April Fools!

Since I work at a school, I knew to be very leary of kids trying to pull April Fool's jokes yesterday on April 1.

My daughter tried hard to get me. Her teacher had poured jell-o in cups to make it look like kool-aid to drink when in fact, it was solid! It inspired the whole class to try to pull jokes on each other. So, Anna even tried to get me a time or two with, "MOM! There a spider on you!" The first time she said it, I flinched and got, "April Fool's!" The second time was in the car, and I didn't believe her but checked my hand for a spider - just in case - and got, "Made ya look!"

Well, after dinner, Anna and I were sitting on the couch together. She was working on a "Sailor's Log," kids' devotional journal which she was supposed to be taking to our children's program at church that night. I was helping her on a review section that she didn't understand.

As I watched her work, I looked over and saw a SPIDER ON HER HEAD!!!!!!!! No kidding!! No April Foolin'! It was about 2 or 3 inches in circumference, just crawling right up her hair near her ear. My reaction in emergencies is usually not calm, which is why I am not a nurse or paramedic! I generally panic, which is just what I did.

Without warning, I grabbed Anna's book, yelled, "ANNA!" and whacked her - hard - on the side of the head! Anna, not knowing what I was doing, since I hadn't mentioned the spider, thought I was mad at her for some reason and had lost all my senses. Since she couldn't figure out what she had done wrong to make me get so upset that I spontaneously hit her with a book, she began to cry. I was still chasing that spider, which had fallen on Anna's shoulder and then on to the couch after the initial blow. At last I was finally able to say, "SPIDER! SPIDER!" and then she understood: I was mad at a spider, not at her.

After the spider was finally killed and disposed of properly, I was able to explain, hug, and apologize to my little girl. She forgave me for whacking her like that. She totally understood about the spider though. Guess the joke was on her!!??!