the twilight of my sleep
5:10 am
Very loud music interrupts my dream about me trying put fuzzy caterpillars back into a test tube in a hospital hallway. The caterpillars were unwilling. One tried but got stuck half in and half out. The rest attempted to make a run for it.
5:11 am
Music still blaring.
5:11:30 am
B: (Rolling over toward the nightstand and slapping at the alarm.)
Me: That’s some fancy song you’re playing.
B: (Nothing.)
7:00 am
Me: I wonder if B is still here. (Little did I know then that I received my first email from B’s office at 6:15 am)
7:01 am
Me: zzzzzzzzzzzz
7:15 am
Ash: Good morning, Mommy.
Me: Good morning, sweetie.
Ash: I had a really good dream last night. I had this elephant that only had one eye…
Me: zzzzzzzzzzzzz
7:18 am
Ash: Mommy, I said “good morning” to my lady bug. (She captured one in her room last night) He’s not moving. His leg is stretched out to the side. He must still be sleeping. Come look.
Me: (Knowing there’s no urgency). Let him sleep a few more minutes.
7:20 am
Ash: Mommy, I can’t find my dog ears. The one’s I got from Kitty’s house.
Me: They’re hanging on your closet door.
Ash: I looked there.
Me: They’re in the chair downstairs. (There’s only one chair to which I am referring, and that’s the one where she piles all her toys. A staging area, if you will, before the toys are transported back upstairs.)
Ash: I don’t want to go down there by myself.
Me: Give Mommy a few more minutes.
Ash: Two more minutes..
7:21 am
Ash: Mommy, I can’t find Sean.
Me: Huh?
Ash: Sean the Dog. I can’t find Sean.
Me: He’s in the chair downstairs.
Ash: Oh. (Pause) Get up Mommy.
Me: A couple more minutes.
7:25 am
Ash: Good morning, sleepyhead. Time to get up.
Me: Okay. A few more minutes.
Ash: Two more minutes. And that’s it.
7:30 am
Ash: Mommy, look at me.
Me: (Peeking with one eye)
Ash: See, I cut my hair.
Me: What did you do? (I open both eyes.)
Ash: I cut my hair right here. See…right here. (She points to the front.)
Me: (Putting my glasses on and straining to see just how much of her long, blond locks she hacked off with her zebra-handled safety scissors.) Why did you do that?
Ash: Because I think it looks cool.
Me: (Damage done. No urgency) Very cool. Please don’t cut off anymore. Let’s leave that to the professionals.
Ash: Okay, Mommy.
7:35 am
Ash: Here’s the hair I cut off. (She has it in her hand)
Me: What are you going to do with that?
Ash: I am going to make sweater for my bear.
Me: I don’t think there is enough to knit an entire sweater.
Ash: A small sweater. I think we should get out the sore.
Me: The sore?
Ash: Not sore, Mommy. SEW–ER!
Me: The sewing machine?
Ash: Yes, that’s it. You can sew a sweater for my bear.
Me: No, I don’t think so.
Ash: Okay. But you have to make me a dog costume. (Party at preschool next week.)
Me: Later, okay?
7:38 am
Ash: Good morning, sleepyhead. Time to get up.
Me: (Big sigh.)
Ash: (Pulling back the curtains right next to the bed.) See, the sun is up.
Me: Two more minutes.
Ash: And that’s it.
7:40 am
Ash: Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy…
Me: Sssshhhh.
Ash: Mommy, Mommy, Mommy…
7:41 am
I hear the click to the dog’s kennel, his door opening and him running toward my bed. That’ll do it. I throw back the covers and roll out of bed
Me: We need to get the dog outside.
Ash: (Giggling and dancing) Mommy's up, Mommy's up, Mommy's up…