I was going to suggest the spray bottle, too. Add a few drops of lavender oil (or other scent), make a label that says "Monster Tamer", and tell her the spray will make ghosts, vampires, and other spooky things play nice and be friendly.

Or, you could show her a photo of me and tell her I'm in the ghost and vampire union, and I'll tell them to be nice to her. I have other friends who've done that with their kidlings. :)

Today it was a monster under the bed. Half the time she wants it to be there and gets mad if you say it's not, and half the time she seems scared. No water bottle. This kid is obsessed with water and splashing. It would be everywhere in seconds.

Jilli, I just showed her a picture of you and told her you said only nice monsters under the bed. And now she says you're Auntie Jilli.

Three cheers for Auntie Jilli the long distance monster tamer!

Too bad that mojo won't work on private dicks.

When Hubby ran the game store, they got a giant display of a snarling D&D monster. A couple of people were afraid it would scare the kids, but the littlest ones kept running up to it laughing and going "Grrr!" We sold several of them to put in bedrooms because the kids knew it would keep the bad monsters away.

Love that, Connie!

Eeee! Oh, I'm so delighted to be her bedtime monster wrangler.

Oh, I'm so delighted to be her bedtime monster wrangler.

That is just delightful!

She was positively fascinated by your photo. It's actually during the daytime that she is afraid of monsters. She's a good sleeper, thank goodness.

So I am trying to play peacemaker with my family without my head exploding. It ain't easy. Short version without lots of emotional details is that Mom never had a will and the house she shared with DSD (dear-step-dad) was in her name. He could have made us sell it when she died, but being the person he is he took life tenancy with the house going to 4 kids after he dies. Personally I found it horrible and cursed Mom for not protecting him because I feel it is 100% his. A year passes, with most of the time him being up north and my brother living for free in the FL house as he has for the past 5 years. DSD can't bear living there anymore. Both because his wife died in his arms there, and living with bro is awful. He wants to sell but now can't unless all 4 agree. Sibs feel he is throwing out bro to be homeless. No way will they agree.

I have proposed to all of them that I buy out DSD's 50% and after bro is gone I end up with 62-1/2% share. Whatever, I seriously never wanted any share, but not really willing to buy out DSD for nothing. Or we can all buy him out, or bro and I buy him out. Something that leaves bro with all Mom's belongings and DSD free to go elsewhere.

If they don't agree then DSD could end up evicting bro and renting the place out because he can do that legally. Yeah, that would be a mess.

So really, some peaceful solution ~ma would be very much appreciated. I am unable to sleep or focus with all this hanging over my head.