From: The Annals of Family History - Chapter 1
Do you remember the "Leave it to Beaver" television show? There is one episode where Beaver creates a neighborhood newspaper; his brother looks over the paper and reads, "Weather, none." Wally asks the Beaver, "What do you mean, Beaver, there is no weather?" Beaver's answer was that since there was no wind or rain, storms or tornadoes, there was no weather. That's the way my day has run. It's been on auto-pilot most of the day and no significant humorous thing has occurred. I was talking to my son about this predicament, when it suddenly struck me. I could write about something that happened years ago, when this son was only 7 or 8.
You see, this particular son has been a jokester from day one! He decided to arrive 2 weeks early, to the surprise of his parents. And he hasn't quit surprising us and making us laugh since.
His favorite holiday is April 1 and our story takes place on this holiday. Jokester decides that since no one had played any pranks on each other all day, that he would save the day from certain disaster by creating his own prank.
Right after he came home from school that day, he snuck into my bathroom, unscrewed the top from the shower head, poured powdered grape Kool-Aid into it and carefully replaced it. He was counting on me to stand under the shower as I turned it on, grape coloring covering me. He then went to his room to work on homework and later out to play.
I have to admit that it was a pretty neat set-up for a 7 or 8 year old. But not neat enough! When I went into the bathroom to take a shower, I found tiny bits of something on the side of the tub. Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were purple. It took me a moment to put three and three and three together. Purple bits on the side of the tub, April Fools Day and my son. Something was up, literally. I looked up and saw the same grape coloring through the holes in the showerhead. This meant war! I knew it was this son and not any of the other kids. He was the only one who would do something like this. The following is an account of the battle as best as I can remember it:
You see, this particular son has been a jokester from day one! He decided to arrive 2 weeks early, to the surprise of his parents. And he hasn't quit surprising us and making us laugh since.
His favorite holiday is April 1 and our story takes place on this holiday. Jokester decides that since no one had played any pranks on each other all day, that he would save the day from certain disaster by creating his own prank.
Right after he came home from school that day, he snuck into my bathroom, unscrewed the top from the shower head, poured powdered grape Kool-Aid into it and carefully replaced it. He was counting on me to stand under the shower as I turned it on, grape coloring covering me. He then went to his room to work on homework and later out to play.
I have to admit that it was a pretty neat set-up for a 7 or 8 year old. But not neat enough! When I went into the bathroom to take a shower, I found tiny bits of something on the side of the tub. Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were purple. It took me a moment to put three and three and three together. Purple bits on the side of the tub, April Fools Day and my son. Something was up, literally. I looked up and saw the same grape coloring through the holes in the showerhead. This meant war! I knew it was this son and not any of the other kids. He was the only one who would do something like this. The following is an account of the battle as best as I can remember it:
- 8:12 p.m. - I enter the bathroom with all the supplies needed to shower.
- 8:13 p.m. - I notice something black or dark purple on the edge of the tub. I begin to look for other spots of dark purple.
- 8:15 p.m. - Found some around shower head.
- 8:16 p.m. - Decided that Prankster needed a taste of his own medicine.
- 8:16 1/2 p.m. - Made noises like I was getting undressed and settled in to take a shower. Prankster was outside, in the hall. I could here his muffled giggling.
- 8:18 p.m. - Still fully dressed, and outside the shower, I turned on the shower.
- 8:19 p.m. - Began to yell in surprise. I went from a voice of surprise to a voice in panic very quickly. "Who put purple stuff in the shower???? Help! Somebody, go get Old Man! I'm purple all over!!!" I could here Prankster in the hall now laughing so hard he was falling on the floor. So, I upped the yelling a notch.
- 8:20 - "Prankster, what are you laughing at? Did you do this? I have purple all over my face, hands and arms!"
- 8:21 - Prankster was laughing hysterically now. "Use soap and a wash cloth, Mom"
- 8:21 - Mustering the most high-pitched, panic-stricken voice I could, I yelled back, "Prankster, go get your Daddy! This stuff isn't coming off!! I have a purple face, now! It WON"T COME OFF no matter what I do!!!"
- 8:22 - 8:24 - Dead silence from the hallway. Prankster didn't know what to do. Should he get Old Man and risk getting in trouble? But, Mom was in the bathroom and she couldn't come out. She needed help!
- 8:24 - I threw open the bathroom door and yelled "April Fool's!" Prankster was still sitting on the floor with a stricken face. It took a good 30 seconds for it to register that his mom just lied to him!
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I've enjoyed writing this, as I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Please leave a comment about whether you like it or if not, constructive criticism is always welcome.