6:21:57

Just finishing a Half Ironman is considered a success...

My race was today.  I'm thrilled with my result.  I'm exhausted.  And I know I can do better!

More to come...

Team Dyer--My brother and I literally started the race together and finished the race together.  It was awesome!

Tips For A Successful Trip to the 3rd or 4th Happiest Place On Earth

I couldn't resist this souvenir...I'm embarrassed to say how much it cost,
but check out the look on E.'s face!

Our family took a little field trip today to Legoland.  Legoland is a really fun place...if you're a little kid who doesn't like thrill coasters or if you're really into Lego toys.  That's why it only ranks third or fourth on the list of Happiest Places on Earth.  Here are the top 5 on the list (in case you were curious):

1. Disneyland/Disneyworld 
2. Someplace in NorCal called "Gilroy Gardens" (or so I've been told...)
3. Legoland or Magic Mountain
4. Magic Mountain or Legoland
5. Lagoon? (a very distant fifth I might add...)

Anyway, our trip was for E.'s pre-school class and we got to go as part of a big group.  So without further ado, let me get started on some of my tips for having a successful outing to Legoland (i.e. the 3rd or 4th Happiest Place on Earth!).

Food
Stop before you get to the park.  This is crucial because it is likely to save your family quite a bit.  I saw a pizza at the part that was being advertised as a "meal for 4" for the bargain basement price of $28!  If you stop at the Golden Arches like we did right outside the park, treat yourself to a Shamrock Shake even though it's still breakfast.

You really need this...

Convince yourself that it's completely justifiable because you are "carbo loading" for your big race on Saturday.  Even if you don't have a big race, I'm pretty sure you're going to need all the energy you can get to keep up with your kids at the park anyway.

Eat and enjoy because by lunchtime, you'll find yourself paying $6 bucks for a soda in a commemorative cup and justifying it because you can get Diet Coke refills for "only" a $1.50!

Parking
If you are coming with a big group (like we did), there are bound to be some free parking passes to be had.  Snag one.  Tell yourself that you really need it.  This will save you another $12 bones or so.  But it won't save you from having to wait 20 minutes while the cars ahead of you fumble for pocket change to pay their exorbitant parking fees.  Try to ignore the increasingly desperate cries from the kids in the back seat who are too excited to wait another minute to get in the park.

Attire
Check the weather report before leaving for the park.  If it promises clear, sunny skies and 66 degree temps bring a jacket.  Remember that you live in SoCal and 66 degrees this time of year is considered unseasonably cold.  Laugh when everyone gets out of the car and immediately pulls on their jackets when the first chilly breeze hits them.

Yes, this is a terrible pic, but note the long sleeves, jackets, and sweaters, despite the clear skies...

Yes, we are spoiled with good weather, but at least we admit it.  Realize that, as a parent, you will probably be carrying all of the kids' jackets before you even make it to lunch time.  =o)

Tickets
Resist the urge to "upgrade" your ticket to a nearly $200 "resort" pass.  Wonder who in the world really considers Legoland a "resort."  I'm not even sure that I consider Disneyland a resort.

Now this is what I call a resort!

Be grateful that you didn't pay full price ($70+) for today's adventure.  Thank "Miss Ando" for her keen sense of business acumen that got all of the school group in for the bargain basement price of $15 a person.

The Lines
Avoid the very first "thrill" ride you get to after entering the park.  (Coaster-saurus, perhaps??)  Everyone else and their dog is already in line for this ride.  Remember that this is NOT Magic Mountain nor is it even Disneyland.  None of the rides you go on today will have any "thrill" associated with the ride...

This ride, Coaster-saurus, warned its patrons that the wait time was 60 minutes.  The ride itself last 37 seconds.  How do I know that?  I timed it. Here is the most exciting 15 seconds of the ride.  No, I did not slow down the video.  That is the actual speed.  Try not to be bitter about waiting so long for a 37 second ride.  Focus instead on the fact that the wait time was really only 50 minutes or the fact that the ride is so short that they actually let you make two trips at a time!

When you meet up with your friend who left the line rather than wait and he asks you: "Was the ride worth it?", look at him sincerely and really mean it when you tell him: "Chad, this is Legoland.  None of these rides are worth it."  Have a good laugh with him and hope that that's the last hour-long wait for a ride that you have to endure for the day!

The real thrill will come from finally putting this ride in your rear view mirror.  A ride that is so "exciting" that there are actually warning signs that suggest that the ride might or might not be "too intense" for "park guests that are visibly pregnant."  As an attorney, realize that this "warning" is essentially meaningless.

Try not to be bitter that your visibly pregnant wife lucked out and got to skip this ride (and the wait) because of this stupid warning sign. Consider filling out a comment form for park management that the "visibly pregnant" language should be changed to say that the ride is "too intense for park guests whose water has broken or who have already gone into labor."  Everyone else should be just fine.  =o)

The Rides

Some of the more popular rides...

I got to ride the helicopter with E. 

What Legoland lacks in quality, it can make up for in quantity.  These rides are simple, but are still all-time favorites for the kids.  E., in particular, built up her confidence so much that by the end of the day, she was announcing: "I brave"  (in the cutest little 3-year-old voice) and proclaiming that she wanted to go on the "upside down ride."

E. didn't handle it so well when she wasn't tall enough for the scariest ride in the park...
she's pointing to where R. is waiting in line (without her)!  :(

Well, Dad actually went on the upside down ride.  It's in the "Castle" section of the park and think of it as the equivalent of mechanical bull ride if by "bull" you really mean "dragon" that can go upside down and flip you all around.  I was bolted into this cage thingey and of course R. picked the most intense setting for the ride (you can choose between 1 to 5 with 5 being the most intense).  The ride basically hung me upside down until all the blood rushed to my head and then started flinging us from side to side.  

I'm shocked I'm not bruised and battered after doing my best Lane Frost, "8 Seconds" imitation on the mechanical dragon.  R. thought it was great.  He's 10.  I'm glad they shut the park down after that last ride of the day!

The Kids

Our kids were troopers.  It's not easy to be all amped up on adrenaline, but still be pleasant and good-natured.  I was constantly reminded how blessed I am to have the kids that I do.  That does not mean that there were not "moments" but on the whole, I was very please at how much fun we had.

Here's some pics of the kids (okay, now I'm blatantly pandering to the few family members who patronize my blog!): 

Yes, R. you're doing crazy stuff, but as long as it's keeping you happy, I don't care!

One minute, R. and S. are testing my patience by poking at each other...

...or giving each other "noogies"...

And the next minute, they totally redeem themselves by doing this!  =o)

or by looking like this...

The Drama

It wasn't all roses.  The long lines (and long day) tested more than a few patiences, I'm sure.  I was shocked when I found myself in line behind these two women.  I thought they were about to have a throw-down after one lady accused the other lady of trying to cut in line!  Yikes!

Friends
Perhaps the most unexpected, happiest surprise were the friends that came with our group.  We've been in a Spanish-speaking congregation for over two years now and have missed seeing some of our friends in our regular church congregation (or ward).  It was so fun to wait in line with some of these friends because we got a chance to visit and catch up with them.  So thanks to all of you for making it such a fun day at the park!  It wouldn't have been the same without you!  (And I'm already looking forward to next year's excursion!)

Closing down the park...note how E. has decided to let me do all the hard work on the way out...

All in all, it was a really fun day at the park and I would definitely go again next year.  Especially if we can snag $15 entry passes and free parking to boot!  =o)

6:30:00

Something to shoot for, my friend...

Everyone talks about goals.  I believe in setting goals as well.  One of the things that I like about triathlons is that your goals could not be more simple.  Oftentimes, your goal may be nothing more than a set of numbers on the clock.  For me, 06:30 is more than just a heinous time to be awake in the morning.  It is my goal for my next race.

My next race will be my first of this year.  I call it "Oceanside" but its official name is Ironman California.

Even though the race takes place in Oceanside, California--only about 15 minutes from where I grew up--I first became aware of it two years ago.  I was driving down the freeway through Camp Pendleton when I got a text from my brother.  He was updating me on his progress in the race.  I hadn't even known he was racing!  And I really didn't know much about triathlons either since I had never done one.

I soon got another text from my brother and became intrigued.  What was this race and how did he have time to be sending me texts during the middle of it??

I decided to pull off the freeway when I got to Oceanside and track my brother down on the course.  By this time, he was on the final stretch--the run.  I called my parents who were on the way to see him finish and I decided to follow my brother during the run so that I could let my parents know where he was at on the half marathon when they got there.

Little did my brother know he would inspire me to follow in his footsteps...

I don't think I had actually run a race of any type in about a decade.  I was also dealing with a bum knee.  But fortunately, I had shorts on that day and so I shadowed my brother on the course with my cell phone in one hand and my blackberry in the other.

My brother finished and I was hooked.  I did my first triathlon about four months later and I did Oceanside half the next year.  Saturday will mark my second consecutive year doing the race.

The Training
Obviously, the first part of the event is the swim.  I really haven't swam a bunch over the past few months, but I think I've done enough to at least equal last year's time for the 1.2 mile swim.  The swim in Kona really did help my confidence.  I just wish that Oceanside Harbor were as warm and as beautiful as Kailua Bay!

Instead of 30 feet of visibility, Oceanside Harbor will offer about 3 inches.  And instead of beautiful sea turtles for swimming companions, I'll have to hope that the sea lions keep their distance.  And instead of warm, 80 degree water, I'll have to contend with water in the high 50s.  Other than that, the two swims are really about the same!

My ride

The next part is the bike--56 miles of it.  I got a few good rides in while I was in Hawaii, including a 20 miler and a 60 miler.  (Not to mention my flat tire!)  Then yesterday, I got a 40 miler in along a big chunk of the actual course in Camp Pendleton.  It was nice to be back on my own bike again!  I think that I have a chance to make up some time on the bike this year!

I felt a little self-conscious asking to have someone take a picture of me while I was biking in Hawaii, so I snapped these as I cruised along....

I love the white stone "graffiti" messages alongside the Queen K Hwy

Don't try this at home...

The last part is the run.  Last year, at about Mile 50 of the bike ride, I remember thinking that my legs didn't have a half marathon (13.1 miles) in them.  My longest run ever in the history of my life up to that point had been 10 miles when I was about 12 years old.  They probably didn't, but somehow I managed to keep going.    I feel like I'm stronger this year and I'm looking forward to improving on my run time from last year.

People always ask me, how do you find time to train.  The truth is, I don't.  But rather than worry, I have come to embrace it.  Before last year's race, I had never swam 1.2 miles--ever.  I had never biked 56 miles--ever.  And I had never done a half marathon.

I did a lot of training runs at midnight and even 2 a.m before last year's race.  Then in that race, I remember getting to about mile 9 of last year's run and coming to the realization that I was going to finish.  I actually got a little emotional because finishing to me was victory.  And it symbolized that I had come a long way in the past year.  I had gone from being a guy who had to watch his brother do the race--not thinking that I could do it own my own--to being able to finish my own race.

And Saturday, I get to race against last year's version of myself.  I'm definitely a year older, hopefully a year wiser, and I expect to be an even better version of myself.  That's the real challenge--to race against the clock and against last year's "me" and to beat both of them.

1.2 miles in the water.  56 miles on the bike.  13.1 miles on foot.

All in less than 6:30:00.

Here's to achieving our goals!

Top 10 Things About Being in Hawaii on a Sunday...

We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Kona has a temple!

Three weeks ago, we woke up to find ourselves in Waikoloa, Hawaii.  Some of us slept better than others...

S. and R. somehow managed to commandeer the bed...
don't they look comfy?

while Dad was bringing in the luggage following our late night flight, everyone was scrambling for a place to crash.

I'm still at a loss for how the assignments got divvied up.  My best guess is that J. was too tired to care.  

I think that everyone got a pretty decent place.  I ended up with the floor.  At least I found an extra set of clean linens to throw down beneath me!

It kind of reminded me of my accommodations at the in-laws for Christmas--minus my own pillow and blanket...  ;)

Still, I coudn't complain too much.  We were in Hawaii after all and we were embarking on a ten-day vacation. So without further ado, here are my top 10 things about being in Hawaii on a Sunday!

The Top 10:

10. Since you're traveling, you have a good excuse for forgetting that it was Fast Sunday. 

9. Spending quality time with the family means hitting the beach (i.e. A Bay) with the kids. 

R. and S. enjoy Anaeho'omalu Bay in Waikoloa

8. Being greeted with a hearty "Aloha" from every person who shares their testimony in church.

This just doesn't happen on the mainland.  I remember feeling a little uncomfortable when people would do that in church back home.  But here, everyone did it.  It was kind of cool. 

7. Rationalizing that since Hawaii is so laid back, the kids are okay wearing shorts and t-shirts to church. (Then realizing that no one else was dressed as casually as your family was.)

I can't remember if we forgot to pack church clothes....

J. assured me that everyone in Hawaii wore sandals to church.  I wasn't so sure and actually wore shoes.  Turns out, I was right.  But maybe that's only because we went to the Waimea 1st Ward up in the mountains.

6. Enjoying the beautiful 50 foot ceilings in the chapel and being grateful for the 20 ceiling fans. 

This chapel was beautiful--inside and out

5. Enjoying the beautiful drive up the mountain and seemingly into the clouds to attend church in paradise. 

Waimea was in the mountains and totally different than the coast

4. Being 30 minutes late to church because it looked like the chapel "was just up the road" based on the crappy rental car map I was using...oops, my bad!

3. Not having to look around to see which of my Young Men were going to make it to church in time to administer the Sacrament.

2. Being able to spend all day with the wife and kids. In Hawaii. 

E. and J. mess around in church

1.  Walking into church, on an island, in the middle of the ocean, 2,500 miles away from home and seeing the faithful Saints in white shirts and ties, hearing their humble testimonies, and realizing that the Gospel is true no matter what part of the world you live in!

Other Thoughts:

Even though we went to church, we probably negated any blessings by taking a very scenic drive into Kona to make a pit stop at Costco.  Our excuse was that we needed supplies...and we did.  We stocked up on food for the condo and I bought some bedding supplies.  I figured that if I was going to be sleeping on the floor for 10 days, I might as well be comfortable...

The next Sunday, we went to the Kona 1st Ward and also had a great experience there!  Great talks by the youth speakers and adult speakers and it was just beautiful.  Plus, the Kona Stake Center is next door to the beautiful temple!

The Most Important Rule for Traveling on a Family Vacation:

I realized the truth of this rule on that first Sunday and I tried to remember it for the rest of the trip:

"If Mom's not happy, no one's happy!"

There is a secondary rule which is that if the kids aren't happy, no one's happy.  But Rule #2 is not as important as Rule No. 1!  =o)

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

Friday, Friday...

R. and Dad

Jog-A-Thon

I woke up this morning to have J. reminding me that today was the Jog-A-Thon for my kids' elementary school.  Normally, I wouldn't have thought much about it, but apparently S. was really, really, really hoping that I would come watch him run.

Fortunately, I didn't have any pressing appointments this morning at work, so I emailed the office and told them I would be late.  Then I hustled over to the school to find the event already in progress.

S. is excited, can you tell?  (He's in the white t-shirt)

He really wanted me to run with him, so what could I do?  Though I was in jeans, hiking boots, and a sweatsuit jacket, I jumped in to run alongside him.  I told myself that it was good training for my race next week.  It probably wasn't, but it was fun!

I can't say I was exactly prepared to run this morning...

Fortunately, I didn't embarrass myself too much out there and was able to keep up with S.  One of S.'s gifts is that he can have an infectious enthusiasm.  He ended up running 19.5 laps.

J. and I then ran some errands together while we waited about an hour for R.'s portion of the Jog-A-Thon to start.  I enjoyed being able to hang out with E. a little bit during the day.  I know that she is only 3, but I pretty much dote on her.  I find her way too irresistible!

R. manages to combine a hop, a dance, a skip, and a run all in one...can you tell?

R. did a great job as well.  He was having so much fun.  Mostly, I just watched (and truthfully, I was grateful for the opportunity to rest a little!) him run.

Okay, this is just embarrassing!  I'm just glad it was casual Friday so I wasn't in a suit!

There were less parents running with R.'s group--probably because he was older, but at the end he did want me to run with him.  Jeans, no running shoes, no warm-up?  No problem!

Yes, I know that J. needs a new phone--if only to get a better camera!

R. ended up doing 22 laps and I was proud of the effort that both he and S. put into the event.  Given that the event was a fundraiser, I was so inspired by their enthusiasm, I made sure that our family made a modest donation before we took off.

Lunch with a Friend
At lunch today, I was surprised with a text from my good friend Brad.  He was in my area and wanted to go to lunch.  I tried to explained to someone at work how long I've known Brad.  We weren't just friends in high school and college.  I've known Brad since I was probably 3 or 4 years old.  We were in Sunbeams together and he was my best--and really only--LDS friend growing up.  (Obviously, I didn't grow up in Utah.)

As kids, we dreamed of having our own business together.  It may never happen, but it's really nice to have outstanding, loyal friends in your life.  The older I get, the more I realize what a rare commodity that is these days.  I feel blessed to have a few such friends in my life.  Even though I don't get to see him as much as I should, it was nice to catch up.

Lunch at Las Fajitas

Brad is also one of my few single guy friends, so in addition to catching up on his world traveling, I got to hear a few stories about his dating adventures.  He's a great guy, so I'm rooting for him to finally find "the one."  (Along with my brother, but that's a subject for a different post...)

Movie Review: The Hunger Games
Finally, to celebrate Friday, I managed to convince J. to go see a movie with me tonight.  Actually, when J. found out that I almost saw the midnight showing of "The Hunger Games" last night, she let it be known that she wanted to go see it too.  I didn't need any further prodding to get Royal and Nicole to go with us in a belated celebration Royal's birthday...so here's my movie review:

I read the novels a few years back and have been anxiously awaiting this movie for a couple of months.  (See my post on "Safe and Sound.")  All I've been hearing about in the news is how this movie is "Just Like Twilight" and intended for an audience of 14-year-old girls.  In my opinion, neither is true.

First of all, the movie is really nothing like "Twilight."  Okay, since I've never even read the Twilight novels or seen any of the Twilight movies, I don't really have any basis for making that conclusion, but I've talked to enough "Twi-Hards" to feel like I'm not out on too much of a limb here.  Second, who cares if the protagonist is a 14-year-old girl.  She is an awesome, admirable character--as much a literary cynosure as Herman Melville's Billy Budd.  In short, Katniss kicks butt and is an inspiring fountain of goodness.  She is someone that any adolescent--boy or girl--could look up to.

The movie itself is gut-wrenchingly raw.  I could hear other movie-goers getting emotional around me.  The theme of sacrificing oneself for others is strong and compelling throughout the film.

I found several strong parallels in the plot.  First, I found the concept of the "Reaping" where one person is chosen from each gender to represent the district in the Hunger Games to be very reminiscent of the famous short story by Shirley Jackson--The Lottery.

I took this pic of the Reaping with my phone...

 The plot also borrows Shakespearian themes of star-crossed young lovers.  Yes, for all the female viewers out there, there is a love story.  I guess since there's apparently a love story in Twilight there is at least one similarity between the vampire series and the Hunger Games.  But I personally find Peeta and Gale more likable than Robert Pattinson (I have no idea what his vampire name is!).

One thing that I really appreciate about the books and the movie is that Peeta is unabashedly and competely "Team Katniss."  For example, at one point Peeta says that he knows that he has no chance of winning the Games, but he has still been training hard and trying to learn everything that he can to survive.  At that moment, it becomes obvious that the reason that Peeta is doing everything is because he wants to help Katniss survive.  Peeta's willingness to help Katniss, despite the personal cost to himself, is both noble and inspiring.

I don't want to give away more of the plot than I already have, but I rarely have time to see movies these days and I'm glad that I saw this one--on opening night no less.  And I rarely see movies twice. But I'd see this one again.  Go see it and let me know what you think!

Spring Has Sprung!

I love it when the dogwoods blossom in the spring!

Spring is officially here!  Although you wouldn't know it necessarily by the weather.  I went for a run the other night.  Granted it was at about 11 p.m., but the temp, even down here, was about 44 degrees!  I was so bundled up, I'm not even sure how I managed to run.  The days have been beautiful though.  Today might have hit 80 degrees!

More on S.'s Birthday Party

I love the California Poppies that grow wild at my parents' house

We went to my parents' house on Sunday to have a little family bday affair for S.  The weather was gorgeous.  I think everyone had a great time.  Special thanks to my dad for grilling some really, really tasty hamburgers for dinner!

Our newest Cub Scout

and thanks to my mom for making sure that S. has all the proper equipment for Cubs.  He is so excited to be able to start going "officially" to his den meetings and to the pack meetings.

Homework Night
I got a call today at the office from J.  She wanted to know what time I was getting home.  That is unusual in and of itself, because she usually doesn't care when I get home, so I knew something was up.  Turns out the kids were stressing about homework.  S., in particular, had some big book review project he had to do.  Since his book is in Espanol, J. couldn't really give him much help.

S. hard at work on a typical night en la casa...

So this is the scene tonight.  I came home and read S.'s book with him and helped him to understand it.  Like many things in life, the task as a whole seemed overwhelming to him.  But we were patient and broke it down word by word.  Then he got started on his little book report and just took off on his own.

Now I'm just eating dinner (that's my bowl of cereal on the counter) and blogging so as to properly document these moments for posterity.

He just announced that he finished and I couldn't be prouder of him for working his way through the project.  Hopefully the next time he has an assignment like this, it will not seem as overwhelming to him.

It has been a lot of fun to be able to help him through this.  I wish that I could say that every night in our household had this sort of Norman Rockwell-quality to it.  Truthfully, I can't.  But I can say that I wished it happened more often!  =o)

Other Odds n Ends
Thanks to Facebook, I realized that one of my very good friends had a birthday today.  Turns out its actually his 40th.  It kind of presented a little bit of a dilemma for me...Other than saying: "Happy Bday" on FB and maybe calling, what do you do as a guy for another guy friend?

I'm certainly not going to bake him a plate of cookies and take it over there!  First of all, it would take me forever to do that and second of all, I'm not even sure that they would taste all that good!  Especially because his wife is pretty much a professional chef.  (I still haven't forgotten the birthday goodies or the dinner that she made for me and my family in honor of my last birthday!--Thanks Nic!)

May the odds be ever  in your favor...

I told my friend that if he was up for it, I'd treat him to a midnight showing of "The Hunger Games" (which opens tonight at midnight).  I'm not even sure if I'd stay awake through the whole movie (neither was he...).  I guess we're both getting pretty old!  ;)  And so, I'm pretty sure that we're not going to be going.  (His other "excuse" was that he had to check with his wife.  I'm willing to bet that she is going to veto the idea!)

I ended up stopping at Walmart to buy him a card.  Yes, I felt kind of girly doing it.  But hopefully, he will appreciate the sentiment.  At any rate, I've always been told that it's the thought that counts, right?

I hope everyone is enjoying the new spring season!  And to my friend (R.), if you're reading this....Happy 40th!  (and remember, always be "Loyal to the Royal Within!")

PS--I would have put a pic of you up here, but I don't seem to have any of us together at any of our races.  I think that's because you always finish so far ahead of me!

On This Day You Were Born...

8 Years Ago Today...

S., eight years ago today, your mom and I went to the hospital to wait for you to be born.  The doctors put Mom on some special medicine to help you come faster since you didn't seem to be in much of a hurry on your own!

At first there wasn't much for us to do but wait.  I think we caught up on some reading and I do remember watching the NCAA basketball tournament on the tv in the room.  Maybe that's why you love sports so much!  

We were so excited once you were born.  After spending some time with you and mom, I went home to get your brother R. and bring him to visit.  I love the picture above because R. was so excited to meet you and he was so gentle with you.  To this day, I love seeing you guys play together and I hope you'll always be as close as I am with my "little" brother.

You and your older brother have always been close!

Look at those baby blues...

As a baby, you were very alert.  You always wanted to be able to look around at what was going on around you.  Your smile and laughter have brought a lot of joy to our house over the past eight years.  We feel so blessed that Heavenly Father sent you to our home!

I love this picture of the "boys" of the family...

S., we love you and are excited for you as you turn 8 and prepare to get baptized.  Thanks for being such a great example to us!

Even as a baby, you had such a cute smile!

St. Patrick's Day

Today was St. Patrick's Day.  For some reason, it doesn't seem to have the same "oomph" when it's on a weekend, but I still think it's a fun holiday nonetheless.

The worst thing about the holiday is that my wardrobe, however, is pretty much devoid of anything green.  I'm not sure why that is, but it's true.  I really need to buy a green tie or something so that I'm prepared next time the holiday falls during the work week.

I came home last night from our office "March Madness" Party to see the following sight in my living room:

Please ignore the green thing in the corner...

The boys got Harry Potter DS games...E. got a pink toy cell phone...she was so cute pretending to take pictures with it!

It took me a few moments to realize that this was an elaborate "Leprechaun Trap."  I wasn't really sure how it worked though.  This morning, my kids woke up, came downstairs, and plucked their "booty" from the top of the box.

Apparently the leprechaun (or leprechauns) sprang the trap, but left some gifts behind for the kids.  The kids were very excited for their prizes.  I'm still trying to figure out why they didn't leave anything for Dad???

Those leprechauns, however, are apparently noted pranksters.  In addition to springing the trap and leaving the booty behind, the little green sprites also wreaked the following havoc on our living room...

Note the Lucky Charms cereal on the counter...I guess they were hungry!

If anyone knows why they overturned the chairs and the Ottoman, feel free to enlighten me.

Anyway, I hope that everyone had a festive St. Paddy's Day!