Women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. . . . She guards that gate, and things matter to that family if they matter to her. . . . Sisters, you are each like the lioness at the gate. This means that there has to be some prioritizing. I was taught years ago that when our priorities are out of order, we lose power. If we need power and influence to carry out our mission, then our priorities have to be straight.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Leprechauns Were Here

A friend of mine let me borrow a book called Lighten Up! by Chieko Okazaki.  I've been a very captivated reader.  One thing that I really struggle with is guilt - or what Chieko calls "inappropriate guilt" - over nearly everything in my life.  I want so badly to do good, to be good, to become good.  That is a great desire.  

But I pile on guilty feelings when I don't measure up to my ideal.  I don't cook the way I want, I'm not a homemaker the way I wish I were, I'm not as creative as I want to be, I don't do at-home lessons with my kids the way I envision . . . Do you ever feel this way?  I will admit that I don't feel this way about everything in my life.  There are several things I feel good about and don't worry that I'm not perfect at them yet.  But the list of things I feel guilty over is far too long.

A big contributing factor to the guilt is comparison.  And I know I'm not the only one.  We look at what someone else is doing in their home, with their kids, with their spiritual development, with their daily routine, and we think, "Well, I'm nothing compared to that."  I've heard it from my own friends' mouths as I've shared something with them that I've done that excited me or helped me grow or that I was so proud to accomplish.  While they try to express their own excitement for me, intermingled comes the words of guilt.

"You're such a great mom.  I never do that kind of stuff with my kids."

Or 

"Gosh I wish I were creative like that.  I just can't do that kind of stuff."

Or

"I don't know how you find the time to do that.  I just can't seem to ever get it together."

Sound familiar?  Proof that I'm not the only one struggling with guilt.

Which is why I'm loving this book.  It hasn't erased my guilty feelings (not yet, anyway), but it has moved me in the right direction of understanding why I feel guilty and how I can overcome that.  

But what does any of this have to do with a post entitled "Leprechauns Were Here"?  Well, I'll give you a quote from the book:
"There is not just one way to hold family home evening or study the scriptures or learn to gain a testimony. . ."
And at this point, I would add - "or create family traditions or spend time with your kids or structure your day or throw a birthday party . . ."
"I love idea sharing.  As I share ideas with friends, I receive many wonderful ideas that I can adapt to fit the needs of my own family."
So when I wanted to have a more fun-filled St. Patrick's Day with my kids this year, I turned to some of my friends who have wonderful ideas of their own about such things.  And one friend just happened to have some ideas worth stealing sharing.  (See her blog here,)

And since I never really grew up, I love any excuse to act like a kid myself.  Honestly.  Even if I didn't have kids, I would still want to wear a big green leprechaun hat on St. Patrick's Day out in public.  Doing that without kids = lots of weird looks.  Doing that with kids = Mom of the Year!

So feel free to steal share any idea that you would like to.  And don't add guilt to your own list over something as silly as St. Patrick's Day traditions.  As Chieko says, just Lighten Up!

3 Days of St. Patty's
Shaelyn celebrated at school on Thursday, all three kiddos out and about on Friday (they wanted to show off their green at the library), and all day Saturday
PS - loving Cute Girls Hairstyles (where I got the inspiration for Shae's shamrock hair) - take a look if you're interested in more ideas to share

Leprechaun Traps
complete with rainbows, shamrocks, and glittering gold to entice the leprechauns to enter
(Shaelyn loved that the leprechauns would be little enough to fit inside her trap)
and of course some Lucky Charms for bait

This is what the playroom looked like before the mischievous leprechauns showed up.  Maybe their trick should be to clean up?

The Leprechaun Note
The kids were excited to come downstairs to see if their traps worked
Maybe as excited as Christmas morning
Seriously

Mischief
And yes, those leprechauns did clean up
But they also turned things upside down, put the wrong backpacks on the wrong hooks, turned the milk green, faced the couches the wrong way, took one of every pair of shoes, set the table for cereal with a knife instead of a spoon, and left behind a lot of shamrocks
(The girls were hoping to find a leprechaun the size of a Little People doll - the leprechauns decided to taunt them)

Lucky Charms with Green Milk
The breakfast of champions

Shamrock Shakes
When the girls found their four-leaf clovers, there was a note attached that said they would be treated to Shamrock Shakes at McDonalds.
How could we possibly stomach more sugar after that super healthy breakfast, you ask?
Simple.  We just could.

Happy St. Patrick's Day