Conversations in the Dark

5:15: Elder Kitty knocks book off shelf, waking Piers so as to be fed.
5:16: Piers walks to hall bathroom to feed Elder and Watermelon Kitties, waking Little Red.
5:17: Piers thinks: crap. Now what?? I'm trapped between the kitty food and a crying toddler!
5:19: Piers walks back to his bed & crawls in, trying to be quiet.
5:20: Little Red displeased. Continues to voice displeasure for several minutes.

Spouse murmurs: "perhaps we should pull his door to?"
(pause)
(more grouching)
Spouse says: "so should I go do it, then?"
Big Brother: "Little Red. What's the matter?" (voice coming from Little Red's room.)
(pause)
(crying)
Big Brother: "ooooh. You can't see." *light in Little Red's room clicks on*

5:25: Big Brother's little piping voice reading alphabet book to Little Red, who is making encouraging noises, like "geeehhhhh" and "blaaagggahhhhlaagggghhhh"

Spouse laughs. Quietly.
Piers laughs. Quietly.
Big Brother (now evidently in parent bedroom): "mommehh."
Spouse: "yes?"
Big Brother: "Little Red wants to get up."
*sigh*

5:30: next thing Piers knows, there are two little squirrelly wiggle-worms in his bed.
Guess it's time to get up, then.

(yes, I know that Polar Bears and Penguins occupy separate hemispheres, except in the case of zoos.)