Living Proof

I have lived in Southern California for exactly 10 (TEN?!?!) years now, and yet, not once I have a felt a true earthquake - til last night.

David and I had finally gotten the kids to bed just past 8:30. We were in our bed, watching Extreme Home Makeover. Suddenly, our bed started to shake (and not THAT kind of shaking, if you know what I'm saying). David looked at me and said "It's an earthquake." And I looked at him, wondering if I should freak out.

By the time I decided not to, it was over. At some point during the 15 seconds or so that our house shook (it was a 4.7 on the richter scale), I did put a protective hand over the basinette next to our bed that contains our infant son. Apparently, I thought that would protect him from any flying objects, like a television or a dresser.

Xander slept peacefully through it. Sawyer and Sage, however, did not. Sawyer was standing in the hallway saying "I think something happened to my bed." David went to calm him - and to let the dogs in, as they were barking like crazy in the back yard.

I went in to Sage's room, to find her sitting up wide-eyed in bed. "Mommy! Somebody was bouncing on my bed!"

I explained to her that no, no one was bouncing on her bed. It was just this crazy thing where the earth moves and causes things to shake. I asked if she was scared and she said yes, but she seemed placated by my explanation and was soon back to sleep, as was Sawyer.

But today, when Sawyer and I walked to school, we discussed what an earthquake is. I asked him if it scared him, and he said it did.

"I thought it was a monster under my bed and it was shaking it."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my child, who already has an overactive imagination (check out this link* to see what I mean) finally has living proof: There are, in fact, things that go bump in the night. And a monster under the bed to boot.


*That story is in my friend Jen's awesome magazine, Classic Play, a must-read for all moms out there!