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Quiet Time

Shhh…do you hear that? The sweet sound of silence. Well, apart from a few bangs on the floor, a little voice singing to himself, and the unmistakable sound of my youngest imitating a space shuttle departure. Otherwise, it’s pretty quiet in the house right now. Really. As it should be, since it’s Quiet Time.

Quiet time is that lovely time of day when both boys head to their rooms, separately, for a little break. Neither of my sons nap very often anymore. So, on the suggestion of a friend, I instituted Quiet Time. I write Quiet Time with capitals because it deserves that respect. My monkeys are many wonderful things: they are curious and funny, silly and smart, kind and adventurous. They are busy. They are full-steam-ahead. What they are NOT is quiet. Unless they are sleeping, and even then they both snore. By mid-afternoon, when my energy is waning, Quiet Time is more or less a sanity-saving necessity.

Here are all the reasons that I LOVE Quiet Time:
  1. It’s quiet. Enough said.
  2. It’s quiet…and sometimes that quiet is just enough to recharge my batteries so I can take on the afternoon.
  3. I can make uninterrupted phone calls. I don’t know about you, but my boys have “Mommy-is-on-the-phone radar”. The minute that I dial both boys are all over me like barnacles on a ship-wreck.
  4. Benjamin and Nicholas need a break from each other. They get along great, but absence makes the heart grow fonder even for brothers, and even if the absence is only an hour-long.
  5. I can drink a cup of tea without having to heat it back up in the microwave at least twice. I love tea.
  6. The boys learn that they can entertain themselves for a brief period of time, and live to tell the tale.
  7. I learn that too.
  8. I can pee without someone instantly looking for me.
  9. I get a few minutes to blog, and blogging saves my sanity.
  10. Quiet Time makes me a better mom. I love my boys, but read item number four again. The same goes for mommies.
  11. Sometimes Nicholas falls asleep, and is super snuggly when he wakes-up. I miss those post-nap cuddles.
  12. I can clean the house, and actually enjoy the results for a few brief moments before the cyclone hits again.
  13. I CAN GET STUFF DONE! What kind of stuff? Doesn’t matter. It gets done.
  14. It’s QUIET. Did I say that already?
The best part about Quiet Time is that it is not nap-time. I don’t miss nap-time, and the blurry-eyed insane rush to get everything done in the morning before hurrying home to get the boys down before meltdowns of atomic proportion. Quiet Time is easier. We can take it or, if there is something better to do, we can leave it. Leaving Quiet Time is always a little bit if a gamble. Cranky kids and a cranky mommy might result by 5 p.m. (Welcome Home Pierre!!). But, on beautiful days at the park or during play dates with friends, the skip might just be worth it.  

The sounds of feet upstairs are getting louder. That’s the signal. Quiet Time is coming to a close. Until tomorrow.

xo Naomi

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