Christmas in April

Here in Alaska we know how to celebrate April Fool's Day. We started with a hailstorm, phased into some serious snow flurries, then decided to go all out and have ourselves a blizzard. I'd take a picture for you, but what would be the point? It would look more or less like this:





Yep. White space.

I keep scrunching my eyes shut and muttering, "April Fool's, right?" But no. It's a white, white world out there now matter how much I picture Mother Nature getting into the spirit of our human-invented holidays.

On top of that, my husband and 7-year-old are both sick with fever, which had better not be an April Fool's joke because it would be the least funny one ever. Well - it's kind of funny when you picture me, still recovering from knee surgery, stumping through the snow on my crutch to fetch them more tea or find the Children's Tylenol. (Our kitchen is in a separate building.)

I keep scrunching my eyes shut while they take their temperatures, but no ... it's still not an April Fool's joke, poor things. Neither is the game my little girl is currently playing, in which she slurps out her tongue really fast, twice in a row, then makes me guess which time was faster. Or the game in which she whistles snot in and out of her nose and asks if she sounds more like a cat or a coffee maker. Or the crazy game called "how many chapters of Harry Potter can I read before my voice gives out?" (Hey, whatever keeps the kid entertained.)

It's a tradition in our family that when my little girl is sick, she gets to watch a movie. We could have gone with her favorites, Ella Enchanted or Princess Mononoke, but I think we picked the right one considering the weather: The Santa Clause.

That's how April Fool's Day is going here. A blizzard, two fevers, a gimpy knee, and a Christmas movie. No joke.

So ... Happy April Fool's, AKA Christmas in April! May it be a merry one. 

How about you? Any good April Fool's Day jokes? How do you pass the time when your kids are sick?