The battle continues with Leah’s naps but I’ve decided that I’m not going to give up on her. Thanks for all your great comments and suggestions. Despite what she thinks, she is too young to go without a nap. On Sunday I let her skip it because we were busy and on the run. During the evening I quickly came to regret it because she was a beastly monster!! The whining and crying and “I want you”s were too much. I have several family members that will testify to her grouchiness.

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I guess I need to accept the fact that spring weather will be wet and roller-coaster-ish. Last week was so nice and sunny. We had weather in the 70′s and we made sure to enjoy it. We were outside most days. (no scrapbooking time for me)

We’ve had fun in the sun at soccer games and practices. I love the view we have at this park. The snow capped mountains are a great back drop while I sit there warm on the grass (even though everyone is terrified about the amount of water that’s going to come down during spring runoff. Record amounts I hear.)

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We also moved the chickens out of the garage because they were getting big enough to jump out of the cardboard box hotel I’d made them. We made a little make shift brooding coop with a roof, heating lamp and a movable side so we can let them out when the weather is nice. It’s been fun to sit and watch them explore their new surroundings. The chicks appear to love the sun just as much as we do. This funny black chick kept laying down and fanning his wing in the warm sunshine. It must have felt wonderful to the little thing.

Apparently they’ll eat ants at this age (5 weeks) but not rolly pollies. The chicks seem so puzzled by them when they roll up.

Isaac seems to think they should be parrots.

Leah is scary to watch hold the chicks. I’m afraid for their lives (or wings) most the time. She’ll cradle them in one arm like it’s a baby doll. She loves them though and I can’t get her to leave them alone. Gosh, I hope they make it to adulthood.

We are still trying to decide what to do with the chicks once they are bigger. We are leaning towards keeping them but we hate to go build a big coop when we aren’t sure how many hens we’ll have.

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Jeremy and I were able to get out for our first bike ride of the season. It felt so nice flying through the newly budding trees.

The ground cover under the trees was amazingly green. This photo doesn’t quite show it but it felt like we weren’t in the Utah scrub oak any more. Felt more like the Appalachian trail or something. There were even darling little blue bell flowers all over. It was gorgeous, I tell you.

So now that we’ve had this little teaser of pleasant weather, the clouds have rolled in.

Boo hoo! I guess it’s time to get scrapbooking. I’ll be posting a new free template soon.

For some reason when all of my sweet darlings turn the ripe old age of two they decide that they no longer need a nap… but guess what!! Mom thinks they STILL DO! Isn’t two years way to young to be quitting? I have yet to be successful in getting a child to nap once they realize that they are missing out on tons of fun by having to take a nap.

” No nap!! Waa aaaa a aaa”

Dear me.

Please excuse the messy room. I am human.

The battle with Leah has begun. We have a little routine, you see. It involves going potty, turning on the fan, reading her favorite book of the month and singing a couple of songs. This used to work like a charm but now she wants more stories, more songs, and even more potty time. Sheesh. Before I know it I’ve spent an hour trying to get the girl to sleep. Today, for an example, she wanted a band-aid on her (week old) ouchie. I got one for her and then she happened to see another scabbed over ouchie and wanted one for that. OK, fine. Well, when she found a teeny, tiny 3rd ouchie and I’d had enough. I just had to say, “It’s nap time. Love you. Go to sleep.” and put her in her bed and shut the door. “Waaaaahhh!”

When I do that she ends up climbing out of her crib and sleeps on the floor by the door. I can see her shadow there and she’ll roll over and bang the door sometimes. Apparently she likes to sleep in her chair too. Is she ready for a big girl bed?

I hope every mother has those days when they have no more patience left at all and has to just shut the door.

Sigh.

It’s getting worse; the crying, the kicking of the door. She’s getting better and better at not falling asleep. It takes longer and longer and longer.

Not to mention the taking off of the diaper and pooping on the floor and then sitting in various spots on the carpet to spread the lovely brown mush around the room. Nice.

I’ve started to skip days because it’s just easier… but that means I’m on the path of phasing them out. Blast. That’s not what I want. Nor do I want a grouchy girl in the evening.

So are you going to tell me to be more patient? more consistent? more compassionate and that I should have given her her third band-aid? lay her down at the same time every day?? Hum, what to do?

Have you had a toddler that fought naps at 2? Did you continue to make them have them or did you give up? Do you have 4 or 5 year old that still naps? I’m not sure how anyone gets to that point. It’s a mystery to me… but at 31 I still like to have a nap. Maybe that counts for something.