April Fools

March 30th, 2015

Dear Kerry,

You need a prank, something to remind yourself and your kids that although there are serious aspects to life, there are also little joys. April Fool’s Day approaches.
You favor foods for your fun. Last year you iced and decorated individual sponges, creating a delicious “after school snack.” The year before, you found an intriguing way to present rice cereal wrapped in fruit leather. It looked like a tray of sushi. A couple of drops of food color transformed a pitcher of milk a lovely shade of blue. Gelatin in the glasses rendered the morning ‘orange juice’ unsippable. You still giggle recalling their surprise.
You have repurposed rubber spiders and snakes from Halloween to startle and delight. A palm-sized black spider on a fish-wire web placed behind the shower curtain got the best reaction.
Somehow every year, your young forget the date and fall prey to jests, or perhaps they play along, willing dupes humoring their silly mother. They shake their heads and commiserate together. They even share the news of your zany behavior with their friends. Your hope is that such simple attentions will create pleasant memories. Perhaps this year you will place clear tape over the sensors on the remotes. Then, the prank will include your husband in the fun! (shh, don’t tell my secret, please.)
We all hear that April showers bring May flowers. In your experiences, even the darkest events can produce bright spots. Life is to be celebrated in every possible way, even by pranking the kids.

K.

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