Catching a Leprechaun

Catching a leprechaun is not easy, especially when you start building your trap five minutes before book time at night.

All day Guillermo talked about making a Lego trap for the leprechauns but he kept finding something else to do instead of building the trap. It didn't help that it was a soccer practice night, followed by a special dinner of Lucky Charms (that counts as festive for St. Patrick's Day, doesn't it?) then a Nerf battle, and finally read-out-loud time.

But we started at 7:55 p.m. Guillermo made the Lego trap while I searched for a giant rubber band. We ended up with a bungee cord. We hung it to the door and hooked the other end to a Bakugan carrying case, but that didn't really do much. So we propped a large book against a giant green Lego board to trap the leprechaun as soon as he came into the room. That seemed like a good idea but we couldn't figure out how to get Guillermo's trap to fall on top of the leprechaun. We kept trying until Guillermo told me that if you catch a leprechaun, you have to watch it for 25 hours without blinking. ("I hope you can wink, mom.")

And then it occurred to Guillermo that the leprechaun might not come into our room through the door. It might come in through the window. "I can't secure all of that," he said. And, instantly, and a little sadly, our effort was finished. I kissed him goodnight and he went back to his Lego table to play while Will continued to read him his bedtime story.

I'm trying to decide if a leprechaun should trash his room tonight while he sleeps. I love the idea, but I know I'd be the one who would have to clean it up. (And yes, I know we are a day late, but he doesn't so that's Ok, right?)