Am I the only one?

Who never celebrated St. Patrick's Day other than the wearing of green clothes and gleefully pinching those who didn't? 

I'm wondering if I've missed a memo somewhere.

Admittedly, I'm a bad holiday mom.  I hate Valentine's Day, I usually throw Easter Baskets together at the last minute, (which reminds me that I need to prepare Easter baskets before we leave for the hospital in two weeks, or I'll be in big trouble...) and I don't have matching decorations for every holiday.

But I confess, I don't understand all the craziness that has been surrounding my girls for the last two or three days about St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day?  That one holiday where you pull out a green shirt?

Somehow, Ashlynn is convinced that there is a St Patrick's Day leprechaun that comes to visit in your sleep, and leaves you candy if you leave him a pot full of Lucky Charms and cut out circles colored to look like pieces of gold.  True story. 

I wanted to tell her it was all a terrible lie.  Trouble is, the mommy guilt kicked in.  Poor Ashlynn has been getting the shaft lately as we have some severe "middle child syndrome" going on.  Between the part time job that is managing Abby and her violin practicing and lessons, and the chaos that is preparing your toddler for another surgery and hospital stay in less than two weeks, Ashlynn might be getting a little lost in the shuffle.  So yeah, I didn't have the heart to be the mean mommy.

Trouble is, it would have been nice if she would have told us this most fervent of beliefs before eight o'clock at night the night before St. Patrick's Day.  Thankfully, I have a husband not afraid to venture to the local convenience store at 11pm to get some candy to leave from the St. Patrick's Day leprechaun. 

Although if, by chance, there is a St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun, perhaps he wouldn't mind leaving me one of his little baskets of gold...

Just so you know, I'm drawing the line at the Arbor Day Tree Fairy.