St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope you all remembered to wear green! We had a lot of fun trying to make the most of the holiday. Yesterday evening Emma decorated a Leprechaun trap that we set outside. It was just a shoe box covered with green wrapping paper and then she added a few shamrocks and ribbon etc. We propped it up with a stick and left some crumpled paper that looked like gold nuggets underneath to lure a Leprechaun with. We could have gotten a lot more elaborate, but I wanted to do something that Emma could really help with. First thing this morning she wanted to see if we caught anything. Unfortunately the Leprechauns were all too tricky and fast, but one was careless enough to leave a pot of gold behind. I had painted a small clay pot black and then filled it with pennies. I thought about also leaving some chocolate gold coins, but I couldn't find any. Maybe they aren't for sale year-round. Oh well. Emma loved the pennies.

After retrieving the loot, she ate some Lucky Charms for breakfast. We almost never have these on hand (I don't even think Emma's ever had them before), so it was a fun treat. Then she had dance class. Since she usually wears all pink at class we had to find some green she could wear so she wouldn't get pinched. She wore her green headband from her tinkerbell costume and I painted her nails green. Her teacher gave her a sparkly shamrock sticker too.

My mom called and invited us to go have lunch with her, and we went to one of my favorite places: Paradise Bakery. I love their sandwiches and salads. And their cookies are awesome. So that was a fun treat for both Emma and me, although I think Emma was a little bummed that my mom was wearing green. She seems to really want to pinch someone! (Lucky for her she got her chance later in the day. When Eric got home he changed out of his work clothes, and before he put another green shirt on she snuck in and got him.)

After her nap Emma and I made Leprechaun sized cupcakes. We even made them green. She loves decorating desserts almost as much as she likes eating them.

She colored some Shamrock, Leprechaun, rainbow, and pot of gold pictures, and then we made a Leprechaun hat for her, followed with a clay rainbow and a clay heart necklace craft. She helped with all of it other than baking the clay in the oven.

After Eric got home we went out to dinner because Eric wanted some corned beef and cabbage (and I wasn't going to make it for him). When we got home we watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I loved that movie when I was a kid, and it doesn't hurt that Sean Connery is in it...and young...and he sings.

Anyway, it was a great day, and Emma is excited to try to catch more Leprechauns next year.