A Musical Start to the Day...

At 5:30 am my body was curled around a pillow in my bed, but my mind was off in a faraway land that saw me scooping up a pile of runny poop off the bathroom floor... I wasn't quite sure whose it was, so I was cursing both my kids' names under my breath.

In the background I could hear Ellie screaming from her room, and I knew this part was out of the dream realm, and I rolled my eyes under their lids. If Ellie was in her room screaming, that could mean many things, none of which meant more sleep for me.

She could have puked in her bed again. She could be up and hollering for me to come and get her. She could have peed through her pull-up and all over her bed. Her nightlight could have burnt out. Her door may be closed all the way.

I rolled over and Eva was startled by the rustling of my sheets, and her arms flailed in her pack n play.... I was in jeopardy of having both of them awake so I tried to go back to sleep and pretend I didn't have kids.

I kept hearing the high-pitched shrieking and wondered how Ellie could keep it up that long, and why she hadn't just come in and gotten me by now.

I drifted off... And was immediately startled back awake by my alarm clock. I hate Marc Anthony at 6 am. I hadn't even heard the vibrations first like I usually do... From the living room now, the screaming continued. Ugh.

I flung off the covers and the cold air hit me. It made me have to pee. But first, to address the screaming. As I stood up to go check it out I glanced down at Eva in her pack n play. She was staring back up at me, her eyes big as quarters. I made a move for the door. She squawked.

"Fine, fine," I muttered and hooked her under one arm, burying my face in her hair. I carried her like a shield into the living room, not sure what kind of mayhem I would find.

I glanced around nervously. There was nothing. Ellie was sitting on the sofa, like usual. She did not look upset. She hadn't been crying. TV was on, vitamin consumed.

Everything looked normal. I squinted at Ellie and she looked up. "Hi, Mommy. Look at my whistle Papi got for me!"

Ah. I'd forgotten Papi had brought Ellie home some surprises in a plastic yellow hard hat. He'd shown me the night before when I'd staggered like a zombie into the kitchen to make Eva a bottle.

As a mother, I learn new things every day. Some lessons are deep and edifying, some are purely for survival.
Today's lesson:

Ungodly 5am screaming = pink whistle.