Monsters under the bed

Having been a nanny before Grayson, for mostly toddlers I knew this was coming. And somehow I thought we'd escape it.

Nope.

A few months ago he started saying there was a MAN in his room. We told him that there wasn't but he was sure there was. I figured it was just his tree behind his door. It does cast quite the shadow at night and I am sure if you are a toddler that could be quite scary. But it went on. He was adamant that there was a MAN in our house.

Now to get a little kooky for a second, I have always been a little "sensitive" to the paranormal. I was 6 when I saw my first "something," and another friend saw it too so it wasn't just me!
Then at 14 when a neighbor girl died in my mothers arms after a tragic car/bicycle accident, in a blanket that later ended up on my bed and weird things started happening in my house I was seemingly an old pro. It took me months to figure out the blanket was the connection, and it went in the garage. End of weird things... in the house. (Dad- THAT is why I hated the garage on Upas.) There have been many more over my life time.

The most recent of which was at my last house. It was a 1930.
It only had two previous owners before us. The last of which had it for 50something years and the wife died while in possession of the house (though not in it). It took him another 5 years to part with it, though not living in it most of that time. By the time we bought it it needed a good cleaning and much work. We made an agreement with the owner to do most of the work we wanted done ourselves to save him money but he had to pay for it- before we were done with the transaction. It got us keys for 2+ months before we owned it. Many nights we were there late; Zack working on miscellaneous things and me cleaning and ripping out 50 year old shelf paper etc.

One night, I was in the basement scrubbing as usual and "Zack" walked in. I "saw" him out of the corner of my eye. I began talking about what a pain in the ASS this job was and talked for a few minutes before I realized he was not answering me. I turned around to find no one, but still feeling like he was there behind me. I had many things "moved", rooms that felt "odd" to me, cold spots. And moving breezes in rooms with no windows open. You name it. I also had another friend tell me how creapy one particular room was, the same room I felt "odd" in. I had not told that friend anything about it yet.

So to hear my child say there is a MAN in his room, makes me a little weary. I can't say there ISN'T for sure. I don't see him or feel him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't exist. I felt very alone when I was a child and noone believed me. I didn't want to scare him, so we just told him we would protect him and keep him safe but that Mommy and Daddy don't see him.

Now we have moved onto Grayson being terrified of monsters under his bed. Bed time is usually a battle. He still says the man is there sometimes but mostly its just monsters. Poor thing. We leave on the ALL of the lights and still he screams a blood curtailing shrill as soon as you move away from him. :(

Last night I sat on the edge of his bed until he was in a light sleep then crept out. I found Zack and just shrugged. He won't go to college scared of the monsters being under his bed, I guess.

Unless they really are...

Happy Halloween!

(Dave- we will always miss you and I think about you often. Love and hugs.)