Nap Time

(part three of my trip story)

I remember being a small child and vehemently resisting the daily nap. By the time I was two or three, they were pretty much a "no-go" as far as this little missy was concerned. Mum allowed the lack of sleep, but every afternoon I was shut in the bedroom with my sister, with the strict instruction to be absolutely quiet and stay mostly on the bed. I was allowed off the bed to retrieve a toy, but that was it. My sister, placid as always, dutifully slept. I took advantage of the opportunity to play with her toys, which she never allowed me to touch. The forced quiet time always ended before my sister woke up, so I could always be sure of having time to put her things neatly back into place without her knowing they had ever been gone. Eventually, the truth about the toy “sharing” came out, but I had a couple of years of sneaky play time.

William still takes naps every afternoon. He is also very much a “people person,” even at the age of three. He likes visitors and always wishes them a fond farewell from the doorway, waving his little hand as they drive away. Unfortunately, my scheduled departure time was right in the middle of his nap. Lisa explained that this may be a problem: if someone leaves during his nap, he gets really agitated when he wakes up to find them gone and tears are pretty much inevitable. So I agreed to pretend to leave for his sake, so she could put him down for his nap and prevent an episode.

At about 3 pm, I headed for the door as he headed up the stairs with his mommy. I gave him a hug and turned away from him, reaching for the door handle.

“Wait, Bwidet, yo sooos!”

I had figured that I could just walk out the door as I was and he wouldn’t notice. But his three year old brain was sharper than that.

“Oh, you’re right! Thank you for reminding me, William!”

I slipped the shoes on my feet and headed for the door again.

“Waaaait, Bwidet, yo bag!”

Smart kid. I thanked him again and headed for the door a third time.

“What abow yo uder one?”

This little guy wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything. I picked up my other bag and my purse, realizing that there was no fooling this kid. I had to look like I was genuinely leaving – with all of my stuff – in order for him to be satisfied. I said goodbye again and headed out the door, walking around the corner of the house so he couldn’t see me. I waited a few minutes after I heard the door shut and then crept back around the corner and plopped down on the porch with all of my luggage. I waited for Lisa to come open the door for me, just so I could be sure the coast was clear.

About five minutes later, the door-bell rang. I winced, thinking of the sleeping boys upstairs, and ran to answer it. I hushed Theresa’s enthusiastic greeting, ushered her inside, introduced her to Lisa, and then noticed a small boy at the top of the stairs. William had come to investigate.

“You back?” he queried.

“I came back just for a minute. But I’m leaving again. Bye!” I turned back to the door, hoping to escape without ceremony. But William was down the stairs in a flash, ready to wave me off again. This time he waited at the door until he saw us drive away, his cute little hand waving goodbye.

When I’m around, naps don’t stand a chance.