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9:55 a.m. - August 22, 2006
We Need Your Help!
Like Dora the Explorer, we need your help!

Ever since we got back from Arizona, Katie has been having trouble sleeping. She just does not want to stay in her bed and go to sleep. She says she doesn�t want to have a dream.

I do realize that at her age, the dreams are becoming more life-like and vivid, so that is an issue we have to deal with. Liz and I both reassure her that there�s nothing in her dreams that can scare her � nothing can get her because we are here and safely in this house.

We used to tell her to wake up and �tell the dragon to go away� but I think she�s past the simple dreams of dragons.

Recently, it�s reached the boiling point for us, especially me.

We�ve found her �hiding� in her bathroom, hunched down behind the sink on her stool, because she doesn�t want to have dreams.

Last night, Liz had a meeting, so I put her to bed after reading two books. Within five minutes, she was up going potty, and that took 20 minutes. Then after I put her to bed, within five minutes she was up getting a drink, and she took the slowest drink I�ve ever seen.

Then, she was up again going potty, then up again getting a drink. Finally, I snatched the cup out of her hand and carried her back to bed.

I do not think I raised my voice to her during this episode, but I was stern and brusque because I was frustrated AND she needed to get to bed to get sleep so she could have a good Katie day at preschool.

Liz went out for a margarita after her meeting, and it was after 10 when she got home. Liz realized that I needed a few margaritas, however, since I have therapy today my therapist does not what me to drink the day before my sessions, so I was drinking Caffeine Free Coke Classic (yeah, I�m lame � actually I�ve been on the wagon since Friday night).

She had called during the whole thing, and actually talked to Katie for a while in an effort to get her to bed. Liz and I were discussing this whole thing, and what her best friend Snow White had told her when we hear Katie bounding down the stairs.

Liz gave her a hug, but went upstairs right away to tuck her in.

We finished our conversation about this, and decided it was time for us to go to bed ourselves. Liz decides to check her email, and then after I brush my teeth calls me into the computer room so I can read the essay the she wrote for Montgomery Woman magazine.

(BTW, the love of my life has a website, and when she�s a rich and famous author you can say you saw her website when�)

I said it was good, and then I went to go use the bathroom by the computer room (which is Katie�s) and there Katie was, hiding behind the sink again.

Hopefully, we can get this turned around soon, but right now it�s really frustrating. We know she needs sleep, and we know she�s scared of her dreams. We�re trying to reassure her that the dreams aren�t real, and that we�re going to protect her and be there forever for her.

Saturday, Liz is taking a �Liz Day� and going off to do whatever her heart desires, and she will get back after dark, so I will be in charge of bedtime again. I hope it�s solved by then, because I want my Katie girl to be happy and healthy and get her rest.

So does anyone have any advice? Or do we have to just ride the storm out?

 

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