Wonderful Wagon: Valentines Day. Not Just For Mammies

There was a radio advert played ad nauseam last week. Something along the lines of buying valentines flowers and chocolates for twenty euro at your local participating petrol station. How romantic. Not!

I’d prefer the twenty quid. Then I’d go straight to Eason’s and buy Marian Keyes new book for myself.

We don’t “do” valentine’s day here. As such. Ok, there were a few red love heart balloons, some foil confetti red lips and two small boxes of chocolates from a petrol station. For €2 each. Ahem. Leave me alone!

See my boys were all chat about this great loved up day during the week. I think their lovely teachers were hammering home the notion so the mammies would get a few chocolates and/or a lie on this morning.

In case you are interested, in a recent online poll sleep was the greatest gift you can give a mother lady on this day. Or any other for that matter.

Anyway, when I asked my boys what did they think their daddy would like for valentine’s day there was a collective intake of shocked, horrified little breaths.

“It’s not for daddies! It’s only for mammies. He doesn’t get anything on valentine’s day!”

And then they did that “she’s losing it again” look at each other.

So I explained valentine’s day is for everyone. Not just for mammies. It’s for both mothers and fathers, boyfriends and girlfriends and for everyone who wants to do something nice for the person they like or love. And most importantly it’s a bit of fun!

I was told that I could not get up in the morning. That I was to stay in bed when the food was being cooked.

“Oh, lovely.” I said to the (almost) five-year-old. “What are you going to cook for me for my breakfast?”

*I hate breakfast in bed. In fact, I don’t normally eat until I am up and awake for at least two hours*

He actually snorted. “I won’t be doing any of the cooking. Daddy will.”

God help us and save us.

So I had to put my thinking cap on as to what I could possibly stomach at 9am of a Sunday morning because, whether I liked it or not, I was getting fed in bed.

Croissants were bought and instructions were issued to the boys as how exactly how l liked my coffee brewed.

I managed a tiny corner off a croissant and gulped down a half cup of warm coffee whilst living in fear that my feet were going to get broken by four young boy children hopping, jumping and bouncing on my bed.

Then I got up and went for a hard and fast 5k. Alone. With the poor dog howling her head off because I snuck off without her.

I don’t care. It’s valentine’s day. That was my treat to myself.

So what we all came up with that day in the car was to have an extra special valentine’s day dinner at home. It was decided steak was on the menu, (I ask you! Their taste buds have finally woken up and it appears they have expensive ones.) with Aunt Bessie’s roasts spuds, curly fries (by special request) button mushrooms with onions, pepper corn sauce and loads and loads of green beans. I love my green beans.

And it was lovely!