Alligator Sprite

I myself have a similar experience to both J and her mother. It's admittedly less horrifying and a little more odd.

I was still fairly young (maybe four years old) when this took place, so maybe it was a hallucination or a warped memory, yet it's one of the few clearest memories I have from my childhood.

It was the middle of the day and I had just woken up from a nap.

I still recall the plastic bedframe and the dresser at the foot of the bed.

On top of that dresser was a merry-go-round type toy. They were ballerina bears. Well, I watched as one of the bears kind of split open, like a door.

Then, stepping out of the bear was a thumb sized creature. I remember it looked like a cartoonish alligator, looked to have green skin and a stubby snout.

The creature's mouth was gaping open and had a hand in front of its open mouth, like it was yawning. 

Freaked out, I hid under the covers. But when I peeked out, the creature was gone.