I’m not much of a prankster. Maybe I just have an underdeveloped sense of humor, or maybe I’m too kindhearted to target my friends and family for practical jokes. Maybe I’m just lacking in imagination. Whatever the reason, before I met my husband, April 1^st was just another day to me, and would often pass without any reference to April Fool’s Day. But they say opposites attract, and when it comes to practical jokes, my husband and I definitely fit that bill. And our children seem to be taking after their father in this regard, so by March 31^st, I’m jumpier than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

 

But this year, I’m determined to one up my husband and my children. On most days and in most cases, I really do try to set a good example for my family. I want to be a loving mother and giving partner for my spouse. I’m striving for a happy home, with financial security, healthy habits, and plenty of love and compassion. That being said, this Wednesday I will be sneaking out of bed early to set the clocks an hour ahead, remove batteries from controllers, and store paper cups full of confetti precariously atop doorways. There will be poppers, food coloring, and plastic wrap. While most days I try to maintain some sort of order and peace within my home, this Wednesday I will be the queen of chaos, though it will be a very gentle natured sort of chaos. And there will be Barbies in Daddy’s car…lots of Barbies.

I’ve blogged before about making room in your budget for the “extras”, and about the little bumps and obstacles that we all meet with as we strive for financial health and success. Sometimes we’re all a little foolish with our money, because even after we learn the difference between what we WANT and what we NEED, we still want things. So maybe this week is a good time to cut ourselves a little slack, to be a little silly, or dare I say, a little foolish. Maybe that means a dinner out or a trip to the movie theater. For me, that means I splurged on silly string and am sacrificing a bag of perfectly good onions to make caramel “apples”. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.