers and chocolates although my local library gave me a chocolate yesterday and I was quite chuffed. Himself doesn’t believe in Val’s Day.
I love an essay! Thank you!
I think Paul is like most men. Puts the effort in initially and then once he feels certain you’re sticking with him, cries “Commercialism!”
Ah, we take what we can get, right?
Aren’t all boys Penis Boy?
Well, it was definitely more real!
But I miss the ability to just get up and go to dinner, should the mood strike.
Of course Himself doesn’t believe. His picture is featured in the dictionary next to the word ‘cynic.’
Glad the library gave you some Val’s Day love, Mumma. xxx