This year, for the first time ever, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and the luck of the Irish was NOT with me.

As we don’t drink ourselves silly we are forced to celebrate St. Pat’s the OTHER way — a.k.a turning EVERYTHING GREEN.

You with me on this one?

EVERYTHING!

As much as I have always had a fascination for the Emerald City of Wizard of Oz fame (really, I do). — I love the idea of living in a place where everything is color coordinated. I am a big fan of monochromatic color schemes, and I love green. I know, it’s weird.– Despite all this, I have, in the past, avoided celebrating St. Pat’s  because I hate to purposefully make food look unseemly. Turning things green that were not meant to be green – for example scrambled eggs – I don’t know….I have a hard time with it.

But Millie was keen so I figured, what the heck! Let’s try to have some fun and make a few new traditions.

I had to keep it simple because 1. I am pregnant (and not in that happy glowing way) 2. I don’t sleep 3. I can barely do anything these days — you see the predicament I was in, do you not?

Well, we kept it simple.

A trail of leprechaun gold lead to a box of Lucky Charms (good morning, breakfast!)

Two matching shamrock headbands

Four LOVELY green jello individual parfaits (YOW-ZA!)

followed by a bathtub filled with emerald green waters.

Are you sad you missed out on this celebration? It all sounds so delightful! It was such a well laid plan….

TOO BAD THAT:

Millie had to have her blood drawn that morning and it totally destroyed her. She was a basket case. And she let me know that she’d had both Lucky Charms and jello at Grandma’s house and she hated both. (Where was I!?!)

On the other hand, Clara loved the cereal. She kept saying over and over, “I’m eating my candy! I’m eating my candy!” No, Clara: read the box – this cereal is packed with WHOLE WHEAT and is a “guaranteed” source of calcium (after you add the milk, I guess). What the heck are they trying to sell us? Guaranteed source of calcium and packed with whole wheat, P & G must think we’re all smoking crack before we have our breakfast!

As we were drinking our green milk Millie said, “Just like Ireland! Right mom?”

What must the Irish think of us? We’re nuts! I hope when Millie visits Ireland for the first time she isn’t disappointed when she can’t find “green milk” on ANY menu.

I learned a valuable lesson – these fun moments that I occasionally try to create for my children are one part mom’s effort and five part’s Millie and Clara’s reaction. They are such enthusiasts that I take for granted that what MAKES these events wonderful isn’t so much what I have done – but how much they appreciate them. THEY make the magic. Not me.

Perhaps next year things will be better.

One thing is for sure, I’m not making any parfaits! Although, there is something so right about cold jello every once in a blue moon. You with me on this one?