To start this post I need to rehash a story from, not my childhood, but my sister-in-law's, who is not going to be named. You see, she was a very cherished child. She did many amazing things, like glue leaves on the living room wall (at least so I've heard). This is a story that has been told over the Sunday dinner table at Grandma's house any number of times, and so I'm sure that she's OK if I share it with the world.
Of course I will add my own additional flair to the story, seeing as I wasn't there and have to make up some of the details.
It was the dead of night when Colby sat bolt upright. Something wasn't right. Normally a sound sleeper, Colby had been awoken by something, but what. He listened intently for the usual alarming sounds, such as footsteps, windows opening, or the occasional air horn. Nothing.... except... Running water? Huh, maybe one of the kids is taking a bath?
Satisfied Colby laid his head down to sleep once again, when the reality of the situation hit him. I can't get my kids to take baths during the day, why are they taking one now? He leapt out of bed and began to search for the sound of the streaming water. At first he checks the bathroom, negative, then the giant venetian fountain in the living room, nope, Jeeves the butler had already shut it down for the night and retired to the servants quarters. Colby looks left, then right and sees a bedroom door is ajar ever so slightly. He saunters ever so delicately to the opening and peers inside, and sees his daughter , completely asleep, but sitting on the edge of the toy box, like it's a toilet, and is relieving herself, into the toy box, hence the sound of running water.
Fast forward 30 something years, and we have Mollie. I have not as yet gone to bed (thank goodness) when I hear a whimpering from the hallway. Thinking it's just one of the kids doing their usual nightly antics of trying to get a drink of water or a story or a cuddle from me, I do what every father does. I ignore it so they will go to bed.
Then my wife realizes it's Mollie, and Mollie only makes that sound when she has to pee. I run into the hallway, but I don't find Mollie. She's not in her room, in the hallway, or the bathroom. Then I see her, through a crack in the door in Nikki's room. There she is, sitting on the edge of Nikki's bed, trying to get her pants down to pee. She's not awake, and she has no idea what is going on. I grab her and pick her up and RUN to the bathroom. BUUUT, we're too late, kind of. She still has a semi full bladder, but some already had been leaked out on Nikki's floor (but don't tell Nikki, we told her we got her to the bathroom on time).
So Kara grabs a towel, cleans up the spots on Nikki's floor, the hallway, and in the bathroom, while I help Mollie into new pajamas (dry ones).
So Mollie sleepwalks. This is kind of new, but not really surprising. You see Nikki already did this, and to this day she still has conversations in her sleep (loud ones) and she kicks. This is the main reason why she is not allowed to sleep with Kara and I. That and I always kick the kids out at six weeks (as every father should). But usually when Nikki talks, it's not like one or two words, it's whole conversations, and sometimes she's arguing with people we know. Sometimes it's her friends, lot's of times it's us, but they are usually very funny. Look for future posts where I reveal some of the crazy crap she says.
In the meantime, if your kids sleepwalk, be on the lookout, keep the video camera charged, and toy box closed.
