April Fool's Day

Until yesterday, I had never met another person who loves April Fool's Day as much as my grandma. I think she anticipates the trickery all year and schemes up plans for months. When I was a kid she would send tricks via mail to all of the grandchildren. One year she sent a piece of cardboard disgusied as a candy bar. Just a few years ago she got Nick to eat a muffin with a cotton ball in the middle. My grandma taught us to tape the toilet paper roll so that the person in the bathroom could not find the start of the paper or to put peanut butter under the door handle to the car. She's full of good ones. It seems that my son has developed this same love for April 1st.

We went to visit my grandma last month in Willmar. Little did we know that she had a whole plan for sending Henry home with the supplies to pull an April Fool's Day stunt. Luckily, the target was Nick. Yesterday morning Henry busted out two boxes of grape jello. He said we needed to make it and put it in a pitcher. Then, he would offer Nick some grape juice after work. 

I followed directions and Henry checked the refrigerator every hour to make sure the jello was firming up nicely. When the juice was offered to Nick he thought it was a bit strange, but Henry really sold it, "I made this juice all by myself and worked really hard. You have to try it!" Of course Nick went to pour and nothing came out. Henry yelled, "April Fool" and had a genuine belly laugh about his trick. 

Other April Fool's Day happenings:

- "Mom, I'm going to let you keep sleeping and be really quiet."

- "Henry, that is so sweet."

- "Ha! April Fool! Get up!"

- "Mom, do you want to snuggle with me?"

- "Obviously, Henry."

- "Good. Because this is the last time it will ever happen. April Fool!"

When I started thinking about why my grandma enjoys this day so much I came to this conclusion- she loves to laugh. Not at others, but with them because what is better than that, really? It's one day where you can take all of the seriousness out of life and just enjoy a laugh or two. The fact that my grandma still fools us or the kids shows me she continues to value the fun in life- something we could all do better. I think Henry has definitely inherited the Grunwald trait of enjoying a good laugh and living a life that doesn't have to be so serious every day of the year. But, if you ever find yourself in their company on April 1st, watch out behind you. Happy April!