April Fool's Day Story

April Fool's Day!
One of the earliest recorded origins of this day will set the stage for our stories and puppet shows this Friday..
Taken from All year Round by Ann Druitt
The custom of playing tricks on April Fool's Day goes back more than 200 years...It commemorates the birthday, on April 1, 1752, of Olaf Toyou, the first born son of Hungarian fisher folk.

When Olaf was 6 months old, a violent earthquake struck far out in the Mediterranean. Olaf was sleeping in a cradle slung from the branch of a tree while his mother tended to nets nearby..

The turbulent sea raced up the beach so quickly and quietly that she didn't notice that the waves had carried Olaf away until it was too late...she ran to save her son, but all she found in the cradle was a small fish..

She ran to find her husband, shrieking that their baby was gone! While her back was turned, a second tidal wave miraculously returned the baby to the cradle and retrieved the fish. When the husband inspected the cradle only to find his son, wet, but unharmed, he berated his wife as a fool! She, however, remained convinced that her son had the power to turn himself into a fish at will!

To this day, people in France must beware of turning their backs on April 1st....they may later discover a paper fish pinned to their jacket and realize with embarrassment that they have become the 'Poisson d'Avril'... ('April Fish')

yes, that is a cleaned out avocado for the cradle!
I am excited to present this story to the children...

Our homecare program is going well; I am enjoying myself so very much.
Kind of silly, but I sat in the kitchen yesterday, drying dishes with the children, and I thought to myself..."This is the life!" The afternoon sun was streaming through the windows and I just couldn't think of a more perfect place in the world for myself.

oiling wooden bowls