Leprechaun's Treasure Hunt

I grew up with a love for treasure hunts. My older brother is the BEST treasure hunt maker! His are a real challenge. His treasure hunts don't have a lot of clues, but the ones he creates are HARD. I have tried to race my 2 sisters to the end before, but, I can't remember who won. All I remember is spending DAYS sometimes, trying to break codes without a key. It was hard and frustrating, so, when I did break them --- I was ecstatic!

My homemade treasure hunt isn't nearly so tricky (my hunters are only 6); but, it's not a piece of cake either. Hopefully, it will last a good hour or two. And, hopefully, it won't be too discouraging if they prefer something a little more fast paced. If your kids are up for a bit o'challenge --- mine might do the trick!

I've never gone out of my way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day other than to make sure I have some visible green on me somewhere. (Once, when I was little and not wearing green, my older brother had me so worried about getting pinched that when I went outside to ride my tricycle, I REALLY thought I was getting pinched!!!) I also happened to celebrate it twice with a friend and I remember her mom made green Jell-O and green punch. We probably had green beans too. We watched that leprechaun movie. A few years later I celebrated again with her and didn't even realize it was St. Patrick's Day until dinner rolled around and we were eating green Jell-O and drinking green punch again. We even watched that leprechaun movie again! I thought it was so neat that this was their tradition and I got to be part of it! How cool is that?

Eli's mom makes corned beef and cabbage. The recipes I have found haven't turned out all that wonderful, not that they were bad. It just seems like I've had better. Maybe it's because I always look for a crock-pot recipe. Perhaps you have something better you could share with me this year?

This year, I've created a treasure hunt for my kids, but I don't mind sharing it. A good friend inspired me to celebrate this boring green holiday before she moved away. So, this year I am going to cut out my own little green leprechaun feet. Instead of them leading to a treasure right off, it will lead them to the first clue in a tricky "Leprechaun Treasure Hunt" with fun activities and snacks along the way, and a Pot-O-Gold at the end of a homemade rainbow. I hope my two are up for a bit o'challenge. We'll begin it first thing in the morning and finish it after they get back home from school.

For those who are interested in giving my Leprechaun Treasure Hunt a try, here it is. (If you would like a .pdf of the hunt, leave your email address in the comments. I will be happy to sent it to you.)

*You will build a rainbow that looks like the one above with the clues, the colored circles lay on top of each other with the largest (red) on the bottom and the smallest (purple) on the top. The round decoder (small white circle) goes centered on the very top (I forgot to mention that part in Clue #8). Once those are stacked, make sure to turn each circle so that the shamrocks line up (on the right side). Finish with the "cloud" on the very top. Then, fold the whole thing in half along the shamrocks. Hold it up to a mirror to read the final clue, it will take you to the treasure "at the end of the rainbow" (Pair of Boots). Hope this helps!

Instructions & other info. --- Print on WHITE

Clue #1 (front) --- Print on WHITE

Clue #1 (back) --- Print on WHITE

Clue #2 (front) --- Print on RED

Clue #2 (back) --- Print on RED

Clue #3 (back) --- Print on ORANGE

Clue #3 (front) --- Print on ORANGE *WHOOPS! On 6 across I blacked in the last box. It's suppose to fit "clover."

Clue #4 (front) --- Print on YELLOW

Clue #4 (front) --- Print on YELLOW

Clue #5 (back) --- Print on GREEN

Clue #5 (front) --- Print on GREEN *WHOOPS! I didn't get "mold" into the word search. This clue is too hard for young kids, it's even tricky for adults. Sorry about that. (Next year's will be a little easier.)

Clue #6 (back) --- Print on BLUE

Clue #6 (front) --- Print on BLUE

Clue #7 (front) --- Print on PURPLE

Clue #7 (back) --- Print on PURPLE

Clue #8 (coin insert) --- Print on GOLD --- compass directions go with Clue #2

Clue #8 (pot envelope) --- Print on GREEN or WHITE

(leprechaun footprints) --- Print on GREEN (as many as you need)

EXTRA (compass directions) --- Print on GOLD or GREEN

Our Adoption Story - Part 10 - Hospital

Part 1 - Infertility
Part 2 - Waiting
Part 3 - A New Goal
Part 4 - Comfort
Part 5 - Chosen
Part 6 - Charlotte
Part 7 - Expecting
Part 8 - Shopping
Part 9 - Birthday


March 15, 2005

The next morning we quickly shower, dress and eat. Eli finishes installing the car seats. I take pictures of everything for our babies to look back on when we tell them the story of this day. My picture taking is driving Eli nuts --- but, I feel compelled.

We previously purchased a heart-shaped locket for this day, for Charlotte to put pictures of her babies in, if she wants too. On our way out we stop at the town's flower shop. It feels so lame to pick out a bouquet for someone who is giving us so much more. I want it to be beautiful and something she can look at and maybe feel something good, perhaps a bit of our love for her. Not too big, not to fancy, but something special. I guess I don't really know what to get her that would express our gratitude. Finally, we choose a simple spring bouquet. It somehow seems fitting. I hope it is.

I hold the bouquet the entire long drive. My feelings about the flowers go back and forth. I am so anxious. Finally, we get there. Just through the hospital doors we meet Brenda, Charlotte's facilitator. (She is helping Charlotte through her adoption plan.) We follow her into an elevator and go up a few levels. As the elevator slows to a stop, the knots in my stomach tighten. Soon, we enter Charlotte's room. It's an awkward greeting. We must have given her the flowers. Two  nurses roll the babies in. But, we have arrived too early. She wants her babies baptized first. Baptized!?!? I don't! (Of course, I don't say so.) We exit the room and wait. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught babies are born innocent and I believe it! If they die before the age of accountability (8 years old) then they return straight back to live with our Heavenly Father. But, my faith is not hers. And they are not my babies --- yet. And, anyway, an infant baptism won't count for anything in my faith. As we wait, I calm myself, but, they don't baptize the babies. I don't know why not exactly, but I, secretly, am relieved.

Back in Charlotte's room, we get to hold them. I am afraid we are holding her babies too long, but we keep holding them. They are so beautiful and so tiny! Charlotte shows us pictures of the night before with her other two sons, Jesse (21) and Phillipe (19?), loving on them and saying good-bye to their precious new siblings. I decide it was good we didn't disturb that last night. (Thank you Eli for keeping us home!) Now, we get to take the pictures. But, this time, I hate taking the pictures --- I take them only because I still feel compelled. I want our babies to see this day. I want them to know it is a happy day for us. Charlotte asks to have both babies. I take a picture of her holding the two, not realizing what she is preparing to do. It's a beautiful picture. (This is the picture that will begin their baby album.) She then places her baby girl in Eli's arms and her baby boy in mine. I take more pictures as the meaning of what she just did sinks in.

A nurse comes in and we have to lay the babies back in their roll-away cribs. We start leaving too. I panic! I didn't say what I wanted to say! What did I want to say? I didn't know. I couldn't think. I check with Eli to confirm that this is the end of our visit. He nods. I looked back and see a tear stream down Charlotte's cheek. I want to run to her. Give her some sort of comfort that I can not give. We are leaving with her babies! Following the babies back to the nursery, I force those unpleasant feelings out of my mind. Wouldn't she want me to be happy? She made me their mother! My anxiety dispels with joy.

_______________________

(The rest of the week is a fuzzy memory. Some events may be slightly out of order, in fact, a whole day seems to have gone missing! The following is told the best I can remember it.)

We must have gone back out for the car seats because a nurse present us with the babies' tiny footprints and I set those memorabilia inside one of those. Both babies have the same flat foot. Inside the nursery, I first remember pulling out the little newborn-size gown my mother-in-law bought for the first baby girl (the first one we were going to adopt but didn't). It's long and white with pink trim and tiny pink flowers on the bodice --- it's beautiful. It's also way too big for her. In fact, everything I brought is too big --- except one little pink headband. I dress her in the gown anyway, because I have nothing better for her. Then, I am suppose to change her diaper with Eli and the nurse watching. She is so tiny with only a round rump --- no bum cheeks! My husband is so nervous for me that it seems to become an impossible task. But, I do it --- ever so carefully. Once accomplished, a nurse shows us the tiny milk bottles and lets us know how much they drink. The nurses already have them on a schedule. Baby boy eats first. 1/2 hour later, baby girl eats. They will need to be fed every 3 hours. I feel terribly guilty I can not give them mother's milk.

In the meantime, we are given forms to write their names on. Eli writes my middle name down for our girl and Charlotte for her middle name. Payton is a name Eli and I found in a baby name book (since he won't go for Joshua). I really wanted Ezekiel or, maybe, Andrew, instead. Eli asks me for the boy's name. I am to choose his? But, how can I choose on the spot? So, I choose the one we had picked together, Payton and Job after Eli's middle name. They are named now. But I can't seem to call them by the names we chose. I find myself calling my boy, Little Mister, instead.

A nurse sends us to a section of the nursery where we can be alone with the babies. We hold and rock them while admiring their newness. They feel like nothing and bundled in a blanket they look much too small. I can't get enough of their baby smell. There hair is feathery soft black with gentle waves. I am fascinated with Alyssa's crinkled and almost pointed ears. She is so beautiful --- like a little princess.

As I feed, change and rock my helpless babies over and over, a feeling of great responsibility overcomes me. I begin to see how these simple little tasks of love are never-ending and will become my life for months on end. I am already beginning to tire --- yet, I desire and welcome these feelings as a blessing from God. However, I do feel so ignorant and unqualified and I wish for my own mother to take my hand and give me step-by-step instructions. Knowing that other new mother's have started parenthood with little to no experience encourages me.

I hold my baby boy out in front of me. He opens his eyes and seems to take me in. As I stare back into his eyes, I make promises to do my best at being a good mom for him and his sister. I do want so badly to be good enough for them. It feels like we are speaking to each other's souls through our eyes. I feel a deep, deep love for them begin to grow inside of me. Eli tells of a similar experience he has while holding Alyssa.

We wait and wait and wait for them to release our babies from the hospital. A nurse tell us we can take a break whenever we want. We wait for the babies to go to sleep. But we can't break away from them.

__________________________________

Hours later, Brenda comes back. She says she needs to meet with us. Then, maybe we can go. We leave the twins nestled together in one little crib to visit with Brenda in an empty waiting room. She asks us about a 20-hours program we needed to have done. Since we aren't doing foster care, we thought it didn't need to be done. We frantically rack our brain for any type of parent training we have received over the past year. Fortunately, we have done several hours in our 20-hours workbook. It is easy for me to come up with more than 20 hours because of other books I have read. She gives Eli a new 20-hours workbook to work on.

We learn, through her, that LDS Family Services' Headquarters will not release the babies to us tonight. We decide to check into a motel before going back to our babies. It's hard leaving them at the hospital. We must have grabbed a bite for dinner. After we check into a motel we get a phone call. That's when the nightmare begins.

Somehow, we find ourselves talking with Brenda in her office. She asks us on a scale of 1 - 10 how upset we would be if we didn't bring home the babies. How can you measure that? 10? No, not 10. 20? "30! maybe 100," I respond. She says stuff about other children needing a home. But in my heart I know there won't be another time. My heart can't take anymore of this, at least, not anytime soon. We take our dispair back to the motel.

This just can't be right! I feel so let down. We thought that the adoption was good-to-go. We've had 2 adoption facilitators helping us get everything in order. Now, headquarters is telling us that there are plenty of couples ready to take these babies home now. They say our babies will go into foster care and then to another couple. How can they be so cruel! Why won't they work WITH us! They brought us here! I poor my heart into a letter to Headquarters about our desire to adopt, our entire financial situation (which seems to be the problem), including what we have in our mortgage, and how much I desire to be these babies' mom --- but it doesn't do a bit of good. In the meantime, Eli's mom is back at home doing what she can about the Medicare issue. I just want to go back and hold the babies, but, there's just too much stuff to be doing while my heart is breaking.

Part 11 - His Will

Our Adoption Story - Part 9 - Birthday

Part 1 - Infertility
Part 2 - Waiting
Part 3 - A New Goal
Part 4 - Comfort
Part 5 - Chosen
Part 6 - Charlotte
Part 7 - Expecting
Part 8 - Shopping


Shopping for car seats is the worse. I work all day, then, spend my entire evening looking for the perfect infant car seats. Determined to find something tonight, I shop every store in the city, some of them twice. I am not excited about my choices, but, I finally choose a matching pair. In the morning, I try installing the seats. That evening, I insist Eli do the installing. I read and reread the instructions to make sure my poor husband does it exactly right.

March 14, 2005

Monday, I put in a full day at work and as I am finishing up the receptionist informs me that I have a call on line 1. I answer. My babies have been born --- 4 weeks early! They are healthy and all are doing well. I am confused because we were suppose to be called when she went to the hospital to deliver and I am so disappointed that I didn't know earlier. "Why?" But, I am too busing trying to find a scrap paper to jot down the rambled off details to ask. The boy was born first, he's just over 6 pounds, and, the baby girl, born 3 minutes later, weighs just under 6 pounds. I announce it to my coworkers and tell them good-bye. I won't be coming back. I'M A MOM! I drive home to get Eli and grab my little baby bag. Then, we'll be off to the hospital --- I can't wait to see them!

But... Eli wants to find new car seats. He doesn't care much for the ones I found. Fine! Let's go get some. We look and look and look. Oh, I am anxious to leave and don't want to be pushy --- but we are looking at all the same ones I have already looked at! Finally, he decides on a pair of matching, over-priced, Winnie-the-Pooh carriers. We go back home to install them. At home, we get a phone message telling us that they are waiting to see if the little girl will turn before they do a c-section. It seems kind of weird to me because we have already been told they are born. (It occurs to me now, as I write this, that the message must have been left earlier in the day.) The seats don't install quickly. It's getting late much too fast. WHY CAN'T WE JUST LEAVE! I can't stand this waiting! Finally, Eli tells me we're NOT going tonight. NOT GOING TONIGHT?!?! These are our babies! I want to scream, but, I don't want to fight, so I relent. We'll do it his way. As I change my focus and take a few deep breaths, I realize it has gotten really late. I certainly don't want to bother Charlotte at midnight. (Oh, how I do want to peek through the nursery windows though.)

My little brother will be getting married on Friday. I make arrangements to make it to that. Our sister-in-law will watch our babies while we are in the temple. (It turns out we need special permission from LDS Family Services to take the babies out of the state. So, we get that.) I try to pack a suitcase for the babies, but, there are so many extra little details to worry about now, and, since the adrenaline rush earlier --- I am tired! My mother-in-law will finish packing for the wedding part of the trip. However,m Eli does not want to travel with band-new babies. Me, I can't wait to show them off.

Part 10 - Hospital

Our Adoption Story - Part 8 - Shopping

I'm on vacation and won't be able to post tomorrow (Sunday) so I am combining two post for tonight. (I will continue my story on Monday.) Reading and remenising over these crazy couple weeks 6 years ago, just makes me happy tonight --- I just reread, edited again, and found myself smiling. I hope you will be too. : )


Part 1 - Infertility
Part 2 - Waiting
Part 3 - A New Goal
Part 4 - Comfort
Part 5 - Chosen
Part 6 - Charlotte
Part 7 - Expecting


February

One day, and months too early, Charlotte begins to have contractions. She is given some medication to stop those and to help develop the babies lungs more quickly. It works. But, the next time she goes into labor, they will deliver the babies. That could be any day. Finally, we pull the crib out from the very back of our storage unit and rearrange our room to fit it in..

I also go to to the Medicare office a few times to apply for the babies health insurance, but they keep telling me that the babies have to be born first. There doesn't seem to be anymore I can do to change that. As much as I don't want to leave it unresolved, I do.


March

I am restless. To help pass time, and against Eli's wishes, I go shopping --- I HAVE too! All these adorable tiny outfits are irresistible. But, I still don't know whether to buy for boys, girls or one of each. I look and look, but neutral isn't what I want to bring our babies home in. I decide again that I just need to wait.

I send in another unanswered request to know the babies' gender. I go over my little bag of essentials (formula, bottles, bibs, pacifiers, diapers, wipes...) for the hundredth time. I want to leave when we are called, not trying to pull together the perfect little items at the last minute. I begin sewing tiny little yellow cloth diapers. (My mom is a great seamstress --- NOT me, but I find myself associating sewing with being a good mother.) I choose and order a waterproof material for the outside of the diapers, so I will have to save the rest of the sewing until it arrives. But, I come home from work to see that my good mother-in-law has taken to finishing the diapers for me. With the seams already sewn shut, I don't know how to sew the new material on. I know she means well, but I take my frustrated, ungrateful self to my room. A couple days later the waterproof material comes in the mail.

I still need to buy something for the babies to wear home from the hospital. This shopping trip I am resolute to find and buy something! Shopping for my babies is suppose to be fun and I do wish Eli would share this time with me. But, he still doesn't want to buy anything, not until we bring the babies home. I can't wait that long, my babies will wear something new, adorable, and matching home from the hospital --- because, that's how me, as a mother-to-be, wants to record bringing my precious babies home. That's how I want to show them off in our photo album and in emails. Our budget makes this trip stressful, at one point I'm tempted to throw a tantrum right in the middle of the Wal-Mart baby department. Finally, deciding against neutral, and choosing a few extra outfits of each gender, actually makes the shopping experience pleasant. I spend too much money --- but, I tell myself, it's ok because I'll be bringing half of it back --- to exchange for diapers and formula. I feel a little better prepared.

A couple days later I learn we are expecting a boy and a girl!


Part 9 - Birthday

Our Adoption Story - Part 7 - Expecting

Part 1 - Infertility
Part 2 - Waiting
Part 3 - A New Goal
Part 4 - Comfort
Part 5 - Chosen
Part 6 - Charlotte

2005

This time, we feel very apprehensive and we decide not to tell anyone --- yet. Then, my sister-in-law announces she is pregnant and I can't help but share our good news with her and her mom. Otherwise, I don't really talk about it again until Christmas because Eli and I visit my family for the holidays. How can I not tell my family about the overwhelming excitement we are trying to endure?

January 6

On the big day, we choose a bouquet and meet the birth mother in the Albuquerque office. She is a Spanish lady, petite with a round tummy. Those could be our babies inside! Because of her circumstance, she will not be able to care for her babies in the way she wants. I can tell she carries a deep love for them. Her hope and desire is to give them more. Give them what she can not. She says, "I choose you. ... I am not going to change my mind." The exact words we heard only months earlier. Alarm bells are going off inside like crazy. I try to show excitement. I AM excited! But I am really scared, too. I can't internalize any of this. I want to know it is real first, but that will take more time and our meeting is NOW.

I cannot image dealing with the perdicament she is in. She is an incredibly unselfish woman to be able to recognize that adoption can give her babies a better life, and then, move forward with that decision. We want to give her babies all she hopes for them and more. If she does maintain her decision to place her babies, we pray that we will get that opportunity to raise them.

I make myself enroll in the spring semester, just in case the adoption falls through again. I enjoy all my classes. I study hard, but I'm very distracted. I can no longer help but be overly excited. One by one, I drop my classes again. How am I ever going to get through school this way? I do manage to take a test to see if I can get into the nursing program next year. I pick up more freelance work too.

Part 8 - Shopping