Pranksters
April Fools' Day is one of our favorite family holidays. Each year for a week leading up to the date, there is no shortage of whispering and scheming and giggling happening throughout the house.
There are the usual stand-by pranks: a rubber lizard in my underwear drawer, a plastic spider in a cereal bowl, clear tape over the soap pump, clear plastic wrap over the milk jug, short sheeting the beds.
Usually I make an April Fools' dinner. It looks like one thing, but is actually something completely different. One year it was what looked like chicken pot pie, but turned out to be pudding, bananas, and Starburst molded into the shape of vegetables. Another year I served what looked like ice cream and caramel sauce, but was actually mashed potatoes and gravy. The kids usually approach the dinner table on this day with a little bit of fear and trepidation.
This year the kids decided to team up and plan a whole host of pranks. They've been scheming all week. So Micah and I decided to scheme back. Last night, after they were asleep, we set their clock back an hour (we hoped it would mean an extra hour of sleep for us, but there was no luck--or sleep-- to be had). We mixed up all of the stuffed animals on their beds, so that they each woke up to find someone else's. We set a parental lock on the TV (they're on spring break, so we knew they'd be up to watch a show in the morning). And Micah rigged the vacuum to turn on full blast when they turned on the living room light switch on their way downstairs.
The reactions did not disappoint.
Later in the morning, there was frozen oatmeal for breakfast.
Thomas set up his army men so that it looked like they were attacking the animals in Cora's dollhouse.
Micah and Henry completely rearranged our living room and the pictures on the walls while I was at work.
And then came supper. After all the crazy dinners the past few years, I knew they'd be afraid to eat tonight. So this time we pulled the ultimate prank: a normal supper. Micah made homemade macaroni and cheese while the kids and I played with neighbors. When we gathered around the table, no one wanted to eat. They begged us to tell them what was wrong with it and dared each other to take the first bite. Finally someone gave in, and they groaned when they discovered there was nothing wrong with it. Thomas lamented that there was no crazy meal this year--although they all went on to have thirds and fourths, so I don't think they were too disappointed.
It may not be a national holiday, but this is one day of the year we like to live to the fullest. Of course, I'll be sure to check my sheets before I crawl into bed tonight...
There are the usual stand-by pranks: a rubber lizard in my underwear drawer, a plastic spider in a cereal bowl, clear tape over the soap pump, clear plastic wrap over the milk jug, short sheeting the beds.
Usually I make an April Fools' dinner. It looks like one thing, but is actually something completely different. One year it was what looked like chicken pot pie, but turned out to be pudding, bananas, and Starburst molded into the shape of vegetables. Another year I served what looked like ice cream and caramel sauce, but was actually mashed potatoes and gravy. The kids usually approach the dinner table on this day with a little bit of fear and trepidation.
This year the kids decided to team up and plan a whole host of pranks. They've been scheming all week. So Micah and I decided to scheme back. Last night, after they were asleep, we set their clock back an hour (we hoped it would mean an extra hour of sleep for us, but there was no luck--or sleep-- to be had). We mixed up all of the stuffed animals on their beds, so that they each woke up to find someone else's. We set a parental lock on the TV (they're on spring break, so we knew they'd be up to watch a show in the morning). And Micah rigged the vacuum to turn on full blast when they turned on the living room light switch on their way downstairs.
The reactions did not disappoint.
Later in the morning, there was frozen oatmeal for breakfast.
Thomas set up his army men so that it looked like they were attacking the animals in Cora's dollhouse.
Micah and Henry completely rearranged our living room and the pictures on the walls while I was at work.
And then came supper. After all the crazy dinners the past few years, I knew they'd be afraid to eat tonight. So this time we pulled the ultimate prank: a normal supper. Micah made homemade macaroni and cheese while the kids and I played with neighbors. When we gathered around the table, no one wanted to eat. They begged us to tell them what was wrong with it and dared each other to take the first bite. Finally someone gave in, and they groaned when they discovered there was nothing wrong with it. Thomas lamented that there was no crazy meal this year--although they all went on to have thirds and fourths, so I don't think they were too disappointed.
It may not be a national holiday, but this is one day of the year we like to live to the fullest. Of course, I'll be sure to check my sheets before I crawl into bed tonight...
