Happy Valentine's Day, Mon Petit Chou

Have I ever told you that Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday?

 Well, it's true. Even when I was a little girl, I would spend hours obsessing over my handmade mailbox and perfecting all the Valentine's I'd give to my classmates. In middle school, I remember buying those 'Love grams' to send to all my friends and I remember smiling so big when I'd receive some back. In fact, I still have them after all this time! I never really had a Valentine in high school or in my adult life (or ever for that matter), but that doesn't stop me from loving this day. Of course I agree with the critics that we should tell our loved ones every single day that we love them, not just on a certain day. But there is something so special and magical about this day that just makes me giddy. It's like for one day we can make complete fools out of ourselves and just be gushy and romantic and actually get away with it.

Side note: Did you know that a popular french term of endearment is "Mon petit chou" (ma petite chou if said to a girl) {pronounced mohn puh-tee shoe / mah puh-teet shoe}.  Well what that actually means "My little Cabbage."
 So yes, the french, who are known for being the language of love, call their loved ones little cabbages. Let that one sink in for a bit. They also use "Ma puce" which translates to "my flea". They are natural born romantics let me tell ya.


Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I wish you all the romance, cabbages (& fleas), hearts and of course chocolate your heart can handle! Tonight, I'll be getting chocolate wasted with a good friend, laughing over dumb inside jokes and getting in all sorts of shenanigans together as single ladies. It couldn't get any better than that! (I'm going to pretend that last sentence was true ;) )

Plus, you know where I'll be tomorrow....

Am I crazy!?!

for reading a book on parenting?

Ok, have you read the book, Bringing Up Bebe?

Here is Bringing Up Bebe's synopsis from Amazon:

"The secret behind France's astonishingly well-behaved children.

When American journalist Pamela Druckerman has a baby in Paris, she doesn't aspire to become a "French parent." French parenting isn't a known thing, like French fashion or French cheese. Even French parents themselves insist they aren't doing anything special.

Yet, the French children Druckerman knows sleep through the night at two or three months old while those of her American friends take a year or more. French kids eat well-rounded meals that are more likely to include braised leeks than chicken nuggets. And while her American friends spend their visits resolving spats between their kids, her French friends sip coffee while the kids play..."

Ever since this book came out, it's intrigued me. 

But why? I am a 19 year old college student and I don't plan on having children for another 10 years, at least. 

Let me explain. There are several reasons why I want to read it:

1. French culture has always been interesting to me. The culture aspect of my high school french class was my favorite, and I even competed in the culture category of our state-wide French competition and got second place! So any information I can learn about France's culture is fine by me.

2. I am going to be a Elementary Teacher one day, and even now I teach preschool. I'm sure this book will help me both in my future class, and my current job. Needless to say, I'm around children all the time and I will have to run a classroom on my own one day. I'm sure this book will have plenty of tips and facts that I can use in the classroom. 

 I am a girl, so naturally I think about my future and that I might have kids of my own one day. 

{But not for a long long time.}

 I'm not reading this book for that reason though. I'm reading it because it seems interesting. period.

Does that make me crazy?