2.02.2010

Solo Time

For the past week Claire has decided NOT to take her afternoon nap.
I am pretty sure the time has come for her to transition to one nap a day. (insert *sigh*)
I knew it was coming...she is 17 months & Kate dropped her 2nd nap at 19 months, so it was only a matter of time.
The downfall to Claire not napping in the afternoon is that my "me time" in the afternoon is pretty much gone.
You know, the time I have to myself when I get home from work to check facebook, read blogs, edit pictures, pick up around the house, fold laundry, catch up on my tivo, start dinner, etc.

Don't get me wrong....I love my girls, but that one hour in the afternoon when they are both napping at the same time is PRICELESS! I can get so much done!
I KNOW I am not the only mom out there who feels that way....Can I get an "Amen"?
It was especially rough last week because Kate was sick & refused to nap and then I got sick.
Our afternoons last week were rough. REALLY ROUGH. Both girls did not nap in the afternoon for 4 out of 5 days last week. Kate was sick. I was sick. It was not fun.
The 4:00 meltdowns were in FULL force & I would look at the clock & count the minutes until Kevin would be home at 6:00. It was the LONGEST.WEEK.EVER.
The weather was yucky, the girls were crabby (because they were tired), which made me very irritable and frustrated that they weren't napping. Kate was sick & was so clingy.
I wanted my "ME TIME". (Hi, I'm Mel selfish have we met?)
I decided this week I NEEDED to change MY attitude & change my perspective.
Instead of getting frustrated that Claire wasn't napping, I needed to embrace the solo time I had with her. Because this little brown eyed girl is amazing & so much fun.
It is rare that I get solo time or 1 on 1 time with just Claire. Usually Kate is awake & wanting my attention. She wants to color or do puzzles or play a game. We usually just do Kate's agenda and Claire goes with the flow (as most younger children do)
And, Claire goes to bed before almost an hour before Kate, so she doesn't get the special one on one Mommy & Daddy time that Kate gets each night when Claire is asleep.
So, yesterday, when Kate went down for her nap, I didn't even try to put her down for an afternoon nap. Claire and I had some great solo time together.
I just wanted to soak in & enjoy time playing with my baby...who I am realizing is not a baby anymore...at almost 17 months, she is a full fledged toddler who is talking & walking (& climbing..everything!)
We played in the backyard and enjoyed the sun that decided to make an appearance.
We went on the slide. We ran. We played fetch.
I would throw tennis ball & she would run like a crazy girl & "fetch" it for me.
(Dogs & Toddlers have a lot in common, ha!)
This girl has A LOT of energy. Wow.
And, she let me take her picture.
Claire loves having her picture taken & kept running over to me so she could "see" the pictures of herself on my camera.
Then she spotted Kate's scooter. The scooter that she is never allowed on because Kate is always using it.
(Don't judge her part...I am TERRIBLE at doing their hair. As long as I am doing their hair, there will be crooked & ghetto parts)
My "baby" wants to be a big girl. She actually got the hang of it!
So now, after my internal attitude adjustment, I look forward to my solo time with Claire.
My special one on one time with my baby girl who is changing right before my eyes.
Instead of trying to push my "agenda" and trying to get my stuff done, I will cherish the special time I have with her to play, explore & relish in the pure joy of my youngest daughter. She is full of life and I want to make sure I soak it all in because before I know it these toddler years will be over & I will miss them.
As many seasoned moms have told me,
"The days are slow, but the years fly by"

I want to make sure I remember & enjoy these precious days.

18 comments:

  1. I just want to eat her up!
    She is gorgeous, absolutely adorable!!!

    And as I told you before, she reminds me a lot to my daughter! They are very alike!!!

    God bless her and you of course!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amen sister! I completely understand the need for "me" time and I often think naptime is more for my benefit then for my girls. It is time to recharge and get ready for the last, and most difficult leg of the day. Dinner, baths and bedtime. That is awesome that you embraced that time with Claire, your girls are precious!!! You are absolutely right, I think if we can let go of our own "needs" in the afternoon for downtime, we can really enjoy that special time with our children while they are still at home with us. Thanks for the inspiration to be okay with letting go of naptime.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll second that AMEN!! My daughter will be seventeen months on the seventh and started not taking her afternoon nap last week. boy does it stink, I used to do the same things you did in the afternoon! But now that I have read this I am not going to complain and I am going to take advantage of our time together, so thanks, I needed a kick in my pants!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are so right! I have to remind myself a lot to stop doing the chores I am trying to get done and just sit down and play Chutes and Ladders again. They will only be little once and I want to cherish it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh do I hear ya on the nap time/ "me" time situation!! I think my Claire might be transitioning soon too. When my oldest one went to one nap, she would go down about 1... so I am hoping Claire will just do one nap a 1too. Hannah is taking fewer and fewer naps these days. You are lucky if Kate still naps for you!!

    You are not selfish, just normal. :)

    But I too try to soak up my alone time with my Claire when I get the chance.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Claire is so cute! I love her pigtails.

    It makes me sad that they grow up, your post almost made me tear up lol.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amen for sure! Even though I only get one or two full days a week with Mase I feel like it is important to have a break or two during those days. And it is so difficult to stop and focus on your child when there is so much to be "done". I try to remember to do something for HIM on those days-- having my blog really helps because it's for our family and friends to keep up with Mase and how he's growing and changing so I want to have something there that highlights him, rather than some project I completed. :)

    Claire has absolutely the sweetest smile. And your comment about her part cracked me up! I wouldn't have even noticed if you hadn't said something!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I second that 'Amen'!! I'm in the midst of trying to adjust my own attitude and figure out how to carve a few minutes of time out for myself before 11pm at night.

    P.S. I love the ghetto part :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Here is an AMEN! I'm enjoying nap time right this very second! I love one on one times with each of my kids too. I am able to spend really good solo with my baby (who is 16 months today) while my 5 year old is at prek 2 morning a week, and on the other days during Dylan's "TV time" the little missy and I play.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yep, been there..done that! I know that maybe you've thought of it already, but have you considered getting rid of her morning nap or making it later so that she and Kate are maybe napping at the same time for part of the time? When my middle one was still napping and my youngest went to one nap that is what I did, I put the youngest down an hour before my older and then I had an hour alone with each of them...just a thought :)
    Adorable pictures, brown eyed babe! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. i was going to say what denissa said...YES our kids need one on one time with us...but we also need some time! just for us! my kids are 8, 6, 4 and 18 months and i still have 1 1/2 hours every afternoon to myself...i have almost every day of their little lives...i live for it! and it makes me a better mom for all those other hours in the day!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I can't believe what a little person Claire has become! I think it was right around the same age when I realized one day with Anna that she was less baby, more toddler. We were in Tahoe and the kids were running around out front and one of the pictured I took of her just really got to me in a bittersweet kind of way. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh dear. I know how those naps are sacred. My second one gave up naps completely just before he turned two. "Rest Time" or "Brother Time" became my salvation. But I do understand the wonderful moment that you finally have your baby to yourself for a bit...I remember being thrilled when my oldest was in preschool for a few hours and I could really get to know my youngest in a deeper way. Enjoy your times...your pictures turned out great!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You've got my AMEN, too! Your girls are just precious, and you've definitely got the right attitude and perspective about those afternoons!

    That said, a good Mama's got to have her downtime too- that's not selfish; that's essential! Good luck finding the just right balance for you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I loooove your work! That is so funny that we have the same last name :)
    xoxox,
    Erica
    Ps. My son runs over to the camera to when I take his picture...lol :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ok - first off she is way too cute. Boo for losing me time, though. I was so sad when leila dropped her second nap!

    ReplyDelete
  17. My daughter, who will be 20 months old, decided to stop taking her morning nap. I used to do the same things as you did in the morning, wow does it stink! However, now that I've read this, I won't whine and will make the most of our time together. Thanks, I needed a kick in the pants.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin