Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is kind of a big deal around here. It all began several years ago when I changed our usual dinner of green food into an "authentic" Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, and Irish Cream cake. It was an instant hit, and this special meal has turned into an annual event, complete with Grandparents at our table, that even my pickiest eaters look forward to every year. OK, maybe some of them only get excited about the green koolaid that remains on the menu, but the fact remains that all of my kids enjoy this day of the year.

When I came downstairs this morning, the boys were already dressed in green, down to their very socks. The girls were still in their pajamas, of course, as they could exist contentedly in nothing but pjs every moment of their day. With some coaxing, they eventually made their way to their dressers and found some pretty green apparel for the day. With headbands, hats, glasses, and necklaces, the kids were certainly in St.Paddy's Day spirit. But because of a snowy forecast, Michael away at Wisconsin Dells, and Daddy working away from home until tomorrow, our dinner was postponed until tomorrow night. Knowing the little kids would be happy to have something as simple as mac and cheese colored green for dinner, I could have opted for the easy way out. But I just could not let my Irish heritage down so easily. Instead, I opted for a second rate dinner of Irish stew, Irish soda bread, and green Kool-aid (of course). I must say, it was all very yummy. A loaf of The Best Banana Bread EVER (recipe from Lisa) complemented the meal. This really is the best banana bread ever....previously I thought that I HAD the best recipe until I gave this a try...it is outstanding! I have made 6 loaves in the first week I have tried it. We don't even bother to slice it...we just rip hunks right off the loaf since there is no way it is going to be sitting around long enough to wrap up.

Grandma & Lyle shared dinner with us. It was very nice to have some time to get to know Lyle a bit better. Usually things are so chaotic and noisy that there is hardly time to talk. It is amazing how a sit-down meal at the table really DOES facilitate conversation! This is why I bought this table, but I am still not in the daily habit of using it properly. Our usual meals are lined up on the center island in the kitchen, and everyone grabs a plate and goes through buffet style. Something else to work on for my list.

The kids and I played a new game (Last Word) before bed. I think it will be a fun game, but needs a bit of refereeing to keep things in line. The kids were still tired from the weekend, which was apparent by the many bouts of crying that occurred throughout the day for unknown reasons. Jonny won the headache prize today....I hope he doesn't get migraines like Alex and I, but the way he described it sounds awfully familiar. Poor kid. Thomas was still going strong this evening, trying so hard to stand, and working his darndest to get to our game. He was being so silly with the shamrock headband on his head: he kept tying to look up to see what it was on his head....obviously, he was not successful at making the visual connection. Thankfully, he is a good boy, and instead of getting frustrated, it only made him smile. And his smile always makes me smile. And that is a wonderful way to end my day.