A tale of tails

I love boys. 
I live with a house full of them.

They cause me to grow in ways I never imagined. I mean, as a teenager with four sisters, I never imagined that I would delve into a world of slimy crawly creatures.


I remember the first time I squeamishly caught a frog in our flower beds in Memphis.

And the time I actually got bitten catching a lizard for a very curious four-year-old.

I consider it divine intervention that I have been transformed into a mom who finds these little tornadoes with mischievous smiles completely endearing.

Last Christmas, my mother-of-boys temperament was again tested when Dallin insisted that the only desire of his heart was a snake. Landon was just as excited to comply with his brother's wish. So a snake it was.

I don't know what came over me--maybe it was a void left when our sweet dog Molly died shortly after Christmas, or maybe it is just the unconquerable mother in me, but (as I should have predicted) it didn't take long to figure out that only I can dangle a frozen mouse by its tail with just the right amount of realism to convince our fussy King Tut to eat.

How did this happen? How did I become the life sustaining provider for a snake?

Feeding time is thankfully infrequent. Last week Dallin again got a mouse out of the freezer and submerged it in a cup of warm water to thaw it out--as is the usual procedure. And once again, he convinced me to take the unlucky dinner morsel by its tail and entice the snake to eat. All is well, King Tut is full for a good couple of weeks.

The next morning, as I began to clean up the mound of dishes waiting for me by the sink, I found myself overwhelmed with thirst. I mean, I guzzled three cups of water before I even stopped to breathe. 

Wait a minute...was this cup just...Oh it couldn't be...No I must be mistaken...

I think I might dry heave...

I'm not sure I can survive these boys after all.

Any one know if dead mouse water has any nutritional benefits?