I'll Sleep When I'm Dead - LMJ 2009

LMJ decided to skip her nap today. I think she’s making another run at kicking that pesky sleep habit. I cannot explain how much that messes up the flow of the day. It would be one thing if she never took a nap, but when I’m expecting her to, when I’m planning my whole day around it, and she skips it, the day switches from a good day to an excruciating day. It’s like planning to run a 5k and when you see the finish line it’s a mirage. It’s not until your watch tells you that you’ve run way past five kilometers that it starts to dawn on you that this isn’t going to end well. 3pm today was when I saw the Hart Bridge. I didn’t train for the River Run. I trained for the “You’re Out Of Bed And You Got A T-Shirt Quit Whining Memorial 5k Fun Run/Walk”, and I was on pace for a personal best. Maybe she was thrown off schedule because we started the day with a bath. Normally we end the day with a bath, but last night after My Gym we skipped the bath. It was late. We were tired, and MJ had to get to the dog track to make some bets. LMJ was not happy about the morning bath. Unfortunately for her, I found her rage cute. She was screaming, “I DON’T WANT TO TAKE A BATH!!! Help me off with my shirt. I DON’T WANT TO TAKE A BATH!!! I need help with my slippers.” It was funny. What wasn’t funny was the nap skipping. She just wasn’t tired. We soothed. We read. We shot tequila (that new Cuervo 1800 is good stuff). Nothing settled her down. I was getting frustrated because I was looking forward to my nap. I made all kinds of proclamations and decrees that no matter what time she went to sleep I was waking her up no later than three thirty, assuming that she’d fall asleep at some point before then. I gave up around 3pm and we went outside to play. She never got fussy. We were having a snack around 4pm when MJ called to say she was on her way home, and while we were talking the poor baby girl laid her head down on the table and went to sleep. I looked at her and all I could think was F**K THAT! She’s not taking a nap now. She’s not waking up fresh and ready to go at 6:30. We’d be watching reruns of the original Battlestar Galactica at 3 in the morning. I’d rather her have a three hour tantrum and go to bed at 7pm than have her up all night and ruin the whole weekend. She fussed a little bit, but no melt down. She’s such a good little girl. Then Grammy saved the day when she showed up with pot roast and gravy. It’s 7:30 and the baby girl is in bed and asleep. Everybody wins.