I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything recently. There hasn’t been much time to write.
For more than a year, Riley has taken a nap in the morning (while Dylan is at preschool), and then both kids have taken a nap in the afternoon. This synchronized afternoon nap has been one of my proudest parenting achievements.
The sleep coordination has made some amazing things possible (besides laundry and dishes). Last winter, I caught up on an entire season of “Lost” in less than a week so that I would be prepared to watch the final season. While we’re on the topic of television, I stayed current with “The Good Wife,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Top Chef” all season long. I also made scrapbooks for the boys, worked out (Exercise TV!), showered, read a few books and, most recently, wrote blog entries. These few hours each day are precious.
And now they’re gone.
Without any advance notice, Riley has become a once-a-day napper, and Dylan has become a no-more napper. Don’t get me wrong, Riley’s one long afternoon nap is glorious, but it’s hard to celebrate when the synchronization is gone. Now there is a small, demanding child awake at all times in my house.
The downside of this new (no) nap schedule is that Dylan is delirious from about 5pm until he hits the pillow, and Riley is equally nutty. In addition, I get absolutely nothing done and my DVR is full. The upside, so far, is that bedtime comes a little bit earlier. And yes, it’s always amazing to watch them develop and grow.
The end of synchronized naptime is the end of a lot of things, not the least of which, my sanity, but I will put on my optimistic hat and welcome the changes that come with it.
Hopefully synchronized bedtime is one of them.
The Runaway Mama by Jen Gregory 