April Fools 2010

Last year Bryant and I pulled a joke on Ann Bennett and made "fish sticks and peas" for dinner. AB hates fish, and the prank worked fabulously! She pitched a fit about the fish, and she was convinced the cookies really were fish -- never mind I've never once made her fish sticks! Bryant thought it was hilarious, but AB was not so amused.

THIS year, Ann Bennett wanted to play a prank on Bryant, and she wanted to make sure it was with a food he hates. She decided we should trick him with chicken pot pie, which for some reason he does not like. So, we made a fake chicken pot pie today. We baked a pie shell, and I baked the top shell flat on a cookie sheet. For the filling, we used white chocolate pudding with bananas chopped up as chicken and chopped and shaped starburst jellybeans (green, orange, yellow) as peas, carrots and corn. We put the top shell on, and it really looked like a pot pie.

We went to pick up Bryant from basketball, and AB (oh so subtley) asks, "did you leave the pot pie out?" To which Bryant instantly responds, "We're having chicken pot pie again? We just had it. I don't like pot pie." Well, AB could not hold it together and starts smirking. Bryant at first just gets mad and says he's going to laugh at her next time with have tilapia (as if he doesn't already do this!). About that time, we get home, and he realizes it might be a joke. But, he just wasn't sure. He walked in the house and smelled the baked shell, and he kept going back and forth - it's a joke, we're really having pot pie, no we're not. AB got the reaction she wanted, and B was a pretty good sport about it. He of course is spinning it that he knew we weren't really having pot pie, but we had him for a while.

I am not very good at these kinds of things, so this might be the extent of my April Fools' jokes on my kids. But, I highly recommend it at this age. It's fun. The kids understand it, and I think they appreciate it. I hope you had a great day. I have a picture of our pie, and I'll try to add it tomorrow.

Dr. Suess Character Day

This week was Read Across America week at the kids' school. Today they dressed as a Dr. Suess character, and there was a school wide parade. They gave out books yesterday. They have had guest readers all week. I don't know if the teachers loved the chaos, but it was really nice for the children in our school to have a school-wide FUN event. Thank you to those who coordinated this week's activities.

Bryant was most excited about this event because it meant he did not have to wear a uniform! He is Butch, the boy who sits behind Daisy Head Maizy and sees the daisy growing out of her head. After seeing the mass of Thing 1s or Thing 2s in the 5th grade, I'm guessing he's going to come home wishing he had made that choice, but at least he was out of uniform.

In case you don't recognize her, this is Cindy Lou Who. Ann Bennett willingly got up 15 minutes early and stayed focused all morning to have her hair done like this. For once, the time I've spent at Sweet and Sassy and that place in Myrtle Beach that I can't remember paid off. I was able to figure out how to do that thing on the top of her head. I have to say, I was quite proud of myself. I can't wait to see if it stays together all day!

Look, here is Cindy Lou Who in school. Doesn't she look excited to be practicing her math facts?

This is Ann Bennett's class (a 1st/2nd combo) dressed and waiting for the parade. They made sure everyone had something. In the back row, there is Mr. Black (from Hop on Pop), Thing 1, Fox with Sox (I think that's it), Cindy Lou Who, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and the rest of the gang. I don't have a picture of the Bryant's class. They went right to their block 1 and started working, so I did not want to interrupt.

Finally, this last picture looks the most like a Suess character to me. Her expression just made Carey laugh out loud. I hope it brings you a chuckle as well. Now go read a Dr. Suess book to a child.