my funny valentines.

some women are lucky enough to have a valentine on that special day.
and some of us are lucky enough to have three.

I woke up Tuesday morning to the most clichéd box of chocolates you’d ever see. There it was. a red satin covered heartshape box with a big fake rose on the top. I thought I would have gone my days never actually receiving such a gift, but there it was. beckoning me with all of the kitsch and sought after valentine splendor a box of chocolates could muster.

along with that box, there was a card. it was thoroughly romantic and sweet and had, as my husband described it “lots of words.” I read through it, hand over heart, stumbling a little when I got to the end.

“Love always, J, Bailey and Crispix.”

Now, it’s true that Crispix does have an oedipal thing going on with me when I wear his favorite red sweater. But does Bailey really get a tingle in his toes when I kiss him? He doesn’t even really have toes. I mean, it’s true that the first kiss I received on Tuesday morning was indeed from my 50 pound springer, sprawled along side me, wedged between us like a six year old, head resting on my pillow, waiting for me to open my eyes.

Inevitably, the first thing I see when I open my eyes is Bailey’s pink tongue, and I’m just barely awake enough to know not to open my mouth. J and I have both noticed that he seems to sense when we are awake, or at least, about to be awake. Every time one of us wakes in the morning or in the middle of the night, he takes it as a sign to move up from the foot of our bed to cuddle up to our faces.

Maybe he wants to reassure us of his love and devotion? Or maybe he feels that the pillow would offer him better neck support so he could deliver early morning kisses far more efficiently and with little stress to his muscles.

I questioned J about the card. He told me, “Bailey and Crispix forgot to go out and get you a card, so they asked if they could go in on mine.”

Somehow, it’s not hard to imagine this conversation.