It Was a Green Day

St. Patrick's Day is always fun for our family.

I sent the kids to school wearing green to make sure they wouldn't get pinched!

Payton's teacher asked her class to be creative and make leprechaun traps to see if they could catch a leprechaun at school.  This is what we came up with…

We took an oatmeal canister, covered it with green scrapbook paper, cut an X into the top lid so when the leprechaun crawls up the paper straw ladder to try and get that basket of rainbow Skittles, he would fall into the canister and be trapped.  We added gold glitter, shamrock stickers, and a rainbow made of pipe cleaners to embellish it.  Somehow, I missed that it was due back in class by last Thursday, so at the last minute, we gathered up my craft supplies and got it done.  Luckily, I had everything on hand to make this.

Payton also decided that she wanted to add a note for the leprechaun...

She didn't catch a leprechaun, but one did leave her some gold coins.

I also put together this breakfast the night before.  Usually I make green pancakes and eggs, tinted green from food coloring, but I knew I wouldn't want to wake up early to do that because it was 2 a.m. and I was still up.  

The kids thought this breakfast was fun!

While the kids were at school, I bought some Hershey's Nuggets because I couldn't find any gold coins.    I spread them on the counter with a little note from the "leprechaun."  He told us in the note that he had to empty his pockets at our house because he had too much gold and needed to share. 

What's sad is I have eaten more of this chocolate than any of the kids.  I waited until they all got home from school so they could see it, but now I have it hidden in the cupboard and I am the only one eating it!

Before I hid it though, I caught Asher stuffing his pockets with these Nuggets, and when I pulled them all out, I counted 13 of them between both of his front pockets!  And he had 3 in his hand!  It was cracking me up how sneaky he was trying to be!

We always have a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner of Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes, and Irish Soda Bread.  This year, Mom and Dad came over to share the feast with us.  Mom did the Corned Beef and Cabbage, and I made the Potatoes and Irish Soda Bread.  I always make Martha Stewart's recipe for Irish Soda Bread, and it never disappoints!

Photo & Recipe via Martha Stewart

St. Patrick's Day is always a fun day to celebrate for us.  March 17th is also my late Grandma Hendry's birthday, so it makes it extra special. We always think of her on this day and cherish the memories we had with her.