The preschool makes all the children take lunchtime naps in Summer. Clever really because it's so hot and the heat here really takes it out of you, especially if you've been running riot around a playground for part of the morning. It's an amazing sight to see too, 60 children from the ages of 3-5 all asleep on mini-futons in the large Assembly room (nowhere else has air-conditioning). The 0-2 year olds all sleep in their own classroom so as not to disturb the older children. Military precision at it's best, they eat their school lunch, set out their own futons, remove and fold any excess clothing and then they all sleep for about an hour.
The up-side of this is that when I go to pick up my darlings at 4pm they're in great form.
The downside is having to lug all the futon kits in and home on a Monday morning and Friday evening. My poor washing machine goes into overdrive with the washing of futon kits (cover sheets, towel sheets and small towel blanket) and sweaty t-shirts (they always change their t-shirts after their nap). It's also a pain trying to convince the pair to go to bed in the evening.
As of last week the temperature cooled and Nina's lunchtime nap is finished. No problem, Nina was very happy to have the extra time to play or do crafty things. As of yesterday Aimee's nap time has been cut. I was thrilled , no more lugging of futon kits, the washing machine can take a wee break and we don't go through 2/3 t-shirts a day anymore.
Aimee was thrilled to have the extra time to terrorise the class crayfish (they have two), stick numerous bits of sellotape to anything she wanted and make magic wands with rolled up newspaper
However as soon as I came around the corner at 4pm, the joys of nap-free lunchtimes all went out the window.
She wouldn't leave the playground.
She cried in the dirt by the swings.
She told me I was "mean" for not allowing her to play some more (as if 7 hours wasn't enough).
She refused to get in the car.
She wouldn't carry her bag and flask.
She refused to look or talk to me once I'd strapped her in.
She repeated the phrase "don't look or talk to me Mama", the whole 20 minutes it took us to get home in the car.
She told her sister to "don't look or talk to me".
She then refused to get out of the car, only got out when I threatened to leave her there alone.
She dragged her heels the whole way up the steps and into the apartment.
Once in the door she lay between door and the hall and refused to move.
She continued to berate Nina and I until I finally just threw "Binky" (dirty beige blanket in picture, who deserves own web page) at her.
She lay there for 30 minutes.
Finally all was well and she graced us with her presence once more, albeit, a little touchy.
Here she is laying siege to the entrance.
It wasn't the most peaceful afternoon but they were in bed before 8pm and both out of it by 8:15. I didn't even get to finish the bedtime story.
