A "Monster" Problem

When we moved back to Idaho Falls, Ryker started to complain about monsters and being scared. I read different opinions on how to react to the "monster problem". The best one for us was to tell the child that Mom or Dad don't let monsters in their house and if he sees one then he needs to "kick it out". It took only a few days for him to take control of "kicking the monsters out of the house" and it became a fun little game for us.
Well, about a week or so ago Ryker has started up again with being scared and saying there are monsters. Although now the monsters are outside and not inside, but it still has the same affect on him. He is usually really good throughout the day but when we start getting ready for bed he doesn't want to go anywhere without me. He can't go in the bathroom or kitchen or anywhere on his own, and he's coming in my bedroom in the middle of the night complaining of being scared.
We have a little bed in our room set up for times we let Tracen cry himself back to sleep but now Ryker is using it every night. I have tried letting him sleep with a bat (toy one of course), a flashlight, or anything else he might use to "fight" off the monsters.
Nothing is working. Today I finally asked him if he would like to move his bed to a different place in the room...maybe closer to the door. And he got really excited and said, "then the monsters won't see me!!" I'm really hoping this works because I am out of ideas and energy.

Sickness to the extreme!!!

Last week we went to a family reunion, which was really fun and I will try to post pictures soon. On Wednesday Ryker started to have diarrhea but I thought it was caused from all the candy and junk food he had been eating. It continued through the reunion and got worse once we got home on Friday.
I woke up at 11:30 p.m. to Ryker and Tracen crying. Ryker had thrown up all over his bed, which had woken up Tracen. I spent the rest of the night going back and forth between the boys getting them to sleep and catching Ryker's throw up in a bowl (Sorry to those with weak stomachs reading this).
Ryker couldn't hold anything down all day and Tracen started having diarrhea! Our house was a disaster (actually it still kind of is) and I'll just let you image how many candles I had burning to try to get rid of the smell.
Luckily, Ryker started holding food down on Sunday but he still hasn't gotten his energy back. Tracen's diapers are the worst! I changed 8 or 9 diapers (poopy) in a two hour period on Sunday night. It's like he is just leaking continually! I am happy that he didn't throw up though. I almost started crying last night when his diaper started to leak everywhere as I tried to change him and of course it missed the changing pad I had laid down and got on the carpet.
No change in his disgusting diapers today but I'm still hopeful. (I decided not to add any pictures to this post. Your welcome :-) )

Too Long

When I've gone a long time without posting anything I feel overwhelmed that I have to write everything that has happened in the last few months... Well, I'm taking a deep breath and I've decided not to do that :-) I'm starting fresh with things now and not stressing out about everything that happened months ago...like taking Tracen to get xrays cause I thought he swallowed a quarter (he didn't) or being so mad at Ryan I just started walking (I got about two miles before he picked me up) or seeing the penis of a boy that mows the grounds at the apartment complex (I felt totally violated but he didn't know I was there and I guess he had to pee REALLY bad)...
Anyways, I'll try to be better!