the stuff that dreams are made of

I think every parent has looked at their little newborn child and wondered what that baby thinks about. As they grow older, we still wonder... what is going on in their head? The mystery lessens as the child begins to talk and communicate, but there are still times when we wonder. I am sure we will be wondering until the end of time, as I am sure that no matter the age, they will still do or say things that make little sense.

The bedtime routine around here goes like this: teeth brush, tinkle, then we read a story to both children. They switch off in whose room we read, and who gets to pick the story. Then each child goes to his/her own bed. I read another set of short stories to The Boy, I turn on his "songs" (it's a Bach CD), and bid him goodnight. He always instructs me to close the door all the way, so Cosmo (the cat) can't get in. Then I move into The Babe's room, where we read a chapter from her current book (we're still in the Little House books... almost done), sing a song, and then I tuck her in.

Often, The Boy wakes during the night. As much as it is bothersome to me and disturbs my sleep, I can't really complain. Usually, he is just upset because he has awakened to find that his songs have ended. I go in, press play on the CD player, give him a kiss and leave. Sometimes he is upset because there is a storm or other such noise. I go in, I reassure him it's OK, I give him a kiss and I leave. Every once in a while, I can tell that The Boy has been awakened by a bad dream. He's just generally upset in these instances, for no specific reason. Last night was one of these times, but I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of what goes on in that silly little head of his...

I walked into his room, and he is crying. I get him to lay down, and I give him a kiss. I asked him what's the matter. "Cosmo ate my leg!" I'm a bit confused. Mind you, it's the middle of the night for me, too. "what?" I ask him...."what's the matter?" "Cosmo ate my leg, mommy! He ate my leg!"

OMG. I actually did really well and was able to keep from laughing until I got back to my own bed. I assured The Boy that Cosmo couldn't have eaten his leg, because we had closed the door. Cosmo couldn't get in. And then we lifted the covers and checked out his legs. They were both there. It was all good... ahhh, how strange to know the stuff his dreams are made of. LOL.