I'm not buying it.

I took a poll yesterday and the results were unanamous. (Okay, so I asked my two girlfriends that I had over for lunch whilst our men braved the cold to catch copious amounts of large togue.)

Anyhoo, you know those moms that say how much they LOVE every... single... solitary... second they spend with their children? That say they just HATE putting their kiddos down for naps, miss them SO MUCH while they're sleeping and positively CANNOT WAIT until they wake up? The ones who say they could just NEVER, EVER leave them with others for more than a minute?

Well I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it. And neither are my two friends. (You can just save all your hatemail and judgement if you're one of those moms because in all actuality I probably just don't buy it because you're the mom I think I should be and I judge myself enough as it is!)

But here's the way I feel... and the way my two friends and I believe that 99.9% of all moms out there feel as well! I love my child. Compared to what I've seen and heard...she is ridiculously well behaved (perhaps that has to do with the unyeilding consistancy my husband and I attemt to uphold). I think staying at home with her is the best thing I have ever done...and the hardest BY FAR! And I'll be gosh darned if I don't look forward to nap time every... single... solitary... day!

I do not take parenthood lightly. I am constantly reading and researching and asking opinions. On top of the things that come naturally like cuddling, loving, laughing, playing, feeding...I am continuallyworking at being intentional in training up our child in the way she should go, teaching her about faith, instilling good morals and ethics in her, stimulating and challenging her intelectually, giving her physical and creative outlets for her energy. The way I see it, I work hard 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have help (a.ka. Jason) 2 hours a day during the week and some weekends.

Dispite how fabulous Ella is...she is still a two year old! Some days I swear she's an angel above all angels...and others I swear she's posessed! She tests limits, gets into mischeif, whines, cries, disobeys etc. etc. etc. Would I expect anything different from a two year old? Heck no! Are those things outweighed by the smiles, laughs, hugs, kisses, songs, games, words, stories, questions and unsurpassed adorableness? You betcha! But are they outweighed enough for me to miss her while she naps and yearn for her to wake quicker? Ummmmm, not gonna lie on this one. Nope.

Other people get breaks, lunch breaks, commutes to a from work where they get to have some peach and quiet. And I, gosh darnit, get nap time! I look forward to nap time each day like a lost, dehydrated, wandering man crossing the Sahara at noon on the hottest day of the summer yearns for a drop of fresh water. Nap time, OH GLORIOUS, nap time!

I used to utilize nap time to be all sorts of productive...Dishes, laundry, cleaning, baking, cooking, organizing. But lately I've taken to doing a quick toss of the toys back in their bins, pouring a nice hot cup of tea, grabbing my favorite book, plopping myself in a recliner next to the glowing woodstove and praying that Ella takes a long one! And if I hear her wake earlier than normal, I sure as heck am not chomping at the bit to run upstairs and get her. Nope, I get what my friend calls "the heart drop". You know, when your heart just sinks and you mutter something under your breath like, "There is NO WAY she's up already!" and you sit real quiet (as if that will help anything) and you pray that she's just making noise and will go back to sleep.

Don't worry folks. When naptime IS over and it IS time to go get my sweet one, I am just as happy as the next gal to see those half-cracked still sleepy eyes, that cute smile, those rosey just woke-up cheeks and that sweaty gnarled bed head. I'm not sure there's anything else that brings a bigger smile to my face. I'm just saying. I LOVE nap time! I don't buy it when other mommy's say they don't!