First, let me say that we are not Irish. I might have a tiny bit of Irish on my father’s side but really not enough to claim.

Last Year: Facebook Status – March 17, 2018

All I have heard about since before last weekend was 1. DC’s birthday (next week), 2. Lunch with his Aunt and Grandparents (yesterday) and 3. St. Patrick’s Day (never mind that my birthday was Tuesday). I have heard quite a lot about St. Patrick’s Day – He has plans: Bookstore and “Out to eat”. I do not know why he is all about St. Patrick’s Day this year or why he thinks we are going to the bookstore. I know #ItsWhatsNext in DC’s calendar driven world, but it has never been a big deal to him before. I will have to figure out if, by coincidence we actually went to the bookstore last year and/or “out to eat” because if you do it once – it means it will forever be tradition.. whether you know it or not.

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After a little bit of thought, I realized that we have had a few Winter Guard shows over the years that were scheduled on or right around St. Patrick’s’ Day.

Winter Guard Show = “Out to eat” afterwards in DC-land, so there’s that. Book Store? That must have happened once.

Later – March 17, 2018

I talked him down to just going out for a “treat”. He chose the red velvet cupcake (no green involved). While there I noticed that he was doing everything in slow motion (not just slowly, but really in slow motion); lifting his juice, putting it back down, picking up the cupcake, putting it back down – I thought that there was something wrong.

(Forgetting that on the way there, I had asked him to take his time eating and go slowly so I could at least finish my coffee before he was “done” and it was time to leave.)

When I asked what was wrong, he very slowly lifted his juice and said

“Going  S-LLL-OOOO-LLL-YYY” – 

Silly me.

I definitely did not want to take him to the book store the week before his birthday because I’m sure he will get a few of his beloved Barnes and Noble gift cards and seriously I am just flat out of room for books….

Last year I asked that you remind me of all of this when DC started asking to go out for a “Treat” on St. Patrick’s Day (because he starts the reminding relatively early) this year so I am not wondering why he is so adamant about going out for a treat on St. Patrick’s Day. My memory is just that bad…..

Or…could it be that he comes up with so many “traditions” for so many holidays that I just can’t keep them straight any more?  

Well, just forget about all of that because this year we do happen to have a Winter Guard Show right on St. Patrick’s Day, so I am sure that the “Out To Eat” tradition will be reinstated, overriding the newer “Treat” tradition. 

Hopefully next year, when DC starts talking about “Pencil – Very – a” (Pennsylvania = DC-Speak) and “Out to Eat”, I’ll remember where THAT idea came from.

Edited to add: And now that he realized that “Pencil-Very-A” is very a long drive, almost like a “looking around trip” ; he has just – right this minute, added a bookstore in “Pencil-Very-A” to his “Out to Eat” tradition.

So that’s how it all happens….