A Classic Parenting Moment...

I wasn't planning to post anything so soon since y  I wrote a long post.yesterday..  However! The story must be told. It is one of those moments as a parent that you wonder, do you admit that you did something and tried to cover it before your child ever noticed OR go with what they think and cover it that way? Now that I have your attention...

Over the past few months that we have lived here, in our 100+ year old house, both Len and Rachel believe they have either seen or felt the presence of something no longer human. A ghost? A spirit? Something shifting curiously through the room? Keep in mind, neither Jessica nor I have EVER felt anything and we are all comfortable and safe here. (No Amityville Horror!)

Last night, as Jessica was getting ready for bed, I was in the bathroom changing and I heard her SCREAM in terror! My first response, "Jessica! What now???" My child does tend to be over dramatic and cry or wail at the slightest provocation. I opened the bathroom door, just having finished dressing myself in my jammies and when I looked down at her face, I viewed COMPLETE terror!

Jessica is pale but she had NO colour what so ever! Her freckles were even white. She could barely breathe and was trembling! I had no idea what was wrong and I was scared! She looked up at me "MMMMOOOMMMYYY... " Her little chest heaving and shuddering as she could barely make out the words "THiiissss wasss on mmmyyyy pillllowwww!" I looked down to see her white with pink polka dots stuffed elephant staring up at me, it's head almost decapitated and will admit, was briefly stunned. She said... "It was on my pillow! Who did this? WAAHhHHH"""

I picked up the elephant as I sheltered my panic stricken 9 year old that was the colour of white out and pointed to Rachel, "Do YOU know ANYTHING about this????" Thinking she may have placed it on her pillow. Rachel said, "WHAT? No! That is SO OOOOO creepy!" ... Remember, Rachel is the one who "saw" a ghost flutter through the kitchen from time to time. I now had TWO scared children.

I took Jessica to her room, showed her the bed and asked again, "Tell me more, WHAT happened?" All the while getting wetter and wetter as she heaved and cried on my chest. "MMmooommmY! My teddy! Why??"

I told her we can't figure this out if you don't calm down, which she finally did, enough to tell me, "I was getting ready for bed. I put my jammies on and saw my elephant on the dryer. I picked up it, so happy because it wasn't in my bed last night. So I hugged it and put it on my pillow. Then I walked away. When I came BAACckkkkk ... (heave, heave) ... it was THERE! It's scary head off staring at me!"

I instantly felt a complete body wracking guilt ridden moment... How could I tell her that I had ripped off it's head? How could I tell her that I forgot and thought I had hidden it, so I could repair it and then put it back like nothing happened? (You know, just like when the fish or hamster die and you put a new one in before your child discovers it is not sleeping permanently!) I felt like CRAP! (I also tried not to laugh hysterically at the same time, since my children, now in part due to me, figured our house was haunted!) 

Backing up my story a bit.... The night before, I had been speaking to my niece in Australia for well over an hour. During that time, I sat on Jessica's bed, chatted, and fiddled with her stuffies. I noticed the white and pink elephant had a long loose string below it's neck. So, not thinking I pulled and prodded at it, trying to rip it off so it was not hanging there. No, didn't use scissors, just RIPPED away until... you guessed it! Elly the Elephant's head FLIPPED completely backward with a wad of stuffing hanging out of its neck and head. I quickly hid the elephant ON THE DRYER under some laundry and figured, I can stitch it back together before she ever has a clue. Of course later, when I made my bed with fresh sheets for the night, I completely forgot that the stuffie was there and it was exposed. 

So, the next night, when Jess got ready for bed, she picked it up, happily hugged it and placed it on her bed, not noticing ANYTHING! Until of course, she went back to her room and saw it on her pillow! How could I possibly say I did it after that? AAAHHH! Parenting, some moments, you just go with. So, I convinced her that it probably came off when I washed it and I guess I didn't notice and it landed on the dryer because it was ripped and I will sew it up today with no more worries! Yes, I felt like a big piece of poo lying to her! After the terror though, I didn't want her to get mad at me, so I took the easy road! (Dear washing machine, sorry for blaming you, but, you are an inanimate object and I needed to be the hero. Love your owner.)

In the meantime, I had two children who figured something haunted had happened in our house. I do believe I managed to convince Jessica that it was just a matter of coincidences and I was prepared for the potential nightmares - thankfully she did not have any! Rachel however, had told her friend on FaceBook - who already knew about the "ghost" she had seen and she freaked HIM out! I must say I started to laugh hysterically when she told me that and I explained what really happened. She did find it hilarious (good thing) and I said she better tell him, but she has decided it was more fun to watch him be freaked out.

So, to end my little drama, it does not appear our house is haunted, we have asked around and do not believe anyone ever died here, a spirit did not decapitate the stuffie and place it on Jessica's pillow and besides having a REALLY good laugh, we all slept well!