Leprechauns...

Chicago has this strangely fascinating tradition where they dye the Chicago River bright green for St. Patty's Day. What's interesting about it is that they can't really explain how, exactly, they manage to do it. It was all serendipitous back in the 50's when they first discovered it and no other city since has been able to pull it off. And what'll really blow your mind is that they actually use orange dye.

So really, none of it makes sense to anyone at all. And the "River Dyers" just get all shifty and skittish whenever anyone starts poking around for answers.

Anyway, the reason I say it's strangely fascinating is that you wouldn't think it would be so mind-boggling to see it in person. But I just kind of sat there staring at that bright green water for like ten minutes straight. Weeping at the beauty of it all.

Not really weeping. But it did sorta blow my mind and chap me all at once. And I did end up having like forty pictures in a row on my camera of nothing but bright green water. I just kept clicking away, trying to get it to make more sense. As if I could go through the pictures later and somehow, from some angle, one of those pictures would bring about some grand revelation. I mean, how the crap do you dye an entire river green? Doesn't a river flow? Is the river green all the way down to the bottom? If I dipped my finger in it, would my finger turn green??

It's all very fishy to me...

I blame the Mafia.

Anyway, now that I've got you all riveted, here's a few pictures of our trip to see it on Saturday...

Me and Sambino...

Just look at that bright green water! I mean, how do they DO IT?!?!

Just kidding, I'm over it.

Our respective offspring...

Unlike me, they weren't that amazed. They just looked at the river for a minute and then formed a sort of mosh-pit for the remainder of the time, while the adults took a hundred pictures.

Seriously, you don't even KNOW how excited Carina and I were when we got there and saw all that green water. There was just so much rejoicing and gratitude...

But that pretty much happens every time we see each other...

What you didn't see was me spinning her around and tossing her up in the air a few times...

And then rocking her right to sleep after she gave me a good belch...

We were finally able to contain ourselves long enough to take a proper photo with all the lovely ladies.

Did you notice the color of the water behind us? It's GREEN.

Leah wore her huge hat just like this for the duration...

Quick note. Ever since I started out by titling this post "Dirty Leprechauns," I've been thinking everything in an Irish accent as I type. And the question I pose to you is this; are "Irish" accents and "Pirate" accents the same? Because in my head right now, I'm thinking you can use them interchangeably. Maybe I've just been thinking in pirate...

Enough!

Onto a few more pictures for posterity.

Leah is always heckling me while I'm doing my makeup, so the other day I pinned her down and gussied her right up. She didn't appreciate the application very much, but she did fall instantly in love with her reflection in the mirror...

And then she turned all diva and started making outlandish demands for jewels and exotic furs...

This Tiny Tuna has started giggling and, I'm not kidding, even thinking about it is giving me the urge to huck this laptop out the window. I lub it. And I lub her. And I lub you.

It should be noted that we have spent most of March cycling through a nasty cold sent to our family straight from the bowels of Satan.

Poor tiny Turkey Sub...

"I feel all better with purp-ah yips mama..."

Feeling a little more spritely these days...

As this picture was taken Leah was actually saying, "Alllllwight guys. All done. Get baby Eve offa me."

Then she gave her a good shove.

The End.

WAIT!

One more thing...

Both my babes at the same age wearing the same outfit. Leah just likes to show a little more leg and a little more double chin than Eve. I think they look nothing alike... but ooooh I'm a lucky mama.