Wakey Wakey

It’s 6:20 AM, still dark outside, although the blackness is beginning to turn gray.  I creep into Maddie’s room.  Maddie is fast asleep, mouth open, arms tossed overhead, legs tangled in her quilt.  Peacefully dreaming, holding on to a corner of the pink blankie, always.  I open her closet door to find her clothes for the day, and as I do so, I begin softly speaking.  “Maadddddie,”, I sweetly coo, “wakey wakey.  Time to get up.  Wake up, sunshine.”  I peek out of the corner of my eye as I rummage through her drawer for purple socks.  She is unmoving, too tired to rouse.  “Maddie, love.  Morning, sunshine.”  A little louder this time.  “Time to get up, honey.”  Nope, not a sliver of movement.

I walk over to her bed and sit.  Wiping a stray hair out of her face, I whisper, “Mads, it’s time to get up, lovey.  Time for school.  Wakey wakey.”  She sighs and pulls blankie up closer for comfort.  “Madeline….. time to get up, sweetheart.”  Is that a snore I hear?  I give her a little shake.  A bigger shake.  

Five more minutes of coos, rubs, soft kisses, gentle pleas.   

“Maddie!  Wake up!”.  I rip the blankets off her.  “Maddie!”  She grunts and rolls over.  “We have to get up!”

…………….

15 minutes later, Maddie is finally awake.  

I cross the hall to Katie’s room and open her bedroom door.  Her room is dark, blinds closed.  She sleeps face-down in her crib with her diapered butt shoved high in the air.  “Katiebug,” I whisper.  Katie sits up, plucks her paci out of her mouth, smiles, and says, “HI!”.  Laughing, I pick her up for a morning hug.  “Mama!” Katie squeals.

Like night and day, they are. 

Our day has begun. 

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