I'm Back!!! (And so are the sleep issues... )

Well, dear readers, if if seems I haven't had all that much free time to blog lately, there's a reason, and his name is J.J. Gone are those sacred 2-3 hour naptimes (his, not mine -- I wish!) on my days off. I know that there are three- and even four-year-olds who sweetly lie down each day at their specified naptime and wake up happy and refreshed, and I was hoping my son would become one of them. But at two and a half, the dream is over.

For one thing, J.J. simply has been refusing to nap for me without a fight (and sometimes, not at all!) for the last couple of months. Although he eagerly napped for his dad and grandmother, with me, he'd whine for an hour, finally fall asleep way too late in the afternoon, and then want to stay up until 10 p.m. or later. What was the point of that?!

So this week, I've taken a stand against common practice and officially declared a no more nap rule. And I'm totally OK with it! Now J.J. and I really get to spend the whole day together. Get this: Just the other day, he finished doing a puzzle, and after doing his celebratory arm-flapping dance (it's hysterical, I swear!) he turned to me and said, "Mommy's turn." How cool is that?! It kind of means I no longer just take care of him -- instead, we hang out. We have conversations, make silly jokes, sing silly songs, and dance goofily around the house. This is what I've been waiting for all along! Sure, I've loved my son since the first minute I saw him, but now he's my best pal, too.

Other napless day perks? Let's see... I don't have to rush home from our morning outings to make sure we're back for naptime or rearrange plans around it. And, here's the best part -- I've gotten my evenings back since my sleepy boy welcomes his earlier bedtime without a struggle. My husband and I feel like grown ups again, with more time to enjoy adult conversation.

If all goes according to plan and my extra evening time isn't a fluke, I just may get back into the blogging game -- that is if I'm not too exhausted from all the puzzles and dancing.