Nap Time, Anyone?

"Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed."

I am determined to keep nap time as a part of the daily routine. It is good for her, it is good for me. But, it is not only hard to do this because she fights it with her powers of negotiation, stalling and protesting, but it is especially hard that not may of her schoolmates take naps anymore. So, when we are going home from a field trip at the SF Botanic Garden and get invited to go to the carousel with some friends (and it is on the way home), even though we should be bee lining it back to bed, it is too hard to say no. All of the sudden, getting home for a semi-late nap around 2pm becomes 3:30pm. And a really tired Elizabeth. And a really tired Mommy. We had a great time - she rode the green frog on the carousel that she's been wanting to do for awhile and did it by herself, she went down the cement slide by herself, she enjoyed being with her new friends. However, the whole way home Elizabeth whined about not wanting to go home, not wanting to walk, not wanting to take a nap. I try to empathize, I try to take breaks, I negotiate by picking her up on the hills and making it fun if she walks the flat parts, we stop and eat a few samples of fruit at the market. But by the time we get home, literally 20 feet from the front door, she decided to delay going in the door by stomping on some dog poop on the sidewalk. She got in trouble for that, partly for that behavior, but mostly because I had lost my patience and was tired, too. She went to bed and looked at me from under her covers, quiet but sad. After I had a chance to calm down and collect myself, I went in and snuggled up with her and we apologized to each other for being frustrated. Then, the questions began - about things that had happened that morning with the other kids, things we had seen on the way home, etc. After answering a few, I did have to tell her that I really liked all of her questions but we would need to save the rest for after her nap. And, finally, she drifted off to sleep as I rubbed her back a bit. But, honestly, I really normally enjoy that time when we are talking with each other about things that happened that morning and I hate to cut it short. So when I read this quote on a parenting website that afternoon, it just made me smile. Yeah, I pushed it today so it was my fault. But it reminds me that every day it is a happy thing that naptime is such a crazy dance that we tango together. I will be sad when that bit of our daily soundtrack fades away.