Good Thing Dial Soap wasn't on Sale...

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Last night, as I was tucking my girls into bed, my 7-year-old twins start chatting it up about the
leprechaun coming during the night to bring them a surprise.

I quickly correct them, as I am exhausted, and about to indulge in an 8 o'clock bedtime myself.

"Oh no," I say. "The leprechaun has never come to our house. We'll celebrate St. Patrick's Day this weekend
at Nana and Papa's in Holyoke at the parade."

As I leave the room,  I trip over shoes they put out for the leprechaun to fill with treats. The shoes are surrounded by notes and coins for the leprechaun to take.

Are you kidding me? What is a mother to do? I am t-i-r-e-d!
I don't want to encourage this tradition, but then again, they are little girls, so hopeful and excited
and innocent.

I get into bed, still contemplating, when my 10-year-old daughter comes to my side.
"Mom, we have to do something for them," she says.

My husband is at the store buying food for a St. Patrick's ski day in Vermont (tickets
are just $17 on March 17th). He never answers his cell phone so it's no use calling him to ask him to pick up
some chocolates, or anything to bring the luck of the Irish into our home.

I tell my daughter she can set out some stuffed animals I have put stashed away in the closet (they
were .50 each and supposed to be for their Easter basket). I fall asleep.

When I wake up, the kids are super excited to tell me the leprechaun has come, but I am the one who
is surprised. When they opened their bedroom door, they followed a trail of Irish Spring soap bars that led to the toilet where the leprechaun peed green (but didn't flush or he would have woken up the whole house). There were also stuffed animals.

Suddenly, this is romance that cannot hold a shamrock to red roses or jewels. How could
my husband have thought of buying Irish Spring soap (we never buy that kind) and make a trail!
It wasn't on the list he took to the store (and we all know he follows the list).
How could he have known that the girls were hoping a leprechaun would come? He is soo sweet!

I go downstairs to marvel at his creativity to find out he only grabbed the Irish Spring soap because
it was on sale, near the check-out.

He didn't think of a trail. He didn't think of St. Patrick's Day. He was buying roast beef and Fritos and cans
of Coke for his ski trip.

Turns out, when our 10-year-old saw the soap on the counter, she created
magic for her little sisters and a gift for me. I'll keep Easter, Christmas and Valentine's Day.
St. Patrick's Day is all hers!