An April Fool’s Day Story
Around the first of February my son spent quite a few days home from school with some sort of virus that the rest of us did not contract. It’s the first time in all my years of parenting that the school nurse called to have me pick my child up from school.
Not once, but twice…in one week!
When I break a streak, I really break it.
And, yes. I felt the judgment of school nurses all over the land.
It was during one of those ‘he feels fine, but hasn’t been fever free for 24 hours and I can’t risk more judgment from the school nurse’ days that I could no longer put off buying essentials like toilet paper and chocolate.
I told my son, “Buddy, we’re going on a Target run today.”
“Okay, mom,” he replied.
He didn’t care. He was home from school and getting way too much iPad time.
If you’ve met my son and he’s comfortable in your presence then you know that he never stops talking. Ever. There’s not a pause button. No volume button. No ‘off’ switch.
I’ve checked.
His current favorite topic is to quiz me on what kind of car I would prefer to own. Never mind that I don’t care anything about cars. He cares about cars, so I am regularly asked to decide whether I would rather own a Lamborghini or a Bugatti. Answering “neither” just prolongs the questioning.
Also, here’s a pro tip from one adult to another: If an 8-year-old asks you if you want to own a tank, just say yes. That’s the only acceptable answer.
I’m telling you this as background information because on this particular drive to Target, I found it slightly odd, but very refreshing that he was completely silent during the trip. Not a word out of him. I even glanced in my rearview mirror to make sure he was still there.
Target was blissfully not busy on this particular weekday morning and I found a parking spot close, but not too close, to the cart return. I gathered up my belongings and said, “Let’s go.”
Him: “Mom?
Me: “Yeah, buddy?”
Him: “I thought of a really good April Fool’s Day prank. I’m going to get you SO good.”
So that’s what he was doing during the 10-minute drive…scheming.
Me: “Oh! That’s great! Don’t tell me what it is though. You don’t want to ruin the surprise. Come on…let’s go.”
Him: “Okay….Mom?”
Me: (with one foot out the car door.) “Yeah, buddy?”
Him: “When’s April Fool’s Day?
Folks, I have been waiting for this moment my ENTIRE LIFE.
Me: (answering in my best “don’t question my knowledge” voice) “March 32nd. Now, come on and get unbuckled so we can go inside!”
Five minutes later…
Him: “Oh, I get it! Good one, mom!”
Him: “But when IS April Fool’s Day?”
Me: “I think you just missed it.”
Happy April Fool’s Day!
I hope your day is as normal and uneventful as a Monday should be.
P.S. I’m still waiting for him to pull that epic April Fool’s Day prank. No one tell him what day it is, okay?
P.P.S. Special thanks to one of my favorite people in the entire world, Meg, for taking the picture of me and my son back when he was in Pre-K. She’s all about color in her photography, so I’m the one to blame for turning this photo into b/w.
Thanks for hanging out with me today! I hope today’s post gave you a laugh. Or at least a chuckle. I’d take a smile too. Here are some other posts that you might enjoy.
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