Night dreams

Will woke up the night before last and wanted a hug from me because he’d had a nightmare about a goat. He blamed the “goat book” he’d been asking to re-read throughout that day for making him have the dream – actually a far from scary little library book called “Seven Loaves of Bread” that happens to include an innocent enough goat as a not very major character.

Last night as bedtime approached nightmares were again on his mind and we had ourselves what seemed like a scene from a postmodern play…

Scene: 15 minutes before we launch our bedtime routine, Will sits playing with the cards from a memory game on the floor as I work on the computer nearby.

Will (looking up at me with his hand covering his ear) whispers: Mommy I hear my dream.

You do?

Yeah, is it time to go to bed?

Almost. Is your dream calling to you? Is it saying,” Come dream me?”

No, it’s coming to dream me.

Is that a good thing?

No, because I don’t like dreams.

Why don’t you think of a fun dream to have?

I don’t have fun dreams. I only have night dreams.

(Here I suggested some fun dream topics, but he didn’t seem interested. Then I couldn’t help but ask:)

What does your dream sound like?

Will does a sort of heavy breathing – 3 deep huffs: "huh, huh, huh.”

That sounds like a .... nice dream. (Mom fumbles for positive interpretation of slighlty spooky ghost-breathing. )

No, it’s a nightmare.