If only there was hidden cameras to see it happen.

A few months ago Annie started having nightmares or at least claiming to have nightmares. Mostly this was occuring about 30 minutes after having been put to bed.

I decided to fight fake with fake and started placating her and Ashley with "happy dream" powder when they go to bed. (baby powder sprinkled around)

In the past we have also used "ghost be gone" spray. (Febreeze, air freshener, sometimes good ol' fashioned water sprayed around)

There is a picture in my mom's possession of my older sister standing in her crib next to the dresser on which the baby powder was kept. During nap time one day she woke up early and decided to decorate her nursery. It's a great picture.

I have flashed to a mental shot of that picture many a night as I set the container on the dresser while I kiss the girls. I have always been very careful to not leave the powder in their room.

Aiden did the powdering of the room last night. He is not aware of this picture. He has memory issues. I don't know if that came into play last night but the baby powder got left on their dresser.

I left the house this morning to go take a test. The girls were watching an Arthur DVD and reading books in the living room. Aiden was nursing a headache and laying in bed.

I was gone for 45 minutes, tops.

As I walked up to the door when I got home Annie was ahead of me. She pulled open the door and was SOOOO happy to see me!

I set down my stuff and looked at her. I couldn't put my finger on it but something was... off.

And what is that smell?

And why does she look like she's been drawing with the sidewalk chalk and then rolled around in it?

I started to ask her what was all over her (and I do mean ALL over) when she cut me off with "Ashley did most of it!!"

Oh crap.

I spied the closed door to their room.

I heard the gleeful laughter through the door.

I opened the door.

I shouldn't have done that.

I saw...

I saw white powder. Everywhere. The floor was kicking up little puffs of baby powder with each step Ashley took in her dance of the baby powder fairy. The part that could. Most of it was covered so thick it had died of suffocation.

I almost did. The air was so full of baby powder... it was actually foggy looking in there. There is sure to be lung infections coming up. I swear...

I closed the door and went to my room.

"Aiden?!?"

"mmmfffmfmfff?"

"Are you aware of what these girls are doing in their room?"

"nooooo...?"

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE?!?"

He got up and was greeted by the ghosts of two little girls standing in corners. At least, they looked like ghosts.

We took them outside and made them brush themselves off. It was enough to make them look like they were peeling out down a country road. And that didn't even get half of it out of their hair.

Aiden threw them into the shower while I vacuumed their carpet. (CPR)

While I was at my afternoon class Aiden wiped the rest of the powder up. It was on their dressers, their nick knack shelf, their bookcase, Annie's top bunk, Ashley's bed (on the side by the wall), crammed into the cracks of the bunk bed ladder...

I think I hate the smell of baby powder now. Aiden says he knows he does. I guess that's too bad since the WHOLE place smells like a baby's butt. And our vacuum will be pumping out the smell for years to come.

I think I am now going to find something for "nightmare powder". Maybe it will be thumb tacks scattered around.