Autism at its Finest!

It's a little before 3am. I am awakened to the shrill shrieks of Westley and the soft crying of Laura. I am disoriented. It's completely dark. It takes me a second to register what's happening. Westley is shrieking and screaming and begging someone to open his door. I'm thinking his door must be jammed. Then I realize the power is out. It's been happening a lot lately. In the morning, we wake up to find that the power had blinked during the night. It doesn't usually bother anyone. We're all usually asleep. This time, Westley has somehow awakened at the exact moment the power is out. He usually sleeps through the night. Ryan and I have no idea where the flashlights are. Forget finding a match and a candle. I begin talking to Westley. I tell him I'm here, he's OK, I'm coming. He is talking back to me in a very distressed voice. He's completely freaked out. I get to his door. . . it's open. I tell him no one has closed his door but the power is out and it's just dark. I can tell he's had an accident and needs a shower and a bed change. I pass him to Ryan who takes him to the toilet. Ryan got to Laura and has already taken her to the toilet. I tell all the kids to relax, the power is out but everything is OK. Then like magic, the lights come back on. Instant relief. Ryan gives Westley a bath and I clean up his bed. Westley continues to speak in a distressed voice about the trauma he's just endured. He finds it comforting that he can tell his teacher at school tomorrow that he's had a bad night. Finally we get Laura and West back to bed. Ryan and I lay down again. Our nerves are reeling from the shock of waking to the screams. We vow to stock our side tables with a variety of light sources before the sun sets on another day. Neither of us is able to quickly get back to sleep. The alarm goes off and I wonder if I've slept at all since 3am. We get the kids up and moving. Westley is completely normal. No sign of the nights trauma. No sign that he remembers any of it. It's amazing how his mind works. I'm definitely buying some glow sticks, flashlights, and battery touch lights today!