Hope, Magic, and Green Dogs
If you’re wondering why I have a green dog, you aren’t alone. The neighbors are wondering, too. Even I’m a little curious, since my beagle is still green even after a lengthy scrub down. The things we do to create hope and magic for our kids…
Our desire to keep our kids connected with their sense of hope, magic, and childhood imagination has resulted in one phenomenal cluster after another, not unlike the one I’m currently facing. Once, my husband almost broke his neck tying my son’s Buzz Lightyear toy to the loft ceiling in our foyer so the Elf on the Shelf could “fly” suspended from Buzz’s foot. Mr. Jenn had to stand on the top of his big ladder on his tiptoes to make this insanity happen. Then he had to take the apparatus down the next night. My husband is a self-proclaimed Elf on the Shelf hero.
While he was partying it up at Daytona’s Bike Week last week, St. Patrick’s Day arrived. The old man might have the whole Elf on the Shelf thing in the bag, but I own St. Patrick’s Day. You see, the leprechaun has colored the children green while they slept, left green footprints on the toilet, and colored all the food in the house green.
This year, I had to step it up. This is why we are the proud owners of a green beagle. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, PETA—it’s just food coloring.
So why in the world do parents go to all this trouble?
Mr. Jenn and I love to create extreme befuddlement and awe. There’s so much hate in the world. The evening news is like some sort of horror movie. We can’t shield our kids from the negativity, but we can let them bask in the world of pretend for a little while. Quite frankly, reality sucks these days.
When my kids woke up Friday to find a green dog and green leprechaun pee on the bathroom floor, their faces lit up. They rushed through their breakfast, got their clothes on without complaint, and beat me to the car. Win!
They couldn’t wait to get to school to run up and down the hall to tell all the other teachers in our building what the leprechaun had done. Admittedly, my fellow teachers and I have been feeling downright heavy lately because our county government might skimp on our budget yet again. We’re facing huge insurance and retirement increases and may have no salary bump to cover it.
But then I had the nutso idea to dye my dog green. My kids, neither of whom are lacking in the dramatic, had all my colleagues cackling before the day even started. For a little while, we were all caught up in the magic of little kids who believe. My team was also having fun envisioning me trying to scrub off the green dog. Another win.
Some parenting experts might say I’m wrong to lie to my kids. So what? At the very least, all this craziness with extension ladders and food coloring will create great memories for our children. I think it’s more than that. Leprechauns, elves, bunnies, and Santa immerse us in a world of magic that lifts our hearts and gives us hope.
Now, I need a little leprechaun hope to get this green out of my dog’s fur…
Don’t forget to check out my Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s Store! There are some new products worth checking out!
I’ve also linked this post to Mama Kat’s World Famous Writing Workshop. Check out the awesome writing each week on her blog. You might even want to link up yourself!
