One of my friends told me a story this past summer and I found it hysterical. I make her repeat this story to everyone. It goes like this:
Her neighbor (a man) has this son that likes animals and as so they have cats, dogs, a mouse, some birds, lizards and a squirrel.
The man tells the story that one day late last fall, he went out onto their patio to find the squirrel in his cage - dead. He said he looked at the pitiful creature and all he could think about was how disappointed his little son would be to find his squirrel had died. So ... he pulled the limp rodent from the cage and began to perform CPR by pushing on his little chest and blowing air into its mouth. Suddenly ... the squirrel came to life. The man was very proud and happy he had saved his son's pet.
A few days later ... he went out to his patio to check on the animals and again found the squirrel lying lifeless in his cage and so he quickly pulled the animal out and performed CPR. Once again, he revived the animal and was very pleased with himself.
The third time this happened, a few days later, he said ... "It finally occurred to me that I was bringing the squirrel ... every three days or so ... out of hibernation." He was then - not so proud.
This is the story of my life. Everyday I go along trying to breathe life into myself and my family. And every three days or so, I realize that I am simply bringing a squirrel out of hibernation. Well ... not a squirrel, really ... but sometimes it sure feels like that.
On the upside ... Okay ... sorry about the ridiculous picture - I couldn't resist!!
(You should have seen Alexis when she first saw this ridiculous squirrel. She said, "What's that - pointing at the you-know-whats," and I said, "They are his, you know, his little ... nuts." She was sitting on my bed with me and she threw herself back on the pillow and began to laugh so hard (a real laugh) and it made me ... throw myself back on my pillow and ... laugh and laugh and laugh. It was so funny. I don't know if she ever realized what those things really are, but she found it all very, very funny - as did I. I'm such a good mother.