Red Hot Romance

My husband did the most romantic thing ever this past week.

He called the mortgage company.

Keep your hands off him, ladies.

As the woman with the checkbook, I handle most of the financial aspects of the P household – balancing the budget, paying the bills and dealing with the utility companies. All was good until I received a statement from the mortgage company saying we owed another $125 a month. After a week of robbing Peter to pay Paul and arguing with my husband nonstop, I dissolved into a big pool of tears on the floor, wondering how I was going to come up with another $125.

Mr. P took the statement from my hand without saying a word, grabbed the phone and hid out in the bathroom (because my children don’t know the meaning of quiet). Twenty minutes later, he came out with a smaller monthly bill and the eradication of some bogus fee the company tacked on just because it doesn’t think anyone reads the back of the bill. Swoon!

I can just imagine some 21-year-old singleton accidentally stumbling upon this blog and immediately screeching, “OMG, you are so sad. That’s the most pitiful excuse for romance ever! I’m going to go tan now.” My reply to her – on a Monday morning when Tiger Woods and Jesse James and their parade of lady friends have been shoved in our faces – that small, heartfelt action meant more than some empty grand romantic gesture.

Don’t get me wrong – the Mr. and I still do romantic things like go out to dinner, drink good wine and talk about current events and politics (though that last part’s kind of B.S. since we always end up talking about the kids), but with a growing family and tighter finances, it’s much harder to get an evening out. So the little things matter more than ever.

Mr. P knows not to get flowers delivered to me at work anymore since my mind will immediately fixate on the price and how many groceries that bouquet would have bought. Instead, he and my daughter will surprise me with $10 worth of wildflowers from the florist when I’ve had a bad week. My friend Amy said she fell in love with her husband all over again when he took over answering her 3-year-old’s nonstop line of questioning so she could take a break.

Are we sad? Maybe. But for the overworked, overstressed, overscheduled mom, that extra effort is worth more than a blue box from Tiffany & Co.

Well, almost.

So tell us – what is a simple thing your significant other does to let you know how much he or she cares about you?

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting