Wearin' of the Green

St. Patricks Day 2009. All the girls were dressed in their green this morning. Ella was wearing a pretty lace headband this morning, which I realized stepping into the grocery store this morning was the garter from my wedding day. I do not think anyone noticed. Reece was dissappointed that the leprachaun trap that she had made in school didn't catch anything, and so was I.
Reece wore green skirt with green shirt and green bow Ella wore a Sham-ROCK shirt (adorable...circa Reece....thanks Aunt COlleen). Maggie and her "Kiss me I'm Irish and cute" shirt was a cute indeed. I wore a t-shirt that just said "Lucky Me". You know, your basic Old Navy, St. Paddy's Day T-shirt. About 1/2 way through the day I thought I should really invest in a nice green cardigan, green cords from J. Crew, or an Irish wool sweater. When you get to be 34 you just can't wear a T-shirt that says "I'm Lucky" and feel good about it. I think if I was wearing something more mature I would not have had this desire to pull the minivan over behind one of the busses on pub crawls today and yell "Hey guys, wait for me!". I never went out for St. Paddy's Day in college...now all of a sudden I get this urge on March 17th to drink Guiness, sing a little too loud, think about my great grandfater Daniel Coughlan and how he got from County Cork to New York to Iowa. It amazes me. I love being Irish.
While unloading the girls from the car after dance class (Ella and Reece are in the same one...yes it is a hoot.) We heard a bagpiper. When you hear a bagpiper, you just have to follow the melodic music and find out where it is coming from. A family the block over hired a bagpiper for the heck of it, we in their front yard clapping and drinking (Irish coffee perhaps?), kids were jigging (mine included once we got there) and they proceeded to march around the block waving as if they were in the middle of Dublin. It made my day as well as the rest of the neighborhood. I felt very Irish despite the fact we were having taco salad for dinnner.
Mark is not a lick of Irish, but I appreciate his effort. He wore green today, he played Celtic music, he picked up 2 Guiness's on the way home and he did a jig in the livingroom (seriously). The girls all danced for us, and it was just too cute. I am sure my grandmothers were smiling down on Reece's little red hair bouncing around.

A side note, tonight Ella pooped on the potty. Maggie was in bed and must have heard Ella yell from the bathroom that she "made a poop". Maggie starts yelling "I"m PROUD OF YOU ELLA, MAGGIE IS PROUD OF YOU!". Priceless.

We had a wonderful weekend in Omaha celebrating my beautiful baby niece Georgia's baptism. I know I have been blessed by my parents and my sisters and the love and laughs and faith that we all share (we missed you sue-z-q). Shelly gave Mark and I a plaque as a gift for being godparents. An Irish quote that reads:

"May those that love us love us.
Those that do not love us, may God turn their hearts,
and if He cannot turn their hearts may He turn their ankles,
so that we may recognize them by their limp."