Naps

I love naps.

I love to take naps.

I love my kids taking naps.

Its like happiness for the taking!

Why do kids hate naps? Why do they resist? I don't get it!!

Did you know?:

1. The human sleep-wake cycle causes a drop in alertness between about 2 and 5 pm in the afternoon and more dramatically in the early morning between 2 and 5 am. This suggests we need two sleep periods a day, as in siesta cultures.

2. The afternoon slump is a natural effect of our circadian rhythms, and occurs even if you’ve had a good night’s sleep causing tiredness, loss of focus/reduced concentration and increased irritability.

3. Workplace accidents and errors peak at exactly the same times that our circadian rhythms cause a drop in alertness.

4. A brief nap can improve your mood and productivity, alleviate tiredness, increase alertness and reduce errors made at work. A nap as brief as 10 minutes will produce these results.

5. A mid afternoon nap has been shown to be more recuperative than a nap taken at other times of the day. If you nap at other times you will still get some benefit but it won’t necessarily prevent the afternoon slump, which is programmed in to our natural biological rhythm.

6. If you take the opportunity to nap, but don’t fall asleep, your mood and problem solving ability can still get benefit.

Acknowledgments to Dr Gerard Kennedy, Sleep Specialist, Melbourne.

Now, try explaining this to your preschooler!! Ha! Good luck. Unfortunately I'm afraid Luke (3.5yrs old) is getting close to dropping his afternoon nap. I know rest time is effective too, but its just not the same! Nothing beats a sweet cuddly sleepy head come out of the room from a nap! And nothing makes us all happier to make it to bedtime with smiles than a good naptime!

Mom and other various forms of that name

Mama:
one of the most glorious
and anticipated words
that will come out of the mouth of babes.

Mommy:
makes you feel needed
and important

Mom:
you know your kid is growing up,
so conversational

But,
add inflection
MOMMY!!!!!!!!!
or
repetition
Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom...
or
monotony
when Mama {to that sweet baby of yours} also means
no, food, or anyone who walks in the door...

That's why I have asked my children to call me
GLORIA.
It has a nice ring to it, dontcha think?
Its pretty.
Its not annoying.
It almost sounds like you have to sigh {ahhhh} after you say it.
Gloria...

I think the message has reached the ears of a
few of these blessings of mine.
Luke called me Gloria today.

DC Summary and PIcs

Sunday: We left around 9am and arrived in DC around 730pm. We were VERY tired and very grouchy. We settled in and got to bed VERY late.
Monday: The kids and I went to a fun park and spent time with my friend Amanda (Jennings) Lee and her two sweet kids.



Tuesday: We joined to team of students at a local community center. We cleaned and helped with what we could then we headed over to my aunt's house for naps and supper.


Wednesday: We rode the metro with my aunt and spent the day in DC. It was so fun! Luke says, "We saw a HUMONGOUS Abraham Lincoln". We also saw Dorothy's ruby red slippers, kermit the frog, the First ladies dresses, the original Star Spangled Banner (my personal favorite), the insect zoo, a T-Rex....
Thursday: The National Zoo and then some terrible nasty stomach bug or food poisoning or something hit. Out of the team of 31, 20 spent the evening and night camped out in the hallway near the bathrooms. Let me just say I have NEVER seen and experienced so much bodily fluid EVER. 2 out of my 4 kids (the girls) woke up throwing up. Ugh. It was unbelievable.

Friday: I spent the day trying to get all these sickly people to eat bananas, applesauce, drink gatorade...
Saturday: Traveled in the rain back home. We picked up Nana (my maternal grandmother) on the way to bring her to SC for a little visit.

It was a great trip. The kids behaved great. We LOVE those college students (both ours from NGU and our new friends from Furman's BCM). They did a great job scouring the city, surveying, serving, and working hard.

What will it be?

6 toothbrushes
30 pairs of socks
8 dvds
4 backpacks filled with books, blankets, paper, crayons, etc
3 sleeping bags
1 air mattress
6 pillows
1 good camera
3 disposable cameras (although, Anne, I agree, in the long run, digitals make more sense, but theywere SO excited when they discovered I got them each a camera, I thought we'd go with these this time.)
and much much more!

I think I'm ready, but inevitably I will forget something. Right?

Washington DC

Hattie's birthday festivities continue, and pictures will follow soon. I CAN'T believe how grown up this special girl is becoming! We are so excited to have all "the cousins" this weekend to celebrate as well as some friends!

And as if its dull enough around here...

We are getting ready for a really fun trip...to Washington DC. Jody is taking a small group of students from NGU to work with a church, and we decided that we would all go. The kids' teachers are all excited for us too. Silas will be keeping a journal of the trip. Hattie will have a chance to share a little with her class and Luke is just plain excited. He told his preschool teacher this: One day I'm gonna wake up and I should be coming to preschool but I'm not going to come because I will be in Washington DC.

We will visit some friends and family, go to the zoo, visit a few museums and monuments, and help with some of the projects. I bought the 3 older kids their own disposable camera so they can take their own pictures. (We'll see how THAT goes!!) I'm trying to plan out our agenda somewhat. I have to work out some naps and decent bedtimes, because if you know me you know how cranky I get when my kids are not well rested. But I'm sure it will be fun! Im sure I'll have a LOT to say when we get back!

I welcome any little tips you may have!!