Is Today National Teddy Bear Day?

Yes, I know it is Valentine's Day.

Everywhere I go I am reminded that it is here. Love is in the air. I am an awful romantic. I make fun of cheesy cards. I laugh at the pre-packaged bears and chocolates as I drive by corner tents with all their cellophane gifts. How many stuffed animals do grown women need? I curse the people who have purchased all the strawberries from the grocery store. All I wanted was a few strawberries for my breakfast and for the past three days there have been none to be found. I am sure they are all sitting somewhere draped in white or milk chocolate.

And then all the festivities for school! Please no. Last night we were up past bedtime addressing Valentines day cards for 54 students. But you can't get away with just a paper valentine unless it is homemade, so for the sake of not looking too cheap we taped dum-dum suckers to our store bought cards.

As if that wasn't enough, I learned yet another truth about myself that I am ashamed of. I have two different standards of Valentine's day cards/treats. For my children who attend public school they get the cheap drug store cards with a taped dum-dum. See, I don't know most of the kids in my children's classroom. I know two of the parents. But I really don't care what anyone thinks of me there. And my kids are happy with the cheap paper cards that they so lovingly wrote their messages on.

But, then there were the preschool valentine's day cards. And I know those parents. I see some of them at church. All of a sudden I feel some kind of expectation. I convince myself that because the class is smaller I can do more. But that's not really why. Is it?

Soon, I am combing Pinterest looking for cute cards that are 1) easy to put together 2) no too expensive but 3) exudes creativity and awesomeness like I was born with it. And you can't just have a card, there has to be something else: candy, pencil, erasers, stickers, etc. What am I doing?

I succeeded. The cards are pretty great if I do say so myself. But I wonder why in the world did I do it? Because I cared what someone might think of me. I want them to look at my daughters card and think I am awesome. That is so messed up! I know my 4 year old doesn't care what her cards look like. But I did it anyway. I know full well that that card is going to be thrown in the garbage. If not today, then most likely tomorrow.

I don't fault Pinterest. I love Pinterest. I just don't like what it has done to me. I should have stayed true to myself and just used the cheap grocery store cards. It is who I am. Why should I be ashamed?

Ok, but back to Valentine's Day - the part that I really care about. We are exchanging our gifts tonight and I am so excited. You know you are really an adult when you are most excited about the gift you made/purchased for someone else than you are about what you are getting. I won't dare write what I have for my husband (he might come snooping here), but it is good.

I must say that thanks to the lovely DJ from Medicine: A Love Story (remember she co-hosted Medical Monday's with us this month) for giving me a great idea for a Valentine's Day card. Check out her medical themed images here.  I like making my husband made-with-love cards, and she had the perfect image. I wish I hadn't sealed it up already I would have included a picture. (Because even as an adult it is obvious that I need everyone to know how awesome I am.)

I hope you have a very wonderful Valentine's Day!