Tales of a Platypus:

   The newest obsession in our home is the book, "Five Little Monkeys".  I am required to sing it in the car, in the kitchen, and during diaper changes. J reads it out loud to little sister, A, before naptime and before bed. They shout it in unison while I fetch toast in the morning.
    And now, they have turned it into performance art.

   Rehearsals go like this:

   (Center stage, two small children jump up and down on a toddler bed with enthusiasm.)
    Children: "Four-liddle-monkeees-jumpin'-on-da-bed!"
    (Enter Mother, stage right.)
    Mother: "Absolutely not! Get down at once!"
    (Children collapse into angelic sitting poses and display their innocence with large grins.)
    Mother: "No more jumping on the bed!"
    (Mother exits, pursues laundry)
    (Children wait until she is gone. Then they stand and begin to jump on the creaking mattress again.)
    Children: "Momma-call-da-doctor-and-da-doctor-says - NO MORE MONKEEYS JUMPIN' ON DA BED!"
    Mother (off stage) : "You know that sound travels, right? I can hear you!"


   Needless to say, it's riveting. And since Mother is willing to enter, say her lines at the appropriate moment, and then exit with an optimistic view of her offspring's obedience, the Children are usually able to get down to "One-monkey-jumpin'-on-da-bed" before they are sent to separate rooms for Consequences.