The Many Shades of Green

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow so it’s time to talk about all things Irish. Still plenty of time to fill the week with some shenanigans. I don’t think that’s an Irish word, but it sounds like one to me, so it felt right.

Lucky Charms, leprechauns, pots of gold and rainbows. So many options. Traditions range from consuming green food and beverages to grander spectacles like the dyeing of the Chicago River green. I could have dyed my pool green, but we are at the beach this week for spring break, so we wouldn’t have been there to enjoy it. Honestly, if we mess up in our regulation of the ph, the pool can be a very lovely shade of green with no other intervention. Back to the Irish festivities, though. I have a little Irish in me. Our heritage is made up of English, Irish and Scottish on my side of the family. I have a large framed Irish Bannock recipe that hung in my grandmother’s kitchen as well as the Irish blessing, “May the Road Rise to Meet You.” I have always wanted to visit the Emerald Isle but have not made it yet. For now, we will just join in the traditional fun of this day dedicated to all things green. Another opportunity to have a little fun with the boys and who knows, they might even learn something?

As you know, green has lots of meanings these days. I thought it would be fun to dive into that a little more, specifically in the form of an interview, so I sat down with a certain 5-year-old and 8-year-old. The goal was to see if we could explore our own green new deal. To move away from those things that are harmful and tend to drag us down, replacing them instead with healthier solutions that better equip us for the future.

The interview that follows is comprised of 17 questions that I asked both Wood (8), and Graham (5) independently. Neither were aware of the questions prior to our sit down and no one was compensated. OK, there may have been some compensation in the form of candy.

1. What does the color green make you think of?

Wood: Life. Life is green. Because God made it green.

Graham: Gecko (from PJ Mask), trees, plants and nature.

2. Do you know what the term ‘green monster’ means?’

Wood: No

Graham: No

3. Do you know what the word jealousy means?

Wood: When someone has something, and you really badly want it, so you are jealous and sometimes get mad.

Graham: No

4. What is a way we can work on not be jealous?  

Wood: Playing Battlefront 2

Graham: (after explaining the definition of jealousy to him) Go play with something else.

5. Do you know what it means to ‘go green?’

Wood: No

Graham: No

6. Do you know what the environment is?

Wood: The stuff around us, garbage cans, food, houses, paintings, mom working on the computer, grandmother reading a book, brother being annoying, dad working in the garage.

Graham: No

7. How do you think we can take care of the environment?

Wood: On earth day, instead of littering or throwing stuff in the trash can, we can recycle. School taught me.

Graham: (After explaining what the environment is) Give it water, because the ocean is water and the air can touch anything and can go through stuff because it is just air, and soil because trees need soil, but I have no idea how to do that.

8. What does it mean if I say, “that person looks a little green?”

Wood: Like a little sick, and I don’t mean the cool kind of sick, I mean the barfing kind of sick.

Graham: Like their skin is looking green. Kinda glow green like when that kid went swimming and now, he glows. (From The Lorax)

9. What are some things that make you sick? Or that you are sick of?

Wood: Broccoli, mom working all day, reading things that bore me. Itchy clothing.

Graham: When you deal with fish because you could get slapped in the face; this chair that I’m in. The virus. Also, I’m sick of the devil. He’s the worst person in the whole world. Birds pooping on people’s heads.

10. What is something we can do about the things that make us sick?

Wood: Let it roll off.

Graham: Catch and grill the fish.

11. What do you like about springtime?

Wood: The flowers bloom, it’s all green grass and not the boring orange grass. The grass gets taller and taller, but then there are snakes. Bees when they are not stinging people.

Graham: Everything. I get chocolate and get to go on vacation.  

12. Do you know what I mean if I say, ‘that person is a little green in their job?’

Wood: No, but I know what blue means.

Graham: No.

13. How does someone become less green in their work?

Wood: (after explaining the concept of being green) Kinda like I play Battlefront 2 every day. Play it everyday more than anyone else.

Graham: (after explaining the concept of being green) Practice.

14. If you had a lot of land and wide- open space, what would you do with it?

Wood: On the hill build a farm and put some animals down in the fence; on the other side build a mansion and be a billionaire.

Graham: On the hills I would have a picnic with my wife, by the fence I would feed the animals but not the donkeys because that one stole my feed cup once.   

15. What would you do if you found a pot of gold tomorrow?

Wood: Well, that’s not true because you can never find the end of the rainbow so there really wouldn’t be a pot of gold…but, first, I would pick it up, find a leprechaun and make three wishes. One wish would be for the pot of gold, then I would share it with y’all.

Graham: Bring it home and then my family would be rich. Buy a Ferrari, then I would buy a tiger and a lion, then everyone would love me.

16. If you are given ‘the green light’ on something, what does that mean?

Wood: No idea. Green light means go, so go.

Graham: Green light means go and red light means stop.

17. Are leprechauns real?

Wood: Yes.

Graham: Yes.

Follow up: Where do you find them?

Wood: At the end of the rainbow, but there is no end.

Graham: I don’t know, actually nowhere.

The Green Monster

There are some green characters we love, like Kermit, the Hulk, Mike from Monsters, Inc., and of course, Yoda. There are even some green guys that try to be mean, but we love them anyway like Oscar the Grouch and The Grinch. The Green Monster, however, is the not so tangible but very real villain that emerges in all of us from time to time. For instance, during the 12 hour drive to Florida, I found myself to be somewhat envious of people with private planes. As my boys watch some of their various favorite YouTube kids’ channels, they want to know why we can’t travel to Hawaii, for example, just to make a video. Or why we can’t create our own life-size game of battleship in the back yard, too? Thank you, Dude Perfect. Marketing is geared toward all of us to make us think we need something or that somehow, we will be missing something without it. Any excuse to by something new. I remember when wreaths were for holiday decoration only, and by holiday, I mean Christmas. Now you can get a wreath for any occasion. Fall, spring, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, or Flag Day. Yes, you can even get a St. Patrick’s Day wreath for your door. Come on ladies, we don’t want our door to be naked for the other 11 months of the year, right? I’m guilty of this too. Not really from the wreath perspective but somewhere along the way, having Star Wars t-shirts was not enough. For some reason, I saw Christmas Star Wars t-shirts and Valentine’s Star Wars t-shirts and I thought well yeah, we need those. I would probably have included pics of us in Star Wars St. Patrick’s Day shirts had I remembered to order in time. Given that 2020 came with a total of two trips to the office and no other outings really to speak of, I found myself spending next to nothing on clothes which is quite the change for me. I got through several seasons just fine. Perhaps a lesson in minimalism for us all. The boys have the right idea. Go enjoy the things you do have. Give that green monster a real punch in the nose with my gratitude fist. Keep your Cinco de Mayo wreath. We’ll enjoy our tacos, chip and queso wearing our Star Wars shirts and play with the toys we do have.

Green Around The Gills

Obviously, there are things that make us ill, literally. There are also things that make us want to scream, throw something or possibly put our fist (not the metaphorical gratitude one) through a wall. Things that frustrate us. Things that make us wonder why people do what they do. Why do some people attempt to merge onto an interstate going 45 miles an hour? Why do football players attempt the ‘scoop and score’ when they could just fall on the ball? Everyone loves it when it works but when it doesn’t, you find yourself pointing out (rather loudly) to the fan next to you that if he’d just fallen on it, at least you would still have possession. There seems to be a lot going on every time I attempt to get caught up on the news. Lack of concern and consideration for people for various reasons, lack of common sense, and a lack of love for neighbors at times if they look, think or believe differently than we do. I won’t go too far down that path, because it would be a long journey except to say, I’m sure all of us could relate to being sick of some things over the last year, even if it’s just the Coronavirus. I feel like the boys got the chance to vent a little with this question and I totally get it. It feels good to rant a little from time to time. I noticed Wood mentioned me working on the computer. That has been one of the challenges of working from home. When he went to school and I went to work, he never saw work. When I would get home, it was left at the office and nothing usually interfered with play time or anything else they wanted to do. Working from home has been a challenge in that I am there, and they can see me, but I am not available until work is done. It frustrates them, which in turn frustrates me. He also happens to be extremely sensitive in terms of texture, hence the itchy clothing comment. Graham got to vent a little too. Clearly, he has had some strange encounters with animals. I think they are definitely on to something though. If you can do something about it, you should. Catch the fish and grill it. If not, let it roll off.

Go Green

When it comes to the environment and the boys, I certainly want to educate them, but I am not leading off with a power point presentation about the Exxon Valdez oil spill. I distinctly remember some biology courses I took in college and the impact they had on me. In ecology, we studied the ecosystem of lakes and how each layer of the lake had different elements kept in perfect balance that sustained the entire ecosystem. It was fascinating. In botany, we studied how the huge trees like sequoias were able to get water from the roots all the way up to the leaves on the highest branches. I love nature and I want my boys to love it too. I think it is important to first introduce them to all the beauty that’s out there and help them develop an appreciation for it. Then, it’s going to matter a lot more to them if those things are threatened. For example, the boys love the ocean. We have been on many trips to various beaches, and they have personally noticed and enjoyed the beautiful sand, water, animals and amazing sunsets. At that point, when we do some home school education on the ocean or Earth day, we can incorporate the important steps to help protect those environments. It will resonate more with them because they have that connection and many great memories. I am not saying someone who grows up living in a place like New York or Chicago can’t have an appreciation for our National Parks. What I am saying is I have seen pictures and I have also stood there marveling at some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Experiencing it in person is priceless and I want my kids to be able to have those same experiences.  I mentioned that we had some home school units on Earth Day and we also had one on the beach where we covered all sorts of fun, educational topics. I will be starting to post those in April just prior to Earth Day so stay tuned and you can check those out. Again, I think the boys have the right idea. Graham, it seems, knows enough to know that everything is connected and Wood notices that the environment is everything around us. We will enjoy it, educate about it and of course, recycle.  

You Are Too Green

One of the things I hate about starting a new job is being green. The newbie. You can be green in your field or just green in your position. Most of us have probably experienced one or both. Learning new names, faces, roles, who to go to for what, along with processes and procedures. It is frustrating for kids too. As they start sports or head into a new class for the first time, the period of acclamation can be hard. New levels of reading, and math. Apparently, there’s not just new levels of math but a whole new math too. New milestones and targets in all areas. I, like many of you, have two children who, so far, approach things in completely different ways. It fascinates me and I love to see their individuality come out in those times when they are presented with new challenges. I have a perfectionist who wants to know exactly what to do and will not stop until he masters an activity. He’s more cautious and follows directions based on what he’s been told. In most cases. I also have a free spirit who is not bothered by such details and will jump into anything with two feet before he’s even heard the word instructions much less understood them. He’ll get there, no question, but if you tell him it makes the most sense to go by car, he’ll arrive by dogsled, and in style. We talked through the meaning of being green in our interview and I think both boys realized that practice was the key. Never stop honing your skills. Quite right. For me, I’ve learned patience in the process as they will approach learning new things differently. At least we all agree it takes time and practice if we want to shed our novice green ways in things like Star Wars Battlefront 2, trick shots or something important, like math.

Overall, I think the interview was a success. I was able to gauge what the boys knew and get their take on some important issues. They had some great insight (for the most part), and I think we can work with that. We can combat the green monster with gratitude. If we can do something about the things that sicken us, we should. Grill that fish. Thanks, Graham. If not, then let it roll off. Thanks, Wood. We will get out there and enjoy the beauty that God has made and be sure to educate on ways we can keep it beautiful. Last, but not least, we can make sure we never stop learning and perfecting our skills.

Be grateful, roll with it, enjoy the beauty around us, educate on how to protect it, and never stop learning and practicing what we know.

G-R-E-E-N

I think we have the makings of an effective green new deal.

Rainbows, Shamrocks, & Leprechauns Galore

On to some St. Patrick’s Day fun. Time to get the Lucky Charms out. OK, if your house is anything like mine, that is not really all that out of the ordinary. I think I am going to attempt shamrock pancakes this year, which will probably consist of me trying to decorate a pancake with a shamrock somehow. If I actually make green pancakes, the picky eaters may object. In addition to that we’ve got some cookie suggestions too. You can take some Oreos and make a couple of easy treats. The first one is just adding some icing in order to get a marshmallow to stick to the Oreo. Then, take some green icing and do your best to draw a clover. I added some more icing on top in order to throw in some gold sprinkles. The second one is my favorite. You can use chocolate covered Oreos and stand them up in some icing, so it holds. Add some icing on the back on one side and attach an Airhead Xtreme Rainbow Berry piece. This is your rainbow. Add a small marshmallow for a cloud and some more icing and add the gold sprinkles. Voila! You have an edible pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

As I was thinking about things to do with the kids this week, I tried to think of a movie. I have fond memories of watching some classic musicals when I was little. Long before Sean Connery played James Bond, he starred in the 1959 musical, Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Then, there’s Finian’s Rainbow, with Fred Astaire, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Not sure the boys will be interested but this film has some beautiful music and includes a pot of gold and a leprechaun too. My favorite song was “Look to the Rainbow.”

“On the day I was born, said my father, said he,

I’ve an elegant legacy, waitin’ for ye,

‘Tis a rhyme for your lips, and a song for your heart

To sing it whenever the world falls apart.

Look, look, Look to the rainbow.

Follow it over the hill and the stream

Look, look, Look to the rainbow

Follow the fellow, who follows a dream.”

Paint the Town Green

Just in case you don’t have a St. Patrick’s Day playlist going yet, I am adding this section to point out some Irish bands you can start listening to as you get your green on. I will also include some ways you can incorporate key songs into your daily momming.

U2

We start with probably the most famous and greatest of all bands to come out of Ireland (just my opinion of course), U2. Add any U2 songs to your rotation because, well, they’re classic. How do you incorporate this into your daily interactions with the little ones? I’m glad you asked. It goes a little something like this…

Song #1-“Beautiful Day”-As in, “Hey guys, it’s a beautiful day so how about you get off your butts and your devices and go play outside? You can even sing it to them as you usher them out the door. I know my two love it when I do that.

Song #2-“With or Without You”- As in, “We are leaving in 5 minutes with or without you so I suggest you get moving.”

The Cranberries is another Irish group to add to the mix.

Song #3-“Linger”-I have two boys which means there are various smells that tend to follow them around at times, so I will just let you use your imagination with this one.

The Coronas (I know, but yes, and they’re Irish)

Song #4-“Give Me a Minute”-As in, “Yes, I heard your request for a snack but I am in the middle of something so please give me a minute.”

Thin Lizzy

This band was formed in Dublin as well.

Song #5-“The Boys are Back in Town”-OK, well this one is just a classic.

Van Morrison

I feel like he needs no introduction except to say that his real name is Sir George Ivan Morrison and he’s from northern Ireland as well.

Song #6-“Have I Told You Lately”-This one is self-explanatory. Sing it often to your sweet babies.

The Script

Yes, the guys that sing “Hall of Fame,” and “Superheroes.” They, too, are an Irish rock band.

Song #7-“Paint the Town Green,”-As in, “Let’s go paint the town green on Wednesday.”

Look at that. 7 songs you can add to your lucky list of tunes. I didn’t even plan that but how about that lucky number? You could also add songs by Green Day and The Frames as well. I also added, “Greenback Boogie” to my list. I first heard it as the opening song to the show Suits, one of the many reasons I loved that show.

I looked up the definition of luck and it says, “Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.” Luck is fun for the small things, like the roll of a dice in a simple game or winning the HGTV dream home. I think most of us would agree that real success requires more than that. You have to do something, take action and work hard. One of my favorite green characters is grand master Yoda. You didn’t really think I would go an entire post about all things green and not mention him, did you? In the wise words of this super old Jedi, “Do or do not, there is no try.” I used that same line when a patient asked me once if I would be able to start his IV in one attempt. His wife replied, ‘Now, honey, I’m sure she will try.” I responded with this famous quote. I like to think they were impressed, especially since I placed a 20 gauge in his forearm, in one attempt.

I read that St. Patrick was actually born in Britain and was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a boy. He apparently escaped several years later and after formal training, returned to minister to the people of Ireland. Some say he incorporated the use of the traditional shamrock to teach the concept of the Trinity. I like that idea and actually had one on our fridge until it faded to the point you couldn’t read it anymore. A good idea, though, I think to help kids make the connection. St. Patrick certainly sounds like a man of action.

As I wrap up this post, in reflecting on my interview with the boys, I am grateful to God for so much. I take comfort in knowing that He is in control so we can let things roll off knowing that. We have him to thank for all the beauty there is to enjoy and the chance to continue to learn and grow more and more each day.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”-Psalm 19:1

“Through him all things were made that have been made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”-John 1:3

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”-Psalm 139:14