Dear Husbands: Top 10 Ways to Show a Mom You Love Her

1.  YOU get up with a screaming child in the middle of the night. Without having to be kicked or shaken awake.


2.  Call her at lunchtime to tell her not to worry about dinner because you are going to bring something home.


3.  Tell her she looks hot in her yoga pants.  Without saying they would look hotter on the floor beside your bed.


4.  Tell her she's a fabulous mom.


5.  Change a stinky diaper. Without asking for a medal for it.  Bonus points if you potty-train said child.


6.  Let her sleep in without having to be deathly ill.


7.  Tell her to go take a hot bath or shower while you get the kids ready for bed.  Without implying that you can't remember the last time she bathed.


8.  Compliment her in front of other people. Just not as your facebook status. Because that is obnoxious.


9.  Say "I love you." A lot. Duh.


10. Bring her chocolate-covered strawberries.  Without telling her that she'll need to go to the gym to work them off.  Note: chocolate-covered strawberries are my own personal addiction.  Do not get her these if she's allergic to strawberries. Again: duh.


Okay, ladies, chime in: how can your husband show you that he loves you? Not just on Valentine's Day, but everyday.

Doing something I rarely do- adding a p.s here b/c some of you are thinking that I'm calling my Hubs a jerk on Valentine's Day. I'm not. He rocks. And does most of these things- except the diaper thing- but I don't like to change them, either.  My point? It's the little things that really show the love.

Valentine's Day, Our Way

Hubs and I have never really celebrated Valentine's Day.



Our first one together, we were trying to keep our relationship quiet. We worked at the same school(his only year in the school system, it was enough for him) and the last thing I wanted was rumors flying. It's hard enough to command respect when you are a 24 year-old who looks about 16. I didn't want everyone to know any details of my personal life.



To his credit, he did make a reservation at a fabulous restaurant and told me to get all dressed up.



But, then, I freaked out when he told me where we were going, since I thought that showing up there would mean that news would spread like wildfire in our little town and everyone would know.



So, we ended up not really doing anything.



Poor Hubs. I told him that he looked like someone strangled his puppy.



We still say that to each other, if the other is looking really bummed out: Who strangled your puppy?



Anyway, our second Valentines' Day together, it was less than a month until our wedding, so we didn't want to spend a ton of money. We went out to eat, but sat in the bar area, since no one else wants to do that on Valentine's Day.



That's pretty much been it. We'll go out, maybe, but no big deal. I always tell him that he better not get me flowers since they are all over-priced for the holiday. And I actually mean it.



We always say it's because our anniversary is coming and we'd rather celebrate that.



THAT is our day.



One year, when Monkey was 14months old and I was gigantically pregnant with Cub, I had just moved to PA while Hubs was still in NC. I moved earlier so that I could get settled in with our new place and find an ob and Hubs came about 6 weeks later, after he finished up work.



That year, he sent me gorgeous flowers(which was okay since we didn't get to see each other) AND TWO POUNDS OF CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRIES.



Is it bad that that is probably my favorite Valentine's Day memory?



Those strawberries were awesome! (Anderson's, for anyone from the 'burgh who happens to be reading- they are the BEST)



Last year, we bought a Wii Fit as our present to each other. Though, really, it was just that we were actually able to get our hands on one in January and needed a way to justify it.



This year, we're buying P90x.



Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetie, I love you" like a workout program designed to get rid of your fat.



But, that's how we are.



We know we love each other.



We do celebrate and get all mushy...but we save that for our anniversary.



How do you celebrate?