Today's conversations about the ideal April Fools' Day joke reveal quite a bit about the (very different) ways in which Claire and Margot approach the world.
On our way into school, Margot and I stopped in to visit her teacher from last year, to whom we were delivering a sugar brioche from our local bakery. Miss Shea asked Margot if she had an April Fools' joke planned for her current teacher, Ms. Cable. Margot enthuisastically responded that she did. She then described the joke: "First, I will say, 'Ms. Cable, I am going to bring you a treat from the bakery tomorrow.' Then I will say, 'April Fools!! I have the treat for you right now!!' and I will give her a sugar brioche! Isn't that a great joke?!"
About five minutes later I was out on the playground saying goodbye to Claire. We were chatting with my friend Susan and her daughters, who were telling us about a series of funny and cute pranks they'd played on each other that morning. I explained the "joke" that Margot was planning to play on Ms. Cable, and then we made the mistake of asking Claire if she had an April Fools' joke in mind for her teacher.
Claire: "Yes, I do."
Susan: "Oh, what is it?"
Claire: "I'm going to pour glue all over her chair."
Me (horrified): "Claire, you can't do that. It's totally inappropriate."
Claire: (silence)
Me: "Claire, you can't do something like that. Ms. Ciardi would be very upset."
Claire: (silence)
Me: "Claire, I'm serious. That is not funny."
Claire: "Well, I think it's pretty funny."
