Little One #2, sensing the presence of Daytime Dad in the room, rolls over in her crib and shoves a patch of her curls out of her still-sleepy eyes.
She grunts, tries to stand, then falls back into the mattress.
She grunts again, this time with the fury of an untamed animal, and “jail break,” as Daytime Dad calls it, begins.
The jail break, you ask?
It occurs up to three times a day — at morning awakening and twice at naps.
Little One #2, upon arising from what are predominately deep sleeps, is in quite a rush to flee the crib as if it were, well, a jail break.
And, because few prisoners act alone, she’s determined to help the helpless.
She grabs a hold of “Blankey,” a blue-and-white knit blanket that is more a survival tool for her and anyone responsible for her.
She grabs a hold of it, pushing her minuscule fingers through the holes, and shoves it over the crib’s drop side with impressive force.
With Blankey freed, a more determined Little One #2 gains momentum and turns her attention to a stuffed dog.
She picks it up by its face and heaves out of the crib.
“Get them all!” Daytime Dad yells. “Quick, free them all!”
She needs no motivation.
A stuffed sheep is next to go. Elmo, a matchbox car (why is that even in the crib, Daytime Dad wonders) and a stuffed crab follow the sheep and Blankey to freedom.
“You did it!” Daytime Dad says.
Little One # 2 claps her hands, then stretches them out. It is finally her time to flee.
Daytime Dad picks her up, plants a kiss on her forehead and gently puts her down.
Smiling and satisfied, she scampers out of the room, another successful jail break completed.