Luck of the Sweet Peas

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope no one got pinched today. I know we all had our green on. There have been many years where I have forgotten to wear green and I received my share of pinches. But Sweet Pea wasn't going to let me forget this year.

When I picked SP and her friend, 'J',up after school, they were both chattering about the Leprechaun trap set up in SP's friend's class. From what I could eavesdrop, her class decorated a box and placed various Leprechaun treats inside. I asked, 'J', what kind of treats do Leprechauns like?

She said, "I don't remember. Pretzels I think."

I then inquired as to what they were going to do with their Leprechaun if they actually caught one.

"We're going to keep him in the empty fish tank and look at him.", she answered.

That sounds like a lot of fun for the Leprechaun.

That night, SP's creative energy was buzzing. When bedtime rolled around, she had her own Leprechaun trap all ready to spring in her bedroom. On the floor at the foot of her bed, SP had brought up her indoor tent to sleep in and be ready for any Leprechaun action. Firstly, she made a trail of homemade paper money, coins and bills.

The Whoopee Cushion was at the start of the money trail, right next to her pillow, and acted as the 'alarm' to wake SP in the night so she could exit her tent and watch the Leprechaun greedily follow his trail to entrapment.

She then rigged her waste basket with string.

Next she ran the string across her bed and anchored it to her book baskets. Her horse 'Paint', her lamb and her dolphin all pitched in.
The final 'bait' was a half box decorated with a picture of 'Leanie (pronounced Lennie) The Leprechaun', with a half empty box of Jolly Rancher Chews and an acorn from who knows how many summers past. This was where SP, after her Whoopee Cushion wake up, would pull the string and drop the waste basket on her unlucky prey.

When Lady Di saw the energy and excitement that SP was putting into her creation, she just had to put her Keep-Your-Room-Clean Mom sense away for the night.

Before going to bed, I asked SP the same question that I asked her friend. "What will you do if you really catch one?"

"I will probably just talk to him a little and then set him free.", she said.

Sounds like a catch and release program.

In the morning, before SP awoke, Lady Di snuck into her room and place a St. Patrick's Day scarf under the waste basket and stepped on the Whoopee Cushion as she stealthily slipped out of the room while SP was still groggy.

SP came running into our room with wild eyes to show us what she had trapped. "I told you they're real!", she shouted. "You didn't believe, Dad didn't believe and Number One Son didn't believe! But I knew all along."

So she got to wear a really cool scarf to school that all her friends oooh'd and aaah'd over when she told them the story.

I think Leanie followed her home from school to take his scarf back.

Happy Green Day!

Blast Off!

Last week, Number One Son's school had a dress up week to break the winter doldrums. They hosted PJ's Day, Hawaii Day, Career Day and a couple others I don't remember. Both kids have these mini celebrations every year. They always happen in the winter too. Forcing the kids to wear hula skirts, pj's or any other warm weather clothing in the middle of the coldest part of the winter. I also have had enough of mismatched clothes day. The reason for this is that wacky hair day seems to always tag along. And Sweet Pea's hair adds a good hour and a half sculpting time in the morning on that day. This picture is from either last year or two years ago.

But this dress up week was just like any other except for two things that made it special. Firstly, since N1S is in fifth grade, this might be one of his last mid-winter themed weeks before he becomes 'too cool' to participate. The second memorable aspect is N1S's choice for Career Day. He chose to go to school as a pharmacist, just like his dad. As a dad, the most important duty I have is to guide our children to be safe, confident and prepared for life on their own. It was so heartwarming to know that N1S thought enough of his dad to want to follow in his footsteps. I would certainly be proud if either or both of our kids decided on a career in the medical field.

But I know N1S. And I know that pharmacy isn't really his 'first favorite' choice.

I prodded, "Are you sure their isn't another career that you would like to be tomorrow?"

"Well, I really would like to be a rocket scientist.", he confessed.

"Even better", I thought. And the costume is almost the same as a pharmacist.

I borrowed N1S a white smock and Lady Di, who always has the best ideas, accessorized.

Here he is contemplating thrust, trajectory and Klingons.

Lady Di even created an official NASA identity badge.

Wearing a tie was N1S's idea. I helped him tie it that morning before going to work. He said, "Just like Dad.", which made it very hard not to hug him just then. So I did.

I picked him up after school and he seemed to be in a sour mood. I asked him how school was. He said, "I don't want to talk about."

"Is everything OK?", I questioned. I could tell he was fighting back tears.

"I spilled tacos on your white coat.", he whispered.

"Just like Dad.", I reassured.