Go to sleep or else....

This summer we took a family vacation to Blowing Rock. It was Layne and Blair's first trip to the mountains and they were so excited about this new adventure. We were going to Grandfather Mountain, Tweetsie, and staying in a "log cabin". I was just looking forward to a change of scenery, fresh air, and family time. 

Our Mountain Bear

Kennedy was just shy of a month old when we embarked upon this long weekend journey. I was fully preparing myself for the worst case scenario- no sleep, crying baby, etc. However, she proved to be an angel the entire trip. We made it to Grandfather Mountain (wind and all) our first day and saw lots of really cool bears shedding their hair. After we left there, we headed back to our cabin to settle in. Our cabin consisted of one really large room and a bedroom- all we needed for this weekend getaway. I had to break the news to Layne and Blair that they would be on the sleeper sofa and Dean, Kennedy and I were taking the bedroom. Did they take the news badly? No! There was a tv in front of the sofa, any kids dream come true. Layne was planning on watching tv all night long just to see what mountain channels were like. That evening Dean took the kids on a walk around the cabin to explore. They came back telling me about all of the wild things they saw (which amounted to a rabbit, squirrel, fish, and a frog) and how they wanted to go fishing next time they come. It was time for bed (finally!!!) and I tucked them in with strict instructions that they were to be quiet and go to sleep or we were not going to Tweetsie Railroad in the morning. I thought I sounded pretty serious and was very clear on what they should do, but apparently not because those two didn't anymore listen to me. Dean and I sat in our room and listened to Layne and Blair's party- complete with yelling, laughing, pillow fights, and running. Dean walked out of our room to issue his orders- bed, quiet, sleep. Dean took a little creative liberty and added that mountain bears were attracted to noise that little kids make at night, so they had best be quiet or a bear was going to come and get them. We had a nice ten minutes of quiet when the whispering voices became louder and the giggles started. The cabin was really dark, so Dean slipped out the door and went to the window right outside of where Layne and Blair were laying. He started clawing on the screen and hitting the side of the cabin. The cabin was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Somehow, Dean managed to slip back into the cabin and our room before the kids came running into our bedroom crying. They were terrified! Between hysterical sobs (and our stifled laughs) they told us about the noises they heard and sent Dean out with a flashlight to look for bears (they were not going back in that room until the outside perimeters had been examined). He took his time looking and then we somehow managed to convince them everything was fine. There was not another noise from them at bedtime the remainder of the trip. 

We still get questioned if that was a real bear that came to their window that night and if bears really do like kid noises. Dean and I still share a good laugh when we remember the looks on their faces when they came running into the room. I am sure that the majority of you that are reading this think we are cruel and evil parents, but we were desperate for sleep. I am sure that if you have children, you've come up with some pretty good scare tactics as well. Please feel free to share them, we need some new ideas.