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Erin Kotecki Vest is BlogHer, Inc.’s Social Media Strategist helping BlogHer make the most impact in the quickly-evolving new media landscape. Erin al...
 
 
 
 

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Happy Valentine's Day...You Big Jerk

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Valentine's Day has always been a bit of a tense joke in our house. You see after nearly 9 years of marriage and those many years of dating before hand- Valentine's Day has always, without question, sucked.

It's been known since our very first V-Day in 1997, after a year of dating, as "the day we fight and eat Italian Food."

My husband tells the story of our first Valentine's Day as "that time I took you to that super nice Italian restaurant in Orlando and you wouldn't stop interrupting me so I stopped talking."

I tell the story as "that time you ruined our special night out because you told me you didn't ever want to get married or have kids."

Sucker.

Anyway, every single year since that first fateful holiday we've gotten Italian food and fought. Every. Single. Year. Even the years I was pregnant and stuck in bed, we've had Italian food. Even the years one of us was at work, we had Italian carry out on an office floor. Even the years we've forgotten it was even a holiday, we've ended up with some sort of pasta and red sauce and wine.

Call it tradition. Call it "Erin has ridiculous, romantic expectations." Call it my yearly disappointment.

Actually, I take that back. It USED to be my yearly disappointment. When my husband, very unceremoniously, announced he wasn't going to participate in that "Stupid, fake, Hallmark Holiday" and never buy me a gift I was pretty pissed off. No presents? What the hell? Not even some flowers? Jerk. And every year I would brood and pout and more than likely instigate the fight that would inevitably follow the eggplant parm.

But as time went on, I recognized something almost sweet in our little tradition. Just that fact that we HAD a tradition was a meaningful way to celebrate the hoilday. And we did it in our own way...every year we get Italian food and every year we laugh about that first horrible V-Day and every year we end up fighting all over again.

It's almost cute. It's almost romantic. It's certainly a married couple's Valentine's Day.

What are your Valentine traditions? Do you have any? Do you have those expectations like I always do of candy and roses?

I can't be the only one.

For some more Valentine's fun check out-

Joy to the Blog

WiseBread

Jendi's Journal

Contributing Editor Erin Kotecki Vest also blogs at Queen of Spain Blog

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Lisa7n99 5 pts

No offense, but i've been married for four years (dating for longer) and my husband still makes every attempt to make me feel special on whatever day he knows is important to me. and i do the same. his recent bday where he spent all day working and all night in school is a prime example. i made a "party" of our own that started at 10:30 (when he arrived home): complete with a nice mexican dinner, a few new shirts, a freshly baked cake, beer and realxing in a hot shower. paradise for my husband at least. we always try to do simliar things on valentines day. 

fighting every valentines day is sad. and it doesn't show much consideration on his part if he can't just do something to make you happy - even if he thinks its dumb.  if fighting and eating the same thing year in and year out makes for a good "tradition", then count me out. 

avflox 5 pts

My husband and I have always said Valentine's is nothing but a charming story about how easily we can shape history to conform to our needs, but just the same, we've managed to do something memorable, whether it is cover each other's apartment and office in roses or get into an epic, relationship-quaking fight, we've managed to make it something unforgettable.

This year I cried hysterically in my sushi. I don't know what it means, but in a world where one consumes so much data it's impossible to retain even the most rudimentary details about an event, it's comforting to know that I remember every Valentine's Day of my marriage. LOL?

Erin Kotecki Vest 5 pts

Everyone say Hi to Daisy...my wonderful, amazing Nanny who has my kids saying all these adorable British phrases like "Oh Mommy, that's just Splendid!"

lol

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

daisydots 5 pts

My husband  dosen't agree with Valentines Day, he says it's an extra money making day for the card shops..how romantic!. He has only bought me flowers twice, for the births of our sons and then preceeded to tell me how much the flowers cost, bless him. Wev'e been together 22 years now and I know he is never going to be a chocolate and flowers husband, but each year, I do hope that he might suprise me...but then I will probably become suspicious, so he can't win can he.

DAISYDOTS

Ze 5 pts

Our tradition is to not celebrate it because we got married Feb. 4th and we usually do something really BIG like a weekend away, or cruise or something for our anniversary.  That was until this year when he forgot our anniversary all together. ( http://www.mominator.com/happy-anniversary-to-us/ )

We've been married 8 years, together 13...we've only celebrated V-day once while married. 

email: Ze@mominator.com

Web: http://www.Mominator.com

Veg Wife 5 pts

Haha!  Great piece! 

I once had a fiance buy me a crockpot as a Valentine's gift... I was like, WTF?  To his credit, he did smooth it over by saying that once we were married, coming home to an already cooked, hot meal would free up time for other things... *wink, wink*

Gotta love Valentine's Day. :)

Jenny

Oh no!  I Married an Omnivore!
http://vegwife.wordpress.com/

sandhillsis 5 pts

Ahhh, jeez. Why is it women (me being the worst) what to be the perfect wife? And when we try to do everything right...It backfires on us?  

My experiment into an exotic sexual moment involving a homemade G-String, my husband, and my damn persona, SINthia were no different. I wrote about it once...here ( http://reclaimsimplicity.com/?p=211 ). Now I'm trapped between a husband that wants more SINthia and my clumsy redneck G string reality.

Boo Hisss on that, tradition.

Can I get an AMEN?

www.reclaimsimplicity.com ( http://www.reclaimsimplicity.com/ )

Sit Deep and Come Often!

Sandhill Sis

JC 5 pts

Ever since my husband and I went out one Valentine's Day and waited two hours (with reservation...on a Tuesday night), we've elected to stay home.  I usually make a chocolate cake and we exchange cards.  No biggie. 

One tradition of mine the past few years is to make cards and send them to the special women in my life.  Valentine's Day for me is about the love I share with those in my life, not about expectations.

http://www.storyrhyme.com/jcsblog

ninjapoodles 5 pts

...and have kids.  SUCKER!"

Hmmmm...nor does he currently want a poodle.

*strokes chin, looks evil*

Belinda ( http://www.ninjapoodles.com )