Nap Circus

It's two thirty in the afternoon, and the toddler in your life is running around like a maniac and refuses your frustrated attempts at feeding her. Nap-time is on the horizon and dear toddler fervently signs that she would like to watch her show. Foolishly thinking that this might get you a moment of respite to do the dishes or eat, you fall headlong into the toddler's trap and put on said show. Then you begin to be productive (or not) about the house in whichever way suits you at the time. Now just about the time that you really get into what you are doing, you notice that dear toddler is no longer paying any attention to her show, and has instead chosen to undo her diaper and let it hang down one of the legs of her pants and is now wailing at you because she peed and it has averted the diaper which is scrunched in one leg and has run down the other one. You sigh a heavy sigh and transport the wailing wetter to the tub to wash off.
By this point nap-time has been sucessfully put off for at least 40 minutes, which, after a bath new diaper three books and some tickling is now an hour and a half. Said toddler is now extremely cranky, but instead of laying down to sleep, decides to practice acrobatics while nursing and flailing around to burn off extra calories. After that finishes, she sits up, looks you straight in the eye, pulls your shirt down and signs "all done." and proceeds to get up to go bang on the bedroom door as if she were trapped in jail. Being the patient parent that you are, you pick up your iPhone and figure that you will wait it out. This tired toddler will eventually collapse in a sleep-heap and you will be able to go about your boring adult business. Upon seeing the phone, the she-toddler's interest is piqued and she comes over to snuggle and watch videos of herself and laugh. Ah, as she rests her sweet head on your shoulder you think to yourself, "Yes, this is what it's all about. These dear moments..." as if on cue, your toddler bolts up and signs "Eat". Now this is getting a bit ridiculous. Before I put you to bed you were practically throwing the food away from your face, and now you are telling me you want to eat?! Being the clever and now experienced parent that you are, you know that "Eat" is just an excuse to go back to the living room and run around some more while mom gets food so that you can immediately reject it as inedible. Yet despite this you still concede (maybe you're hungry now), and off you trot to the big room with all of the little doors filled with things that make satisfying noises when struck together.
Three spoons of applesauce, two cheese puffs, one lick of banana, and two and a half bites of a grilled cheese later, you are on your way to nap time. By now you have lost all level of concentration for your unfinished project and you are tired enough to take a nap yourself. In fact, you have carefully noted how sensitive a child's mood radar can be. When you are lying there thinking of all of the things you will accomplish as soon as your kid will go the :) to sleep, the longer you will find yourself lying there with a concious child. Yet the moment you give up and let your plans crash and burn, they'll be out like a light- and so will you.

Good night :)

~Momrit