I don't do afternoons

My name is Katie and I'm a nap-aholic. Yes, I just had to get that off my chest.  I feel ashamed.  I feel embarrassed.  I feel like a toddler in the afternoon.  Mostly, I just feel tired.

 

I could blame it on lots of things.  Nine years ago when I lived in Spain during which naps were a regular part of my schedule (a place where napping is normal.)  My newborn baby who wakes me up multiple times a night.  Breastfeeding.  My husband who keeps me up watching videos and previews during our bonding time.  My 5 year old that I have to get ready in the morning.  But even if all those things were magically resolved, when 2:30 in the afternoon came around, I would still feel tired. 

 

I guess that it’s just the way that I am chemically put together.  When the afternoon hits, even if I had 8 hours of consecutive sleep (which hasn’t happened for quite some time), I will feel tired and have a hard time doing anything that takes any amount of concentration.  My voice goes lower, I am more serious, and my creativity goes out the window.  I am not even remember the conversation I was having with you.  Have you ever been around someone who is not a morning person in the early hours?  Is it fun to be around them?  That’s how it is with me in the afternoon.  I don’t do afternoons.    

 

I was just born in the wrong continent.  I guess that if I lived in Southern Spain it would even be an issue.  But here I am, and now my older children don’t need naps but I still do.   It was a lot easier when they had their three hour naps every afternoon.  I would have my three hour nap too.  But now they get their afternoon movies or quiet time in their rooms while I secretly nap. 

 

Does that make me a closet sleeper?  That I like to nap alone?  Yes, it’s true; I’m not much of a social sleeper- and I prefer my bed (not the closet) best of all. 

 

Now there are some times I really have to beef up my self will to pull me through.  Vacations.  Disneyland trips.  Pretty much anything that happens in the afternoon.  I can make it through without a nap, but I will have a headache and feel an uncontrollable urge to sleep.  Yes, I feel physically ill without my afternoon nap.  Then when 5:30 hits something magical happens.  I no longer feel ill and I no longer feel tired.  I am fine and myself again.  But I can’t get those three hours, from 2:30 to 5:30 back. 

 

So I am here on my blog to admit my problem.  Why?  Because I am now in my thirties and think that after more than thirty years I should figure myself out.  I also know that it’s been this much time and this problem will not go away.  I am now able to go back to my life and realize why at certain events I felt the way I did.  Why did I ALWAYS (without fail) fall asleep during my child development class, even though I thought that it was interesting?  (I signed up for an afternoon class.)  Why was I able to sleep in more than 30 buildings on BYU campus?  (I am really good at falling asleep in the afternoon, even in weird places.)  Why was I groggy during some of our Sunday family dinners growing up?  (I probably didn’t get my nap that day- Sundays are the day I most feel the urge.) 

 

So this is what I like to do.  I give in.  I take a nap.  Really, even 2 minutes of dreamland will solve this problem.  I will not get my afternoon headache and I might actually be able to use my mind.  But you would be amazed how hard it is to have two minutes to myself, without screaming children and worrying that someone is going to climb up and find the kitchen knives or decide to give themselves a haircut with the paper scissors that someone left out.  That is perhaps why TV was invented and why TV is also very addictive (which makes it a very good babysitter for older children during speed naps for mommy.) 

 

So next time you happen to be with me in the afternoon sometime between 2:30 and 5pm, you may notice that I am tired.  So if I happen to leave for a long five minutes, it may be because I just taking a power nap.  Two minutes and I will be fine again for hours. 

First Day of school

Welcome to the class of 2025!  That is the congratulations that we heard when we decided to send Ariana to the private school Chadwick up on the hilll in Palos Verdes.  This school happens to be the same school that her daddy graduated from 15 years ago. 

We've been considering a lot of school options over the last year.  Really, i bet you can't believe how many school tours I have been on since we've decided to move back here.  Dispite living right next to our public elementary school, we've decided to send her here.  She gets up early every morning to get on the bus by 7:25 and she doesn't get off that bus again until almost 4pm.  (A little different from the 2 1/2 hour schedule at our local elementary school and a super long day for a 5 year old- especially when she goes to lessons and classes most days after school too!) 

It's a pretty special school.  For one thing, it has a view to die for and a very woodsy feel for So Cal.  The lower elementary (the area with the kinders only has the k- 2 students) start with a little gathering with the pledge allegiance and any announcements. 

Senior wows

Ariana obliging me with a photo with her dolphin

The first day of school was a special day.  The parents were invited to an all school assembly celebrating the kindegartners and the Wows- the seniors that have been there for 13 years (which involuntarily illicits a "Wow!" when anyone hears that.)  The  kinders and the seniors exchange a gift- the kinders received a stuffed animal and the seniors a ball cap.  It seemed pretty special to me. 


After the day was over, Ariana told me that it was the worst day ever. Not off to a good start! I asked why. Well, she wanted a pink dolphin!!! Happy to say that since then she has had a blast! 

Ariana sitting with her friend Devon at the all school assembly- a friend from summer school/camp





 

Catch up post

Another fun summer has passed. I feel fall in the air. Now, fall in California is more subtle than in Minnesota. While we were there in the midwest fall started the day after labor day and the weather started turning. The pools in Minnesota closed after Labor Day, the last day of summer there.  At first I thought that this was odd because here in California, the first couple weeks of September are always the warmest, maybe actually the hottest in the whole year.  Those are the weeks that many here in the beach cities who never miss not having air conditioning the rest of the year, start curse the sweltering weather.  It’s rare here in California because it is seldom anything but pleasant outside.  (I actually think that it’s rarely warm enough and feel it’s too cold, especially when we want to use our pool which we almost always need to heat if we want to use it happily.) 

 

We have had a fun summer full of just about a little of everything.  Ariana started the summer going to summer school.  It was the first time in her life that she had to attend school every day not just every other day.  We also had to be there much earlier than usual at 8:45 (though now that seems so nice after having to be at the bus stop now more than an hour earlier.)  After 6 weeks of school it was time for family trips.  Most of our big trips were taken without Reuben this time and he had a few business trips and lots of work and planning to do for his new medical clinic.  We were able to make up for the lack of long trips together by taking a few short trips to San Diego.  In two separate weekends we were able to see the San Deigo zoo (for which we have passes and were finally able to use!) and also LegoLand. 

 

Our longer trips took me and the kids to my hometown in Washington to see family and New York City with my mom to see 4 of my best friends who had moved there from Orange County and Minnesota. 

 

Now we are back and getting used to school.  I am so excited to have a nice schedule again and for the kids to be in school again.  I don’t know why, but they get so naughty!  As much as I try to have them go to bed at a decent hour and provide plenty of activities for them, they must get antsy or just time away doing something else.  Since school started they are more tired but much nicer. 

 

Ariana has a long day but she has been doing well- much better adjusting than I thought that she would.  Corban has liked his new school, a Chinese immersion preschool and adjusted just fine.  He also likes the co-op preschool though since it was my turn last week, he wasn’t always willing to listen.  I bet that tomorrow will be better. 

 

Elena thoroughly enjoyed August when she got to sleep with me (because the alternative was usually a crying baby in her crib in settings like hotels and other people’s houses.)  Now 4 weeks after getting back from our last trip we are still working on her adjusting back to crib time.  Of course, it doesn’t help that she was already having a hard time sleeping alone before our vacations.  Now, with school and everything that goes on every day, I really want to feel like a normal and functioning human being.  She still gets up around 3 times a night or more and usually has to cry it out at least once.  It is starting to work, though sometimes, like last night, I realize how she tricked me.  I realize that she woke me up just 45 minutes after I had fed her a solid meal and in my sleeping daze I was roped into feeding her again, then falling asleep in the process and she got me by her side almost the entire night.  (Usually on the lazy boy or I lay down to feed her in the queen sized bed in her room (the guest bed.))  We are still working with it all (like for instance right now as she is screaming again for mommy after I thought that she was finally asleep again.)

 

Well, that’s a little catch-up for now.  Still alive and kicking.  Hope for some pictures soon!