The Leprechauns Came!

From 03/17/08

I began this goofy tradition 8 years ago when my daughter was three-years-old. Every St. Patrick's Day, I dye the milk green and let them "discover" the Leprechauns came to play a trick on the cool Irish families who would appreciate their joke. (I made that distinction to cover their friends' weren't waking up to green milk.)

Now when were both preschool (with a start time of 9:15 as opposed to Elementary start of 7:50AM)... after the discovery of the green milk, I'd suggest that maybe the "wee people" left behind their pot of gold because we surprised them when we woke up.

They'd race around the house and discover a small black container (which looked just like a witche's cauldron I used at Halloween to hold candy corn) lying on its side with a gold foil covered chocolate coins spilling out. Best spots was the patio steps that led to my garden where fairies and Leprechauns lived.

The pot of gold hunt was forgotten but they were still completely delighted to discover "proof" that Leprechauns came and we're fun/cool.

So once again, this morning I spiked the milk... almost forgot because I've got so much to do this week. But very glad I didn't. Both kids shouted with laughter and amazement that the wee people think its funny to make human's milk green.

My eleven-year-old daughter surprises me. I know she is a very fanciful girl... loves to read stories about magical creatures/characters. But what I strongly suspect is that like Santa, the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny, she knows the magic is that she and her brother have a goofy mother.

Perhaps she not only can take pleasure in her younger brother believing, her heart is so big that she's not going to be the one to take that away from him.

And maybe, just maybe, there is a little part of her that wants to believe upon opening the fridge and milk has gone green... magic does exist in our home.