The Leprechaun Trap...

It all started in 2008 while Daddy was off driving the country... we heard a story about leprechauns and their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow... the legend said if you were able to catch a leprechaun, he would trade his freedom for his pot of gold. If we were able to get that pot of Gold, Daddy could come home and not have to work away from his family so we gave it a try...

2008 produced no leprechaun, but he left some treats...and in 2009 although we did not nearly have a pot of Gold Daddy was home working a new job...and Daddy helped build the trap...

No leprechaun in 2009 either.

So this year we bring out the big ideas... we started with a DEEP box...the bugs painted it to look like a flowerpot (you can't exactly leave it looking like a trap can you??)

Daddy built a ramp going up the side so the leprechaun would naturally explore...

We covered the open top with silk flowers so it would look like a garden...

Lauren added this cupcake and note to the path... see the gold flakes (just dried paint peeled from a plastic lid) - those were to lure the leprechaun up to the top...


The Trap... grass painted along the bottom...

Now the real trick was getting the leprechaun to walk over the tissue paper 'garden' so we needed more bait... each bug placed a rock, painted like a gold nugget at the far end of the 'garden'. The leprechaun would need to walk across one thin sheet of tissue paper to get thise 'gold' nuggets - instead he would drop through the tissue paper and be TRAPPED!

Here each bug carefully places their 'gold' nugget.

We left the, um... flower pot... out on the table on the Eve of St. Patrick's Day...

this morning we awoke with anticipation -

SURE we were going to have a leprechaun and be RICH beyond our wildest DREAMS...

instead:

We wake up to this...

A chair on top of the table, The trap torn, the holiday tree tossed aside...

My office chair flung onto the floor...

The couch fliped over and all the bottles of paint on the floor...

Ut oh!!!!!!!

Inside the trap... not leprechaun, but M&M's, fallen flowers, the ... ahem, gold nuggets...and a NOTE!

I don't think the leprechaun was too happy with the paper cupcake...

...so 2010 does not produce a leprechaun either. Darn.

He did leave us this cute hat we can use as a topper for our Holiday tree!!!

What do I need a pot of gold for anyway??? With three clever kids, a hardworking, loving husband and a roof over our heads - we are rich beyond our wildest dreams!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!