Leprechaun Houses

Sometimes somebody pukes on your leprechaun trap.  And sometimes you notice crusted-over vomit on your jacket, and you can only make an educated guess at whose it is.

We had viruses, strep, and ickiness running rampant through our house last week. Like, the kind of ickiness during which you can't leave the house except to fetch the essentials (Gatorade, Clorox wipes, and Saltines), Even when you do just dash into a store, it's coming out of one end or the other of your cherubic progeny. 

Anyway, I had planned to do some fun stuff for St. Paddy's Day, but it didn't happen.  Sarah spent about 4 days drawing up blueprints for our traps. I don't know if Scrooge McSar-Bear thought she would have unlimited amounts of gold at her disposal if she owned a leprechaun, or what.  I initiated some mandatory fun with the kids while they were on the mend about a week ago involving glitter, construction paper, and some oatmeal canisters.  Approximately 5 minutes after the kids finished halfheartedly decorating their leprechaun traps, Sarah suffered a relapse all over them. 

Fast-forward to yesterday, and the fabulous weather, and we felt like trappin' some leprechauns.  But this time, we changed our tactics and made houses for the little pranksters. 

We started out with some $1 bird feeders from Michael's and watercolor paint sets. 

  A Sharpie and broken popsicle sticks were all that was needed for some signs. 

Now we have some cozy little houses for any leprechauns, fairies, or other such magical folk who might wish to stay awhile in our garden.  I can definitely see us adding some walkways, flower pots, and anything else that might make our friends feel welcome. The kids are getting their own patch(es) for digging, growing, and playing in the back yard, so who knows what they'll dream up over the next few months!