April Fools!

When I was a girl, my dad would come into the kitchen on April 1st and ask, "Hey, kids, who'd like doughnuts for breakfast?"

This was a very rare treat in our somewhat health-foody home, so naturally all four of us would clamber excitedly, "Me! I do!"

"Me, too" he'd say wistfully. "Too bad we don't have any!" And then he'd throw back his head and laaaaugh. "April Fools!"

It seemed like such a cheap shot, but really, we were no worse off than we had been moments before when we were thinking it would be the usual ho-hum Life cereal or Cheerios.

It was just his way.

Apparently I've inherited this same obnoxious trait, because my dad's lame April Fool's Day 'jokes' always triggered a day spent trying to 'trick' the others in my life in some way, just to be able to say the coveted words, "April Fools!"

For us, it was usually just stupid stuff. "Hey, what's THAT?" I'd say, looking all wide-eyed scared into the woods behind my sister at the bus stop. Her eyes would widen, and she'd slowly turn around. "Ha ha, made you look. April Fools!"

This morning I got my son up as usual for school. "Guess what? You don't have to go to school today!"

He looked up excitedly, "I don't?" No doubt he figured it was something to do with us being down to one car again.

"Just kidding." I threw my head back and laughed uproariously. "APRIL FOOLS!"

This is the response I got from him.



I'm thinking it was similar to the ones my dad got from us all those years ago.

Apparently he didn't inherit this same obnoxious trait.

****update****

Or maybe he did.

On the way to school, I had to stop and get gas. Jericho was trying to tell me to stop at a gas station I never go to because it would be easier to get right back on the road.

Like Kramer from Seinfeld, I like to push it to the edge where getting gas is concerned, so I thanked him for his advice but told him that I was going to go to the other one closer to the school. That particular parking lot is easier to get in and out of.

"But that place is closed now, mom."

For a second I thought about it, and realized it had been over a week since I'd passed that particular station, what with Spring Break and all. Maybe it had closed.

"It is?"

Jericho pipes up, "April Fools!" and threw his head back and laughed. "Got you good, mom!"

I guess now he'll probably be off trying to trick everyone at school, too.

It's true what they say...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Guess we're all a bunch of April Fools, lol.

****updated yet again****

Just got a call from my hubby.

Him: "You dirty dawg!"

Me: Laughing uproariously (because what other way is there to laugh?).

Him: "You're just lucky I double-checked my Text Messages, because I was just on my way out to get you..."

Jericho and I plotted a good one to play on dad while on the way to school this morning. When I dropped Jericho off, I texted Jeff, "Thanks a lot for leaving me with the gas tank on E this morning. I ran out of gas on the frontage road."

I hadn't really.

A few moments later, I texted again, "April Fools!"

Me: "I got you good!"

Now I just have to guard against retaliations for the rest of the day. Seems there is a fine line between practical jokes and crying wolf.

Oh, but it was worth it.