Tickle and Faye

I guess it's time to introduce Tickle and Faye . . .  the latest members of the Walding household. I didn't want to rush into it, because they were so young and their introduction to our *zoo* so traumatic, I couldn't be sure they'd survive. They made their grand entrance when their tree-trunk home, located some 23 or 24 feet above ground hit the dirt with a resounding Whump!

We were removing a few trees to allow sunshine into our garden. (As well as supply ourselves with firewood for next season) when the gentlemen doing the job offered to push over an old tree that had been dead for years. The tree cracked in half as it hit, revealing a hollowed out spot and a baby squirrel. He grabbed it and brought it to my husband, who rushed to the house.

I questioned whether there might others, because they usually come in litters of two or three. "No" I was assured, there were no more. The men were interested in getting back to the job at hand. At my insistence, they searched the hollow spot again and found another.Thoughts of a third baby would not let me rest until I'd thoroughly searched for myself. Finally satisfied and absolutely freezing, I trudged back to the house to attend to my two new babies.

A boy and a girl, as I fed and nurtured them, I began calling them Brother and Sister. This soon morphed into Larry (my late brother) and Faye-Girl (dh's sister). And so, they were named Larry and Faye-Squirrel.

Until Larry began taking his formula. I laughed aloud at the way he smacked his lips (for lack of a better description). Do you remember Tickle Me Elmo? And the way he looked when he was laughing? That was Larry!

Tickle, AKA Elmo, opened his eyes on Sunday, which makes it a whole lot easier to feed him. Here it is Wednesday and Faye-Squirrel is still groping at her milk supply and getting it all over herself and me. I'm on the receiving end of unbridled razzing from the guys about boys being faster than girls.

Anybody have any good come-backs for that? Something that will really zap the guys?