Wednesday, August 20, 2008

And Furthermore

I realized today, belatedly, that I left out two other, very significant milestones in our little family. Firstly, there is the fact that this very week we are in the process of purchasing a minivan- how is this upon us already?!- and there is also the absolutely wrenching conclusion that the pattern of over a week now appears no longer to be just a phase, but a fact: Addy has given up napping.

The worst of it is that I can't get her to stay quietly in her room and read books or play, either. Instead, she stands at the baby gate barring her in, shaking it pitifully and calling over and over, her voice somehow both chirpy and plaintive, "Mama, I AWAKE!" If I let this go on too long, her younger brother one wall away will soon become AWAKE as well, so the past week or so I have spent my afternoons out on the deck, playing with my not even remotely sleepy girl. And you all will understand that when I say playing, I mostly mean sitting on the bench with a book and a glass of water, half-reading and half conversing while Addy whips me up invisible ice cream and pizza and coffee in her playhouse, right?

15 comments:

d e v a n said...

Aw, she may take it back up again. Don't give up! d goes through phases where he won't nap for a couple weeks and then picks it back up again. Yay on the minivan. We love ours.

Swistle said...

Yay on minivan! I am so in love with ours. I was scared to buy it and scared to drive it, and then I fell in love within seconds and I'm totally comfortable driving it, and regular cars feel like I'm wayyyy too close to the road.

The twins aren't napping anymore either. Woe!

Mommy Daisy said...

My next vehicle will definitely be a minivan...even if there isn't another kid yet (and hopefully there will be). I hope that you find a good one.

Oh no on the giving up of the nap. As much as I say Zachariah will at least have quiet time when he stops napping, I think he'll be the same way as Addy. And he's been a bear about taking naps this week. I just keep thinking it was this time last year that he gave up 2 naps and went to just one. I think he's too young to give up naps completely now. Maybe I should just start getting him up earlier. Might help.

Musings of a Mom said...

it's not fair! you need to have at least one week where they are both sleeping!

Erin said...

I am jealous of the minivan, but the not napping sucks so badly that you ultimately have my sympathy. I fear the day napping ends. God help me.

Jess said...

That kind of playing doesn't sound TOO awful. Just wait til she can really cook!

Lora said...

my son is starting to give up naps too, but I've been rigging the baby lock on his bedroom door so he has no chance at getting out to ruin my alone-time. Aren't I the worst and meanest and trickiest mom ever?

Lora said...

oh, he does that "I'm awake" thing too. He says "I'm awake!! And I'm HAPPY! Donchu wanna play with me?"

No.

Ruth said...

Heh... I know what that is like!

How is she without the gate?

Our kids love lift the flap books... they seem to keep them busy for longer.

Ruth xx

Astarte said...

Oh, no nap. Yuck. Josie kept hers until she was 3.5, but Patrick left his in the dust at 2. Sigh.

I am SO SICK of driving a minivan. I've had one for nine freakin' years, and I'm telling you, I would give just about ANYTHING to drive something else. It's not that it's not convenient, or comfy, but rather than I'm just tired of being in the same kind of car. You know it's sad when you drool over someone's station wagon.

ttsc said...

How do you get her to play on her own so well with you right there? Samantha always wants me to actively play with her, it is exhausting. I thought it was a first child thing but I guess not...

Sarah said...

ttsc: It isn't so much that she never wants me to play actively with her, it's just that sometimes I tell her mama is having a break, and that I will watch her play, but I have my own book to read, too. She doesn't always like it, but usually she goes with it after awhile. I mean, I don't ALWAYS read- I'll play with her if I have the energy for it, but often by three thirty in the afternoon, I am pretty much drained. I figure if she's not going to nap, she's going to have to pretty much entertain herself, at least.

Katy said...

My friend enacted "quiet time" at her house. One hour where you have to stay in bed with whatever toys you've got. Works pretty well.

Susie Q said...

Oh how I love nap time! I'm sorry to hear she has given them up I dread the day my boys give up on them.

Manager Mom said...

A minivan? Nooooo!

I just managed to foist our minivan off on my husband. And I am now rocking the second ever biggest suburban mom cliche, the Honda CRV.