bad dreams | The Zimmer Zoo

Is It Just Me?

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Nancy

When I was younger and had bad dreams, I used to try to envision a jukebox full of all of my good dreams and memories.

In my mind I’d run the jukebox arm across the records (yes, they were records at that point!) looking for that perfect dream to “play” instead of the bad one I’d woken up to. They’d all pop up one at a time and show me a snippet of something I might be interested in. When I found the right one, I’d just relax into it.

I honestly don’t remember if someone put this image into my mind to help me out at night…it’s hard for me to imagine that I came up with it by myself!

So, how the heck do I pass that along to my kids? Do they even have jukeboxes anymore??

Filed under: iijm, me | Tagged: bad dreams, dreams, jukebox, memories | 3 Comments »

Long Day

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Nancy

It’s just after noon, and it’s already been a long day. Mostly because it was a long, long night. We actually got to bed early for a change (11:00…I know, what the heck?! We need to start going to bed earlier). But Logan woke up somewhere between 11:30 and 11:45 for at least 15 minutes of solid crying until the Gas-B-Gone kicked in. (That’s two nights in a row…gotta monitor his intake over the next few days to see why he’s been so gassy.)

Then around 1AM, Maggie woke up crying. She was complaining – at first – that her legs were hurting. And then that she’d had a bad dream. And then back to her legs hurting. And then that she was going to throw up. *sigh* Have I mentioned that she’s somewhat of a drama queen? I have to imagine that the nights she sleeps on her stomach, her legs fall to sleep…it freaks her out, so perhaps THAT is the bad dream? And she got a lot of attention the week she was throwing up, so I imagine that she’s using that as a last-ditch effort to gain the attention she thinks she should be getting at such an hour.

She woke up again at 2AM and 3:30. The 3:30 episode woke Burke up … who didn’t want to go back to sleep without Daddy staying for a while (like he does when they’re first falling to sleep.)

Burke also woke up at 6AM requesting his “4.” (He’s been playing with the candle shaped into the number 4 from their birthday cake.) I groaned and told him it was too early – he could have it when we woke up for the day. (Mike had already re-set the alarm around 2:30 or so.)

I really, really hope they all sleep through the night tonight!!

Filed under: kids | Tagged: bad dreams, drama queen, night wakings, sleeping through the night | 6 Comments »

Those Darn Monkeys

Posted on September 15, 2008 by Nancy

Burke was up a lot last night. Mike went in a few times (and actually ended up sleeping on the floor with Burke after he woke up for the 4th time), and I went in once. My conversation with Burke when I went in:

Burke: (running and jumping into my arms as I opened the door) Monkeys eat Burke’s Soup! (pause – then *gasp*) In the eye!

Me: (very sleepy at 4am – not sure I’m hearing right) Huh? Monkeys ate your soup and are in your eye??

Burke: Yes!!

Me: Uhm. Burke, did you have a bad dream?

Burke: Yeah.

We sprayed the monster spray to get rid of the bad dreams and he went back to sleep on the rocking chair (for about 1/2 hour – see above).

When I went back in to our bedroom, Mike asked if he was okay and I told him of our conversation. Apparently Burke mentioned the monkey poked him in the eye when Mike went in the time before…but Mike didn’t realize it was a dream LOL

On a totally unrelated note, when Burke woke up this morning we had the following conversation:

Burke: Friends over to Burke’s house.

Me: What friends, Burke?

Burke: School friends.

Me: Which school friend?

Burke: All friends!

Okay then.

Vultures: faemom – I usually hide out in my kitchen if it’s chocolate or something like that. I should have known better. ♦ What a Card – OMGosh! That’s the cutest thing EVER!! But OMG – I’m so not ready for that LOL! ♦ Amy and Rhonda – I know, right? The kids won’t eat what I put in front of them, but will totally mooch off of Daddy’s plate…even if it’s the same exact thing. oy. ♦ Silver – Geeez…I didn’t even THINK of that…perhaps this should be my new diet plan. Eat in front of the kids for ALL meals and snack and I’ll just starve to death 😀

Awww (again): Laura – I’m a tech writer. I have to follow the rules…it’s built in! heh Plus, I just copied and pasted from the person who passed it on to you *grin* (You just learned the secret to half of what I do all day at work LOL!)

BPS – Animal Kingdom: Cheryl – That telepathic twin parenting zone thing MUST be going on. 🙂

Filed under: Burke | Tagged: bad dreams, darn monkeys, school friends | 5 Comments »

Monster Spray

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Nancy

A very clever mom taught me about Monster Spray. (She’s also a good friend, a former co-worker, and an essential oil guru – don’t worry, Paula, I won’t mention any names 😉 ) She said that kids like to be in control – especially when they don’t feel like they have it – and one major time is when there are “monsters” around at night. Her solution? Monster spray! Let your child spray it herself and life will be good. (I’ll give Paula a little plug here…she wrote a book on essential oils: Seasons of Aromatherapy. Well. she’s written a few, but I know the monster spray is in this one.) Okay – back to my point. At one time, I made the monster spray from her book (before I had kids LOL), but we’re just using Febreeze now (Sorry Paula!)

It all started one night a few months ago when Maggie woke up crying and talking about how she was scared of the Cookie Monster. (Yes. The *cookie monster* – of all things!!) We got some “monster spray” out and that seemed to help a little. We doused one corner especially (I think she saw the laundry hamper and decided IT was the monster.)

We now spray before bed every night – everyone has to have at least one squirt if they’re in the room, including mommy and daddy. Figuring out how to make it so that beds, blankets, Dad, kids, etc. don’t get soaked is for another day…

On the subject of bad dreams, one other thing we do for Maggie is to make a big deal about how we must have put her pillow down on the wrong side… And then make a bigger deal (making sure she’s watching) out of turning it over to the “good dream” side. So far, this seems to help too. (I’ll thank my Mom for that idea – I remember her doing it for me 🙂 )

Any other bad dream breakers out there?

Filed under: behavior, Maggie, sleep | Tagged: bad dreams, essential oil, monster spray | Leave a comment »

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