Benjamin and the Reappearing Naps

It has been quite a long time since Benjamin could be depended on to nap reliably.

I would guess that regular afternoon naps have been absent from our lives for about six months now.

Though I dreaded their departure, and fought him to continue the practice, I have since settled into a more relaxed attitude toward the afternoon nap. Lately it has not been much of an issue since he has steadfastly refused to take a nap of any duration.

The last two weeks or so however, the tides have been turning in an interesting direction.

He fell asleep watching cartoons on the futon about two weeks ago. I figured, maybe he ran himself out or he's having a growth spurt, or he's finally crashed from his all-candy diet!! (Joke)

I treated the nap as an anomaly. A blip. A bit of static. It was not to be expected and surely wouldn't become a regular occurence.

Perhaps a week went by and lo and behold...he fell asleep in the car on the way home from picking his sister up from school.

After all this time not having to deal with naps and nap scheduling and maintaining silence for said naps...I was ill-prepared for this change of events. In carrying him into the house, I jostled him excessively. He woke shrieking. I tried to lay him on the couch. He kicked me in the chest and ran away howling.

He finished out that afternoon crabby as can be. He ate an excessive amount of corn dogs and fell asleep at 6:30 pm at the kitchen table. Corn dog still in his tiny clenched fist.

Still, I had no illusions about a regular schedule of quieter afternoons or a peacefully snoozing toddler. I had been burned before. I said my bitter goodbyes to naps and I had shut the door on that phase of my life. The napping times, I said, were over.

Three days ago, he fell asleep in his bed in the afternoon. Slept three hours.

Two days ago, I went to the gym in the afternoon and the kids stayed home with their grandmother. Ben fell asleep on the couch. Slept for three hours.

Yesterday he fell asleep in the car on the way home from picking up his sister, slept on my bed for three hours.

Today, he fell asleep in the car again...

The faintest glimmer of hope is opening up in my cold dark heart.
Could it be?
Are the naps reappearing??

I fear that by posting this I will have jinxed myself and ruined the naps forevermore...
Stay tuned.