A milestone I’ve been dreading for a long time seems to be upon us: Annie is starting to give up her afternoon nap. If you’re like me you’re thinking, “But she’s barely two, how is this madness happening?” and the answer is I DON’T KNOW. It’s awful. She hasn’t completely stopped napping, but the days when she sleeps in the afternoon are becoming few and far between.

Back in the salad days.

She still needs a nap. The last couple hours before her bedtime are bruuuuutal. And as much as I’d like to, I can’t put her to bed at 6pm…mostly because she’d then wake up at 4am. I avoid 4am whenever possible.  No afternoon naps mean my house is more of a disaster than usual, my kid is a disagreeable cranky-face, and *I* am a disagreeable cranky-face. Mike and Rigby are forced to hide from us.

I’ve tried keeping her routine the same, but she just ends up standing in her crib, calling to be taken out. I’ve tried changing the time of the nap, with similar results. I’ve tried putting her on my treadmill and having her jog for thirty minutes (just kidding).  I think I just have to accept that nap time will soon be a distant memory. SOB.

I have friends who’ve had lots of success with quiet time instead of nap time, but Annie doesn’t really seem to grasp the concept. Her favorite activities involve singing loudly, talking excitedly, and being around people. Quiet time does not allow for those things, therefore, she does not want to participate in quiet time.

I guess for now I will still try to get her to take a nap, because the days that she  does nap are glorious. Man, what is wrong with kids? Why don’t they understand how awesome sleeping is? I would kill for an unrestricted nap in the middle of the day.