Have you ever caught a leperchaun?

Every year we make traps to try to catch a leprechaun. He threw himself into this endeavor more than Christmas. He and the girls would have a special evening and make all kinds of traps from simple to elaborate in hopes of catching a leprechaun. They would carefully make the traps and set them all around the house. They would range from an oatmeal can with a set of Lego stairs, to a carefully set up jail that he constructed. They would place something shiny in the trap to entice the leprechaun. The "jail" was a box that he cut windows in and carefully bent wire through to form little bars for the windows. The most elaborate one was a snare trap made from a plastic parachute from one of those army parachute guys that you throw up in the air. He had it rigged to some sort of pulley system attached to the door of the guest bedroom. If you opened the door it would spring the trap and it would rise up to hang from the door frame. His imagination has known no bounds. The hope of course is to catch a leprechaun so he can lead you to his pot of gold. The leprechauns are know around our house for playing naughty tricks on us. They have put green food coloring in our hair while we are sleeping, they have covered us with shamrock stickers, they have tinted the milk and the toilet water green, they sometimes make messes around the house, they have been known to bring us Lucky Charms and then dump them out on the dining room table to make a big mess. The girls are always delighted to see what terrifically naughty things they decide to do from year to year. This year was a different year. S had come to our house to visit us for a few days, and then took the girls back home with her for a few days since they were on spring break. St. Patrick's Day fell during the time that she had them with her. Before I left, I handed over my back of props that I had been collecting; chocolate coins (to put in the sprung traps), green glasses and headbands, lucky charms etc. I knew that she would be able to pull off this little feat as she never does anything in a small way. Sure enough, they were busy making their traps when H had a little meltdown. She was so upset, not being able to remember how Daddy had made them, she wanted them to be just like Daddy's and she was afraid that she had forgotten. S has a way with her and was able to talk to her, and calm her and go on to finish and enjoy the rest of the experience. They were very excited when they returned to tell me all about their adventures, and how they were not successful. H also told me about her meltdown and how she just wanted it to be exactly like the way that Daddy did it, and how she didn't ever want to forget. I held her and reassured her that Daddy would want her to make new traps, and keep improving on the old ones. I told her that Daddy would want her to try new things and to keep trying to outsmart those naughty leprechauns. She processed all of this, and seemed to accept it. We have to keep trying, to be one step ahead, keep moving forward. Just like chasing leprechauns.