Their chatter in the early morning gets a little louder, and more demanding as the sun rises higher. They hear the least subtle move. When I sit up in bed, fluff a pillow, attempt to sleep a little longer, they get a little louder. "Let us out! We want to play!" Well, they don't actually say that, but it's pretty clear what those calls mean.
I get up, let them out to play. They call to one another, "Come out! Come out!", until all four are out and buzzing the room. Flitting from playgym to playgym. I turn on the radio, or a CD for them. And, sometimes, I go back to bed for a while and listen to them play as I close my eyes a bit longer. Occasionally, on a gray, sunless day, they will sleep in a bit, and I may actually have to wake them.
They keep me company as I get ready for work. Tori loves to sit on my shoulder, arm or hand while I blow-dry my hair. Sometimes Pumpkin joins him. Some days even Miss Pixel wants in on the fun. I don't know why they like it so much. Is it the sound of the hair dryer they like? I use a diffuser, and I don't point it in their direction, so it's not the blowing air. Or maybe they just want to distract me. Because by the time I've dried my hair, it will not be long before I tuck them back into their houses for the day while I go off to work.
As soon my husband or I arrive home we let them out to play again. They can hear the key turn in the lock and start calling to be let out. They play. They snack. They chase each other around. Take turns landing on my head while I'm at the computer. Throw their toys on the floor. Jump in the "swimming pool" I put out for them. Sing along with the radio or CD, sit together and have parakeet conversations, take a nap. Sometimes one or two will nap on my shoulder, softly chirping with contentment now and then.
When I put on a new CD Tori and Pumpkin often run over to the CD player to watch and see what I'm doing. Waiting for the music to start again. They have favorites, believe it or not. A most recent is a New Orleans tribute CD. Others are Iris Dement, Van Morrison, David Gray, and some compilations I've put together. They have a special Night-Night CD of celtic music I put together for Tori and Pumpkin when it was just the two of them. I put it on when I'm getting them ready for bed. They know it's Night-Night music. Once it is on they are ready to go inside and be tucked in for the night. It's amazing.
Sometimes I'll be at the computer a little longer than they would like, once they've gone into bed, and I'll realize that one of them is yelling at me to "turn the damn thing off". So, I'll turn it off and say goodnight, and off they go to dreamland.
They are remarkable creatures. Angels do have wings.
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