A very happy St. Patty's Day!

Such a dreamy day!

The kids and I are still positively giddy to have Daddy home with us! Reunited! Together again! And so glad for it!

After 3 long months of him living at a corporate apartment in Boston, and us living in our home in New Jersey, and him often not able to come home on weekends, because he was working, or looking at houses for us in MA, or working AND looking for houses for us in MA..... we missed him tons.  Too much.  Awful bad.

As hard as this transition to a new life here has been for my children, I think it is not as hard as it was having their father away from them.  We are used to Craig being home. All the time.  I was well aware that I was spoiled, we were spoiled, that Craig was able to walk in the door from work every night at 5:00 pm.  This enabled him to attend every sports practice, and every other school activity, in the evenings.  I know a lot of girlfriends whose husbands walked in the door only in time to tuck their kids into bed.  And I've heard from these girlfriends how hard this is for them, how hard it is for the dads, how hard it is for the children.  Craig only had business travel once or twice a year, to conferences.

So, as a result, we are very very very glad to have him home with us.  In the evenings.  On weekends.  We love us our Daddy, big time.

We've been in our new home, altogether for a month now. 4 weeks.  I'm a big decorating-for-the-holidays gal.  I love to decorate the house, and its windows, and any other possible surface!, with each and every holiday that comes during throughout the year.  We had our St. Patrick's Day decorations out, and it felt nice, and homey, now to be in our new home, and to decorate for the first holiday since we moved in.

The windows looking out to the wonderful trees had leprechauns and shamrocks.

St. Patrick's Day morning I awoke to this note, which melted my heart.

My sweet daughter had learned this expression from her first grade teacher the day before.  How is it that time flies like this?  How is it that she can write, write words, on a note, and communicate her thoughts to me, like this?  And with drawings?  A leprechaun, shamrocks and a pot of gold.  My big girl.  Learning, and growing, and getting bigger everyday.

The four of us (all FOUR of us! Hooray again!) went out for breakfast on St. Patrick's Day morning, a Saturday.  It was the first time we went out for breakfast since moving into our new house, and it felt to me like a neat milestone.  My heart leapt with happiness to see my handsome man holding hands with our two beloveds.  I count my blessings every single day.

My little lad and lassie were dressed in green.  Ashley wore the shamrock necklace I got for her last year.  We get our Irish from my beloved late Grama Aggie's side, so it always makes me smile to remember her on this day each year.



Cocoa with whipped cream!
Yum!



Our darling
always-patient
Chi Chi
with shamrocks on her head.



My two St. Patrick's Day girls.



I loved this shamrock font
that her first grade teacher used.
And the "O'Correll"
that her preschool teachers had also done.
Melts me.

 After our dinner at home of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, we took our first family walk around our new neighborhood.  2 parents with 2 dogs on leashes, 2 kids on their bikes.  The kids were squealing with glee.  To be released from winter cold indoors life, to be out on their bikes on a warm spring evening, and probably, I'm guessing, to be feeling more comfortable in their new home, new life.  The sun was setting as we walked home.  Our new next door neighbors waved at us from their dinner table.

And I was grateful.