the bedroom bears

Our boys have been pretty good sleepers for the most part. We still can't get Jack to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without first hopping around in our room telling us he has to go, to which we announce, "Okay, then go" and he runs off and does his thing. It is a very strange ritual he keeps up, but I suppose I'd rather be woken up to his declarations of bathroom needs over the alternative, to which I would be changing the sheets.

But this last month Jack began to experience his first signs of nightmares, and being completely terrified of the dark. The first few nights, we took turns (multiple turns) each night putting him back to bed, calming him down, and getting him back to sleep. But night after night it continued.

One night, it was three bloody a.m. in the morning, and I had yet to go to sleep because I had been getting up and down with him so much. I finally convinced Jack I had a bottle of magic good dream spray. I would spray it on his bed, and all his bad dreams would go away, and he would only think of happy things. I pulled out the Febreeze, ceremonially sprayed his bed, his blankets, his favorite stuffed animals and sure enough, he fell asleep. Genius move you are thinking? Oh no. I created a magic spray monster. Not only did I have to spray everything every night, but Cash as well wanted in on this just to be included. On top of that, Jack would then continue to wake demanding more spray in the middle of the night. Ryan wanted to kill me.

In desperation, I was more complaining to my older brother of my sleeping woes then getting advice on what to do - he having older children and full of all kinds of wise advice - when he came up with this master plan.

He told me I should get the boys some type of stuffed animal that could only stay with them if they stayed in their beds. If they continued to get up, the animals would have to go live somewhere else. I was trying to think of what would be good enough to keep Jack in bed? One of those annoyingly overpriced pillow pets maybe? Ryan was wary of the idea all together since the Febreeze disaster. But then that night, we came home to discover my brother had secretly set up something for the boys while we are out.

Waiting for them were the two largest bears the boys or I had ever seen, as well as the following letter:

"Dear Jack and Cash,
We are MAGIC bears that have been sent to your home to be your bedroom buddies, and to watch over you while you sleep. We are really good at making sure you sleep safe and sound and helping you have good dreams.

We have a secret though. We can only stay with you in your home as long as you are good boys; do what your mom and dad tell you to do; and MOST IMPORTANT, that you stay in your bed and in your room during the night. If you get out of your bed and your room a lot during the night, we will miss you WAY too much, and we will have to go to another home to find other bedroom buddies to watch over.

Please take good care of us and love us by staying with us each night!! If you do, we will be such good friends.

Love, The Bedroom Bear Buddies"

Jack made me read the letter about twenty times, and was totally convinced. More importantly, he has slept through and stayed in his bed every night since. I owe my brother big time. The only downside? Having to carry two massive bears down each morning to watch cartoons.

A fair trade I'd say though.