"I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you"

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day at our house. We celebrate The Day After Valentine's Day. It's a long story, the particulars of which no one really remembers--I think it has something to do with cheap flowers--but it's kind of become our own special day, a day to remind each other how much we love each other. This year it seems to have lasted all week, The Week of the Day After Valentine's Day, I guess.

On Sunday, Brian came home with a big bouquet of red roses and chocolate (you can never go wrong with the classics). But the best part was when he spent the rest of the day scrubbing bathrooms and doing laundry. There is nothing sexier than your man wielding a toilet brush.

I surprised him with a "Comfy Cra*per Kit". Ever since we moved to this house, you see, our master bath has been a black hole of beige and for some reason comfortable bathrooms really mean a lot to Brian. So I found plum colored towels and rugs and even splurged on some fancy candles and bath salts so he can really enjoy a good, girly soak. Oh yeah, and there's also a new plant stand to put his laptop on--one time the candles fell off the back of the toilet and dripped wax all over his laptop keyboard and ruined it. Really, I don't get what he sees in baths, I think they're lame, but he loves his comfy cra*per and has been using it all week. It's not quite finished, there's some gray-blue accent paint and framed photos in the works, but it's much more cozy than it used to be:

And then there's all the compliments he's given me this week...things like "It's okay, you can't help it if you're a boring person. But I still love you." So sweet. Also, "I feel like I'm bashing my head against a brick wall." Yeah, that was a memorable conversation...

And then, after watching a few seasons of Big Love, Brian has decided to start living "the principle". He keeps trying to bump me to third wife after Couch #1 (main floor) and Couch #2 (basement). I keep pointing out to him that it's like birth order, once a first wife always a first wife, so come to bed and let your couches take care of themselves.

Thursday night, we went out to dinner at a fantastic restaurant downtown with Brian's friend, Ray, and his wife Rosie. Poor Brian kept accusing Ray of not "following the script" because it pretty much turned into make-fun-of-Brian night. What did he think would happen if he got his wife and best friend together? Then we tried bowling again for the first time in years. Ha! Let's just say that we suck at bowling, especially me--the gutter likes my bowling ball too much to share it with the pins. But we had a great time laughing at ourselves...and each other.

And finally, last night I dragged Brian to the Daybreak Prom. It's an adult-only dinner and dance put on by our community--some people really get into it with full prom regalia and professional photos and everything. We met our neighbors, Andrea and Tim, there and while we didn't go the full formal-wear route, us girls were just hoping for a nice evening with our hubbies. Unfortunately, Brian didn't keep his end of the bargain and while the food was really pretty good and the live band was fantastic, he put his foot down and absolutely refused to dance. And so, of course, did Tim. So when Brian mentioned that he would dance if they played "Earth Angel" (as in Back to the Future, of course), Andrea ran up and talked to the band. Just as we were finally giving up and walking out the door to leave, the first few notes of "Earth Angel" started playing and the lead singer said into the mic, "Elly and Brian, come up here, this song's for you..." And everyone in the whole gym turned and looked at us. So we laughed and Brian was caught and had to dance with me, just that one dance. He even sang because the band singer didn't know the words. And Andrea and Tim got their one dance, too. It was all very romantic. And then we thanked the band and left. And I think the whole evening was worth just that one last dance.

I love you, baby.

I'm totally dragging you to the Daybreak Prom again next year.