If there is such a thing as a perfect Valentine’s Day, it would be like this:
- There would be extra hugs and kisses.
- We’d start with breakfast together.
- We would each receive a thoughtful, homemade gift, or something that would delight the other person.
Sigh….some of us rose to the occasion and someone phoned it in (and I won’t mention names). Two out of three ain’t bad.
Not to be ungrateful, but for years I’ve let it be known that I don’t care for candy or flowers. Thank goodness they weren’t roses, but more like daisies, which are my favorite.
This year, what I really wanted was that jar of dates that we saw at the market. Not the kind you eat, but filled with notes with ideas for dates! At this stage of our marriage, creativity is what’s needed, not more stuff…sigh
My gift was food, I served stuffed grape leaves, pita bread, Labneh and salad for dinner, all which was homemade. This took time and effort and I knew it was what, whose name I won’t mention, enjoyed. Will share recipes in another post…
Hands down, Jess was the Valentine’s winner this year. Not only did she come home with a card she made, but she had a break through at her program. Over lunch, Meghan started the conversation by mentioning to the group that Jess wasn’t sleeping in her room. She said “your mom thinks it’s because of the movie ET”. The rest of the group told her she shouldn’t be afraid, it’s just a movie. Jess sat and listened to everyone before replying on her Talker “isn’t movie”. Meghan shared this conversation with me because she knew we were trying to guess what was bothering Jessie. I loved the fact that Jess was discussing this with her peers.
That afternoon, I told Jessie that I heard that ET wasn’t the reason she wasn’t going to bed at night and she nodded yes.
“Did your friends make you feel better?”, she said yes.
“So do you think you could try and sleep in your room tonight?”, she said “yes” on her talker and then looked at me. That is the sign that she means it.
After a month of avoiding her room like the plague, Jessie settled in her bed. I wasn’t planning on her wanting me to stay with her. We watched TV for a little bit before she fell asleep.
At 10:30, I tiptoed back to my room. Felt good to snuggle in my bed. Unfortunately, Husband was snoring, so I tiptoed to the guest room. And this was how I spent my Valentine’s night!
Believe it or not, I was happy. Finally, Jess was sleeping in her own bed. The next night I had to stay with her till she drifted off in slumber and was able to return to my room.
Maybe someday, Jess will tell me what all of this drama was about…but for now, I’m happy that we are all getting a good night’s sleep! When it comes right down to it, sleep is the best gift of all.
PS- Husband, I LOVE YOU!
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