Pickle juice pranks?

Happy St. Patty's Day!

When I was a kid, I remember the leprechauns would bring a treat to us if we were good. They would leave a trail of green footprints, glitter, or sprinkles (something green) leading to a treat that was, of course, green: a green apple, green frosted sugar cookies perhaps. I thought it was similar to Christmas, if you are good you get a treat. Little did I know the true story of leprechauns being naughty and mischievous. Well, last year at the school Stephen and Dallas were at, they taught them the "real" story and leprechauns messed up their classrooms while they were out playing. They came home worried that our house was going to be messed up, not to get treats. Hmmm. I told them our house was already too messy for them to do any damage and they wouldn't have fun messing up our house – afterthought: it's good to have a messy house to keep leprechauns away.

We have had tricks played on us by changing our food colors. This year I was a little behind and barely got the milk green in time. We had green pancakes, and I planned on having eggs with green flecks of chives in them. However, I was not fast enough with the eggs.

Stephen was on the trail searching for any other tricks the little green fellows played. He took out the eggs. They are white, normal. I was able to sneak a few chives into the pan while he wasn't looking. "Oh! The trick was on the pan this time!" He scans the fridge further and finding nothing else different he announces, "I think the leprechauns turned our pickle juice green!" I like his thinking.

Enter Dallas: "Mom! Why did you make green food! I am not going to eat today if it’s going to be green! Why do you always do things I don't like?!" I say, "Dallas, it's St. Patrick's Day." He responds, "I don't want green food! I won't eat it! This is the worst day ever! I wish Leprechauns were never invented!"

Stephen tried to calm him and loved eating his green stuff. Brenden was resistant like Dallas, but he eventually tried it and ate, as did the other kids.

The next argument is about school. Dallas doesn't want to go to school at all this week because it is spirit week and you have to dress up. Yesterday it was sports day and he hates basketball because it is too loud. Today is crazy hair day. He doesn't want to have crazy hair and everyone else will then they will laugh at him for not having crazy hair. "Do you want crazy hair?" "NO!" "Okay that's fine" "But they will laugh at me!" "Do you want crazy hair then?" "NO!" And so on….

I like Stephen's school better than the one he went to last year. If you don't wear green you get kissed and the leprechauns lost a shoe in one kid's desk last year. No messes mentioned. At Stephen's school, they have a contest for who has the biggest, smallest, funniest, cutest, etc… green stuff. Here is what he looked like when he left today. He is so sweet and excited for fun. I did remind him the pickles were green already. He took the news okay.