elephants under the bed

Lucy's imagination is working overtime lately. Let's see I've been having to shoo Swiper the Fox out of the bathroom before she will go. Swiper has been in the car a few times too. I have to say "Swiper no swiping, Swiper no swiping" then she's happy and Swiper goes away. Last week we had a night where she was wide awake from 1:30AM on...finally I think she was so overtired she started falling asleep in our bed. This was after randomly talking throughout the night, asking for english muffins and a drink once in awhile. She must have started dreaming because she startled and freaked out. She was saying doggies and puppies were in our room and wanted to know "what's moving under the blankies". I took her to the bathroom and she completely freaked out because there were "puppies on the floor". She was shaking, crying and her little heart was racing. We just couldn't talk her down. After that anytime either Mitch or I moved she freaked out. At one point I told her there were no doggies in the room, "look I'll turn on the light to show you". This sent her into a flying leap right over top of me, head first out of the bed. She was fine. The commotion sent the boys running into the room wondering what in the world was going on though. "Lucy's just hallucinating....no big deal." "Everyone's fine, I think she's just dreaming." Finally time to get up, Sydney ends up with a bloody nose after jumping on her bed to pull up her pants and hitting the top of her head on the slanted ceiling. Go figure. So, I tell everyone not to rush, I'll just bring you to school today. On the way to school, I'm thinking Lucy probably will have no memory of the night before so let's not remind her, Sam can't help himself and asks her if there were doggies in mom and dad's room. "Doggies get me", she says. "And elephant under the bed too!" You've got to be kidding me! Now this was the first I had heard of any elephants. That next night when putting her to bed I ask her if she is going to sleep really good, all night, in her OWN bed. She states, "yep, no elephants under my bed". Nope that's right. "And the doggies are in their cages." If you say so Lucy. She slept through the night and we haven't had anymore nights like that one. Except every morning since when we make beds she is still checking for elephants under them. "Nope, no elephants under the bed."