Valentine’s Day and Other Stories
Oh boy I love Valentine’s Day! I sneak into the dining room in the middle of the night and leave carefully selected candy at each child’s place at the table (yes, we have assigned seats) for them to discover in the morning.
Normally I would make a breakfast of heart-shaped food and strawberry flavored milk and sit and tell them how much I ADORE them. But today I had to be out the door by 8:30, and since I slept until 8:00 there wasn’t enough time for love-style, gourmet food.
I was speaking at the local MOPS group at 9AM. I’d been getting nervous about it all weekend. Besides the general nervousness of telling a bunch of cool, hip women that their children should obey them….I had the added pressure of being recorded. We decided that it would be a good opportunity to have Grace make a video so I could watch myself (GULP) and possibly, if I don’t look too fat, put it online.
I’m pretty sure I rushed through it too quickly. I could have shared a lot more practical ideas, but once I started talking all of my preparations went out the window and the Lord took over.
I’m not sure if the expression on my face here is the result of being nervous, or having to go to the bathroom, or concern for the women that had to sit and listen to me talk for 20 minutes.
Afterward I would have loved to come home and crash into my recliner and eat the Valentine’s Day candy that James gave me. But I had more to do. We had piano lessons, laundry and dinner to take care of. By 3:00 James and were I headed out the door to go to the big city and have a date, grown up style. None of this hanging out in the recliners watching old movies. Nope. We went to the RODEO.
Yes friends, that’s what Texas people do to celebrate. We gather together to watch cowboys nearly kill themselves on broncing bulls while we boo and cheer them to victory points. We eat funnel cakes, drink over priced Cokes and clap for clowns in barrels.
We went with another couple and I’m telling you we had a terrific time. We laughed ourselves silly over the terrible music and the drunk people that kept needing more beer, requiring us to stand up and let them pass….over and over and over…..
I know I sound like an old lady here, but I could not understand one. single. word. in the songs in the concert. Occasionally you could make out enough to know that the guy had once again been dumped by a woman that he can’t live without. Something about smoke rings? So I decided to look up the words.
The loneliness within me
Takes a heavy toll
‘Cause it burns as slow as whiskey through an empty aching soul and
The night is like a dagger
Long and cold and sharp
As I sit here on the front steps
Blowing smoke rings in the dark
SNIFF::::BAWL::: ain’t it beee-utiful?!
Really. The whole night was, from what I could understand, songs about broken hearts and agony.
It’s Valentine’s Day mister! Cheer it up a little will ya?
After the first couple of songs the four of us started to get tickled over it and by the end we were serenading each other and laughing so hard I nearly….well, you know.
It was the perfect end to a wonderful day.
And as soon as I get my hearing back I will ask the kids how their evening was.
you look great up on stage!!!
you should post the video! many of us eager moms want to know how you do it. 😉
about your date…i love the rodeo. it’s only when i’m in texas that i do get a chance to go to one. ahh, texas…you do know how to raise good lookin’ cowboys that wear the biggest belt buckles ever made.
glad you all had a good time.
You’re hilarious! And I’d like you except that when I read you, you almost make me… well, you know…
The Rodeo looks absolutely wonderful. One day….one day, if we ever get back to the USA, we’re gonna try and work it so we get to one. We, being such country bumpkins, would feel totally at home. That’s what I reckon anyway.
Oh, and gooooood for you for getting up on stage. Gulp. And talking….coherently. Well, the last part is assumed, granted, but I’m pretty sure it’s true 😉
She was very coherent….she also gave some great pointers and even managed to be funny doing it. Thanks again for speaking to our group….several of the ladies have posted on their FB pages how much they enjoyed it already. The rodeo sounds fun…who was the singer btw, I don’t recognize the lyrics??
Love ya,
🙂 Heather S.
Kellie, if you come to Texas I will take you to the rodeo…you just have to come in February. That’s when the rodeos are.
Thanks Heather! I’m glad you understood my ramblings. 🙂 The rodeo singer was Gary Allan.
How Fun! I bet you would be fun at the rodeo – haven’t been to one in years and don’t know that I ever found it fun, but maybe with you it would be 😉 I’m glad you had a happy valentine’s day.
I would LOVE to see the video of you speaking! I need all of the extra words of wisdom I can get in helping me to tame my little wild man! 🙂 Glad that you had a great Valentine’s date night! 🙂
writingthewaves.com
I really, really enjoyed your talk yesterday morning. I was thought provoking and enjoyable. Thank you for sharing your heart and helping us be better mommies.
When ever I speak to our homeschool group – the prepared stuff gets in there but in a different way than I planned…I figure God has his ways and uses it! 🙂
Your date sounds fun….
You really look fabulous…will you come and speak to our MOMS group? You always make me laugh…I love reading your posts! Thanks…
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
Organizing Made Fun
You look fantastic! I for one would love to hear your speech – I just realized I’ve never heard your voice before! I do look forward to your posts about child rearing – the thought of having just my two children actually OBEY me the first time gives me goose bumps with excitement. The thought of having to get nine children to obey me gives me a headache.
Yes, there is a reason God gave me only 2 children.
Your date sounds fun – like a real date! A rodeo, dinner and a concert – it would take me a month of Sundays to get all that into one date!
By the way, in Virginia our rodeos are during the summer months and always outside – the smell tends to be less intense that way. hehe
Blessings,
Sheri O.
My husband I have have never participated in the flowers and chocolate bruhaha choosing instead to love each other as we do in an ordinary way, everyday.
Sounds like you have learned the secret too.
Oh you make me laugh! You really should share your video with us, I’m sure it is wonderful!!!!! I LOVE rodeos, our small town is famous for the Labor Day weekend rodeo 😉 When I was much younger (haha) I used to like country music, but not anymore…it is so depressing! I’m glad you got to go out for V-day, although I still love the story about sharing the recliner!!!
Hugs 😉
Erica
So THAT’s what we were supposed to do on V-day instead of church board meeting. Maybe that’s why we didn’t have a quorum… they were all at the Rodeo!
One of these days I suppose we’ll visit the rodeo (though I’m having a hard time faking interest… except for the funnel cake, of course.)
Yeehaw!
On zee Amour Day, we had a lovely French deenayer served in zee fine dinning room of zees howse.
Boof Borgeenyon, cwasants and brussailspwouts. And zen a tummy ache. Zen weef the commencemont of zee pooting all zee eveneeng.
(We have mooch more class zan zee watching of zee moomoos running around zee pen.)
😉
I am so happy zat zee petite mamas got to hear your talk to zem!
I no dat de Lord was pwowd of you!
hug hug mwa mwa!
~me
I went deaf only once in my life. It was the night I went to the San Antonio Rodeo. Now, I carry ear plugs in my purse.
Hmmmm, I don’t know where to start. That guy with the broken heart songs, I wonder if he thought about what he was singing and what day it was, is that the day you wish you had different songs? And then the drunk people going for beer you did not pick on them enough, you see as nice as you think I am, picking on drunk people in public places is one of my favorite past times, that and people watching. You see you have to act like you had no idea they were wanting by and then be really slow about getting up, then offer to walk in front of them to get out of the way and walk really slow, the whole time talking to them and asking crazy questions. You should try it sometime it is loads of fun, and they think they have made a new best friend. And you thought I was nice.
Okay on to my more redeeming side, I would love to see you video, I just spoke at another church a few weeks ago on a different subject and had no idea how I should set it up. I have never been to things where speaker come in so I had no idea how it could be done much less should be done. I have lots of questions about how you do this whole speaking thing. It seems I might have something to offer but don’t have the first idea about how to go about it. I now reliaze I should have just emailed or called you this is getting long and rambling, I think it is just a sign of missing you.
Cha Cha
I haven’t been to a rodeo in…let’s see, humm… I can’t remember, but did attend a football game at the Lambeau Field to watch the Packers in real life from a zillion yards away they looked like my grandson’s little action figures. And the people behind us using “that” word…you know that one and several others…I bit my tongue so hard it hurt for days. When my hubby got up to go do something (he was tired of them too) like stand up and try to walk b/c he was freezing; he turned me and asked if I wanted anything and then he said rather loudly “please don’t get into a fight”! Really? he said that? As soon as he turned the corner one of the turds behind us actually stood up, how I don’t know b/c he was so drunk I could understand “that” word anymore…and he dumped his beer onto my daughter. Fight? You could see the steam flowing from my ears…I stood and turned and in my sweetest southern accent I spoke these humble words. “sit down and shut up”!!! I’m pretty sure everyone around me stood up and cheered for me! 🙂 or maybe it was b/c the Packers scored. *snort*
moral: stay in Texas and watch the Packers on TV….and go to the rodeo every so often 🙂
Please share the video…please.please.please. I want to learn from you wisdom.