Valentine’s dinner for one, fevers with Snoopy and coffee and cigarettes

Sergei and I have resigned ourselves that Valentines day, at least for a few more years, is a family affair.

Oh, sure, we try to plan a date or to do something for just the two of us at home but many years our plans have been foiled by circumstances outside our control.

Valentines Day, 2009:  the day went alright.  A typical Saturday really.  I took the girls to the library and then dropped them off at a birthday party (thank God for birthday parties).  When I got home Sergei left to go spend his birthday gift card at Barnes & Nobles.  Polly and I hung out, watched a little Signing Times and had a snack.  A little while later I noticed Miss Polly nodding of while pretending to read a riveting story about Caillou.

I took advantage of her sleepiness.  Naps have been a thing of the past as of late.  I scooped her up and tucked her into her crib and sat down on the couch to read a not so interesting book.

Enter Sergei and Lainie and Zo an hour later, and Polly was still sleeping.  Hour two, Sergei checked and she was sleeping heavily all wrapped up in her baby blanket quilted for her by her Grandma Annie.

Hour three was my turn to check, the sun was setting for the day and our little one was still completely out.

Hour four, Sergei decided nap time was over.  He came into the living room a few minutes later with a very sleep, very hot little girl.

Sick.

The two older girls have messed around with coughs and slight fevers all week.

Sergei cooked our meal for two; steaks, asparagus, mashed potatoes with cheese and sour cream.  A nice glass of red wine sat at our place settings.  The table was set by our generous oldest daughter.  She even used napkin holders and linen, happy that her Valentines meal included french fries and a burger from a drive thru joint.

But our dinner for two was not to be. 

Out came my old faithful standby, baby Tylenol.  Polly refusing to be put down, nestled right into the crook of my arm and played her role of sick child very well.  I was a bit alarmed.

We flip flopped, Sergei took a turn on the couch in between Lainie and Zo, holding our little bundle of heat.  I wolfed down my food and took a sip of wine, and received the hand-off of one sick child who’s fever wasn’t so high, thank God, in time to catch the tail end of  ‘Be My Valentine Charlie Brown.’

At 8pm the two older girls were prayed for, kissed, tucked into bed.  They were allowed to sleep together and stay up a bit to tell stories.  Sergei, Polly and I settled in to view his movie choice, ‘Coffee and Cigarettes,’  an hour and a half of short vignettes based on people smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee in cafes.

Half-way through the movie, Polly perked up and clearly appalled by the number of smokers in the movie (health, people!) she opted to walk around our downstairs floor in circles.  Sergei kept pinching himself to stay awake (who picked the movie?) and I waited through each scene, certain the next one would be better than the last.

It was a good Valentines day, though.  Any time a young child turns a corner when she seems to be really sick is good. 

Besides, I don’t think Polly will experiment with cigarettes later in life.