Beware: Entering The No Nap Zone

As I write this, Noni is jumping up and down and crying and screaming. It's loud. She is upset about the state of her blanket on the floor. You might think that a better mom would get off the computer and help, but believe me, I tried. Does she want it wrapped around her? "NOT LIKE THAT!" Or on the floor with a pillow? "NOT LIKE THAT!" Or draped on the couch for a fort? "NOT LIKE THAT!" You see, it's really not about the blanket. It's about her afternoon nap. Which she has stopped taking.

That's right, we're in the dreaded No Nap Adjustment Zone these days.

Anyone with a child over four years old knows the story. First, you have a little baby who naps all the time. Then she switches to two naps a day. Then it's down to one. And now? It's not that she won't nap at all. It's just that no matter how much reading or snuggling or driving the car around the block we do, she won't nap until at least 4 o'clock. And if she naps then, she's up until 10 o'clock. Which is at least two hours past the time when all children should be tucked in bed and all parents should be enjoying a glass of wine, reading a book, participating in adult conversation or at least zoning out in front of the television. And so, the nap has been axed and the monstrous afternoons have begun.

The monstrous afternoons were tough enough when Evie went through them, but with the third child, the task of keeping her awake from 4:00 - 7:00 PM has added challenges. Like the fact that at 4:00 PM we are usually in the car, driving to soccer practice or piano lessons. Our afternoon car rides now entail playing the princess CD at full blast (If you can DREEEEAAAM...) and singing at the top of our lungs to keep Noni awake. Thank you Disney Princesses because, while headache-inducing, it seems to be working so far.

I imagine in a couple of months, Noni will have adjusted and, aside from Toby's Saturday afternoon naps, we will be a nap-free family. I already miss snuggling up with her in bed and reading to her until she sighs, snuggles closer and falls asleep. But the monstrous afternoons? I'm pretty sure I'll be just fine leaving those behind.