Lucky

Today I’m feeling extra blessed.  I’m so in love with my husband and kids.  Sure Tanner (16 months) screams the minute things don’t work out for him, and sometimes Ridge (3 years) cries when he doesn’t get his way, and more mornings than I’d like, I have to tell Jade (almost 7 years) 20 times to get dressed for school.  Even so, I love being my kids’ mom!  I know that it is a privilege to stay home with them.  I know a lot of the moms in the world don’t have that blessing.  Most days I try to remember that and give it my best.  Some days I don’t.  I want to be a good mom, but I make a lot of mistakes.  Often I don’t even know what the right thing to do would be!  There are days that I get bored (not for lack of things to do, might I add).  And some I’m just tired or overwhelmed.  Others I lose my patience.  Yet others, like today, I fill so full of love and joy I could burst.  I keep telling myself even if I’m going three steps forward, two steps back, I’m still making progress in the right direction. 

One of my favorite things about getting to stay home is having the time for a little extra fun with the kids on holidays.  I don’t know what it is, but I truly love making holiday-inspired foods and putting together little cutesy activities for the kids!  Of course, their laughter and appreciation of it makes it that much better! 

I think maybe I’m starting to rub off on Jade because the first Saturday in March she quick planned a St. Patrick’s Day party.  I had given her and Ridge a baking lesson where we made chocolate chip muffins.  Then she made her own special lemonade and drew up a pin-the-hat-on-the-leprechaun game. 

The Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day I thought I’d be smart and make green shamrock pancakes so I wouldn’t have to get up early to do it on a weekday. 

That Saturday was also Pi Day: 3.14.15, so we had chicken pot pie for dinner and mini key lime pies for dessert. 

  

We all know the kids’ favorite part was the cool whip! 

The day before St. Patrick’s Day we met up with friends at the library activity where the kids heard stories, sang songs, did a craft, and played games.  Afterwards, they enjoyed the other parts of the library: touch screen computer games, puzzles, and of course, checking out books and movies. 

On St. Patrick’s Day the kids woke up to a few tricks and surprises a leprechaun left.  The first thing they noticed was that sneaky little guy had switched their blankets:  Jade had Ridge’s comforter and Ridge had Jade’s duvet!  Then they noticed a trail of gold leading to a treasure hunt clue.  As they went on the treasure hunt, they noticed a few more tricks along the way. 

That silly leprechaun had turned the toilet water and milk green, drawn “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” and a mustache face in green on the bathroom mirror, turned the furniture around and upside down in the living room, built a tower in the basement, switched all of Jade’s shoes into the boys’ closet and vice versa, and put a loaf of bread in Jade’s backpack!  The kids laughed pretty hard at each new mischief they found!

At the end of the treasure hunt, the kids found a pot of gold hiding in the fridge. 

Jade had woke up early to use the ladies’ room.  When she saw the water was green, she decided to “hold it” so she could show it to everybody else!  Since I was up early anyway, we ended up having green shamrock pancakes again.

Of course, the kids wanted to wear green; Jade in particular tried to put on as much green as she could find.

  

Jade opened her lunchbox to a green lunch.  

After school we made green Jell-O jigglers.

  

We finished off our green day with an easy, nutritious green dinner. 

I know it may seem like I go a little bit overboard, but I really love doing this kind of stuff!  I’d like to think of it as one of the perks of my job! Plus, it only took a few minutes doing a pinterest search the night before to come up with some things to make this simple holiday a whole lot of fun.  It really didn’t take much effort and by the end of the day, my bucket was overflowing with love for my kids.  They have such great personalities and are so much fun!  I really am such a lucky lady.