Diminutive Outcomes

I have been a stranger for the past week...adjusting to being back at work.  Between snow days and sick children, it had been quite a while since I worked a full week.  

A much needed mention of positivity: I did not do my weekly try-on of clothing last night which really helped keep my spirits up.  Progress, not perfection is my goal so I refuse to beat myself up for not measuring up.

As a married, mother of two, Valentine's Day is a family affair.  The days leading up are spent selecting the perfect cards for my daughters' preschool friends, special snacks to send to school and deciding which red top I will wear to work.  

This was my first V-Day teaching younger children and boy, do they pull out all the stops!  I went home with a bundle of cards and candy from my sweet students.  I was so surprised and it really made me feel appreciated.  Their little faces light up when they present their treats to the teacher.

Valentine's Day was something I dreaded as a teen and young adult.  It always felt like a day set aside to make unpopular people feel even more like losers...to really focus on my lack of a social and dating life.  Now, I take out my resentments from Valentine's gone by on my husband who is a complete last minute Nelly about getting presents for the occasion...as if he is supposed to dazzle me and make up for the years of let-downs.  

My husband did show some thought this year by getting flowers for my girls and I and chocolate covered strawberries.  I guess he figured having some fruit in there would make me skip the self-loathing after eating them.  He can be thoughtful from time to time.  

My present each year is cooking a special meal for my husband and a card.  This year, I made roast beef with a bunch of sides and sliced strawberries for dessert.  This would have been a wonderful evening had my husband not, yet again, come home late from work.  Instead of the special meal I planned, we ate brick meat beef with soggy sides.     

How did you spend your Valentine's Day?  It's not over yet so even if you don't have a "Valentine", I am a firm believer in treating yourself.  Why wait around for someone else to?  Get your nails done, cook a nice meal, take a nice bath, etc.  You deserve it!