Child's Play



The boys using an EMF detector to look for ghosts


On Saturday night, the folks from Grimstone Inc. made their second visit to our haunted abode.  This time, they brought different equipment and a slightly different investigation team.  This time, we did something we’ve never, ever done before…..we let our kids stay home during the investigation.  (Not all four of them, though- the two youngest are afraid of their own shadows, so it’s definitely not something they could have handled.)

The boys were quiet, watching with wide eyes as the investigators brought in case after case of equipment.  We updated them on everything that’s happened in the house since the last investigation, including the fact that it’s been well over a month since anyone has slept upstairs.  They talked to the boys a bit about that, and then decided to begin the investigation upstairs.  As they got out different pieces of equipment, they took their time explaining to the kids how each one worked.  They even gave them an EMF detector to carry with them, and told them what to look for and when to call for help.

Austin checking readings on the EMF detector

Ethan thinks he found somethin'!

An investigator from Grimstone showing Ethan how the EMF detector works

 

The investigators: Kara, Barbara, Josh, and Shannon, performed an EVP session in E-Man’s bedroom while we stayed downstairs in the living room.  Then they got out a device called a Frank’s Box (also known as a spirit box, or ghost box.)  That’s when the real fun began.  The Frank’s Box is essentially a modified radio that scans through radio stations very quickly, creating a steady stream of white noise.  The thought is that spirits can speak through that white noise.  The thing that’s different about the Frank’s Box from other equipment is that the results are instant.  Whereas most evidence has to be reviewed, a Frank’s Box produces instant results- you can hear the activity as it occurs.

Needless to say, the boys were fascinated by this.  They stood at the bottom of the stairs listening intently as the investigators asked questions.  At one point, one of the investigators asked, “Can you tell us your name?”  The response was loud and clear: “Bobby.”  I thought the boys would be afraid, but they weren’t.  A little freaked out, maybe, but not afraid.  They got the green light from the investigator manning surveillance to go upstairs and join the party, so we all headed up to E’s bedroom to witness the investigation close up.  One of the questions asked by investigators was “Whose room is this?”  The voice that came through the Frank’s Box said, “Ethan.”  (Ding, ding, ding!)  Someone asked “it” to name someone in the room.  Over the next few minutes, we heard “Kara,” “Shannon” and “Barb” all spoken separately.  (Correct again!)  It was really, really freaky.  We then headed downstairs to the master bedroom for an EVP session and a Frank’s Box session.  The boys asked some questions, made some jokes, and got some responses through the box to yes and no questions.

Ethan helping to run surveillance

 

And that was about all the ghost hunting the boys could handle.  It was nearly midnight, after all.  We returned to our campout in the living room, and the investigators returned to their investigating.  The boys quickly fell asleep.  The Hubs played on his phone (Candy Crush, I’m sure.)  I spent a little time listening to the live broadcast of the 97.5 Paranormal Investigation, which was coincidentally on the same night, and then talked with Shannon, the investigator running the last surveillance shift, until the lights came back on.

Some things I overheard/found out over the course of the evening, but have not been shared as “official” investigation findings at this time:  One of the new investigators got an overwhelming sense that something tragic had happened in the house immediately upon entering.  She was very uncomfortable upstairs, and felt like she shouldn’t be there.  Another of the investigators, while in one of the upstairs bedrooms, could feel someone watching him from  the hallway.

 

During a Frank’s Box session in the downstairs bathroom, investigators heard the word, “dead.”  When they asked, “Who’s dead?,” the voice responded, “Me.”  At one point, I was in the kitchen getting a drink when I heard a commotion downstairs, where the investigators had convened.  All night, they’d been asking “it” to turn a flashlight on and off, and from the sounds of it, they achieved success in the basement.

The investigators left around 1:30 or so in the morning.  The Hubs and I went to bed.  At 2:20, we were awoken by a loud crash outside our door, where a picture had somehow fallen off the wall.  I wasn’t afraid or upset, I’m becoming an old hat at these paranormal investigations.  But I was restless and couldn’t sleep at all.  I was nauseous, and came down with a serious migraine that lasted well into Sunday.  Not sure if it was related to the investigation, or just a coincidence.

When the boys woke up the morning after the investigation, they were bummed that they’d fallen asleep before it was over.  They didn’t seem scared or traumatized or any worse for the wear.  But  my 10-year-old did inform me that he’s never, ever, ever sleeping upstairs again.  Sooo….there’s that.



Ghost hunting is exhauting!



Busy Morning

It seems that randomly playing music is going to be the new "thing" in our house.  This morning at about 6, with The Hubs already at work and both kids asleep in my bed (don't ask) and me on the couch, I was actually semi-awake when I heard the music turn on upstairs.  This time, it was The Beatles' "Hello, Goodbye" that started playing out of nowhere, with nobody upstairs (or even awake.) 

The curious part is, the song didn't even start at the beginning, it started right in the middle of the song, with the words, "Hello, hello!"  It played for about a minute, and then before I worked up the courage to go upstairs and turn it off, it stopped.  So I have no idea which device it came from- iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, TV, other TV.....coulda been anything.

Then, a couple hours later, after the boys got on the bus and I was laying back down in bed trying to rest for a bit before going to work, my husband came home from work early.  I listened as his heavy footsteps walked through the dining room, the kitchen, the middle room....and then stopped.  I turned to face the door, fully expecting him to be standing there looking at me.  He wasn't.  I called his name.  He didn't answer.  I texted him and asked where he was.  Still at work.  For another three hours.  Hmmm.  Well.  Okay.

I feel like September and October are important months for our spirits.  It was last September that I took the photo of the footprints at the end of my bed (see an edited version of said photo below), and the activity really picked up from there.  Especially in the days before (of course during) and after the first paranormal investigation we had done last October.

Oh, did I forget to mention?  We are having our FOURTH paranormal investigation in a couple of weeks.  Grimstone Inc. is coming back, and this time the kids are staying home during the investigation!!  (The kids' request, not mine.  I think it's a horrible idea.)  Stay tuned....

Sweet Dreams

I’m of the belief that some dreams have meaning and some have none whatsoever, generally speaking.  But every time I dream about our house or the spirits in it, I wake up totally freaked out,  convinced that our ghosts are trying to send me a message. 

Last night (this morning?), I was having a perfectly pleasant dream where I was with a group of friends at some event, and we were just talking and hanging out.  My mom showed up with a box of stuff she found in the (her? my?) attic.  In it, there was a photo of a man who looked like he was straight out of the 1970s  or 80s, with big, clunky glasses, a sweet porn stache, and thick, brown feathered hair.  I can still see the picture perfectly in my mind, the dream was that vivid.  He was wearing a white polo tennis shirts with a few thick stripes through the middle, and some waaaaay too short white shorts.  He was also wearing a gold chain.  (See, told you….I can still see it perfectly in my head.)

I feel like he was on a bike, or near a bike, and there was a woman in the photo with him, but I don’t remember her face as well.  I asked my mom who he was and why I should care about this picture.  She explained some present day link, which I don’t remember now (he worked in my building, or was one of the paranormal investigators on our case, or was a former teacher of mine or something like that) and then said, “look at his name.”  I can’t, for the life of me, remember what the name was, or why it was written in big block letters on the front of the picture, but I do remember that his first name was Robert.  “I think this is Bobby,” my mom said.  And then I started screaming- this blood curdling, top of my lungs, hysterical shriek.  I was staring at the picture, just screaming and screaming.  And I realized, in my dream, that Bobby was never the name of one of our ghosts, “Bobby” was the person responsible for all of the ghosts in our house, and that every time the little ghost boy talked about “Bobby,” he was trying to tell us about the person who killed him, not tell us his own name.  I screamed so much and so loud in my dream that it woke me up.  I’m 99% sure that it’s the reason for my migraine today, as well.

I woke up terrified.  I wanted so badly to run out of my room, out of my house altogether, and not come back until daylight.  But.  My youngest son was asleep in my bed, and I couldn’t leave him alone in my room with whoever or whatever was planting nightmares in my head.  I know, I’m being overly dramatic.  The dream probably meant nothing.  It doesn’t even make any sense.  But even now, in the light of day and with my fears calmed, I still feel like it meant SOMETHING.  Although what, I have no idea.

Whatcha Gonna Do?

Last night, I didn't sleep.  Like at all.  Which is so stupid, because I was beyond exhausted.  I tried to sleep.  Several times.  But something (someone?) wouldn't let me.  Every time I would start to fall asleep, I would be startled awake, by what I'm not quite sure.  But my adrenaline was pumping and my heart was racing- so much so that I was afraid there was something medically wrong with me.

I hadn't had a bad dream.  I hadn't heard or seen anything to warrant such a reaction, but it literally felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest.  I got so freaked out, I woke my husband up.  In case I, you know, died or something.  As I sat in bed, trying to figure out what was wrong with me, I was reminded of a few other times I've woken up in panic mode.

Most recently, it's happened when I heard someone talking to me while I was sleeping.  Once a woman, and once what sounded like a little boy.  Both times, I woke up with that same adrenaline rush, my heart pounding.  But this time there had been no voice, nothing that had happened to cause this.  Nothing I could consciously remember, at least.

Around 2 am, I got up to go to the bathroom for the millionth time.  I checked on the boys, who were fast asleep on the couch in the living room, and then went to the bathroom.  On my way back to my room, I heard something upstairs.  A voice. I walked slowly to the bottom of the stairs to listen more closely.

It was music.  "Bad Boys," to be exact.  (Yes, the Cops theme song.)  I returned to my bedroom and got my husband, who was just starting to fall asleep again, back up.

"There's music upstairs," I told him as I climbed back into bed.

"What?" he asked, almost as if he didn't believe me.

"Music, upstairs.  Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?"  I elaborated, getting back into bed, making it clear that he was going to have to be the one to solve this particular mystery.  He sleepily made his way upstairs, returning a few minutes later.  "What was it?"  I asked.

"Austin's iPhone," he answered, satisfied.  Mystery solved.  Austin's iPhone??

As I laid there, wide awake, listening to my husband's breathing turn into quiet snores, my mind was racing.  I had turned Austin's iPhone off earlier in the evening after informing him that he would not be using it for a few days.  (Long story.)  I'd let him put it upstairs on the charger before bed, but it was still turned off.  The kids were fast asleep downstairs, I saw them with my own two eyes.  And there was no music playing the several other times I'd gotten up to go to the bathroom that night.  It wasn't even playing on my way TO the bathroom, just on my way back.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.  I mean, it's definitely not the craziest thing to ever happen in our house.  But I couldn't help but feel a little unsettled as I stared into the darkness, the song's lyrics playing over and over in my head:

"Whatcha gonna do?  Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?"

Apparition

Of all of the crazy things that have happened in our house, there's one thing I'd not yet experienced until last night.  I'd never seen anything.  I've heard things, felt things, sensed things....but never actually SEEN any "ghosts" or ghost-like things.  But last night....

Last night, I got up around 2 am or so to use the bathroom.  When I walked out into the middle room, I was startled by what I thought was a person sitting on the bench against the wall.  When I stopped to really look, there was nothing there.  I used the bathroom, made my way back down the hall and through the middle room, and as I entered my bedroom, I saw the same "thing" standing beside the bed, near the closet door.  I blinked, and it was gone.

It was almost like a light brownish, person-shaped fog.  Both times I saw it, it was gone within seconds.  But the fact that I saw it twice, in two separate rooms, within a five minute time span......well, I can no longer say that I've never seen a ghost in the house.  Because I'm not entirely sure anymore.

Caught on Tape!

Finally, FINALLY, I was able to catch some of our haunted house shenanigans on video.  Usually, things happen so fast and in the middle of the night that I don't have time to register what's happening until after the fact.  So I definitely never have the time to play amateur filmmaker.  But last night....

Last night it was just me and my 10-year-old, E-Man, at home.  We were watching TV in the living room, and out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw the light in the middle room turn on.  I got up to check the light switch, verified that it was in the off position, and then returned to the couch.  I decided it was probably just some especially bright headlights lighting up the room, as we are on a main road and have constant traffic.

A few minutes later, it happened again.  My son saw it, too.  The ceiling light in the middle room turned on, then off, then flickered, then turned off again.  A couple minutes later, it happened again.  After the third or fourth time, I decided to try to catch it on camera. 

I started recording with my phone.  Nothing happened.  After about a minute, I turned my recorder off.  Quite literally the very second I turned it off, the light came on again.  I turned the camera back on immediately.  As I was explaining what was happening, my son said, "Maybe Bobby doesn't like to be caught on camera."  When he said the name "Bobby," the light turned on and then off.  And I CAUGHT IT ON CAMERA.  (The video continues for about another minute after that, but nothing else happens.)

WATCH IT HERE: 

   

In The Still Of The Night

It's been four days now since our last paranormal investigation.  Surprisingly, The Hubs and I both slept well after all of the ghost hunting gear was packed up and taken away.  Unlike times past, there was no surge in activity following the investigation.  Emphasis on the word "was."  Because holy mother of.....okay.  What I'm about to tell you is freaky.  Like, freaky as shit.  However, we (at this point) have no intention of leaving our home.  Your insistence that we do so is futile.  So don't bother.

Last night, we had all four boys overnight for the first time since the investigation.  The three younger boys slept upstairs, while The Teenager camped out on the couch in the living room.  At about 2 am, I was awoken by the sound of someone running around the house.  I got up to find The Teenager not sleep-walking, but sleep-running.  He was running in circles through the living room and middle room, his eyes closed, still completely asleep.  I gently took his arm, pulled him into my room, and got him to sit down on the bed.  I asked him what he was doing, and he began mumbling, eyes still closed, about his brother taking some "brown thing" from him, and some other nonsensical stuff.  I walked him back out to the couch, tucked him back in, and went back to bed.

Anyone who knows our family personally knows why this was beyond frightening to me.  The Teenager has epilepsy, and is prone to night-time seizures.  He also has a history of sleep-walking, although he hasn't had an episode in years.  As I tried to go back to sleep, my heart was pounding.  Did he have a seizure or seizure-like event?  Or was Bobby messing with him?  I was actually almost hoping there was a supernatural element involved.  Epilepsy is much more frightening.  Needless to say, I couldn't sleep.  I was too worried about my boy.  I took my pillow out to the couch and slept beside him (thank goodness for our ginormous sectional sofa).

When the little boys got up this morning, E-Man, my 10-year-old, had some pretty big bags under his eyes.  Apparently, CJ, the 9-year-old, sat up in bed around 2 am (the same time Austin started running through the house in his sleep, which the little boys knew nothing about because they were upstairs) and, still asleep, started banging his head into his pillow repeatedly, waking E-Man up.  He said after a few minutes, CJ stopped slamming his face into his pillow and laid back down.

So, at the exact same time, two of my children got up out of bed, still asleep, and one of them began running around the house like a madman while the other proceeded to bang his head into his pillow.  Then, after a few minutes, they both stopped and went back to sleep.  And in the light of day, neither of them have any recollection of this happening.  At all.  So...there's that.  And I just.....I don't know.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

I'm not a quitter.  When I set my mind to something, I accomplish it.  Or, at the very least, I exhaust every possible avenue and give up only when I’m satisfied that I did absolutely everything in my power to reach my goal.  Case in point: it’s been nearly a year since our first paranormal investigation, and I refuse to give up on my quest for answers as to why our house is not only haunted, but “super haunted.”  As a result, our house was investigated last weekend for the third time, by our fourth different paranormal investigation crew.

Here’s something I’ve learned about paranormal investigation companies/teams/crews (or whatever you want to call them) since delving into this world of the supernatural:  You have to find the one that’s right for you and your situation.  Thanks to the emergence of shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, there has been a boom in the number of organizations that offer paranormal investigation services as of late.  In Michigan alone, there are currently over 100 paranormal investigation firms, as opposed to less than ten just a decade and a half ago.  They all have different philosophies, business practices, equipment, ways of doing things, rules, and areas of expertise.  (One thing they all have in common, however, is that their services are free.  If anyone ever tries to charge you for a paranormal investigation, run the other way.  The good guys do this work for free, because it’s what they love to do.)  So how do you find the group that’s right for you?  You ask questions.

After two paranormal investigations by three different groups in less than a year, I know what I want.  I’m not looking to establish “if” my house is haunted.  I want to know why.  The Hubs and I also want to be included in the investigation process.  We’re tired of just sitting on the couch in silence and darkness while the ghost hunters (and ghosts) have all the fun.

So I started combing through the overabundant listings for paranormal investigators in Michigan until I found one with an emphasis on historical research.  Grimstone Inc. to the rescue.  Founded in 1999, they have been investigating the supernatural since before such a thing was cool, and have a historical research department.  (Jackpot!)  I emailed them and heard back within 24 hours.  I told them our story and our history of past investigations, and expressed our desire to focus on the history of the house and to be a part of the investigation process.  They told me they could work with that.  A few days later, I had a long phone conversation with the lead investigator, Kara, about everything having to do with our house.  She was familiar with our case, having heard the radio broadcast of the investigation last fall.  She and her team were excited to come out.  And we were excited to have them.

On Saturday, August 3^rd, with the kids and dogs all gone and the house clean and cobweb free (they were videotaping, after all), a caravan of paranormal investigators arrived at The C Fam estate with case upon case of equipment.  They took a tour, conducted interviews, took “baseline readings” and set up their surveillance cameras (nine, in total) and other equipment.  By about 9:00, it was lights out.  For the first hour or so, they investigated on their own while The Hubs, our two houseguests and I watched the surveillance monitor with one or two members of the team.  After that, they invited us to participate.  We got to join them in different parts of the house during EVP sessions, and learned about the equipment and what the different things do.  The Grimstone team was professional yet fun, and it was almost like spending an evening with friends.  While the evidence review process is a tedious one, we’ve been in regular contact with Grimstone since the investigation, and have been given a timeline on when we can expect information.

Surveillance video feed during the investigation

Color me impressed.  I think we’ve found “our guys.”  But I’m sure what you’re more interested in than how much we like our new paranormal investigation crew is exactly what happened during their investigation, right?  Overall, it was a pretty quiet night.  I actually fell asleep at one point towards the end of the investigation because, well, it was late and I’m old.  But there were a few moments.



Legit ghost hunting gear

The first real “wow” thing that happened came early in the evening, when I was watching the surveillance monitors with Grimstone founder Chris Bailey, a tall, ruggedly good looking fella (that’s what you told me to say, right, Chris?).  He informed me that we have a very “unique” property.  He explained that normally, an EMF detector will pick up a high-level reading if there is a spirit present, or sometimes if there is electrical wiring that isn’t properly shielded, but it’s usually in a very concentrated area.  As it turns out, our ENTIRE PROPERTY is one gigantic EMF field, from the road to the tree line at the way back of the back yard.  The house, the yard, the marsh, all of it.  And that’s highly unusual.  Chris did say that it’s quite possible that the EMF field is man-made, but that he can’t for the life of him figure out what would be emitting one quite that big.  Strange, no?

Later in the evening, I found myself cooped up in the bathroom with Chris, Kara, and my dear friend Marina (who is terrified of my bathroom, btw) for an EVP session.  At one point, while Kara was introducing herself to whoever might be in there with us, we all heard a very distinct child’s voice say “Hi.”  We were unable to get whoever or whatever it was to say it again, but I’m interested to see what the EVP recording turns up.

A reminder to anyone needing to tinkle- shut the shower curtain to cover the video camera, or everybody will see your business while you do your business!

After our bathroom investigation, we headed upstairs to the younger boys’ bedroom for another EVP session.  After asking a few questions, Kara requested that anyone present in the room with us “finish the clap,” and then proceeded to clap out “Skunk-in-the-barnyard” (or “Shave and a haircut,” whichever you prefer), leaving only the last two lines unfinished.  Now.  Anyone who’s seen The Conjuring or even just a preview for The Conjuring knows how terrifying the thought of a ghost clapping out twice in the dark is.  I swear on all things holy, if it would’ve happened, I would have bolted from that house and never returned.  True story.

While a couple of investigators were out back by the chicken coop, they heard a large branch snap just inches from them, followed by a footstep.  They took off running.  (Which is sort of funny, since the backs of their shirts say: “Paranormal Investigator- If you see me running, try to keep up!”  Now, that very easily could have caused by the wildlife that roams our property at night, but it will be interesting to see what the evidence from that time frame reveals.

All in all, our night with the folks from Grimstone Inc. was awesome.  It was an interesting and very positive experience for us.  We’re feeling hopeful about getting some answers for the first time since this all began.  (I even slept well after the investigation was over, and that’s pretty much unheard of.)  Now we wait.  Care to wait with us?

Housework

Last week, I had a little helper while I was doing housework, and I'm not talking about one of my four boys.  The Hubs and I were home alone, and I was inside cleaning while he was outside doing yard work.

While cleaning in the living room, I found one of the throw pillows from the couch on the floor behind the couch.  I picked it up, fluffed it, put it back in its spot, and then turned around to close a window because it was getting cold out.  (Yes, in July.)  When I turned back around, the pillow was back on the floor.  I stood there staring at it for a few seconds, thinking I was crazy.  Then I picked it up and put it back on the couch.

A little while later, I put some towels away in the closet outside the bathroom.  The closet door is a sliding door, and I remember having to fight with it to get it closed, because the towels were in the way of the track.  But I got it closed, and went into the bathroom to put the washcloths away.  When I came back out, the closet door was wide open again.  (Being that it's a sliding door, it can't open itself.)  I took a deep breath, rubbed out the goosebumps, and moved along.

That night, I was in the bathroom doing my nightly face washing/teeth brushing routine while listening to the sound of my husband doing the dishes in the kitchen.  (The bathroom and kitchen share a wall.)  I heard him turning the sink on and off, washing the dishes, and opening and closing cupboards to put them away.  When I was done in the bathroom, I went out into the kitchen to see if I could help him.  The light in the kitchen was off, the sink was full of dirty dishes, and my husband was nowhere to be seen.  I found him in bed, fast asleep.  (Dear Ghosty Friends: If you're going to do the dishes, could you please start doing the actual dishes instead of your parallel dimension ones?)

Yesterday, our house helper was in a different kind of mood.  The Hubs walked into the bathroom to find half of the shower curtain ripped off the hooks.  He then went into our bedroom and found our change jar, which sits at the back of a built-in book shelf (so, literally no way for it to get bumped or knocked off the shelf, it essentially sits inside a wall) on the floor, the change spilled all over the place.

It's just still so funny to me, how we can go a couple weeks without anything significant happening, and then we seem to have an outbreak of activity, where crazy things happen almost daily.  I wonder why that is....

The Conjuring Comparison

So.  I did it.  I went and saw The Conjuring.  And while it was probably the scariest movie I've seen in the history of forever, it did not remind me of my house.  Well.  Not too much. 

Without giving away too much to those who haven't seen the movie, I'll just say this: if anything even as remotely awful as what happened in that house on their first night ever happened in our house, we'd be gone without another thought.  Like for real.  Lucky for us, most of the similarities between the Perron family's ghost story and ours are on the surface, right down to the green front door.

In the movie, the Perron family moved out to the country, into an old white farmhouse with green trim, with their five girls.




Haunted movie farmhouse on the left, our real farmhouse on the right.


In real life, the C family moved out to the country (but not too far, we're still less than two minutes from civilization), into an old white farmhouse with green trim, with our four boys.




Haunted movie family on the left, haunted C Family on the right.


Their house had a huge yard and a bunch of creepy, old trees.  Our house has a huge yard and a bunch of creepy, old trees.  They had a pond at the edge of their yard.  We have a marsh at the end of ours.




Haunted movie yard on the left, our real haunted yard on the right.


They had a creepy basement/cellar full of lots of weird stuff.  We have a creepy basement/cellar with an incinerator and a weird, arched door that leads to nowhere.  Their basement is haunted.  Our basement is haunted.  They had a little boy ghost, "Rory."  We have a little boy ghost, "Bobby."

Creepy movie basement on the left, creepy C Fam basement on the right.

Oh, and did I tell you?  The Conjuring is based on a TRUE STORY.  How true?  I've posted a couple of links to stories on that exact topic so that you don't have to go hunting for the info yourselves.

Here is an excellent breakdown of fact vs. fiction on all things related to The Conjuring: The Conjuring True Story.

Here is a letter that the eldest Perron girl, Andrea Perron, wrote to a website that posted a review on the movie.  In her letter, she says: "There are liberties taken and a few discrepancies but overall, it is what it claims to be — based on a true story, believe it or not."  Read the full letter HERE: Family Members Reveal The Conjuring True Story.

Now that the movie is #1 at the box office, USA Today decided to do a little digging into how true the story is.  Read their story here: USA Today- True Story Behind The Conjuring.

As an author, I was so excited to learn that one of the family members, Andrea Perron, wrote a series of books about her family's experience in their haunted farmhouse.  Upon getting home after the movie, I logged into my Amazon account ready to purchase at least the first of the three books.  But the reviews stopped me.  They are AWFUL.  The book is expensive (over $20 for a paperback and almost $10 for the Kindle version), long (528 pages), and I found myself struggling to even read all the way through the synopsis.  House of Darkness, House of Light is definitely not for me.  But here's the link if you want to check it out: House of Darkness, House of Light by Andrea Perron.  Just please, before you buy, read the reviews.

Bottom line: the movie is awesome and at least somewhat true.  But not necessarily an accurate depiction of what goes on in haunted houses.  And definitely nothing like what goes on in ours.

Conjuring Courage

I can’t remember what movie I went to the theater to see when I saw my first preview for The Conjuring, but I do remember turning to my husband with wide eyes and saying, “hellllllllll no.”  I did NOT want to see it.  Never, ever, never, ever, never. 

Why?  Well…..because we also live in a haunted old farmhouse.  We also have a creepy basement with a scary spirit, and a little boy ghost who roams the property.  We too have enlisted the help of paranormal investigators in our quest for answers.  They say art imitates life, and for us, this particular piece of art is just a little too lifelike. 

But then the reviews started coming in, and they were good.  Like really good.  Way back before I became a chicken shit when it comes to scary movies, I loved a good horror flick.  So I was intrigued. 

I did a little research into how “true” the true story that inspired The Conjuring is, and it turns out the tale has much more truth to it than other “true story” movies (I’m talking to YOU, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Strangers.)  I was even more intrigued.

  One of my friends went and saw it last night, and when I asked her if she though it was a bad idea for me to see, she said:

“Jenn, the only thing you don’t have in real life that was in that damn movie is a freaky ass doll.  I feel like you could just stay home!”

Ok.  Well now I’m super intrigued.  And I feel like there’s probably a 75% chance that I’m going to go see The Conjuring this weekend.  Which most likely means that I will never sleep well again.  *Clap, clap!*

Into the Light

When you live in a haunted house, you get used to certain things- strange noises, creepy feelings, etc.  Being that we've been living with "others" for a little over a year now, there's a lot that flies under the radar.  But these past couple of days, we've seen a resurgence of activity at the C Family Estate.

Last night, my 10-year-old was in the shower, and insisted that someone come sit in the bathroom with him because the lights kept flickering and it was scaring him.  The only time our lights ever flicker is when the furnace kicks on.  And I can assure you, being that it's the middle of June, we did NOT have the heat on last night.

This morning, said 10-year-old was more difficult to wake up than usual.  He said he was overly tired because he couldn't sleep.  He felt like someone was watching him all night long.

Today, I got home from work and let our chihuahua out of her crate.  Usually she comes flying out, bursting with pent up energy and the need to pee.  But when I opened the door, she cowered further into her cage, whining.  She looked terrified.  Of what, I wasn't sure.  I had to reach in and pull her out, assuring her over and over that she was okay.  As I carried her to the door to take her outside, she was shaking and whimpering the entire time.

About a half hour later, my husband and I were discussing what to make for dinner when the light in the middle room started flickering so bad, The Hubs had to turn it off altogether.

I'm not sure what's causing the increase in activity these past couple of days, but it makes me wonder.....is it somebody's birthday?  The anniversary of someone's death?  Was this the time of year that something happened here, a long time ago?  Who knows.  Not me, that's for sure.

Also, Marter Paranormal has posted their findings from the second investigation they did in March.  Here's the link to their report: Marter Investigation.

Life With Bobby

Children are exhausting.  Boys especially.  I say that with no actual knowledge of what it's like to raise daughters, because I, apparently, was only meant to have sons.  I have two of my own, and acquired two more upon marrying my husband.  So if there's one thing this mama knows, it's how to raise boys.  It shouldn't be surprising, then, that I've formed almost a motherly attachment to our little ghost boy, Bobby.  (Of course he's a boy, right?  I can't even be haunted by a cute little girl ghost, it just has to be a boy.)

While I haven't posted in a while, it's not for a lack of strange activity at The C Family Estate.  Since my last story about waking up to the sound of a little boy calling my name, several things have happened.  Most notably- we got back the results from our second paranormal investigation.

About a week prior to that, though, I walked into the bathroom to find it in complete disarray: toilet paper rolls unrolled and thrown all over, other unmentionables you might find in a woman's bathroom strewn about, towels on the floor.  Yes, my kids were home, but my kids are 14 and 10 (a.k.a. old enough to know better than to mess around like that.)  It was definitely Bobby.  Not sure what provoked the temper tantrum, but I for sure did not appreciate it.

On a gloomy Sunday evening a week or so later, I talked with Mark and Terri from Marter Paranormal about our most recent investigation.  While a lot of what they found was the same as the first time, a lot was different, too. They picked up the voice of a little boy several times, as well as the name "Bobby," seemingly in reference to him.  Several of the investigators felt as though they were being grabbed or touched, and they all felt the presences we know to exist in the house.  In addition to Bobby, who seems to roam all over inside and outside, they picked up recordings of a woman's voice, an older man's voice (the grumpy old dude in the basement) and another, younger man's voice.  There were several EVP's that referenced a man called "Father."  Where's father? and Find father! were a couple. 

Unlike the first time, the investigators found a lot of activity upstairs, where the boys' bedrooms are.  They also detected a free-standing, moving EMF field (in layman's terms, a ghost in physical form) upstairs, and when asked where it had been hiding, it said, "Bathroom." 

Much like the first time, the  investigators caught nothing on photo or video, but recorded dozens of EVPs.  I've yet to learn how to add sound bites to this site, but here are a few of  my favorites:

Two of the investigators were talking about going into the basement.  One said, "So are we going downstairs?" And the ghost woman's voice responded, "Wait."

One of the investigators was having a conversation with Bobby, and said, "If you tell me what you dressed up as for Halloween, I'll tell you what I dressed up as for Halloween."  Bobby responded, "That would be bad."

When one of the investigators (who was a part of the first investigation) was headed out to the chicken coop, he picked up the younger man's voice saying, "That man is coming again."

And my favorite...(favorite? I don't know if that's the right word, but it's the one that had the strongest effect on me- goosebumps, tears, all of it.)  While upstairs, the investigators picked up the following EVP, all in immediate succession:

Younger man's voice: "Bobby."

Little boy's voice: "Chicken."

Younger man or woman's voice, yelling: "Booooobbyyy!"

Whisper: "What happened to me?"

Little boy's voice: "Turkey."

I think it was the emotion in the recording that got to me; the voice yelling Bobby's name sounded so upset.  That, and that the recording almost seemed to be a glimpse into the life the spirits lived, rather than them reacting or responding to investigators.  Whatever it was, it stuck with me.  I'm still hearing that voice in my head, even weeks later.

The investigators now feel it's possible that there's an entire family on the property,  and are all in agreement that Bobby seems to be the strongest presence.  They want to come back sometime over the summer and do an investigation focused primarily outside.  They feel that's where the "answers" are.  So we'll see.

In addition to the paranormal investigators, we recently had an intuitive named Ang, who is a friend of a friend, come to the house.  She can sense spirits, and gave us a different perspective on what's going on in our house.  She immediately sensed Bobby's presence upon arriving, and felt like he was out on the tire swing watching us.  She felt an incredible amount of spiritual energy in the master bedroom, and used a sage smudge stick (which my teenager later mistook for a joint...which cracked me up) to try to cleanse the house and calm the spirits. 

Ang is planning a return trip at some point with a friend of hers who can sometimes see spirits.  She talked to her friend about the house, and her friend told her that she definitely sees a little boy who appears to be from the 1950's at the house.  She said he's sort of scruffy looking, and appears to be looking for something.  She thinks what he's looking for is a toy top.  Ang and her friend want to try to do a "spiritual releasement" for our non-living friends.  If I'm being honest, the idea makes me kind of sad.  I mean, nobody wants to live in a haunted house, but I've gotten used to Bobby, and the thought of him (and the others) leaving after being there for so many decades is just sad to me for some reason.  I know that's weird, but it's how I feel.  So I've been very conflicted on whether or not to attempt a spiritual releasement for Bobby and his friends (family?)...until the other night.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the strangest smell.  It took me a few minutes to place it, but as I was trying to figure out what it was, it grew stronger and stronger.  It smelled like rabbit food- dehydrated vegetables, hay, alfalfa.  The smell became overpowering.  I got up out of bed, turned on the flashlight on my phone, and started frantically searching my bedroom for the source of the smell.  I woke up The Hubs, who smelled nothing and went back to sleep.  I couldn't stand it.  I went into the bathroom to escape the smell, and as I was standing in front of the sink running cold water over my hands, I heard a very loud ripping/splashing sound.  It sounded like someone ripping wallpaper from the wall or splashing an entire bucket of water on the floor.  It scared me.  I ran back to my rabbit cage...er, bedroom...because I didn't want to be alone.  The smell that had driven me from it in the first place seemed to be dissipating, thankfully. 

I climbed back into bed, taking several deep breaths to try to calm myself.  And then I started thinking...maybe the whole "spiritual releasement" thing isn't such a bad idea afterall.  Bobby deserves some peace.  And, quite honestly, so do I.

Say My Name

If you find yourself living in a haunted house, you have two choices: either run for the hills or find a way to deal.  In this house, we deal.  Or, at least, we try to.  I think I do a pretty good job at it, but every once in a while....something gets me.

Last night- well, this morning, really (around 4 am) I definitely got "got."  Big time.  I was kind of awake and kind of asleep, dreaming about something that I don't quite remember.  What I do remember is that I was fighting with someone, maybe a coworker or a friend (arguing fighting, not lightsaber fighting or anything) and I was really stressed out.  

And then, clear as day, right next to my head, I heard, "Jenn."  It was a little boy's voice.  And it was real.  I sat straight up, fully expecting someone (Bobby) to be standing beside my bed.  I thought I saw a shadow on the wall, but that easily could have been my imagination.  The voice, however- the voice was not my imagination.  I heard it.  I know I did.  

I sat in bed, my heart racing, one shaky hand on my husband's arm in case I needed to pierce his skin with my razor sharp nails to wake him up in a hurry.  I tried to convince myself that it wasn't real, that I had dreamed it.  But I didn't.  It was real.

As you might remember, a similar thing happened to me once before.  I woke up to the sound of a woman's voice saying, "Karen."  What happened last night/this morning was very much the same, but also very different.  The voice was different.  It was definitely, distinctly a little boy's voice.  And he wasn't telling me his name, he was calling mine.  (Insert goosebumps here.)

The worst part was, as I sat there staring into the darkness, looking and listening, I realized something.  I had to pee.  Like, really, really had to pee.  But the bathroom, as we all know, is Bobby's favorite hangout.  What if his plan was to wake me up by saying my name, hoping that it would result in me going into the bathroom?  What if he was trying to lure me in there for something?  I couldn't go.  I couldn't fall victim to his plan.  

But what if he needed something?  He is just a little boy, after all.  And I am the mom of the house.  Maybe?  I don't know.  What I do know is that I got very little sleep last night.  And that I might, quite possibly, have a bladder infection now...

Damn It, Bobby!

Whether it's accurate or not, pretty much everyone has taken to calling our little ghost boy Bobby.  And we're pretty sure that his favorite place to hang out, besides outside on the tire swing, is in the downstairs bathroom.  Which makes him the likely culprit of the mess I found in the shower this morning. 

I live in a house full of boys, so it's safe to say that I'm the only daily bather in the C Family Estate.  So when I stepped into the shower this morning, it was the first time anyone had taken one since the previous morning when I took one before work.  I know this for a fact.  I also know that my kids, who are 14 and 10, know better than to mess with my stuff.  Because I will cut them.  (Not really.  But don't tell them that.)

Yet, as I attempted to enjoy the steamy goodness of my morning shower today, something caught my eye. A big glob of my pink, girly shampoo on the shower wall.  And more on the built in shelving.  And even more on the top of the shower stall, where I usually set my shampoo.  It was everywhere.  Both my shampoo and conditioner bottles were almost completely empty, their contents smeared and splattered all over the shower walls.  I spent more time cleaning the shower than I did actually showering.  And now I'm out of hair product.  And all I have to say about it is this:

Blessed Be

I don't want to jinx myself here, but I just have to say....things have been really, really quiet at home since the paranormal investigators visited us again a couple weeks ago.  My overactive imagination has a theory as to why.  My theory is that the spirits in my house finally did what they needed to do- shared what they needed to share and said what they needed to say.  Whatever it was that was making them so crazy....they handled it, the results of which will turn up in the evidence the investigators are still reviewing.

You've seen scary movies.  That's how it works, right?  Ghosts act all crazy because they have some message to pass along from beyond the grave, and once they do that, they go peacefully into the light.  Right?  We shall see.

Another possible reason for the calm in our casa is a little simpler, but equally Hollywood.  Unlike during the first investigation, one of the investigators blessed our house this time, as well as The Hubs and myself.  (Turns out, he was an ordained minister.)  He also left a blessed candle that he used during the investigation burning on our dining room table.

I lamented over that candle so much during the four days it took to burn itself out.  I HATED leaving it burning during the day while we were gone.  I would leave it in the kitchen sink with just the slightest trickle of water running, just to be safe.  The investigator/minister said it would help to calm the spirits, maybe even "draw them into the light."

And I have to admit....our house has been calm.  Probably calmer than it's ever been.  (As I type this, I'm knocking on wood.)  Is it weird that I'm a little sad about the idea that our spirits might have left us?  Still waiting on the results from the investigation.....STAY TUNED....

The blessed candle on day two of its four day life.

The Morning After

It's the morning after our second paranormal investigation.  Okay, so it's more like mid-afternoon now, but I'm still in my pajamas, so it's still morning to me.  I've been trying all day to put my thoughts into words, but they've been so scrambled until now.

You might think that I shouldn't be surprised by anything that happens at my house anymore.  You might think that I should be "used to" our ghosts by now.  And you might even think that us allowing the house to be investigated again was completely frivolous.  So let me explain.

The initial investigation last fall was just that- an initial investigation, the purpose of which is to establish whether or not there is activity at a certain location.  We got that established pretty quickly the first time around- within the first half hour.  Subsequent investigations delve into the whos, the whys, and the wheres; and those are the questions that have been driving me crazy.

So last night, we shipped the kids and the dogs off for the evening, went out to dinner, and then came home to get ready for the ghost hunters.  While the house has to be as empty as possible, I did invite one friend over during the investigation- just about the only friend I have that I knew for sure wouldn't get scared and freak out.  Don't get me wrong, she got scared- she just didn't freak out.

The Hubs and I getting ready for the ghost hunters to arrive.

My biggest misstep of the evening was my plan to livestream a video chat during the investigation.  I was able to get the video feed up and running, but there was no sound.  The harder I tried to fix it, the worse it got.  Video started going in and out, then cut out altogether.  Then the internet itself started acting up.  If I didn't know better, I'd say our ghost friends didn't want to be broadcast to the world.

It was just as well, though.  It was dark, we had to be quiet, and a lot of what happened wouldn't have translated well over webcam.  Unlike the first investigation, there was no radio station crew this time.  Unlike the first investigation, where we had three teams of investigators, there was only one, Marter Paranormal.  There were six people- three who were here for the first investigation, and three whom I'd never met.  They arrived around 8 pm and started bringing in cases full of equipment.

One of the new investigators, as it turns out, is also an ordained priest.  So before the investigation started, he performed a sort of ritual just outside the back door.  He lit a candle to be "the light," a symbol of the Lord that is meant to attract spirits.  He poured a glass of rum and lit a cigar as gifts for the spirits from their "former lives," almost as a reward for cooperating during the investigation.  He left a glass of water out for the spirits to quench their thirst.  (I guess I never realized spirits got thirsty.)  And he left a strange looking tiki/voodoo head statue, for what reason I honestly don't know.  The items sat outside for the duration of the investigation.

A strange ritual....

Cameras and static detectors and motion detectors and all sorts of Ghostbusters-looking devices were placed methodically around the house.  And then the investigation began.  Joe, the investigator that picked up the voice of the little boy in the chicken coop during the first investigation, was anxious to get back outside.  Three investigators started in the master bedroom, where several EVPs were recorded last time.  The other two started upstairs.  Because we weren't broadcasting live over the radio or the internet, The Hubs, my friend and I decided to get a little liquored up to calm our nerves.  It definitely added a fun element to an already crazy evening.

The lights are off, the drinks are poured, and the investigation is underway.  This is a shot of the master bedroom with the door closed while investigators were inside.

Unlike the first investigation, during which we had the opportunity to listen to EVPs and review evidence on the spot, the investigators were pretty tight lipped about what they found.  It's the company's policy to review all evidence before reporting any of their findings, which usually takes about three weeks.  But we were able to catch little bits and pieces of what was going on here and there.

One investigator claimed to have had an entire conversation with a little boy in the master bedroom, who he called Bobby (not sure if it was because of the story I told them about Bobby, or if the spirit somehow confirmed for the investigators that that was his name.)  Joe was able to obtain several "pieces of evidence" in the chicken coop again.  And it sounded as though a team of investigators caught something on video in the master bedroom while talking to "Bobby," although I have no clue what.

One of the pieces of equipment the investigators brought this time that they didn't have last time was an EMF detector along with a short wave radio, the idea being that if they were able to pick up a freestanding EMF, or electro magnetic field, (essentially a spirit in physical form), they could use the short wave radio to pick up its frequency, and the spirit could communicate with them through that. One of the investigators was using the equipment upstairs, and we were able to hear him talking to "something" and that something talking back.  It was reaaallly creepy.  We later found out that after investigating upstairs for a short while, he detected a freestanding EMF and began talking to it.  When he asked it where it had been hiding all night, it said "bathroom."

Pictures were taken, notes were written down, data was collected.  We drank our margaritas and beer, sneaked around and listened outside of closed doors, and tried in vain to pick up any information we could from the conversations the investigators had amongst themselves.  It was a crazy, scary, fun night.  Unlike anything else.

We ain't 'fraid of no ghosts!

Probably the strangest thing that happened all night was when the entire team of investigators was upstairs.  I'm not sure what happened, but SOMETHING happened.  And the upstairs became the focus of the investigation, which was a bit unexpected because the upstairs turned up no evidence at all during the first investigation.  They turned the lights on, were videotaping, and one investigator started reading "Where The Wild Things Are" out loud.  Why?  Your guess is as good as mine.  But I can't wait to find out.

While most of the investigators were packing up and getting ready to leave, the ghost hunter/minister (who is also a Navy veteran and an avid biker) went downstairs to talk to the "grumpy old man" everyone had been referring to all night.  He came back up after a few minutes and announced that the old man isn't grumpy, he just wants me to clean up the basement.  (Which....not happening.  Even if our basement weren't haunted, it's still scary and gross and I never go down there.)

Before the investigators left, the minister blessed the house, blessed The Hubs and me, and then brought in the candle that had been sitting outside all night.  It's still burning, and will continue to burn for several days.  It is meant to be comforting to the spirits and to help protect our home.

The night following the first investigation was awful.  I didn't sleep and kept hearing noises and kept feeling like things were touching me.  I woke up the following morning violently ill, and was sick the whole day.  I was so worried about it happening again this time, I almost didn't sleep at home last night.

But I was too tired to leave.  So I drank a tall glass of water, took a couple ibuprofen and took one of my anti-anxiety pills (yes, they're prescribed....I don't self medicate) that has the added bonus of making me sleepy.  I left all the lights on, turned on the TV, and fell asleep on the couch.  (Our living room is part of the addition, not part of the original house.  So I've convinced myself that it's less haunted than the rest of the house.)

Until I fell asleep, I heard noises.  Lots of them.  But once I fell asleep, I slept HARD.  And I woke up with a headache, but that's it.  I suspect the headache was more because of the tequila than anything else.  I spent the majority of the day home alone.  I wasn't scared.  Nothing happened.  Okay....that's not entirely true.  Maybe the doorbell rang around 3:00 and maybe there was no one at the door when I went to check.  But that's it.

So now we wait.  For how long?  About three weeks, according to the investigators.  Sit tight, all.  I know I will.