The young and the restless

It's Monday, do you know what that means? Mandatory nap day.

I successfully get Elle to sleep, plop Evan down in his crib, and tell Emma it's quiet time in her bed. To Emma, the only thing worse than having to take a nap is having to wear the same shoes two days in a row. Sure enough she's soon at my elbow.

"Mom. Mooooom!"

I pushed in the keyboard and turned to her. "What Em?"

"Um. I really don't feel like I need to rest today. Can I come out here and have a snack instead?"

"No, you really need to. Go lay down and just pretend to rest."

I turn my attention back to the compy in an attempt to find a quasi-cheap food dehydrator for Curt for Christmas. And to figure out why the man that doesn't hunt or cook has become obsessed with them. I'm a little irritated as it occurs to me that this little "gift" is probably going to mean more kitchen time for me, preparing dried morsels for my husband when she reappears.

"Mommy? Um, could I pick out my clothes for tomorrow and then lay down?"

"Emma, just get in the bed. Pick out a book to read and just lay in bed and read it. Trust me when I tell you that you'll spend a good portion of your adult life waiting in vain for someone to give you permission to do this."

She looks cranky. The eyes roll. She stalks off back down the hall, only to turn right back around.

"Mom. Seriously, I don't even know how to read, so I really think the nap should wait until next year when I learn how."

"Emma, I'll tell you what. You sit down here and find Daddy something to dry his fruit with. Mommy's going to be down the hall reading Madeline and resting."