My friend Barbara (who is now private, or I would give you a link) wrote this great post about how all parents need to get together and come up with a rules governing Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, etc. We could then all be on the same page and that tiny part of life wouldn't be so confusing to our kids (and us). Well, I have do ditto her post. I got sideswiped this week and I have this little green man to thank...
I didn't grow up really celebrating St. Patrick's Day. My mother, who has decorations for every holiday, doesn't own a decorative shamrock. We celebrated by wearing green and pinching each other when someone didn't have green because he or she wasn't yet dressed for the day. This is pretty much the same course I've taken with my own kids.
I really thought making sure everyone--including Squiggle--was dressed in green was my only motherly duty for St. Patrick's Day. I WAS WRONG!
First Buddy came home from preschool and was telling us how a boy in his class had beans in his shoes and some candy loot from a leprechaun. "Oh, that's fun," was all I said. Then Lulu came home from school with stories of leprechauns leaving gold coins and other candy at some of her friends houses. A leprechaun had also wreaked havoc on her classroom because apparently leprechauns are ma-chee-ous (mischievous). She wants to know why the leprechaun missed our house. Me scrambling: "Maybe because you didn't leave any gold out for him." You guessed it--the next night Lulu & Buddy made leprechaun traps complete with gold foil and generic Wheaties (give me a break, it is the only cold cereal we had) as bait.
The next morning they ran to their traps and found the leprechaun had indeed visited, but since he is so ma-chee-ous he could not be caught and left their traps filled with beans and a note saying, "you can't catch me!". Pretty clever, right? I didn't have to run to the store while they were sleeping and buy candy, just dumped in the beans and wrote a note. Okay, now I'm a good St. Patty's Day Mom--right? Wrong, I made another mistake. When I read the note to Lulu she said, "It's in English? I didn't think leprechauns spoke English, they are from another country...I don't remember what it's called." "Ireland, they are from Ireland and they speak English there, just like we do," I quickly retorte. "Well, the leprechaun that visited my school didn't speak English and my teacher had to tell us what the note said, because she speaks that language," Lulu returns. Silence from me. I refuse to carry on a drawn-out conversation about a LEPRECHAUN! I'm dropping this whole leprechaun thing and refuse to worry about it until March 2010. I need to know where the rules on St. Patty's Day are kept, so I can refer to them before that time. My kids are only getting smarter and I'm, well, let's just say I'm not keeping up.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
{more chaos} Where are the Rules?
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bad mom,
St. Patrick's Day
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The mommies in my neighborhood had to get together to and came up with a "tooth fairy" amount. The kids were bragging at school, and the others ones wondered why they did not get as much!
ReplyDeleteAs for the leprechaun rules, there is only one...wear green or get pinched!
The stores have to promote EVERY holiday for marketing purposes....we do not have to contribute to EACH one! (I am going to be a boring mother, aren't I)
Do you know how many times I have forgotten about the tooth fairy and had to pretend that it had fallen on the floor and thats why they couldn't find it. I liked your post it was very true and very funny.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! You crack me up! I see your point but I'm afraid I'm going to be one of those other mothers. I have a whole collection of fun ideas I can't wait to use, as soon as Breah is old enough to care. I just love any excuse to make a day a little more exciting than the others. I'm so bummed that Breah's 18 month bday is on Easter! I had so much fun stuff planned for that big nursery milestone (only in utah...haha), I think I'll just celebrate a week late!
ReplyDeleteI think we might have to start with the teachers on this one!!! They should provide the parent's with the info for all holiday's, right? Especially since St. Patrick's day is from Ireland and they do speak English (right?)
ReplyDeleteI am with you...I wore green on St. Patrick's day so I wouldn't get pinched and that was it...and I did the same as you, dressed Alex in green as well, and plan to only do that each year...like was said above, we don't have to give in to the marketing ploys of the stores that just want to make another buck!
I find ZERO joy as a mom for these lame holidays! When my kids want to get into them, I just distract them with something else. We don't even get THAT into Easter (the bunny part of it at least!) This year, my daughter came home telling me about all her friends leprechaun encounters and asked why we don't anything. To get out of the whole thing, I told her that I had once been a Leprechaun and dad found me and made a wish, and his only wish was that I would fall in love with him and be his wife - which I immediately did! So, I don't like celebrating St. Patrick's Day because I'm just grateful to not be a Leprechaun anymore cause I'm glad I'm married happily to her dad! It TOTALLY WORKED!!! Now, she thinks it's even cooler than just a leprechaun visit - I actually am one! And I got out of doing anything more than wear green!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Annie. These little holidays STRESS me out! Kristin's ideas about starting with teachers is so true. My daughter was determined to leave her shoes out this year, we have always "forgotten" in the past and the leprechaun has passed us over. Anyway, I turned to my facebook friends on this one. Wow! I got about 17 comments and lots of ideas. There are some pretty creative leprechauns out there. Some suggestions; green milk, green toilet water, mess in the house, gold coins, lucky charms, traps, leprechaun footprints (using craft paint) all over the floor, etc.!!! I did a few things and the kids liked it. Sounds like you improvised really nicely!
ReplyDeleteOur kids were on Spring Break for St. Patty's Day! Whew, dodged that bullet!
ReplyDelete