Real Life
The questions enters the mind, “Why does one EVER lay down and try to rest\nap during the day?”
This is how it went this morning. The one and two year old are extra tired today, but thankfully it is their turn to go to grandma’s. She takes one each Saturday morning, but these two go together. So off they trot over to Grandma’s escorted by older brother. By 11:15 they are home again, having begged to come home, (They ask almost every day if it’s their turn to go . . . so why come home early?) but I am glad to have them back and welcome them enthusiastically in.
I decide that they should eat lunch and we all go to bed for a nap. So we all get settled. Baby has problems with a dot of milk cream clogging up his bottle, so up and down for me a few times. In the process the oldest three can’t sleep and ask to sleep in my room. So I let them, but this is not conducive to sleep for me . . . or them. And baby just had a nap this morning and this early afternoon nap doesn’t suit his schedule. So now oldest brother watches youngster down stairs and I climb back into bed. (You only keep doing this if you THINK you might get some good rest) The youngster bangs cups on bench. I have to remind the eldest to make him play quietly.
The other two in my room are whispering. Why don’t they go to sleep? They are both quite tired I know. “That’s it,” I say, “back to your room.” I go downstairs and decide that youngster really should be able to go to sleep he’s so grumpy! So up the stairs I take him.
By now I think why am I trying to get some rest anyway, there’s still much to be done. I better go start on the muffins I decided I needed to add to my menu for family night supper( All the Stauffer Clan plus one). It was handy to have the two year old and one year old at Grandma’s this morning while I got most of the supper preparations done and a bit of cleaning. Thank the Lord for Grandma!
So why did I try to sneak a nap in? Why did I try extra early? One just can’t control always the happenings the day before and the happenings of today . . . . Thus one does the best one can . . . and leaves the rest to the Lord!
If the Mom was always rested well . . . then this scenario wouldn’t happen right? That’s not the real world! If Mom would just stick to schedule anyway, wouldn’t that work? Mom isn’t perfect, and doesn’t always make the wisest decisions especially when she is tired.
But this is real life . . .
January 20th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Bless you, Aimee. I remember trying to coordinate everyone’s tiredness with mine. It seldom happened. I remember one notorious day. My mother’s viewing was to be that evening, and I wanted Jeremy to have a good nap so he wouldn’t be grumpy for whomever was going to be keeping the children. I probably tried to accomplish the nap too early. At any rate, as I lay there with him, he took FOREVER. I had so much to do, but I was determined this nap was going to happen. He finally had just drifted off to sleep, when Anthony came stumping up the steps calling loudly, “MO-O-O-O-M-MY!” And Jeremy’s eyes popped right open. I opened the bedroom door with a vengeance and said to Anthony, “You just woke Jeremy up. Believe me, when he goes back to sleep, you are getting SPANKED!!!” Amazingly, Jeremy did go back to sleep eventually. By then I had much less time to accomplish anything so I didn’t even take time to look for Anthony to spank him. I assumed he was outside playing. However, when he didn’t show up after a good amount of time, I did go looking. And looking. And looking. To no avail. The neighbor man helped me to look. The girls got home from school and helped to look. I thought, “We don’t need another tragedy on a day like this. Imagine if someone took him out of our yard, and the last memory of me was my angry face and voice threatening a spanking.” Dick got home from work early because of the viewing. I was ready to call 911. THEN, Dick found him in my car, asleep. He had decided to hide in hopes of avoiding a spanking, but fell asleep while he hid!! By then, I was so relieved he was still alive, I didn’t spank him. So I guess he won that day!
January 20th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
What a story, Jean! Aimee, I understand where you’re coming from! That sorta thing happened to me yesterday when I woke Morgan up when Kaylie woke up, hoping that she would be ready to eat, since 3 hrs. was in 15 mins., and I’m trying to get them on the same awake, asleep schedule. BIG MISTAKE. I paid for it the rest of the afternoon. I did get them both to sleep at one point later, but Morgan didn’t sleep long.
WHAT IS IT WITH FRIDAYS?!
Praying your weekend goes well!
Lez
January 21st, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Aimee, that story just makes me smile - I can so relate to that!! It’s something about those naps you get your heart set on that never quite work out…it is absolutely so frustrating. Gabe and Israel seem to have alternating nap times at this point - Israel goes to sleep and then is waking up when Gabe goes down, and then when Gabe is getting back up Israel is ready to go back down…sigh. Not what I had planned for them, but at least this way I don’t have thwarted hopes! Which is WAY worse than knowing ahead of time you aren’t going to get that extra rest. Thinking of you…
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:37 am
I had to smile the whole way through this. I’ve had this scenerio before. Sometimes it helps me to just lay down for 10 minutes and to relax and breathe as deeply and slowly as I can… I’ve already put everyone in a ’safe room’ and said “stay there for 10 minutes and do not come get me unless it’s a life threatening emergancy” (of course the life threatening emergancy is usually “someone pushed me”)It always seems MUCH worse when I have a busy day, new baby or am pregnant-the extra tired days.
I don’t know if this would help you or not-but we decided we’re going to have quiet time here, not matter how old our children are. From 1-2pm, the house is to be quiet. (depending on the ages, that time will vary) Each child is to be in bed, either sleeping or quietly reading. If they are loud, play or disruptive, they get a spanking. (they learn pretty quickly to be quiet) This takes extra work on mama’s part to remember to get all the drinks and potties in bf bed. It think it is good for their bodies to rest. This gives me time to nurse and have some rest or work time uninhibited. i’m sure you have a plan like this already, but I thought I’d share what we do. I also have one less child, so that would also affect if differently, I’d think.
I feel you are managing wonderfully and i admire you.
January 22nd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Ugg, that would have left me terribly frustrated! I do know that no matter how well you keep a schedule or whatever, there are just some days that you still need a nap, especially on days after a night like I just had. baby get sick and won’t sleep. Simple, eh?
I agree with Cretora, quite time for all is needed. My oldest at five still lays down so I can have a break. I hope this day goes better.
January 23rd, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Aimee, I agree about the quiet time thing. I did it with my daycare children, no matter whether preschool or school age. I intend to do the same with my own children. There’s something about that time to myself that helps me feel so refreshed, whether I got my devotions in, did house chores, ate lunch, or whatever. I am then able to go get children up and feel like I can go at it the rest of the day! I find myself still needing that time with two babies right now. If they don’t sleep at the same time and I get NO time to myself in the ten hour period Morgan is here, I get edgy till she leaves.
May God grant all us mothers wisdom in working with our children!
January 23rd, 2007 at 4:25 pm
We do have the quiet time thing too . . . It just doesn’t happen 100% of the time. I am too flexible a person
It’s just hard sometimes to implement when the bedtime the night before was WAY late or sometimes when we are sick.
Thanks for your advice though . . . Quiet time is PRECIOUS!
January 26th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Having children really does mean a lot of self-denial in the sleep department, doesn’t it? I’ve been learning that Sunday afternoon naps are one thing I have to sacrifice. Anna gets just enough sleep on the way home from church that she’s ready to be awake when we’re ready to sleep. Lately, I’ve just been telling myself not to expect a Sunday afternoon nap. I have to think about how much God “gave up” for His children, and it makes a few hours less sleep seem like less of a deal. Right now, I am praying that all your children will nap well this afternoon!
January 27th, 2007 at 4:06 am
Hi Aimee, I haven’t been over to your blog in a while…. glad to see you’re doing well
despite the lack of naps…. I can certainly relate to you and the above encouragers who share these experiences! I have been rising earlier each morning and find that I am so drained by after lunchtime - some days a nap comes, most days it does not! And it’s so hard not to complain when the phone rings or doorbell chimes right after I settle in for a catnap! But the passage that God keeps bringing to my mind on these days is 1 Peter 4:7-11 —
Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies–in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
By the strength that God supplies! Oh, in those moments, I am so glad he somehow supplies the strength! Do you ever get into bed at night and wonder, “Wow, God, how did this day finally come to an end?” And you know it was by the strength he supplied - and in that moment you seem to see his smile and favor upon you….
God bless you as you serve and continue enjoy Him
Thanks for encouraging me with your blog!
January 27th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Thank YOU Kristi, for your comment! Your sharing was an inspiration to me!
January 30th, 2007 at 2:41 am
I know what you mean-the mornings I am up by 5am, I am so tired, I just think I have to nap a little, but invariably, I don’t get to. Resolution?