Wearing O' The Green (Sorry, Dad!)

Growing up, we weren't encouraged to wear green on St. Patrick's Day. In fact, my father always egged us on to wear Orange. Dad is one-hundred-percent NORTHERN Irish-- not into the Catholic Irish holiday of St. Patrick.

And yet, this is what his granddaughter looked like today.

It's his fault, in a way. This dress is from when Cheyenne was a baby, and my two little sisters saw it and had to buy it because it had "clovers" on it, and thus was perfect for Clover's new little baby. So Dad named me Clover, AND he had two generous daughters. (Well, at the age they were when this dress was bought, they were probably being generous with Mom and Dad's money, but still-- they were generous!)

(This is how Rilla has to sit down-- it's quite a circular process.)

Anyway, she doesn't care about centuries-old Irish feuds, she just looks adorable.

Elliott hedged his bets-- he's wearing orange AND green. (And a tractor, so Grandpa has to like him.)

He's also wearing a hat. For some reason, this hat was key today.

And he's wearing a funny little expression.

Cheyenne's one green shirt was a recent hand-me-down that's still a tad too big. Grandpa REALLY has to like this shirt, though, because it says "John Deere." Cheyenne has been quite worried about today. Her class set up a trap to catch a leprechaun, and she was terrified of leprechauns. Imagine her relief today when the trap was empty and there were just little green footprints all over the school and lots of spilled Lucky Charms!

The kids had another beautiful day to play outside. Rilla got to pose in here because Elliott was trapped inside with his physical therapist. And I do mean trapped-- he doesn't enjoy the therapy very much these days. It's not that it's painful or even demanding, it's just that they've been working on the same skills (jumping, alternating legs on the stairs, being able to walk a narrow line) for such a long time now that he's thoroughly bored with all the activities.

Rilla and Cheyenne got to hang out in the car together later that afternoon. (Rilla's cute outfit has been augmented with fleece-lined jeans-- there's still a chill in the air!)

Silly tongue sisters.

What a smile on that big girl!

Don't you always pack all your Brambly Hedge books and a skillet in the back of your car for any trips?

Elliott branched out from the car and was a big boy on the tricycle.

The ever-present windshield washer tongue.

Coloring assiduously...

with Grandma! Elliott is loving having Grandma and Grandpa here. In fact, he quite enjoys all his grandparents. This morning, he was chatting about Grandma Jill and Grandma Marilyn, and he told Marilyn, "So many grandmas!" He sure is a lucky boy! I can't do anything these days-- anything I go to do, he says, "No, Grandma wash me up!" (Or change my diaper, or feed me, or... Marilyn is going to go home exhausted!)

The kids are still loving to play with their Fabulous Red kitchen...

And Little People. Kind of an unorthodox place to play, but she was happy. And see that hair, all aglow in the evening sun? That is the best "gold at the end of the rainbow" I can imagine.