April Fool's Day in my family

April Fool's Day is rich in tradition and memories for my family. Why? Because my family loves to laugh together. Because we always believed that people are at their best when they're laughing. So, every April 1st, my parents would celebrate the day by bringing out the best in their children...through laughter.

One year, my mother woke us up and told us that there was a dinosaur in the backyard. We ran to the window and saw my father in a dinosaur costume, stomping and roaring around the garden. My four year old sister was so scared that she lost the ability to speak and is now a ward of the state. I laughed and laughed, mainly because I knew then that, even at the age of four, my sister was a colossal bitch.

The next year, my sister and I woke up and we couldn't find our parents. We found a note that said "Went time traveling. See you in the year 3000." I took that as an opportunity to play with fire. My parents were actually in the bushes outside the house, but were too late to stop the flames from spreading.

You would think that the tragedy associated with April Fool's Day would have dissuaded by parents, but, as they always said: "You only get rid of bad memories with good ones." So the next year they changed all the furniture in the house while we were sleeping and had friends of theirs come over. When we came downstairs, my parents friends asked us what we were doing in their house. I grabbed my sister's hand and ran for the door. The police found us three days later living in a drainage pipe eating garbage.

My parents are older now and my sister and I have long since left home. But I hope to give my children the same joy that my parents gave me every April 1st. I love you guys!