Dreams and Sleep and Lack Thereof

I've been dreaming about death a lot lately.  Dreaming about the funerals of my father and my grandfather....although of course they are nothing like the reality was....  I even dreamed that one of the boys had died....I can't even bear to write more about that but I woke up barely able to breathe.

Sometimes you don't have a chance to dream however.....like yesterday early, early morning when there was a thunderstorm.  Usually Leo sleeps right through them.....  I was sound asleep, heard the thunder and Ernie nudging me saying "Owen's calling for you."  Usually I jump up as soon as I hear him but I was sound asleep so instead I said "mmmm" so he got up to go to him.  Next thing you know Leo bounces in saying, "WHAT was THAT?"  "mmmmthunderhoney...." I said and then he started one of those fast paced stream of consciousness things he does when he's nervous.  "I think that was the LOUDEST thunder I have ever heard I think it was right over the field and in fact it sounded like a robot exploding...." and then he went off into something about Boba Fett and blue light and God knows what else because I stopped listening.  I asked him if he wanted to get into bed with us and he said yes, scampering off to get the proper accoutrements before climbing in.  Then Owen trudged into the room and climbed in next to Leo.  He complained about not being next to me but I just said, "honey, just lay down and leave some room for your father and let's all try to sleep."  Ernie showed up and tried to keep himself from falling out of the sliver of bed left.  Then Owen started complaining that he was squished.  "We're all squished honey, let's just be quiet now."  Then Bob the cat showed up and Owen started worrying that Bob was scared because the storm reminded him of the hurricane (Bob and Hattie are theoretically hurricane orphans from the south but given that Bob was a kitten when we got him....well....whatever).  Then he started wondering about  hurricanes so Leo took this opportunity to give a little lesson, "Well actually Owen hurricanes are....."  I again begged everybody to just be quiet.  Then Owen started suggesting to Ernie that he go sleep somewhere else.  "NO....I want Daddy here," I yelled.  Silence for a little while.  Then Ernie gave up and said, "I'm going downstairs."  I couldn't blame him.  Somehow even without one whole person it wasn't any less crowded in the bed. hmmmm.  Then Owen decided he needed Mr. Monkey and Snoopy.  Sigh.  So we went back to his room and found Mr. Monkey....no Snoopy.  More thunder and lightening and Leo was all alone waiting for us so I sent Owen back to bed with Leo and tried to find the damn dog.  Nowhere.  I went back to the room and told Owen that I couldn't find Snoopy but not to worry about him being scared because his big dog Nipper was there.  This wasn't enough so Owen went back to look.  Then he decided he would stay in his bed but he got a gun and a flashlight just in case they would be necessary in the storm. I got him settled, went into the hall and yelled down to Ernie that there was room in our bed and he said something along the lines of "I don't care."  So I happily crawled in with Leo and we both went to sleep.  Until Owen came back in and said cheerily, "I can't sleep so I've been reading a book.  What should I do now?"  Leo growled quietly and I blearily tried, "uh, go read another book honey."  Owen kept chattering until he said, "maybe I'll go see how Daddy is."  "Good idea honey," I said snuggled back with Leo and we finally went back to sleep.

Suffice to say I was late for work yesterday.....