Years ago, when I was sleep deprived, and the kids weren’t terribly observant, I used to buy things and hide them. I would buy a gift for someone, hide it, and promptly forget all about it, sometimes for years. One time this happened with a pop-up tent that I had gotten on clearance at Target. I bought it, shoved it behind the couch, and never thought about it again, until March 17th.
#1’s preschool teacher must have read a story about a leprechaun hiding a treasure, and he was convinced, that because it was St. Patrick’s Day, there must be a treasure somewhere in our house. I was perfectly happy for him to spend the afternoon searching for some sort of treasure. He led #2 and #3 around in search of some nonexistent surprise, which thrilled me, since no one was bothering me. Imagine my shock when I heard them all squealing with delight.
“The leprechaun was here, the leprechaun was here!” they all chanted.
I got up off the sofa, sure they were using their imaginations, and when I entered the living room, I saw them holding the tent I had forgotten about. I couldn’t believe how lucky it was that they had found the treasure they were looking for, especially since I didn’t even know that it was St. Patrick’s Day. (Please refer to my calendar disability.) It was a wonderful coincidence, until I realized I had set a precedent.
So for the past couple of years, I’ve had to throw something together for the children to find on St. Patrick’s Day, since they’ve come to expect it. This year, I was way ahead of schedule. I found huge green shamrock embossed chocolate coins and bought them yesterday, a full 18 hours ahead of schedule. I put them on the top shelf in the laundry room and went about my day, pleased with myself and my ability to plan ahead.
Unfortunately, I forgot to hide the coins last night when the children were nestled all snug in their beds. I awoke this morning to three excited kids tearing the house apart looking for treasure. I knew I had to act quickly. It would require a serious covert operation, and stealth isn’t one of Mr. Incredible’s better qualities. I didn’t know where or when I should attempt to hide the coins, especially since they had seemingly already looked everywhere in the entire house. As I was toying with the idea of hiding it outside, I heard them talking about building a leprechaun trap.
I guess they were disappointed that he hadn’t already stopped by with a treat and set out to lure him in. They made a trap in #3’s room, shut the door, and just for fun, set a timer for twenty minutes to remind them to check on it. That gave me precisely 1,200 seconds to sneak past them, undetected, open a creaky door, take the candy they baited him with, and leave the chocolate coins.
With the help of Mr. Incredible, I successfully accomplished my mission. I said I was going to find my book and seeing me lounging in bed reading would never rouse suspicion. The timer buzzed, and three ecstatic kids came roaring up the stairs to check their trap. They couldn’t believe he had come, and I can’t believe how naïve three seemingly intelligent children are.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!