Sam's Dream Notebook #1

I title this blog entry as such because i just have a feeling that Sam is going to be telling me of many nighttime dreams (and nightmares!) he has. The following two dreams were told during bathtime last night.

* * *

Sam and Thom were yucking it up in the tub last night and i say, "Hey Sam... do you remember waking up in the middle of the night and coming half way down the stairs and having an accident?" He gives me the most totally perplexed look, which answered my question right there. Poor bugger had woken up around 12 or so, running out of his room crying, and i met him halfway on the stairs to a wet puddle. I took him to the bathroom, cleaned him up, got new dry PJs on and tucked him in with a big smile. His pillow was soaked (but not the bed!) and i thought, "whoa... he was dreamin and sweatin HARD!"

Dream #1 "The War"

Sam says, "Did i REALLY do that Mom? Did i really pee on the stairs?" I played it off very casual and cool, saying yes, he did, it was okay, he must have been half asleep. He says, "Well... that explains my bad mood this morning. I just hadn't gotten a good night's sleep!" I chuckled and agreed.

Then he says, "I think i know what got me up like that. I had a really bad dream."
Me: "Oh?... Do you want to talk about it?"
Sam, giving me a very concerned and serious look, "I better not."
"Okay. S'up to you sweetie."
Long pause.......
Sam: "Do you really wanna hear it?"
Me: "Completely up to you. You share what you'd like."
More frowning concerned expressions... VERY adult looking... "Okay... I'll tell you."
Another LONG PAUSE... quiet starings at me... I was thinking "Man, what is this kid about to SAY to me?!?"

Sam, deep breath, then, "Remember back in the 80s and 90s there were a lot of wars?"

At this point, i get this huge chill up my back. Ron laughs at me when i say this sort of thing, but i've read (and personally heard stories!) of children around the age of 4-6 telling these crazy factual observances, be them dreams or things they've SEEN... stuff no 'normal' 4-6 yr old would have seen, let alone KNOWN about.

So the first thing that came to mind was Desert Storm. I mean, we're talking the span of 0.2 milliseconds or something. VERY fast. A mind check on the time frame. Yeah... early 90s....

But then Sam says, "... and the Red Coats were fighting the Blue Coats?"

Now my mind has reset. And i'm doubly blown away. IS THIS KID TALKING ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR?! Now mind you, I am embarassingly horrible at history. I really and truly barely know what i need to know to get by without getting my IQ tested. It's just aweful. That is why, now, i am quite taken with any sort of history documentary i can get my hands on. I'm making up for lost time. For instance, i had to Google that, in fact, the Red Coats and Blue Coats are referring to the American Revolution, not the Civil War. I'm just gonna leave it at that before i exhibit my further lack of knowledge (siiighh...)

Me: "... oh, you mean the 1880's and 1890s, which was 100 yrs ago? Yes... go on."
Sam, blinking slow and swallowing, in a very professor-ly manner: "Yes... a long time ago."
"Okay."
"Well... i dreamt that I was fighting in that war. And Daddy was fighting next to me."
[Long pause.... lots of swallowing and blinking here...]
"And they shot Daddy. He died. Right next to me."
"Oh Sam... that must've been very scary."
"Yes... very. And it made me very sad. Daddy DIED."
"Aw Buddy... that WAS crazy. But luckily it was a dream."
"Yeah..."
And THEN, finally... the little 5 yr old boy RE-EMERGED and he squirted his brother in the face, screaming ensued... we had been ejected from that crazy wormhole unscathed. ;-)

Dream #2 "The Cats."

About 3 minutes passed and Sam said, "Mom... i had another scary dream later that night."
[OMG, here we go...]
"Okay... wanna tell me that one?"
Sam, more swallowing, blinking, concerned looks all over again: "I probably shouldn't."
[Now it's just a game (?!?!)]
I stayed silent, just looking at him, pouring water over Tommy.
Sam: "Okay. I'll tell you. You know about those great big... mmm... um... MOUNTAIN cats?"
"Mountain cats? Like lynx and leopards?"
"Yeah... and sometimes lions and tigers... those BIG CATS in the wild?"
"Yes."
"Well... i dreamt that you, me, Tommy, Daddy and Henry were in the jungle hiking around and all these mountain cats jumped from the trees and killed us and ATE US!"
"WOW, Sam... that's CRAZY!"
"Yeah... but Mom.... they ATE US UP!"
"Well, did they eat us AFTER they killed us at least?"
"Yeah. We were already dead."
"Well THAT'S GOOD. Cuz it'da really hurt the other way around. Although i guess the killing part probably hurt too."
"Yeah."

... Back to squirting and playing.

Wow.

Sweaty Sam and His Crazy Dreamin'!