Mischief and Shenanigans

I mentioned last year how I didn't really know how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Well, thanks to preschool, we started some great new traditions this year!

Katelee learned all about leprechauns at school. She came home earlier this week talking all about them and their "mischief making" and their "shenanigans!" She was soooooo excited about the leprechauns, who she was sure were going to work some mischief in our house this year.

She decided that we needed to build a leprechaun trap. Luckily, she has a great dad. Together, they looked up plans online for leprechaun traps, and decided on one to make.

Here we are, hard at work.

Katelee was literally giddy with excitement!

Setting the trap...

All finished!

Admiring the trap up close.

Here is how our trap works. We've disguised the trap as a fancy leprechaun hat, so the leprechaun will want to take a closer look. We've also used a piece of gold as bribery! Katelee contributed the paper towel tube. The idea is that the leprechaun will climb up the tube to get the gold. Only, when he steps on top of the hat the thin piece of paper perched there will fall inside and the leprechaun will fall inside, too, and get stuck in the can!

Katelee was thrilled this morning when she looked into the trap! The leprechaun was tricky and escaped somehow, and he took the gold piece with him, but he did leave us GREEN chocolate chip cookies!!

After escaping our trap, he worked some mischief around the house. He switched the socks in daddy's sock drawer with the socks in Katelee's sock drawer, so when she went to get dressed all she had were big daddy socks! The water in our toilet is colored green! And he turned all the pictures in the hallway upside down!

Katelee spent literally all morning giggling about the leprechaun and his shenanigans, and looking for more evidence of his mischief. Any little item that seemed to be moved slightly she took as proof that he had been here causing his trouble.

I love being a parent.

I love how simple, little things can become such fun and treasured memories.

Poor Gerald has to work late tonight, so Katelee and I are planning on eating our traditional green eggs and ham for dinner. Yum!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!