Getting fooled by a well-crafted and outrageous April Fools joke is exhilarating!  That happened to me last year.  The mastermind was my sister JoAnn.  She had every detail and angle sewn up.  She knew my weak spot and pounced.  I will never forget it.  I believe it is the best April Fools joke ever.  She is my hero.

First, JoAnn started her ruse early in the morning.  Just like D-day, she knew I would have brain fog when she stormed my beach.  I did not even have my coffee yet.  Second, she tugged at my heartstrings.  So evil.  She was the big bad wolf dressed like sweet granny.  This is what she texted me:

Micki.  In order to encourage Dad to keep going and to pick up his spirits, I dyed dad’s hair black like he had when he was a kid.  He loves it!  Come over and see it!

Are you kidding me????  My mind started racing.  My heart started pounding.  My eyes began to water.  My sister defiled my Dad!!!  I never knew him without his gray hair.  He is 93 years old, for goodness sakes!  Dark hair will look crazy!  And then this totally dawned on me and my heart sank to my knees:

WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF DAD’S ROOTS!!!!  

Yep.  His roots.  His roots were my biggest concern.  But hey.  My roots are my biggest concern, and now my Dad will have black hair and white roots in a matter of days!   What was JoAnn thinking?  Why did she not ask us sisters first?

With that one foolish unilateral act, my anger began to grow toward my sister.  She is the dumbest human to walk the planet.  In what world was that a good idea?  And, do not give me the “dad likes it” crap.  Dad is not the one who will have to take care of it, or look at its ridiculousness as we speak.  She made Dad into a laughing stock monster.

I then received the following text:

I wanted to laugh.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to punch JoAnn.  Brilliant.  She got me.  She got me good.  I will never be that clever.  She is my hero.

I come from a family of clowns.  Not literally.  But my mom was funny and she passed it down.  Life is better with humor.  Humor is one big pearl.

For the second part of the story.  JoAnn calls me this morning.  She tells me this:

“Dad’s neighbor, George, works at the Lincoln Park Zoo.  He brought home two monkeys dressed in bunny ears and carrying Easter baskets.  They are hilarious!  He must of brought them home for the grandkids.  Anyway, they will only be here a few hours.  Come over and see them!”

Oh no, you big Bozo!  Do you honestly think I forgot about last year?  No way.  I did not bite.  But my sister, Betsy, did!  And hearing about Betsy’s reaction had me crying.  Betsy instructed JoAnn not to bring bananas without asking George first.  Monkeys can get frenzied if you show them something they cannot have, she warned!  That’s right.  I went to roots and Betsy went to banana frenzy!

Again, JoAnn is my hero.