Naps=bad? Sad, but true.

Yesterday, T came into our bedroom and asked if he could get in bed with me. I wasn't awake yet, and I know from past experience that if I want to sleep until the alarm goes off, that the best course of action is to make some room. R was already up, and T will sit quietly and watch TV until the alarm goes off, and then it's open season. It's amazing how much perceived quality rest you can get from 5:53 until 6:00 am. It's like the last chance workout of sleeping.

And sure enough, the clock goes off at 6, I reach over and turn it off, because I know what was going to follow. 3....2.....1..... "Mom are you awake? Mom, my knee was red but Daddy fixed it. (T fell on Tuesday and got a nice case of sidewalk rash and when he says something is 'red' he means bleeding) Am I going to school today? Are you going to the gym? Is S awake?"

"T," I interrupt groggily, "do you want to watch cartoons?"

No answer to my question. "Mom, why does the clock make that sound? It's time to get up. The sun is out. The sky says it's time to get up. Do you have to go to the bathroom? I'm hungry. Can we go downstairs and get something to eat?"

"Mmmghhhhtttt"

"Mom, GET UP! It's morning. I have to go to school. I have to eat breakfast. Mom? Mom? Mom? Mom!!!!!"

"Okay, okay, I'm up." I changed the channel to the Disney Channel. Let me go brush my teeth and wash my face, okay?"

"No! I want to watch the roll-y thing, not cartoons!" (Ab roller infomercial)

"Okay, I'll switch it back." I switch the channel and go into the bathroom. When I come back out, I lie back down on the bed.

"Mom"

"Yes?"

"I think you need to order this ab roll-y thing. It will change your shape and make you less jiggly."

Ouch. Nothing like hearing the honest truth from a five year old.

That definitely gets me out of bed. I get the kids started with the morning hoopla. T's class had a field trip to the woods today, so I had to make sure he was dressed appropriately, which meant digging out the cooler weather clothes I just put up a couple weeks ago and finding T a hat that fit and that he would wear. The morning went well but by the time T came home from school, we were all tired. Every now and then, I can trick S into taking a nap by lying down myself, so I put on some cartoons and convinced her to lie down on the living room floor beside me. T leaned up against my side and pretty soon he was lying down too. Before I knew it, he was asleep but S was wide awake. That hardly ever happens. Hardly. ever.

I took S upstairs and put her down for a nap. T has wanted to sleep with R and I from moment one, but S has always preferred to sleep in her own room. How funny that that are so different....

Once both kids were settled down, I decided to make the best of it and lie down too. About an hour later, R came home. He woke up S and T, which needed to be done (but I sure am happy I didn't have to do it). They were both crabby and squabbled with each other over everything, so we were pretty happy to put them to bed. Of course, they said they weren't tired and it took us a while to get T to sleep, but S only lasted about half an hour. R told me that T had been up since 3:30 that morning. He does this every now and then, so I was hoping that he would sleep in this morning. I knew better, so I wasn't the least bit surprised that he was up this morning again before 6:30. R got up with him, because the man is a God, and took him downstairs to have breakfast.

About fifteen minutes later, I opened my eye to see S's face RIGHT THERE. "Mommy, I get in bed wif you, okay?" "Okay" I say and I roll over to R's side of the bed and check the clock. Good lord, it's 6:43 am. S had walked to that side of the bed, so I throw back the covers for her and roll back to my side. S starts to wail and runs out of the room. Wait, what? R comes charging up the stairs. "What is it?" he asks. "Mommy won't talk to me" S sobs. (Sigh) I'm not looking forward to the teenage years at all - but I'm also not putting anyone down for a nap today either.