Romantic Gestures

Many people have Feb. 14 circled and highlighted on their calendars for Valentine's Day.

Not me.

Feb. 14 is a very important day for me this year, because the Albertsons General Mills sale begins! I've had it up on the calendar forever.

I have my coupons all clipped, my ad has been scoured and devoured, and in half an hour (5:30 a.m.) I will leave my warm, comfy home behind and I will fight and wrestle with my fellow couponers.

You probably didn't know that people lined up outside of Albertsons before they open on big sale days. We're like this secret cult of cheap-wads. We show no mercy.

So, you ask, what on earth am I doing sitting here typing at 5:00 in the morning when I should be resting up for my coupon-marathon? Ahhhhh, Nathan. That's all I should have to say. Nathan. Nathan has been awake all night long with fever, chills, probably an ear ache (since the whole family seems to be taking turns on that one) and an unparrallelled determination to have Mommy with him at all times.

I think my children are conspiring against me. They're taking turns getting sick. They want to see how long I can last without any rest. Don't they know that I'm a lot nicer when I've had at least four hours of sleep?

So, Happy Valentine's Day.

And what is my darling Valentine giving me today? Well, he's staying home with the four monkeys so that I can shop in peace. Poor man. He's got to be exhausted too--he's been up most of the night too. But he's a trooper. He'll hold down the fort while I shop and then he'll leave for work once I get home. It's the nicest thing he could do for me. He knows me so well.

And what am I getting him? His gift is that I'm not buying any cereal. I know, I know. It's hard to pass up a giant box of Lucky Charms for $.75, but I'm going to be good and skip the cereal this time. (We already have over sixty boxes of cereal in our food storage...) He'll be so proud of my restraint. Hahahaha.

We are SO romantic.