Disappointment

I expect Snavy and I will wind up sharing all manner of lunacy perpetrated by our kids and husbands. I certainly know that my children and husband could easily share any number of anecdotes about things I have done to make them crazy. Dinner table discussions at my house are great fodder for new material, they are also the setting for the retelling of lots of looney stories from the past. My kids like to hear stories of funny things they did when they were smaller (they are now 14, 12, and 10) and they BEG for "Little Mommy" stories because I indulge them with some tale of my own stupidity or some fond memory. To show you how far back my own insanity can be traced, I present you with their favorite tale.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Michelle. She lived in a house in the country where the woods stretched behind and fields stretched before. In the house next door lived a big girl named Beth. Michelle was 4 and Beth was 10 but they were the best of friends. They both had long black hair and big brown eyes and liked to pretend they were really sisters. Michelle thought Beth was amazing and wanted to be just like her. If Beth wanted to play checkers, Michelle wanted to play checkers. If Beth wanted to hike in the woods, Michelle wanted to hike in the woods. If Beth wanted to play dress up, Michelle wanted to play dress up.

One day Beth had an accident and broke her leg. She came back from the doctor with a bright white cast that stretched from her foot to her thigh. She had drawings and notes written all over her cast already and gave Michelle a marker saying, "Wanna draw on my cast?" Michelle had never seen such a marvelous thing. Michelle loved to draw and Beth had her very own cast she could carry with her all the time and draw on whenever she wanted. Michelle eagerly took the marker and drew a big heart right over Beth's knee because she loved Beth and she loved this cast.

Now Michelle was just sure she had to find a way to get a cast of her own so she asked Beth how she was so lucky to get this marvelous cast. Beth told her the sad tale. Michelle was sorry her friend had been hurt but was still infatuated with the portable canvas. She began to concoct a plan.

The next day, while her father was at work and her mother took care of the baby, Michelle climbed to the top of the tree in her front yard. She crouched on a shakey branch and held on to another. She looked up, then down. Her heart pounded in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut. She drew a breath. She jumped!

The crash had knocked the wind out of her and she giggled delightedly when she could breath again. Surely, she had done some real damage! She limped happily to the kitchen and announced with a smile, "Mommy, I broke my leg!" Her mother checked her leg, moving it, squeezing it, asking Michelle to walk on it. She comforted Michelle saying, "It's only a bruise, maybe a little sprain. Here is an ice pack." Michelle wailed in bitter disappointment.

Yeah, I've been nuts a long time!