This Year, I’m Making Valentine’s Day A Family Affair

I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day. I just love celebrating love. I don’t want to hear from Cupid-hating Valentine’s scrooges about how it’s a commercial holiday… we should show love all the time… blah blah blah. Don’t rain on my hearts and roses parade.

Give me all the heart shaped candy, kitschy décor, cliché gifts and date nights. I will gleefully celebrate Love Day every chance I get.

I’ve had the same Valentine since I was 18. My husband is my one and only. He is the only Valentine I’d ever want.

He’s also deployed. I’m not allowed to say when he left, where he is or when he’s coming home. All I can tell you is that he left too long ago, he’s too far away, and he’s not coming back for too long. I miss him every day. This Valentine season is really making my heart ache for him and the celebration he usually makes sure I have because he knows how much I love it.

But just because I don’t get to go on a romantic date or slow dance to our wedding song doesn’t mean that I have to skip one of my favorite holidays. It’s just the kiddos and me at home for V-Day, so I’m turning it into a family affair. I’m channeling my Valentine energy into creating a fun day for my babies.

The craft

Since my husband left, I have thrown myself into crafting for the first time in my life. I got a Cricut machine secondhand from a friend, and I’ve fallen in love. I’m making my kids cute shirts to wear to our special dinner. I decided to just put the word “loved” across the front so they can wear them again.

The food

Speaking of dinner, I’m making their favorite: breakfast! They’ll enjoy bacon and eggs alongside heart-shaped waffles with strawberries, whipped cream and sprinkles.

The presents

I’m not going overboard with presents, but I am buying them each a few little gifts. They’ll each get a few things to make their days feel special, and to remind them that their mom knows them and cares about their interests.

I scoured Pinterest and found a mom who writes little love notes to her children on heart-shaped paper and tapes them to their bedroom door every night from February first to Valentine’s Day. I love that.

We went to the craft store together and chose supplies to decorate their Valentine Boxes for school. Usually, I kind of phone that task in, but this year we went all out. The Valentine’s they give their schoolmates will match the theme of their boxes.

I’m going to encourage them to write Valentine letters to their grandparents, too.

And of course, we are sending a care package to their daddy so he can feel the love. We all have each other here, but he’s out there by himself. We would never forget to remind him that we love him (even though I totally realize that Valentine’s Day is way more my thing than his.)

Just because my romantic love is thousands of miles away, doesn’t mean I can’t have a little Cupid-centered fun with the three little people I love most.