Digi, Mummy and Daddy are lying on the big bed, preparing for Digi's bedtime (pyjamas, brushing teeth etc). All of a sudden, Monoby the cat appears in the bedroom, emitting fierce muffled growls. Bam the cat is also there, quite interested in what Monoby is doing. I look up, expecting to see some poor hapless bird or mouse stuffed in her mouth*. Not today - dangling from her mouth is a very confused looking baby rabbit, who has realised that dangling from a cat's mouth is clearly not a viable position for him, with respect to continuing to be a rabbit in the long term.
Monoby sees me get up. She sees Bam hovering, wanting a piece of the action. She darts quickly under the bed, where she remains, growling. I grab a long pole (the one we use for opening the skylights), and “gently” coax her out. She takes a lot of coaxing. Eventually, she leaps out from under the bed, rabbit flailing around wildly in her jaws, darts out of the bedroom, along the hallway, and into the spare room. She is cornered.
By the time I manage to separate her from her quarry, the rabbit is dead. Though, I notice, it is still quite cute, and very rabbitty. So gathering it up in a plastic bag, I take it to Tosha and Digi. Part of me wonders whether this is something best kept from a 2 year old (especially just before bedtime), so I ask Tosha for a second opinion.
“Do you think Digi would like to see the rabbit”, I murmur.
“Yes, I expect so”, answers Tosha, “Digi, would you like to see the bunny rabbit”.
Digi comes to see, and peers at the bunny corpse. His face looks slightly concerned, yet interested.
“That's what naught Monoby did to the poor rabbit! Naughty Monoby”, I say. Tosha immediately flashes me a glance, indicating that I've said something terribly wrong.
“Look at the baby bunny Digi!”, she quickly interjects, “He's sleeping!”.
Digi looks again at the dead rabbit. His eyes are full of understanding. He isn't buying the “sleeping” explanation one bit.
“I don't like that one, Daddy” he said. “That one's not nice”
*This has become something of a hobby for her, and she dutifully brings them upstairs, and leaves bits on the carpet. Not many bits, mind you - most get eaten. For the last couple of days, i've had to clear up a tiny ball of mouse intestines, next to a tiny mouse face. Not a mouse head you understand, but a mouse face.
One of the odd things about kids, is that no matter what time you put them to bed, or how tired they are, they always wake up at around 6.15 in the morning, want to climb into your bed, and crawl around (optionally screaming and trying to poke your eyes out). Sometimes (if they are of a talking age), they will say things like “I get all nice and warm!” or “I want to play GripShift”. It is impossible to sleep through this.
However, one strategy that you can use (taken from the book “How to use a TV as a substitute parent”), is to turn on CBeebies - this will captivate littlies, who will cease their noise and poking, and will instead become transfixed by Balamory or something for a few minutes. Whilst this will not allow you to actually go back to sleep, it will allow you to get a few additional moments of rest.
There is a hefty price to pay though : CBeebies programmes have very catchy and irritating songs, which lodge themselves into your consciousness and spoil your day. This morning, it was Tikkabilla, and I'm in the mood for some funny tummy food. Argh. At least it wasn't Trugging Along from Bits and Bobs (which was yesterday's treat)….