Friday Flashback

I have very rarely written things down. Even the important things. I think I'll write them down later, but later never comes. So since it's Friday, I decided I'd do a little flashback to something I DID actually write down.

This was an experience I had over a year ago, so Parks was 2. I was still getting little sleep with Maddie waking up several times a night. Sleep was a very valuable commodity; still is. I felt like I could never get enough. After reading back through this, I've come to a conclusion: Parks is a morning person. He still regularly gets up between 5:30 and 6 in the morning. I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it (*sigh*). So, without further adieu: Friday Flashback!

"Who Rules This Roost?"

My children are roosters. I know technically that roosters are male,but I tell you what, I definitely have a male AND a female. Of course, a rooster's job is to wake up the rest of the farm, and my roosters do it very well.

For some reason my two little roosters haven't decided yet whose job it is to wake everyone up. I think they must sit down and have a conference and randomly pick which day is best for them. Monday is Maddie's day every other week but only during November. Parks has Tuesdays and Thursdays but only when it's snowing. Somehow they figure it out so that a rooster crows at a different time each day.

Usually it's somewhere between 5:30 and 6 in the morning before the sun has even started to think about rising. My little roosters must not have gone to rooster school, or they would know that they're not supposed to start crowing until they can see the sun. I've tried to teach them this over and over, but it just goes in one feathered ear and right out the other. Our conversations go a bit like this:

Parks: Mom. I awake.

Me: That's nice Parks, but it's not time to be up yet. It's 5:30.

Parks: Aaaaaahhh!

At this point, Maddie the rooster is awakened by Parks the rooster's cries. So now we have two roosters, battling to rule the roost. While one rooster continues crowing, I try to get the other to see the light of day.

Parks: AAAAAAAHHHH!

Me: Parks, is that the way we act?

Parks: MY AWAKE!

Me: I can see that Parks, but look outside, it's not light yet.

Parks: It dark.

Me: Yes, it is dark. That means it's time to go back to sleep.

Parks: OK. My turn a light off.

Me: OK, sleep good.

At this point Parks the rooster pretends like he'll go to sleep. He'll snuggle down into the covers, close his eyes, the whole nine yards. I ruffle his feathered head and make my way out of his room. Maddie the rooster continues to crow until I go in and give her the same speech. Luckily she settles down for awhile. I make my way back to my bed and hunker down. I feel quite snug knowing I put those two roosters in their place. That is, until I feel some gamish presence staring at me. I slowly open my eyes and see Parks the rooster there, yet again.

Parks: My awake.

Me: I see that, Parks.

Parks: My awake.

Me: Yes. I know, it's time for sleep.

This sequence continues until after about 4 or 5 rounds, I give up and the rooster wins. He gets to watch a "hoe" on "too-vee-vee" while I try to catch a few more minutes of shut-eye. I slowly drift off to sleep to the sounds of "Clifford, The Big Red Dog" and try not to dream of big red dogs, or roosters. What a way to start the day.