The crying game

Today, Peanut woke up at 4:30.

4-fucking-30.

A. M. !!!!

She was in a pretty good mood for, oh, about two hours. Then, it was a whole lotta whining and crying and complaining for the next 10. Around 4 p.m., she finally fell asleep, which was a mixed blessing, because at that point she wanted to keep right on sleeping until tomorrow morning.

Waking her up was a Herculean effort involving more crying, whining and complaining (and that was mostly from us).

But what was the alternative? Let her sleep so that tomorrow she can get up at 3 a.m.? (Or worse??)

After getting her sitting in a somewhat upright at the table and coercing her into choking down some eggs and toast (perhaps serving her breakfast might fool her system into thinking it was now time to be awake?), we brushed her teeth (she cried because she didn’t want Mark to do it) and then put on her PJs (more crying, because a certain pair were in the laundry).

And Loaf was no picnic either by this point. She too was quite tired and trying her best to take top place in the Gav family’s “most annoying child of the day” contest.

I decided at this point to let them watch a movie. I figured, best case, it would keep them awake for an additional 90 minutes, which might, maybe put them back on a normal sleep schedule. And worst case? They fall asleep on the couch in 10 minutes, but at least I don’t have deal with them anymore.

So into the DVD player went Ratatouille. Only Loaf, didn’t want to watch Ratatouille. So of course, she started crying.

Again.

And Peanut wanted milk, but instead of asking, she launched right into tears.

Again.

Mark and I stood in front of the TV, arms crossed, like two pissed off prison guards.

“No movie until you stop crying,” Mark warned. “Do you want to watch the movie or do you want to sit there and cry?”

“I want cry,” Loaf stated, boldly looking back at him. And Peanut agreed nonverbally, sitting on the couch wailing, tears streaming down her red face.

Me?

I had to leave the room to hide the fact that I was shaking with laughter. I’m not quite sure that’s the response he was expecting. I guess you have to at least respect the fact that even at their young ages, they know what they want in life.