Angela writes about having a tough time teaching Isabel about the holiday of love, until she breaks out the candy, in her latest blog for iVillage!
“Happy Valentine’s, ladies and the four fellas who might read this iVillage blog!
So, try explaining Valentine’s to a 2-and-a-half year old. Halloween was hard enough. “Yes, honey, it is okay to go up to a stranger and ask for candy, but wait, before you do…wear this ladybug suit. Oh, and say ‘trick or treat.’ What is a trick? Well, um, okay never mind that part. No, we can’t do this every day. Well, because we just do it once a year.” That is kind of how that conversation went.
The Valentine’s one went a little like this: “We are going to make your Nene (that is what she calls my mom) a Valentine’s card. Well, because, Isabel, that is what you do on Valentine’s Day. You get more candy and you tell people you love them and you make them cards or send them flowers and sometimes you dress up and go out for dinner. No, sweetie, Santa doesn’t come on Valentine’s. He only comes at Christmas. That’s right, with baby Jesus.”
I mean, when you think about all of these holidays and try to explain them to someone who has never heard of them… well, you come off sounding a little nutso. I wish I had a picture of the blank stare my daughter gave me when we told her that we had to leave cookies out for a stranger who was going to come down our chimney in the middle of the night. But I have to say as soon as any kind of candy is involved in these holidays, she is totally on board.
So what are you guys doing for Valentine’s? I want to hear it. I will be with my 2-1/2-year-old eating some kind of heart chocolate thing and hoping I am not a bad mom because I let her have candy too close to bed time.
And since it is the season for love, I leave you with this romantic moment from my life last year: While on a date with a guy, he told me with a smile that I was what his friends call “hot property by the airport.” I of course asked what that meant and he said, “Well, you are good-looking, but you got a lot of people coming and going and it is noisy, etc.” Uh, huh. Okay.
Happy Valentine’s!
-Angela Kinsey
P.S. For fun, check out me and my buddy, Kate Walsh, being silly promoting her perfume, Boyfriend. Kate and I met years ago performing improv at iO West. We had so much fun shooting her webimmercials. It was such a blast to get to improvise together again and crack each other up! And her perfume is awesome! Check it out here!”