Bring on the Imagination...

Over the past year, Carli's imagination has really taken off.  First she would go on bear hunts.  She would see crocodiles and owls in the trees and finally the bear.  It was really cute!  Now she and Ava have surprise parties.  They see all sorts of things.  And until Wednesday night, everything was good.  Ava had gotten upset a couple of times because the monsters were coming but it was always after she and Carli had been playing, in the middle of the day no where near nap time or bed time.  Usually we are in the car and Ava would holler, "Oh no!  A monsters coming!"  To which Carli would reply, "Oh Ava, it's okay, the monsters are at home napping."  And all was well.

Wednesday was a particularly emotional day for Carli.  We don't know why but she was very sensitive and after getting in trouble for hitting, she cried for a good two hours.  It got to the point that I had to rock and sing to her to calm her down (I hadn't gotten to do this since Ava was born!).  She eventually fell asleep but woke up more than once and the tears started anew.  Finally, she fell asleep for good and woke up in a little better spirits in time to go to VBS.

VBS was okay...no major emotional disasters.  We got home, and all was well.  We put the girls to bed and I was picking up the playroom when I start hearing this whimpering from the girls room.  I go in the room fully expecting to see Carli pulling my leg but I find her cowering under her blanket, eyes red with tears and fear in her little face.  This is how our conversation went:

Me: Carli, baby, what is the matter?
C:  I don't like monsters anymore.
Me:  That's okay, there aren't any monsters in here.
C:  I don't like crocodiles either.
Me:  That's okay, no crocodiles either.
C:  Crocodiles are at the zoo.
Me:  Yes, they are.
C:  So are elephants.  I don't like elephants either.
Me:  Okay, it's okay not to like crocodiles or elephants.  Does that make you sad?
C:  No.
Me:  Then why are you crying?
C:  Because I don't like monsters.
Me:  Okay, are there monsters in your room?
**She points to the ceiling.**
Me:  Oh, the monsters are in the attic?
C:  Yes, Daddy needs to go get them before they get me.

The whole conversation Carli was crying and Ava slept through it all!  So I get Carli out of bed.  We decide that monsters are scared of light.  Keith gets a flashlight, climbs into the attic and demands all monsters to leave.  We leave the attic light on.  Carli "locked" (really she unlocked) all the doors.  And she finally stopped crying.

We get back to her room and she tells me she needs to read her Bible so Jesus will take care of her and her big Minnie Mouse.  And so she did.  She read her little Bible and I sat in the room for 30 minutes until she fell asleep finally at 11 pm. 

It was pitiful and cute all at the same time.  I plan to get some fabreze and make "monster spray" too.  Maybe between extra light, big Minnie Mouse, monster spray and Daddy's light we can overcome the monster scare sooner rather than later!