Images from Martha Stewart. See her whole gallery of prank ideas here.
In case you were wondering, I have the coolest kids ever. Let’s see if I can chronicle the April Fools Day pranks I woke up to — all orchestrated by my kids and unbeknownst to me (note, pranks has a very loose definition at our house — pretty much anything silly counts):
- There was salt in my drinking cup in the bathroom.
- Oscar and Betty’s closet contents had been switched.
- The clock in the kitchen had been moved 2 hours ahead.
- The barely ripe bananas were colored with streaks of brown marker to make them look old.
- The milk had been dyed pale yellow — to look like it had spoiled.
- The kids woke Ben Blair and I super early with breakfast in bed while singing Happy Anniversary to You! (Our anniversary is in August.)
- There was a cup of water on the top of the door leading into the office. Which spilled all over their dad when he opened the door. And absolutely delighted the kids.
- When I sat down at my desk, my mouse wouldn’t work. I was getting so frustrated. Then turned it over and saw a post-it note covering the red-light that said “April Fools!”
- I logged in and was shocked to see an unknown-to-me-baby-face staring back at me from my blog. It took me a minute to read what Ralph wrote and figure out what was going on. (I wonder where he found that photo? Who is that sweet baby? And how do you like the name Ralph picked out?) Please be assured, the baby wasn’t born yet. We still have 6 weeks to go. And no name picked out. : )
- This was Betty’s first year having any interest in the April Fools goings on. She’s been talking about pranks, which she calls Panks or Franks, for days now — as in, I’m going to Pank you! Her proud attempt this morning: she took a pair of my fanciest shoes and put them by my pillow. And then immediately cracked up at her brilliant frank and reported what she’d done. It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
- Our parental contribution: last night when all the kids were asleep, we switched Oscar and Betty’s drawers and switched all the big kids’ shoes. I know. Pretty tame. But something fun for the kids to wake up to.
The big kids are at school now, but I sense that the house has been booby-trapped and I’ll be discovering more pranks all day long. Did your family do anything fun to celebrate? I hope you’ll share your favorite ideas.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
You guys are so fun! Always jump right in to holidays. Makes me feel boring. Thanks for the inspiration.
This was a fantastic post to wake up to! April 1st is my parents’ anniversary (my mom was 2 hours late to the wedding, which ’caused quite an April Fools scare in my dad, but she just overslept), so we had a different kind of celebration going on in our household growing up. But I hope that someday my family and I have such wonderfully silly tales to share.
Love this, G!
Ralph is brilliant. I’ve been worrying about the fate of premature-but-very-robust-looking baby Flora this morning. I actually think the name sounds great with your other kids’ names.
Cute! I love fun pranks on April Fool’s day…
Thanks for the tip on the mouse. I, too, have been messing with my mouse all morning and getting frustrated. I even mentioned that my mouse wasn’t working out loud with no response from the kids. I just read your post and low and behold….turned over my mouse and there was a sticky note from my oldest daughter that read “April Fools Day”!
We lube the toilet seat every year and daddy falls for it every year….even this year! It always makes me howl because it is EVERY YEAR. And he really does forget and always says something under his breath in his own disgust!
Can I be a Blair? Your family astounds me. So cool.
Your kids are adorable! I have so many fun memories of the rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer, but most involve college roommates. Ralph did a great job with the baby post. The name Flora fits right in with the other five.
No one even remembered the holiday this year. In the past I’ve sent the kids to school with a bag of oreos in their lunches. One oreo would have the cream scraped out and replaced with white toothpaste.
Along a similar line, when my mom was young she carved little circles out of soap, dipped them in chocolate and handed them out to her friends.
I’m gonna pank you! Very cute.
Green milk is also a great deal of fun on St. Patty’s day :)
What fun kids you have! That sounds like a blast! No pranks here, not yet anyway.
I hope my kids are as cool as yours someday :) You are one lucky lady!!!
Oh, I love all of those and how great that the entire family got in on the action. My 8yo went to school with a cast on his foot and a story about how he was pushed down our basement stairs by his older brother. Boys of the boys are in on the prank and I can’t wait to hear how long they were able to keep it up for.
Wow, your kids are good! They should direct little comedy films:)
Your kids are cuter than is humanly possible. That one of Betty’s with your shoes made my day. And Flora Bethany??? I LOVE IT! Ralph totally got me on that one. Good eggs, those kids of yours.
I can’t believe I didn’t do a prank today (YET)!!! Your kiddos are madly creative… just imagine what they are going to do YOU when they are all teenagers!!!!!!!!
Love your kids! It was snowing this morning and I told the kids that school had been cancelled. My daughter’s face was priceless. Then of course I had to yell, “April Fools!” I’m such a mean Mom. :) Ralph’s blog post was the best!
How fun are you . . . . and your kids???? We’re super lame around here and never have much of anything. Maybe next year . . .
I made the kids green eggs and ham for breakfast, which isn’t really a prank, but still. My daughter (Norah, 5) said “Mommy, I made you a picture at school! April fools!” It was adorable.
They really are the greatest! I can’t believe all they did! Cute!
I’m not gonna lie, Ralph’s post got me!! Good JOB!!! I’m usually one to not fall for them but he got me!! lol. He picked out an awesome name!! Love that you all have a great sense of humor!!
Your kids are so creative!
Pranks aside, I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one due in a few weeks who hasn’t picked out a name for her baby yet!
HAHa your kids are too funny! i don’t know if i’d be so happy to be on the receiving end of all those pranks, but i guess they get their sense of humor from you two ;]
Your kiddos are so creative! And Betty cracks me up :). No pranks in our household; my husband and I called a truce years ago!
It sounds like it was a fun day at your house.
I have the perfect April fools joke for the office. Take few sheets of paper and write April Fool’s on them. Then stick them in the paper tray of the copier. Everything they copy will end up with April Fool’s on it and they won’t know where it came from. Hilarious!