No nap days for us

We're on day 4 of no naps. There have been a few days of naps, but since last Monday, 4 naps missed. Dear God, what am I to do. Part of the problem is our method of falling asleep no longer works. Up till now, we'd read a book in the rocking chair and he'd lay his head on me and fall asleep in less than 5 minutes. I know, not an independent thing to do, but it worked, so why try and change it. And I have tried to change it, really, but when you're pregnant and have a 3 year old, you just want them to sleep and the other methods take forever.

So today I realize he's not really going to nap. He's exhausted but wired and much too chatty. I suggest quiet time. We talk about it and he's okay with it. I go downstairs to attempt to make food and come back up and he's not in his bed. I smell paint. I find him and he's in my bathroom with red nail polish all over himself - his foot, his hands, the floor. "Mommy, I'm just painting myself". So after a bath and some excessive scrubbing, 50% of the nail polish is removed. At least the stuff on his eyelid is gone. Goodness.


So we try a nap again. Read a book and tuck him in and go into the office to finally check my email. He's quiet for a few minutes. Then he starts talking and singing, then he's playing. Then he comes in and tells me he needs a moving box from the office and drags that into his room to play with. Next he's coming in telling me that he's awake and quiet time is over. Then he has the egg timer and is ringing it and exclaiming that quiet time is over and that he's counted and it is all done. Then he moves onto putting on his George mask and playing in the bathroom in front of the mirror for a few minutes.

I think we're going to turn on PBS soon. Maybe I can keep him close by enough to know when he moves and squeeze in a 30 minute nap for myself. I think this time I'll lock the bedroom and bathroom door just in case.