Tales from a Mid-Lifer

In honor of April Fool’s Day, this post was taken from the 2019 archives. Still a fun memory of how I pranked my husband…

Right up until the kids moved to college, I always pulled some shenanigans on April Fool’s Day – every single year. It was especially fun during the high school years when teenagers pulled open the fridge door, while a mountain of dry cereal descended upon their heads. Mornings before school generated the biggest laughter – mostly mine! I got in 3-4 stunts before 7:30am.

When they were little, I gave them sweet funnies that generated happy giggles. When they were teenagers, it was game-on rigging shower heads and toilets. I messed with their shoes and lunches…even put a “for sale” sign in the back window of my son’s car! During my youngest daughter’s senior year, I drove to the high school parking lot just before her day ended and loaded her car with filled balloons and tied a few on the outside side mirrors with long ribbon. I wish I could have watched her squeeze her eyes tight, shaking her head back and forth, while walking and smiling in spite of her mother. But I had to high-tail it out of there before she arrived!

I basically did anything to bring a smile to their face and a hearty laugh for myself.

My husband isn’t as much fun to prank, but I still do it. One of my classics is from eons ago when the kids were still in diapers. Cell phones had made an entry into society (and into my husband’s vehicle) but they were big and bulky and certainly did not tell the time. Yes, the ‘ol time joke was the best that particular year.

Late into the night of March 31st, I lay next to my husband stifling giggles and hoping that my April Fool’s plan would work out. After he hit REM sleep, I crept out of bed and set all clocks in the house back one hour. Then, I went outside and set his car clock. And his watch.

I remained under the covers and peered out of my half-slit eyes as my husband rose up, showered and left for work. As luck would have it, my husband planned to get the oil changed in his car on the way to work. I didn’t know this during planning, but it made the April Fools morning even more hilarious.  

The moment his car pulled out of the driveway, I leapt up and laughed all through morning chores. The phone rang about 45 minutes later (the kind that used to sit on kitchen counters, not stuffed in your back pocket).

“Uhhh, this is weird but the oil change place isn’t open yet. It’s been a weird morning. Less traffic and no one is here. Is today a school holiday or something?”

I could barely contain myself. “No holiday today. Where are you?”

“I’m at the car place but it opens at 7…” (Moments of silence ensue as he thinks about why a car place wouldn’t be open.) “It’s 7:45…I don’t know why it’s closed…maybe it opens at 8.” Silence. Thinking. Reading the sign on their door. “But, it doesn’t open at 8! It opens at 7!”… “I’m just going to work. I’m not going to sit here another 10 minutes.”

We hang up and I let this continue…

A short time later, the land line rings again. At this point, I’m sure he knows. In my most cheerful tone… “Hello?!!”

A sarcastic voice responds. “Real funny! How in the world!!?? I can’t believe you did this…I should have known…the sky wasn’t as bright…”

I haven’t stopped laughing since.

Now, our phones, cars and watches (if you even wear one) automatically update, announcing every single event. Who doesn’t look at their phones the second they wake up these days?

Enjoy your April Fool’s Day and have some fun!

Click on images for sources.