April Fools

The day that all hail broke loose and these fools had a blast in it.

  Halesinhail from katiehale on Vimeo.

the after-hail party: hot cocoa in the hot tub

Then - on the eve of April Fool's Day- I was making pancakes for the kids and realized I hadn't done any April Fool's anything - I mean, what kind of mother am I!?  So I started in on the deception....

Me: "So, dad and I have something really important to talk about with you guys.  Do you want to talk about it now or should we wait until dad gets home"

Kids: "Now!!! Now!"

Me: "Ok, so are you guys ready for this?  We.. are... moving.... to Alaska ... in a week"

pause  "So that means you have one week to tell your friends goodbye"

Lucy looks sad and Luke jumps up and excitedly says "I'm going to say goodbye to them right now!!" and runs to the door.  

Me:  "No, no not yet! Come sit back down.  ... so guys - you will have to go to a boarding school.  It's a school where you have to sleep over AT the school and will only come home on the weekends"

Luke: "cool!"

(this isn't working - they are way too accepting of this!"

"and there's another thing.  They don't have candy in Alaska.  So, we can't ever have candy except maybe once a year if grandma sends us a package or something"

"okay"

(huh?)

"well, there is just one more thing.  And it's the saddest thing of all.....  They don't allow babies in Alaska.  So we will have to leave baby Freddy here with the cousins until he's old enough to come live with us in Alaska."

Lucy looks like she's going to cry.  Maryanne looks really confused.  And Luke just starts yelling.  "WHAT!!!??  So, they just DON'T allow BABIES!!!???  That is so dumb!!  And why are they so SO mean!!?  Why would you not allow babies?  It's just SO mean!!"

And that's when I pulled out the old

"April Fools!" 

Luke said "you mean about the baby thing?"

"No, the whole thing"

Luke:  "The candy thing too!"

"No guys - the WHOLE thing.  We aren't moving"

Luke looked a little disappointed that his adventure to Alaska had been cancelled.  

What a weird holiday right?  

The next morning when Lucy came out of her room she said "Hey mom, remember yesterday how you said that sad joke?"