How Do You Know Your Children Are Growing Up?

When they stop taking naps.  Excuse me a moment while I weep. 


Bed time around here was getting to be no fun. Well, less fun than normal.  It was taking years hours for the kids to get to sleep. Numerous trips to the bathroom.  Hundreds of "Mommy!  My (insert random body parts) hurts". 

Nap time, it was the same story.  Taking too long to get to sleep, by the time the littles were asleep, it was too late in the afternoon, so I'd have to wake them.  

These days, we've been skipping the naps, and having "quiet time".  Watching a movie or reading quietly so mommy can get some much needed facebook  meditation time in.  

About 4 o'clock, you can start to see  we're all tired. Jeven falls asleep watching "The Ellen Degeneres Show"educational programming. Jarrett freaks out because he can't have ice cream 45 min. before dinner. And Josie...we'll just leave it at she probably still needs a nap every day.  


And then there's me. By 4 o'clock, my brain is so "full" of mothering-stuff, I can't think straight. Even though we're having "quiet time", I'm still required by law wanting to be a mother and be "involved" with the kids. 


No nap time has changed my life. I compare it to when my kids were FINALLY out of diapers.  It changed my life. No more poopy pants. No more spending oodles of money we don't have on diapers. 
But, on the other  hand, all that's being replaced with stopping at every restroom in every public place we've ever been. Sometimes more than once per visit. Teaching them to wipe their own tushies.  


No nap time means no more rearranging my schedule around when the kids have to take naps. We can now do errands ALL. DAY. If I chose too. Which, I am not insane (yet) so I have yet to make that choice. But, it does "free" me up. 
On the other hand, there's no time for myself. Unless I lock myself in my room and blog. Which I'm doing now. But, the pounding and whining "I'm hungry! I've only eaten everything in the house and I'm still hungry" is distracting. 


So. I will end with this:  I miss nap time. It's been part of my day to day life for 11 years. But, there is something to be said about curling up with a small child that is my own, on the couch and watching "How to Train Your Dragon" for the upteenth time this week.  


I'll take it.