Mac Fights the Nap

It begins like this:

Hey little Mac, can you say Mama?

maaamaaaa

Can you say Daddy?

Daaadeeee

Can you say nah-nite?

noooooo

He is rubbing his eyes with such ferocity he might actually scoop his eyeballs out. Yawning so hard, he actually inhaled the cat.

I bring him upstairs to his toddler bed. This is where the trouble begins. After he is placed in bed he flips himself out. Dashing under the bed, he begins to howl. I leave the room, the door ajar. Go down stairs, but half way.

The howls get longer and louder. Soon he is next to me. We retire to his room. Words cannot reason with a 20 month old, fighting the nap. I will win though, I am bigger. He is placed again. I hold him there while he bucks and kicks. He thrashes all his muscular, thirty pound body, twitching and fussing. Howling and crying as if his butt were aflame. Then he stops. He sits up. Hands in lap. Protest on face.

Sitting, as silent as a teddy bear, on the side of his bed. Deep breathing and rubbing his back.

After three minutes of ear splitting screams, I note he is no longer trying to escape.

Shhhh.... It'll be alright little one. It's na-nite time. His wails turn into sobs, sobs into cries, cries into whimpers. With each step, I step away. Still rubbing his back. Still kissing his forehead. Still loving him.

And then I am at the door. He gives me one last look of betrayal. I blow him a kiss and say, Na-Nite Mac, have a good nap.

He howls one last time and throws himself back on the pillow. I go down stairs, all the way. After a few more minutes of whimpering, he is done. He has lost the fight of the nap.