The sun peeked through the curtains, painting golden stripes across the bedroom wall. Birds chirped cheerfully outside, announcing the start of another bright and lively day. For little Lala, mornings always felt like the best time to play. Her mind was already buzzing with ideas, games, and laughter. But there was one problem—Dad was still snoring under the blanket.
“Hmm,” Lala muttered, placing her tiny hands on her hips. “Dad always says mornings are for adventures, but now he’s sleeping like a bear in winter!”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. If Dad wouldn’t wake up on his own, then she would have to come up with a plan. Not just any plan—a mischievous plan!
Phase One: The Soft Approach
Lala tiptoed over to Dad’s side of the bed. She climbed up carefully, her little feet sinking into the mattress as if it were a fluffy trampoline. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “Daaad, time to wake up. Let’s play!”
But Dad only grumbled, rolled to the other side, and tucked the blanket over his head.
Lala puffed her cheeks. “Okay, fine. You want to play hard to wake? Challenge accepted!”
Phase Two: The Feather Tickles
Lala raced to her toy box and pulled out a pink feather from her costume set. She grinned like a clever fox. “No one can sleep through the tickle attack!”
She crept back and gently brushed the feather across Dad’s nose. His lips twitched, his nose wiggled, but he didn’t wake up. She tried again, tickling under his chin this time. Dad sneezed loudly, making Lala burst into giggles.
But to her surprise, after the sneeze, Dad simply turned over and continued his deep snoring.
“Unbelievable!” Lala gasped. “Even the feather of doom doesn’t work!”
Phase Three: The Sound Strategy
“Maybe he needs music,” Lala thought. She dashed to her shelf and pulled out her small drum and toy trumpet. Climbing onto the bed again, she tapped the drum with all her energy.
BOOM-BOOM!
TOOT-TOOT!
The room filled with a wild parade of sound. Even the cat, who had been napping in the corner, jumped and ran away.
Dad groaned and mumbled, “Five more minutes…” before burying his head deeper into the pillow.
Lala dropped the drumsticks dramatically. “Five more minutes? Dad, it’s already five minutes plus five minutes plus another five minutes! That’s way too many!”
Phase Four: The Sneaky Snack Plan
A new idea popped into her head. She remembered how much Dad loved the smell of fresh toast and orange juice in the morning.
She waddled into the kitchen, dragging a stool. With careful concentration, she placed bread into the toaster, poured juice into a cup, and arranged everything on a tray. The toast popped, golden and crispy, and the orange juice sparkled like sunshine.
“Perfect!” she said, balancing the tray in her little hands.
Back in the bedroom, she placed it right under Dad’s nose. “Sniff-sniff, Dad! Wake up! Breakfast is here!”
Dad stirred, sniffed, and even smacked his lips. Lala thought she’d won—until Dad sleepily reached for the toast, took a bite with his eyes still closed, and kept on dozing.
Her jaw dropped. “He can eat and sleep at the same time? Dad’s superpowers are unstoppable!”
Phase Five: The Big Mischief
If feathers, music, and snacks couldn’t do it, then Lala needed her biggest, silliest idea yet. She grinned like a mastermind.
She gathered supplies: a handful of stickers, her water bottle filled with cold water, and her favorite teddy bear. With everything ready, she declared, “Operation Wake-Up Bear begins!”
First, she plastered colorful stickers all over Dad’s arms and face. Then she carefully placed the teddy bear on his chest, whispering, “Guard him, Mr. Teddy.”
Finally, she lifted her water bottle. “This is it. The ultimate wake-up move!”
She sprinkled just a few drops of cold water on Dad’s cheek.
Dad flinched, rubbed his face, and opened one eye. “What… what’s going on here?”
Lala gasped and clapped her hands. “It worked! Dad’s awake! Playtime starts now!”
Dad’s Counterattack
But Dad wasn’t going to give up so easily. With a sly grin, he suddenly stretched his arms and scooped Lala into a big bear hug.
“Caught you, little mischief maker!” he laughed, tickling her sides.
Lala shrieked with giggles, wriggling like a fish. “Nooo, Dad! This was supposed to be my plan, not yours!”
Dad chuckled, sitting up with his hair messy and stickers still stuck to his face. “You tried feathers, drums, snacks, and even water? You must really want to play.”
“Yes!” Lala nodded eagerly. “It’s morning, and mornings are for fun!”
The Grand Playtime
Dad stretched, yawned, and finally gave in. “Alright then, Captain Mischief. What’s the plan for today’s playtime?”
Lala bounced on the bed, her excitement bubbling over. “Let’s build the tallest pillow castle in the world! And then we can have a tea party with the teddy bears, and then play hide-and-seek, and then—”
Dad laughed, raising his hands in surrender. “Whoa, slow down, Lala. One adventure at a time!”
Together they piled pillows into a mountain fortress. Dad pretended to be the giant trying to invade, while Lala defended her castle with a toy sword. Their laughter filled the room louder than any drum or trumpet could.
After the castle game, they set up a tea party, where teddy bears wore sticker crowns, and Dad had to sip imaginary tea from a tiny plastic cup.
Finally, they played hide-and-seek, with Lala hiding behind curtains and under tables, giggling loudly each time Dad pretended not to see her.
The Sweet Ending
By the time the clock struck noon, both Dad and Lala were sprawled out on the living room rug, surrounded by pillows, toys, and laughter still echoing in their hearts.
Dad stroked Lala’s hair and said, “You know, your mischievous plan really worked. You turned a sleepy morning into the best playtime ever.”
Lala grinned proudly. “See? I told you mornings are for adventures!”
Dad kissed her forehead. “Next time, you won’t need a plan. I’ll wake up right away. Because I wouldn’t want to miss even one second of playtime with you.”
Lala snuggled close, feeling happy and triumphant. Her plan had been a success—not just because Dad woke up, but because they had the most wonderful morning together.
And as she drifted into a short afternoon nap, one thought sparkled in her head: What kind of plan should I make for tomorrow?
