Green Day 2011

The Leprechaun Traps...last year Austin came home from preschool the day before St. Patricks Day telling me how he HAD to make a trap and catch a leprechaun. He didn't get it. He's been planning this trap {no I'm not kidding} since then. He said he wanted to be rich. "I want to get that pot of gold so I will be rich and have a thousand dollars!" (if only a thousand dollars could make us rich, right?!)

He was worried about getting the trap ready for at least a week. Finally I said, well go ahead and work on it. He did the majority of the work but was having a hard time trying to make the trap door. So St. Patricks Day Eve Cameron helped him put it all together...complete with a piece of fake gold as bait.

Isaac wanted to join in the fun so we made a trap with a laundry basket. But he covered it up so the leprechaun wouldn't go in. (huh? isn't that the point, little dude?) He insisted that he didn't want the leprechaun getting into his trap so, that was that.

In the morning the kids were excited to find a dollar bill in each of their traps, along with a trail trail of green shredded paper leading them to the bathroom. They found a note written on the bathroom mirror, and a shirt, a pen, and a "sticky hand" for each of the boys. Isaac was hillarious yelling, "come out you naughty leprechaun. you are so naughty; you made a big mess!"

Austin couldn't figure out how the leprechaun got the dollar in the trap without setting it off. He also wondered why there weren't foot prints this year...oops. But he was excited for the dollar bill and begged me not to clean the note off the mirror.

Landon was the leprechaun's helper. He woke up early to make sure the leprechaun went potty after he left the gifts... (you know what I mean? green food coloring in the toilet - if you have boys do it... they LOVED it. and Landon loved being a partner in crime. who knew it would make him feel so special?!)

Even though the leprechaun didn't leave her shirt with the others, Ella wasn't left out. Cameron, himself bought this shirt for her. I love when he does things like that. You gotta know, Cam is NOT a shopper. He'd rather do almost anything than shop. So it's just kinda extra special when he brings something home and says, "I just thought she'd look cute in this!"

Landon only had school until 11:30 that day. Cameron was working late that night. So after we picked up Landon we drove out to base and did some more leprechaun pranking. We left a note in Cameron's car telling him he'd been choosen to have "good luck for the rest of his days." from Lucky and her helpers. We left a few little green treats. I wanted to call him and tell him to come look in the car but the kids just wanted to let him find it after work, so we headed back home.

Since Cameron worked until 8:30 that night, I invited a friend over. Her husband's in Afganistan so it was just the girls and kids. We had our own little Green St. Patricks Day party. I made Tortilla Chip chicken fingers for the kids and Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup for us. Everything else was green (uh, except for the bannas you can see in the picture ;) )

The corn bread you see is becoming a staple at our house. Gluten-Free bread is just NOT the same as "normal" bread. But we all LOVE this cornbread. I use it for everything from just eating, to BLT's. We can't eat it more than once a week because it has mixed flour in it, but we make sure to eat a double batch that day! Here's the "normal" version of the recipe...even though cornbread season is kinda over you might like to try it - moist and not too sweet and so so good.

Buttermilk Cornbread:

1 C buttermilk ( I use 1 C rice milk and 1 TBS apple cider vinegar)

1 C cornmeal (I've been using white cornmeal, just for a change)

1 C all purpose flour (I use a combo of rice flour, potato and tapioca starch and xanthym gum)

1/4 C sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten (I use EnerG egg replacer)

1/4 C vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 4 1/2 inch by 8 1/2 inch loaf pan. Whisk together dry ingredients. Stir in milk, eggs and oil, just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 min.