love it, hate it

My big Bee was always a great napper!  He just loved to nap!  He stayed at a once a day, three hour nap from about a year until just about 4 years.  At that point, he would still nap like a CHAMP, but bedtime was drawn out...he would go to his room around 730-8 but be awake talking and playing until 10 or 1030.  It was stressful and gave me and hubby no time to watch tv or have any down time together.  I talked to his Dr. and he confirmed my fear that it was probably time to switch Big Bee from "a nap" to "quiet time".  He still needs some down time, but this way he would be tired enough to GO.TO.SLEEP at a decent time still. SO, we began the transitional journey.  At first, he would need a nap maybe every few days but for the most part did great!  He has now been on this new schedule for about three weeks and for the most part, I LOVE it!  (now, today when I really wanted a shower and took it during "quiet time" only to get done and that pretty much ate up all of my time, it was a bummer BUT bedtime will come and I will be doing summersaults!)  SO, anyway we have offered Big Bee a few suggestions of things he could do to stay awake at quiet time.  He has his birthday present from his 4 year old Birthday (his Frog and Fish, Zack and Gack) in his room and so his favorite thing to do is to watch them swim and "play".  Other than that, he has a wide selection of books to look through, his Innotab, and Leap Frog Tag system.  He also likes to take a few toys in his room and play with those some days.  Today, it was a modge podge of his new favorite toy, pellet balls (aka penguin food), his toy penguin and some playdough to play on a makeshift table...I walked in about half way through quiet time and asked him what he was doing...

"mom, I am having a Penguin Party".

I will be looking for other fun, good, quality, quiet time activities, because Big Bee, well, he will fall asleep if I let him just lay in there for a bit with books...come on Pinterest!