It is almost 2 o’clock and Charlie has been napping since 11.  That is almost THREE HOURS!  I can see him on the TV screen, stretching and yawning, so I know that the remainder of my “free time” is limited. 

Naps like this are hard to come by, so I have packed everything I can into it.  I did my Bible study and prayed (Proverbs 31 woman was a great help to her husband, so I am praying extra hard for Jason and that I can be a helper for him), weeded the cucumbers and squash in our garden, exported pictures and video off of our cameras and sent some links to Jason, mopped the living room and kitchen, and took a shower.  Only other mothers will understand how “taking a shower” can actually be something you mark off your to-do list!

Don’t think me an overachiever.  I use Charlie’s afternoon naptime for my nap.  Normally I don’t get so much done during his morning nap.  Yesterday, for instance, when he began waking up I had not yet taken a shower, the house was a mess, and I was mad at Jason for stressing me out before he finally left for work!  I was not even halfway through my walk, and honestly had to take some deep breaths before I opened the door to Charlie’s nursery! Some days I have it together, and some days I don’t.  God helped me realize that the purpose of the bad days is to make the good days that  much better. 

Naptime is precious, and not everyone realizes it.  I have one friend who has two children in elementary school and a niece and nephew (15 month-old twins) who she keeps during the day.  Now, she realizes the importance of naptime!  When she calls, the first thing she says is, “Is Charlie taking a nap?” If the answer is yes, she promptly says, “I’ll let you go enjoy naptime!”  I love her. 

Some people, however, think that naptime is a good time for you to talk.  Maybe for some mothers this is true, but not this one!  I can talk and chase Charlie around the house, but I can’t talk and vacuum or work in the garden, and I especially can’t talk and take a shower!

Remember this the next time you call or visit a stay-at-home mom: Naptime is our time off.  We don’t get nights or weekends off, we get short snippets of time during the day.  Respect our naptime. And if we smell bad, it’s because someone didn’t!