21．"Mom，I don't like you；you're not pretty now，" my five-year-old son said to me one day.Being a mother of two kids under three has certainly kept me busy.In prioritizing my family's needs，my own needs are always postponed.
By the end of the day，when I finally have time to think about doing something for myself，I'm too tired.I reach for a glass of wine and sink down into the sofa to watch some mindless TV entertainment.I escape.I let myself daydream.
With each passing day，I lose myself just a little bit more.Long ago，I waved goodbye to the fun-loving person I once was and saw the dull version of my new self.
But something changed on the day my son told me I wasn't pretty.That night，in the mirror I noticed the light had gone out of my eyes.My kids had magical eyes.They shone with wonder，hope，and adventure.Contrarily，my eyes were dull.I once had light and a journal full of adventures.
Then，I decided to bring light back to my eyes.I listed new things to try before I turned forty years old.The first thing was participating in a Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics.I live in Minnesota and jumping into the middle of a frozen lake seems very appealing.On the morning of the Polar Plunge，I changed into my 1980s workout gear（健身裝備）.My son said， "Mom，you look pretty. "
But I hesitated when approaching the platform to take the leap into the frozen lake.Finally，I let go of my fear and got ready to
embrace the challenge.I felt happy and proud of myself as I came up from the lake.I kept screaming，"I did it!"
Everyone who participated in the Polar Plunge received a blue T-shirt.Whenever I wear that shirt，my sons stated， "Mommy，you're great.We want to do that，too".It makes me proud.
Slowly，I am returning.I am showing my family it's important to dream and achieve it.I reach out to my friends and family.I am rebuilding myself.
（1）What did the author often do at the end of the day？ （no more than 10 words）
（2）What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 6 mean？ （1 word）
（3）Why did the author participate in a Polar Plunge？ （no more than 15 words）
（4）How did the author's kids react to the author's change？ （no more than 10 words）
（5）What a life do you think the author is living now？Please give your reasons. （no more than 20 words）
