Drakensberg day 3 - and bringing back The Nap

The reason we brought back The Nap or The Rest is due to something MIL said on New Year's Day.

When she was growing up, her parents ALWAYS had "quiet time" after lunch so they could nap/ read/ sew (in those days her mother sewed all their clothes) and that was how parents in those days "got things done". (MIL is 71 so this was in the 50s)

This conversation happened because D said he was so tired (he is fairly low energy and of course, the kids sap even my energy) because the kids just don't stop.

MIL told us even though they didn't have "modern conveniences" and they cooked everything from scratch, etc. (they did have a maid to help in the house and a gardener/ handyman - this was Zimbabwe back in the day), their lives were slower and there was time for everything, EVEN THEMSELVES.

We decided there and then to re-institute rest times because let it be known, D and I have always been keen on alone time.

How we re-instituted Nap/ Rest Time

It had to be "sold" to the kids but I explained that everybody needs some quiet time to do their own thing during the day. Especially the introverts. 

These days, K still sleeps 98% of the time and C sleeps about 60% of the time. I prefer them to sleep (45 minutes only) because I really like non-crabby kids for the supper/ bath drill and I would rather have a slightly later bedtime (7:30 - 8:00).

We separate them (no exceptions otherwise you're wasting your time with twins!) - one in their bedroom and one in the lounge/ sunroom. I used to let one be in the study but then I feel like I can't move around and that doesn't work for me.

If they don't want to sleep, they still have to stay in whichever room and do QUIET things (read, play with a puzzle, draw, colour, etc).


The other day I used that time to read too (DIVINE and oh-so-decadent in the middle of te day) but normally that's computer time for me, or photo album-type stuff where I don't want little hands getting involved and "helping" me.

The key for adult rest time is you have to already know what you want to do during those 45 minutes because they go fast. I plan to edit a folder of photos, write a blog post or two, etc. I know in advance exactly what I want to do.



Anyway, so on holiday, we also have Rest Time. D & K definitely nap, C is 60/40 and I read.

This day, C woke first, found me reading outside and we chatted about the light because I had my camera next to me on the patio table.

We then decided to go for a walk without waiting for the others because it was golden hour.

(These days he tells me, "MUMMY! LOOK! Golden hour!!!")

I was sitting right under this lapa

I had to spell some of the message but he wrote one for them. They're going to make my shopping lists soon!

these are my favourite autumn leaves

blurry but I like that I look happy

Which is your favourite photo?
Do you have rest or quiet time in your house?

No napping, friend dates and self-portraits

My children didn't nap both yesterday and today.

I hope this is not the start of a new phase because their parents really need time to rest!!!

And they are just much more pleasant when they've had a little rest.

Do your kids still nap? At what times?

Yesterday we put them down a little bit early because we had friends over for lunch and we wanted agreeable kids. Well, the napping didn't work but thankfully, the kids were really into our friends and their girls so they were fairly well behaved.

We had a truly wonderful time with them - it was strangely relaxing even with 4 two-year-olds running around and we had time to connect and, as my friend said, fill our (love) tanks.

Kendra asked hopefully, "is Aunty R coming again tomorrow?"  :)

It must also be said that Nester being here was a huge part of the relaxation because we don't have a dishwasher (I'm trying to convince D that he needs one!) and it was lovely to have a mostly clean kitchen at the end of the afternoon.

So after all that Easter drama at church, we had 3 Sundays - one Sunday we took them to the family room, one Sunday we took them back to the new class and then there was today.

The entire morning Connor kept checking if they were going to go to "the other class" or "Lizzie and Thembi's class" and we said they could go to the other class. I hate breaking rules but I can't stand that screaming more so my not 3-year-olds are in the 3 - 4 class at church. That means no one helps them to go to the loo and they don't get fed. In the other class, the ladies would feed my kids a snack and of course, change nappies.

But the screaming....

We were all set so I walked them into the class and this time KENDRA freaked out and started sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't seem to console her - she just wanted me to stay. I only get one session of church a weekend and I NEED the Word so I said, "absolutely not, Kendra" which set her off on a whole new level. This freaked Connor out so he started wailing too.

At first I laughed (mother of the year) but then I actually had a little brainwave (D said it was NOT a good idea). I said, "okay babies, let me call Daddy to come see you". At that, they both stopped crying and off I went.

D did go peek into the classroom and they were sitting quietly and listening to the teacher so he left again. And of course, they were fine when we went to get them after church.

I really thought after our first SEVEN weeks of crying we'd be done with this crying forever.............

But I'm glad I didn't give in to the kids as the message was EXCELLENT and I heard something I really needed to hear.

I love this pic!

Then on my list for this weekend I had to sort out the Sabie pics and upload more to the Superhero group on Flickr.

The uploading is happening as I type this and I went down from 669 to 439 pics. Yessss!

Still a crazy lot and actually about 100 of those were me playing with things I'd learnt on Superhero Photo.

This week is self-portraits so obviously I've taken a shadow pic already and I take pics in mirrors all the time (terrible ones but I do them to torture myself obviously!) but let me tell you, it is HARD.

Well, it's hard to get good ones where you don't look like a dork.

But I've been playing and playing and I finally got some I like (I look stupid in them because I'm being silly but I like them). Can't wait to show you next week - this week I have to talk about week 3.

So that's me - a very full and fulfilling weekend :)

How was your weekend? Did you take any interesting pics?

PS I must say, this course is forcing me to do different things. This afternoon I was on my back on the grass in my garden (a non-marcia thing to do) because I had to get a pic of my feet against the sky :) Please join in - you will LOVE it!

PPS Exactly 3 months til my birthday - I need to look at that list!

Sleep is for babies

Sorry if this is showing up in your feed readers a million times. I'd scheduled it but it's suddenly not working and I am determined to get it right :)

I remember when "my friend with the twins" used to tell me about her girls not sleeping during the day, I really didn't take it all that seriously.

I think I even glibly said something like, "yes, I read (in one of my many baby books) that they drop a nap at age 1"

C then said, "but what if they've never napped well" or something like that.

Well, C's girls must have transmitted something to our (previously) good nappers as they've now decided that "sleep is for babies".

The multiples blog had a napping prompt a couple of weeks ago and I visited about 3 blogs before I got despondent. ALL these kids were sleeping 2 - 3 hours during the day!

Do you know what we could do with 2 - 3 hours????

I filed it all away in my mental rolodex to ask Dr S at their check-up.

And he said babies this age (Deanna, I decided that I'll do as you do and call them babies til they're 12 :)) need about 12 - 14 hours' sleep a day.

Since mine are sleeping 12 hours at night and then another hour afterwards before V arrives, Dr S said if I get another hour of napping out of them every day, we should count ourselves lucky.

Notice how I just glossed over this MOMENTOUS event that is called STTN???

I don't want to jinx it. As a Christian I know that's hogwash but really, can the babies read my mind?!

So we get one SHORT 30 - 45-minute nap in the mornings and that's it. I keep telling them they're from DNA where we LOVE OUR SLEEP but they're not having any of it. Maybe it's the grannies... both our mothers get up at the crack of dawn and are not really fond of sleep like their offspring.

How can anyone not love sleep?!

Kendra, however, loves sleeping in the car. She pops off the minute we're out of our suburb (2 minutes from home) so on the weekends she gets more sleep - on Sundays when we go to church, at least 2 X 25-minute sessions . Yesterday she had 3 because we went somewhere on the way home.

Connor slept for 40 minutes during church (until 11:35) and that was it until he fell asleep for the night at about 6:30.

Now you know why we're knackered.

How do your kids nap doing the day?

P.S. I still would not change this stage for that newborn stage EVER!
P.P.S. I'll be 36 next week. So is it 37 things you're supposed to do for the next year or 36?