Today was St. Patrick’s day. Are you wondering why I’m posting a picture of my kiddo sitting in a pile of snacks rather than a cute little glittery green portrait of her and her sister dressed in adorable outfits?
Well. That’s because I don’t have one.
I consider myself a pretty good mom when it comes to holiday celebrations. The girls get Valentine’s Day baskets, Easter baskets, the elf visit for the whole month of December and Christmas involves homemade cookies and milk and stockings and way to many presents. I try hard to be conscious of creating traditions.
And honestly, I remembered it was St. Patrick’s day at about 10:00 p.m. The night before. I didn’t make green pancakes, I didn’t have cute outfits, I didn’t do anything special. Lexi came home from preschool with stories of the mischief caused by the naughty leprechaun in their classroom, wondering what kind of mischief he had caused in our house. Um…. Oops?
I feel it’s worth clarifying that I’m writing this from more of an “LOL” perspective than anything. Lexi will remember the magic of the day from her preschool elf experience and giggling over pinching each other all afternoon and making an elf trap in the living room. She has no awareness of her mommy “dropping the ball”. Therefore, I didn’t really drop it.
Moms are under enough pressure as it is. I don’t need to do everything and get everything perfect for every holiday. I can let myself off the hook. I don’t do holidays and traditions because I feel like I have to. I do them because I want to.
This year, in the exhaustion of having a two month old and an active four year old, I forgot how much fun St. Patrick’s day can be. Next year we will probably have green pancakes and a mischievous leprechaun visiting our house. We will spend a little more time planning leprechaun traps and making green snacks. Not because I feel like I should, but because I want to.