Things That Go Bump in the Night

H had to go away for the night and while I'm not the best sleeper I particularly dread sleeping alone. Even with an alarm, dog, close neighbors and more. Chalk it up to bad experiences and I'm a safety freak. However, last night I was calm. I went to bed early, all sleepy and ready to snooze away. I shut off the light, tucked myself in and burrowed under the covers with the dog. I was relaxed. I was tired and ready to drift off comfortably.

Then IT happened.

The bed began to shake. I heard a weird rapping sound as the entire bed shook.

WTF?!

I lay still and figured it was the dog shifting in the bed. She was after all still snoring loudly next to me. I closed my eyes and started to drift off again.

The bed shook harder and my bedroom doors began to rattle. There was that tapping/knocking noise again too!

Seriously.

WTF?!

I waited a beat for Ashton Kutcher to come out from somewhere telling me I'm being punked.

Nothing.

I turned on the light, sat up in bed and just sat as still and quietly as I could and listened.

Nothing. Not a sound.

Quietly, I got up, left the room and the still snoring dog and went into T.D.'s room. Sound asleep. I checked the guest room, bathroom, looked out at the front yard and then the back yard. Nothing. Total darkness on my street save for the lone lamp posts in all our yards glowing steadily. Was I the only one who felt this and heard that? It was like an earthquake. Except for that rhythmic tapping freaky thing.

With my pulse racing I plodded downstairs to check things out further. I crept around the house and found nothing amiss. I heard nothing. I went back upstairs and stole into T.D.'s room again. I watched her sleep and contemplated having her sleep with me. Something she has NEVER done no matter how hard we have tried. Never. Even as an infant she just wouldn't sleep with us. I quietly scooped her up blankets and all and carried her to my room. Somehow, I managed to tuck her in with me and the dog without waking her too much. After I turned off the bedroom light and turned on the bathroom light I settled in. For a very long night.

While the shake, rattle and roll portion of the night was over I could not get back to sleep. I lay there for an hour before drifting off into a very fitful sleep. Around 3 a.m. I got socked in the head by a flailing T.D. At 3:34? Head-butted. Twice. The dog kicked me. T.D. kicked me. Many times. I finally drifted off around 4 only to be woken up bright and early with, "HI MOMMY!" from my well-rested daughter.

The day had begun.

And to think I'm hosting Girls Night tonight. Maybe I can score some uppers from some other sleepless woman at the gym today.