Tuesday

Not sure if I wrote about this last year or not. But things surrounding St. Patrick's Day have certainly become more complicated than when I was a kid.

I mean, when I was in Grade 1, we just all loaded up in the teacher's van and headed to the bar for some green beer . . .

Grade 1, um, I don't think we did anything beyond colouring some pictures of some leprechauns, rainbows, pots of gold, shamrocks. And then it was on to Easter.

But today, I'm helping Sonwun build a Leprechaun trap. Seriously.

Honestly, I didn't know one could trap a Leprechaun. I didn't think they even lived around here. But I guess they're in season, so what the heck. Any good recipes out there?

Oh, and I didn't know they snuck into schools (and apparently homes) and messed stuff up on St. Patrick's Eve. Mischievious, don't ya know. The trap, so I'm told, is set in the classroom on SPEve with the hopes of capturing one of these little guys whilst he goes about his mischief making. So . . . the trap.

Now, as I see it, the Dad challenge in these situations is to encourage, help where necessary and fight all urges to help too much or offer too many suggestions. This morning, I had Sonwun draw up his plans. And then I tried to interpret them, so as to understand the genius.

It's a simple trap. A box . . . with a door . . . tied to a string. When I'd first seen his sketch, the Dad in me started thinking about automatic release mechanisms, rubber bands, sharpened spikes . . . the standard coyote stuff. And that's the kind of thing I've got to stifle. With my luck, it would actually capture one of the little buggers and he'd be all skewered on the spikes, the children would be traumatized and I'd have some very impressive psychiatric bills to deal with.

I should point out that the teacher has pulled a dirty trick on me. She's told the children that the leprechaun can escape through the smallest of spaces. And, believe me, it's difficult to put together an airtight cardboard-box-and-popsicle-stick creation. Each time the trapdoor closes, Sonwun points out a small crack through which escape is possible. I'm at a loss. Yeah, the teacher has an easy out when no one traps one of the little green buggers, but I have to try to find a way to patch every hole. Not fair.

Well, I'm guessing they play up the St. Patty's deal because Easter must be downplayed, at least anything beyond the Easter Bunny, you know, the reason for the season.

Such is life, such is "progress."

Have a great Tuesday.