Just like pretty much every kid, we had bed times when we were little. Since Sarah Margaret and Dennis were older, they got to stay up until 9:00. I went to bed at 8:00. This never seemed fair, but Mom's favorite catch phrase was, "life is not always fair." If I had a nickel for every time I heard that growing up... Anyway, I actually did not mind bed time that much. I always wore one of Mom or Dad's old t shirts to bed, which made me feel so special. Mom or Dad would come tuck us in and say our prayers with us. Every night we would say, "Thank you Lord for this day. Hear these words that I pray. Bless the people everywhere, help me Lord to always care. And please bless (then we listed every member of our family, cousins and all. I can say them all really fast now, just ask me sometime.)"
After I said my prayers with Mom and Dad they would leave and I would say two extra prayers on my own. I would also pray for a broken arm because I really wanted a cast. I am 20 and I have never had a broken bone though. I also always prayed for good dreams. I really did not want to have a night mare, but I was embarrassed to pray for this in front of my parents. The reason why I never wanted to have a nightmare was not really because it would be scary, it was because of what would happen when I was scared. I would go to Mom and Dad's room and ask to get in their bed. It was obvious that they did not want me there. I mean who would want a wiggly 7 year old sleeping in the middle of their bed? Sleeping between Mom and Dad was the worst. Mom would pull the covers up to her chin and hold them there. Dad snored so much. So I would just lay there squished between them, sweating because I was stuck in the covers and wide awake because of the disgusting noises coming out of Dad. I always decided that being afraid in my room alone was a better alternative.
I did have one dream in particular that was recurring and very frequent. It was short, so usually I would have this dream before my real dream. I can still remember it so vividly. A black cat and a red crab would walk up to the front door of a house. The cat would poop on the door mat and then they would both walk away. That was the end. I wonder what that means.
Another key element of bed time was my stuffed animals. I had to have certain ones with me. I still sleep with these same animals pretty much every night. I needed Ruff, Blankie, Flopsy, and Big Bear. I got Ruff the dog for Christmas from Grandmama Ruth when I was 5 and he has been my faithful companion every night since then. Blankie is the blanket that Grandmommy Craft made for me when I was born. I suppose that at one time it was actually a blanket, but now it is a ball of knotted yarn. There is nothing in the world more comforting than smelling my blankie. It smells like home. It is even better when it sits in the sunshine. Someone should bottle that scent- Blankie in the Sun. Flopsy is a pillow buddy dog. I put him under the covers at my feet. When I am sleeping I cannot stand for my feet to touch each other, so I put one foot on top of Flopsy, and one under him. Big Bear is a big bear. When I got him he was as tall as me. I put him in the bed beside me with his head on the pillow so it looks like he is sleeping there. I thought that if a kidnapper climbed in my window they would see Big Bear and think, "Oh, there is just a bear in this bed, not a child for me to steal." I was pretty logical.
One time Sarah Margaret and Dennis told me that vampires lived in the space between my bed and the wall. I told them I didn't believe them, but I did. That night when I went to bed, I didn't know it, but they were hiding in that space. Right before I fell asleep, they jumped out and scared me. It was terrifying. Also, they enjoyed doing dutch ovens in my bed before I got in it. A dutch oven is when someone farts in your bed and then slips out without lifting the covers. Then, when you lift the covers that awful smell come wafting out into your face. I did it to them sometimes too though, so it all evened out.
Overall, I enjoyed bed time then and I still do now. I hardly ever fall right to sleep, but I like to lay in the dark and think about things. Bed time is so relaxing knowing that the day is over and thinking about all the possibilities for tomorrow. Now, when Sarah Margaret and I are both home we get giddy thinking about bed time. I sometimes run and jump into my bed and take in a big breath of Blankie. It is just so wonderful.
