Monday, August 24, 2009

planes, trains and automobiles

Naief loves planes and trains. My sister lives in the flight path of the Memphis Airport, so we get to see and hear planes every day, to the sheer delight of my dear son. I don't think he'll ever get bored of pointing them out and screaming as loud as possible, "momma, plane! plane! plane!" :)

But... his most excitement came this past weekend while we were all out in another area of Memphis and as we were putting some bags in the car, I turned around, after hearing a train whistle, and realized we were right next to the train tracks... and a train was coming.

Now, Naief loves Thomas and Friends. Knows all of them by name and gets completely crazy with excitement anytime he sees a train in it's stand still state - since he's never seen a real moving train - except on TV, which really doesn't count... I don't think. So... just think how thrilled momma was when she realized a train was coming, and it was a big one. :))))

I immediately grabbed Naief up and told him a train was coming and right then it came thundering down the track, blowing it's whistle several times as it passed us. It couldn't have been better if I had planned it.

His eyes got as wide as saucers and for a minute I thought he might cry from fear.... but he didn't. He was so quiet and still and then got so excited.... screaming at his Auntie when she came to show her the train. The really great thing was that it was a really long train, so he was able to truly experience a big, loud train. It had a big engine as a caboose and everything.... just great stuff.

So... all the way home, all he talked about was seeing that train and wanting to ride one. Even talked out in his sleep this morning about wanting to ride a train. He thinks we can just run over there and hop aboard.... only if it were that simple, eh?

I looked up Amtrak the other day, thinking that we might ride it up to Chicago for my sister's wedding... but don't think it's going to work w/ our schedule, but I'm gonna call this week just to make sure. He'd love that... :)

happy day all.... the clouds are beautiful here and the weather is truly wonderful.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

storm clouds

Storm clouds are moving in to Memphis... I love the clouds here. Supposed to rain for the next few days.... am ready for things to cool down a bit.

update: the ghost has been leaving us alone. I did what a paranormal specialist friend told me to do and it worked. She said to confront the spirit/energy since they may not know we're here or that they're being loud, so I did just that and for the last 4 or more days there have been no sounds. :)

Taking Naief to the Memphis Children's Museum tomorrow... just the two of us. I think he'll like it. Altho, just looked on their website and they're doing all kinds of fun stuff on Sat., so I'll take him on Saturday instead.

My younger sister comes next week. We're planning to go to the zoo again and after my older sister gets married, we're gonna take a trip to Madison, my birth place and hometown.

anyway... hope you all are doing great. Take care.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

seriously spooked

Hey all... we're here at my sister's in Memphis having our holiday. The weather is fantastic... mostly hot and a bit humid (nothing like Bahrain), and it's rained with thunderstorms many times already... with us having to get in the bathtub once from a tornado warning! :) That scared the daylights outta me, but all was ok. And you know how I love heavy rain, so I'm loving it. :)

Real quick though... before the little one wakes up... last night, for the 3rd night in a row, I heard something in the bedroom where Naief and I are sleeping. It first started about 3 nights ago w/ sounds like a mouse or squirrel in the wall - or what I told myself it had to be - then the night after that, it sounded like something was under the bed and I found myself asking myself if Queenie (a little chihuahua), my niece's dog, was under the bed. That sound went on for a bit and then stopped... but it didn't scare me - I only dismissed it.

But.. last night there were sounds in the room that seriously spooked me. I was on the computer last night until about midnight at which time I heard Chelsea - my sister's dog - growling outside our room. It was a very deep, low growl that continued for several seconds. I got scared, got up and went into the kitchen to check and make sure all the doors were locked. The door to the garage was unlocked, I locked it, checked the front door and went back to bed. She didn't growl again.

After this, I said goodnight to hubby, turned off the light and tried to go to sleep. It was at this time that I heard the first of the sounds.

Sounded as if someone was shuffling papers at the dresser. As if looking for something really. I immediately got scared but talked myself into calmness.... then a bit later I heard another noise right next to me. It was as if someone was closing the drawer to the nightstand next to me. I turned over and looked in that direction.... really terrified that I'd see something, but didn't. I closed my eyes and then reopened them slightly thinking or still wondering if I'd see something. The sound stopped, but again started. This time at the nightstand on the other side of the bed. Same sound.. like someone was closing the drawer or messing with it.

I get chills just thinking about it.

While it was happening or after, I couldn't help wonder why they weren't tripping over our luggage and whatnot in the room... I had the computer on the floor next to the nightstand that was next to me and cables on the floor but nothing moved. We have two suitcases in the room, a box w/ stuff on it - the room is pretty stuffed with stuff... but nothing was touched.

I don't know what it is, but when I got up this morning and told my mom, she told me that she had the same experience in her room lastnight! She had turned off the light, rolled onto her stomach and that's when she heard something being sat down on her dresser. She said it sounded like whomever sat it down had lost their grip and it made a heavy thud when it hit the dresser!!!!! She said it scared her to death. She turned on the light several minutes later, but again, nothing.

I found myself hardly sleeping lastnight... have no idea what time I finally drifted to sleep, but I know this.. I'm afraid to sleep in this room again. I had to talk through it ... telling myself that they wouldn't hurt me and they're here for whatever reason... but still, I'm afraid.

We're gonna tell my sister when she comes home for lunch. I wonder what she'll say. She's never mentioned hearing anything and my niece has never mentioned hearing anything, and when talking to my mom more this morning, she told me that she's had a similar experience in the room where we're sleeping - where she used to sleep. One night she felt the mattress move. It was as if someone was under the mattress and moving it. She said it only happened once.... goodness.