Last week I tried to get the same five items off my "to do" list; I tried for five days straight. My son napped well for one of those days, during which time my baby girl napped for 20 minutes. In response to my nearly-in-tears recital of one day's events wherein I explain to my husband, "he didn't nap", he says, "uh-huh. okay." No, I'm sorry, but it is most certainly not "okay".
It took me a while to figure out what was happening in this situation to leave me on the brink of sobbing, while my husband stood there with a rational "so-what-would-you-like-me-to-do-about-it" look on his face. It's the promise of a nap that is so overwhelmingly disappointing when lost. It's the shattering of that back-of-your-mind-not-quite-on-your-consciousness thought that if you just make it to through to mid-afternoon you will have at least an hour, if not more, of mind-numbing quiet. An hour, if not more, of time to do WHATEVER: the laundry that needs folding; the laundry that needs doing; the dishes in the sink; the dishes in the dishwasher; the floor that's dirty; the bills stacked up; the mail stacked up; your email unopened; the phone calls to make; a quick shower; a brief nap; an uninterrupted trip to the bathroom; put away groceries; put away laundry; cook something; clean up after cooking something; put away the folded laundry; listen to YOUR music (even if it is with headphones); or just sit quietly and regroup. Sometimes it's hard to settle on what to do first, but when you lose that longed for time, all you can see before you and all you can hear in your head is what you are NOT getting done. And if you're exhausted, as we nearly all are, and you longed for your own little nap time, well now you're a little cranky too.
Last week I sent this text to several friends of mine:
"Naptime" today: I pull up at the house at 1:30pm, both kids are asleep. I bring the baby (and all the random STUFF) from the car. I bring my sleeping toddler inside. He wakes slightly, wants to know the exact location of his new digger truck. Seems to fall back to sleep. I'm about to sit down when the baby wakes screaming. I coax her back to sleep w/paci, rocking of carseat, and eventual backup assistance of "swing converter for car seat thingy". I go to the bathroom. My toddler wakes up. Needs the bathroom.
(Yaddayaddayadda), back in his bed for continued nap...oh no he needs the bathroom again (repeat yadda).
The baby wakes screaming. I take her to nurse on the sofa. My son wanders in "all done seep"; riiiiight. I take him back. The baby, left sitting in the living room, gets hysterical (the kind with the silence before the scream, where her mouth is open to cry and nothing is coming out). Now my son is gated in (more hysterics) and she's nursing...
My husband wonders why I can't get done A, B, or C "while THEY are sleeping".
I think my husband needs surveillance video to comprehend my days...
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