More Spiders

We are still chasing spiders and snakes.  Levi is struggling to go to sleep by himself.  At times he is in tears because he is afraid of the spiders and snakes.  Why is still a mystery, but it doesn't really matter.  He is afraid and I am trying to work out ways around it.  Tonight we built a 'castle', impenetrable by any snakes or spiders.  It involved four pillows and him sleeping between them clutching Icy.  I have no idea why he is so afraid.  I wish I had something to go on, to work out where it all came from.  Maybe he just has too big an imagination in a country where the spiders and snakes really are something to fear. 

Finally he sleeps but it takes some work!  This weekend we will build a protector.  My wonderful social worker thought it up.  We are building, or buying a special protector.  I'm thinking it will be a stuffed lion or dragon or some strong fierce protective animal that can help Icy (his special stuffed Border Collie) protect him at night.  He can pick it himself.  Frankly it will be worth every cent if it works for the peace it will give him at night.  When he is tired, he does think logically and this may just override the fear a little.  We can both only hope!

Night Antics

Today I worked in the yard and worked inside.  The yard stuff was easier.  The grass grows faster than I can keep up at the moment and I struggle to keep it down enough to make the yards and the farm safe and level for Jo to work on the farm.  It is back breaking work but mind numbing and I can crank the ipod and lose myself in the work.  The inside work was helping Levi with his homework.  It is still a little like pulling teeth and Levi drags his feet and grumbles and complains about having to do it.  He doesn't have a lot of problem once he actually decides to put pencil to paper but getting him there is incredibly difficult.  The good news is that it wasn't as hard as the first time and I anticipate that homework will become easier and quicker as the fight goes out of him!

Tonight Levi decided that he wanted to sleep in the cubby by himself.  He (and I) cleaned it out and swept out the dust.  We carried up bedding and pillows and multiple flashlights.  We did his reading up there and then I went around the outside of my house rather than straight in.  I had toad killing spray and figured that I would knock a few off on my way into the house.  It took me, maybe three minutes to walk around.  When I got in through the front door, Levi met me inside.  He had come in through the back door.  Already!

"There are spiders out there!"

"Are they big ones?" I asked.

"They have big heads"

"Do you want me to go out and get rid of them?"

No there are other noises out there too"

Yep I think that whole idea was fraught but he had to work that out for himself!  Now he is in bed inside again and was asleep in about three seconds.  Poor little man!