Dream Mommy

Cale always has the most random things to say.

Usually they are just some funny quotes that I log away on the computer or put up on my facebook status (soon to become a blog post); but today's randomness stemmed from something subconscious:

This morning Cale came bursting in my room waking me from a very bizarre, yet deep dream-sleep...to ask me why I wouldn't come down from the ceiling.

Before I could laugh, I noticed his sobbing eyes and the fact that he was truly devastated by this dream.

I asked him to tell me about it:

Apparently I was on the ceiling...and wouldn't come down. That was the only fact that I could get out of him until he calmed down a bit. After he climbed into bed and snuggled under the covers he started asking me what was behind the door. (The door on the ceiling, of course...) He was still upset about the ordeal and seemed slightly annoyed I didn't know the answer to his question. Continuing on, crying as he went, he told me there was a "mosquito-kitty cat" that scared him. I wasn't sure what to say to him, but I reassured him I also did not like his fictional creature. Again, he questioned why I didn't come down after he called for me and started crying. I tried to explain what I decided to describe his alteration of me as "Dream Mommy." - Sometimes dreams are funny, sometimes dreams are scary...sometimes we dream about people we know, but dreams are not real. Weird things happen in dreams because we are asleep. When we wake up, the dreams go away. Sensing he was still confused between dreams and reality, I asked him if he could touch "Dream Mommy," and he said no. He said Dream Mommy wouldn't talk to him. I told him to give me a hug and asked him if he could feel me and hear me talk to him. He said yes...

Thinking I had distracted him by telling him to go downstairs and get started on the breakfast food I layed out for him last night; he left.

I closed my eyes and rolled over; but not 10 seconds later did he start up again. He came barreling up the steps, VERY upset that I wasn't going down with him, and he started into his dream again....

I rolled out of bed and threw on my robe. We both sat at the table, and shortly Tim joined us. Tim was concerned that Cale wasn't able to shake the dream (even with the distraction of food), and tried to talk to him...but Cale seemed to be looking through him. ((I wondered for a second if he was still asleep....)) He was having a really hard time shaking this. It was very bizarre.

However, after about a half hour of discussing how dreams are not real and how "Dream Mommy" is not REAL Mommy, we were able to move past it and get ready to go to MOPS.

Thank goodness we had something to do today that was fun for him, because the grudge he held against Dream Mommy probably would have interferred with his attitude toward Real Mommy the rest of the day...

I'd like to know...how do you explain bad dreams to your kids?