no more naps

And the dreaded day finally came when none of our kids need a nap.  I say dreaded because talking to some stay at home moms, nap time is just our little piece of Heaven.  A few months back Kason started really fighting taking naps, but then he eventually slept for 2 hours or so almost every day.  So I knew he still needed them and even about 2-3 weeks ago he still took naps every day with no problem.  And then after New Years sometime he just decided he's done with naps.  There was no fighting this time because I was thinking we would just gradually go to naps every other day and see how he is by the end of the day with no nap.  But, he was right.  He doesn't need them anymore at all.  The first whole week without naps went just fine, with no crabbiness in the evening or anything.  He is ready for bed by 8pm but it's like he didn't go thru any time of adjustment to sleeping less.  So it is still a bit of a shock to my system because all of a sudden the nap time is not so quiet.  If I'm lucky the 3 of them will quietly watch something for a little while, but most of the time Kason wants to play loud, especially if there is a sister and a cousin who will too.  So instead of Kason adjusting to his day without a nap, I think it is really me who's adjusting. :) Naptime has been my little break from the chaos and kids and I really coveted those moments.  But I know I just have to refocus more on the kids now during that time and that's not a bad thing.  It comes with our kids growing up so I need to embrace it.  And really, I do want to spend time with Anika and Kason during that time because next Fall Ani will be in school all day and Kason in preschool and I won't ever have time like this with both of them.  I just thought today about Kason going to preschool next year and how sad it makes me feel.  Our baby is growing up and he asks me almost every day when he can go to school.  He is pretty attached to me on one hand, but on the other he wants to follow his big brother and sister so bad.  There are some positives to not needing a nap anymore though :).  It is nice when we are busy over the weekend or on trips and we don't ever have to worry about Kason's nap.  Of course, there are times he may need to go to bed at 7pm but when you're up and about he'll be ok without a meltdown at everything because he missed his nap.  And that is a wonderful thing.  So I'm going to embrace this change and brainstorm some ideas of projects and activities I can do with the kiddos in the afternoon so they get to do something constructive and I get a little bit of time to myself.