This past week we've had a lot of talk in our house about leprechauns because of a 1st grade tradition at our school. All of the 1st graders make leprechaun traps as a homework assignment and then set them the night before St. Patty's Day. Our sweet first grader came up with an incredible trap over the weekend with a small box for the base, a handmade ladder of toothpicks and tree branches, a big slice of a wrapping paper tube (just the right size for a weeeee little leprechaun to fall into and not climb out) and of course some gold left by the fairies. And just in case you don't know about the fairies...according to all the local 7 year olds, the fairies pay the leprechauns in gold for all the beautiful shoes they make the fairies. Needless to say, if you've got gold in your trap, you're pretty much guaranteed a visit. The trap was a hit with all of his friends at school on Tuesday and hopefully with the leprechaun as well--we'll see when he gets home this afternoon.So what does this have to do with a little girl from 1897 and her letter to the New York Sun about Santa Claus? Well, with all the focus on the trap and tales about leprechauns, pretty soon everyone wanted to make one and so pretty soon everyone did. It seemed to me that everyone needed a little something special to happen this St. Patty's Day so that's what was going to happen! With the help of a glue gun, some pretty nifty recyclables and a little bling bling, the kids quickly crafted up 4 traps to set at our house last night.
So there he was, the weeee little leprechaun, at 11:30 last night sneaking around the traps, carefully making tiny green footprints in all the right places and miraculously escaping the traps wondering, how the #*!@ did I get here? Is this the latest Hallmark holiday? The latest tradition for the "perfect modern family"? Am I replacing the big S.C. now that our oldest is "in the know"? Or is it just the need to always have something a little magical to believe in when you're having a tough week?
I guess it's a little bit of all of them for me. I love the crafty projects we're actually able to pull off around the house, even if it means leaving the supplies with the babysitter when desperate. I love the our kids remember at some point in the past we have had a visit from a leprechaun so it must be a tradition. I love the feeling that for a second maybe I am the perfect crafty martha stewart mom that I feel like I may have lost along the way here. But most of all I love the little twinkle in the their eyes when they really believe that a weeeee little leprechaun has stopped by their house and somehow managed to leave treats but not get stuck in their awesome traps. Sure, I may be replacing one magical tradition with another, but we all need a little magic. Talk to me when their 18! ;)
