When Meg Harrell organized a breakfast in bed complete with a family serenade of "happy birthday" for her 3-year-old son Walter, she did not get the reaction she was hoping for.
But, lucky for the rest of us, it was all caught on video.
Walter is "not an early bird," his mom told "Good Morning America." Still, she couldn't have predicted the "epic fail" that ensued, said the North Carolina mother of two.
As Walter was jostled from his sleep by his mom, dad and big sister, Daisy, walking into his room, the 3-year-old lost. It.
"I never thought we would get that reaction," his mother said. "I thought he would be excited to have his whole family singing to him and his favorite breakfast."
About three lines into the song, Walter sits up in bed and yells "STOP. IT." while pointing his tiny little finger at his family.
"I think people find this video funny because Walter's response is so unexpected and over the top," Harrell told "GMA." "The comedic timing of his sweet sister saying, 'But it's your birthday?!' and his quick answer, 'I'm trying to sleep,' is absolutely hilarious to me.
Harrell continued, "I think every mom of toddlers needs to be reminded that other moms are imperfect as well. Seeing a birthday surprise fail kind of hits home with other families because things don't go as planned and it's OK. Sometimes you just have to laugh off the bumps in the road. Parenting is hard, toddlers are unpredictable, it's all so ridiculous that it's funny!"
Laughs aside, Harrell said she won't likely go for a repeat performance next year. "I think for the next birthday we will have a nice breakfast waiting for him in the kitchen. So he can sleep in, then when he is ready to wake up and join us, we can celebrate with him. Sometimes sleep is the best gift you can give."
