Leprechauns and Birthdays

As you all know, this is my first year as a teacher.

Well.

You might recall those old homeschooling days of yore where I attempted to teach the Fab Four.  Those were different.

This is my first year teaching a class.  In a school.  For a job.

Unbeknownst to me, St. Patrick’s Day is totally A THING in kindergarten.  My partner teacher, Lindsey,  had to fill me in.

Lindsey:  Oh!  We have to make Leprechaun traps!

Me:  Why?

Lindsey:  To catch a Leprechaun.

Me (trying to act like I know what’s up):  Oh, right!  And . . . what do we do with them when we do catch them?

Lindsey:  We don’t catch them!  They get away!

Me:  Right!  But say we DID catch them?  What, pray tell, would we do with them?

Lindsey:  Find out where they hid the pot of gold!

Me:  Right!

Maybe leprechauns were not allowed at the Christian school that I grew up in.  I cannot be certain.  But I had no idea that teachers had to do so much with these tiny green men.

So.  The Kinders and I  made our traps and we set them.  We tried to lure them with marshmallows and other sweet treats we were sure would be tempting to a leprechaun.

The next morning, (under Lindsey’s expertise, of course), I trashed the room.

All in the name of St. Patrick’s Day!

I dumped out toys.  I threw cereal all over the tables.  I tossed about some books and turned over a puzzle.

I made little green leprechaun footprints:

 

And left evidence that our leprechaun used the facilities:

I will admit! I was not super jazzed about the whole St. Patrick’s Day thing.  I mean, I’m a busy gal!  Ain’t nobody got time for this.

But the KIDS!  They loved it!  They were so excited and just could not BELIEVE a leprechaun would have the audacity to use the toilet and NOT EVEN FLUSH.

It was pretty awesome.

St. Patrick’s Day.  Who knew?!

***

The four chicks are still happily chirping away in our classroom.

Upon further reflection, I feel that at least one of them should have been named, “Chirpy Von Chirpy-Pants.”

They can be a bit loud.  And did I mention chirpy?

But the kids love them and they don’t distract them too terribly often.  So, they can stay for now.

***

David, in the spirit of being  David, has come home with 42 chicks for our own homestead.  They are extremely distracting to the boys and cause the boys to not really listen to me.

 

As if they ever really listened before.

***

You are not going to believe this, folks . . .

 

Handsome Dude turned 8 yesterday and Daisy Mae turns 11 today.

Time flies!

Happy Tuesday!