A case for the reinstatment of naptime

Today was one of those days that you wish you had stayed in bed half the day. Or at least that your kids had. I had just Addie and Carter at home... and my nephew Nate who is also 4 years old. So I should have expected there to be some issues with 3 four year olds. They started the day by waking me up to spilled milk... yep they were up early and helping themselves to cereal. Ok no big deal I can clean up spilt milk. Then we got dressed and went to meet Sam and fam at McD's for some indoor energy burning time becaues it was gray and rainy. It was a little loud and hectic at McDonalds but nothing I couldn't handle.

Then we got home. I had to make a couple phone calls so I thought I will get them started playing a game.... then they will be nice and busy and quiet so I can talk to the girl from church without yelling at the kids or sounding like I'm visiting a zoo.

Haha I don't know how long I've been living in dreamland but my visa is probably about to expire. The giggles were my first warning, but had to be ignored because I was busy on the phone laptop and paperwork piled around me, too much of a mess to easily set aside. So as giggles escalated into full fits of laughter my concern began to grow... then the laughter stopped and joyful voices turned to screaches and snarls, elevating my brain began to spin at all the possibilities i may face after the phone call... just hurry and finish up the work so you can restore peace before there is bloodshed.

Soon screaches became passionate, violent, screams too loud and intrusive for even the girl on the other end of the phoneline to ignore. "Yes, your right I do have to go, yep the kids must really need my attention... "

The phone isn't out of my hand for a second when Carter runs in with big tears in his eyes, Addie runs past with a big flashlight in hand shaking it fiercly about. Doesn't take a genius clue detective to figure out it was Ms. Addie in the bedroom with the flashlight as her weapon.

If only it would have been as simple as taking away some improperly used emergency lighting devices. But no, that was the least of the infractions. Upon entering the bedroom I see that the bedding has all been stripped off and thrown down from the bunk. After picking up all the bedding I see that under it lays a layer of breakfast cereal. Some little girl- not to mention any names- had snuck the box of cereal up into the bunk and then poured it down over the edge onto the boys like sweet raindrops falling on their head. And yes it had been a freshly opened box that morning, and yes it was now entirely emptied out onto the carpet. But even better than that, the game that they had been supposed to be playing was also strewn piece by piece across the carpet so that the cereal couldn't even be vaccuumed up it had to be picked up by hand.

You best believe that I did not do the clean up. 30 little fingers on 6 little hands picked up every last little drop of that cereal off that carpet, and every single piece of that game. They also remade their beds, and then they got to take a nap on them... because mommy needed a little down time.

After naptime they went to Grandma's... I had a meeting to go to... such a bummer!