Valentine’s Day for a third-grader means decorated shoe boxes filled with chalky hearts.  At age 13, it means carnations from secret admirers and awkward dances.  At 21, it means a LBD and a fancy restaurant. Now, 4 kids and mortgage later, it doesn’t exactly mean the same thing and those Valentine’s traditions vary. When a “real life” mom plans a Valentine’s date, these things typically come to my mind: Finding a babysitter who doesn’t have plans, the cost of said babysitter, making dinner reservations, crowded and overpriced restaurants, and then the feeling of disappointment because my expectations didn’t hit reality.