On Naps

sleep

I’ve always  mixed feelings about napping. I’m not one for sleeping during the day or even really sleeping in anymore. It hasn’t always been this way. There was a time in my life – when I was a mean, mean teenager – that I enjoyed sleeping in and staying up super late at night.

When I was a wee little one I had a hard time keeping my eyes open for a 15 minute car ride into town. The hum of the car would lull me to sleep within minutes. I remember sitting in the front seat and laying my head in my mom’s lap to fall asleep.  Seatbelt? Psst.

Since becoming an adult I’ve shunned naps and reserved them for cloudy, rainy, cold, blustery days – days where naps are nearly required and I’ve jumped into enough puddles, done enough around the house or finished a book.

Now that I’m pregnant I’ve learned that I can hardly function without a nap each afternoon. I have a meltdown like a toddler if I don’t get additional REM minutes. Napping is the only solution.  I’m not sure my students would appreciate a mid-day nap.

Today is the first day that I haven’t been in a slumber late in the afternoon. I cuddled up in bed, put on a quiet soundtrack (Barry hooked up a new speaker system for our iPod next to our bed…such a simple pleasure!) and waited for myself to fall into dreamland.

It didn’t happen.

Now I’m blogging and making tomato soup from scratch, grilled cheese sandwiches and pumpkin spice cupcakes for dinner. Jeesh. I went from needing a nap to cooking up a storm. We’ll see how long this non-nap thing works. Now that my nap is gone, I kind of miss it.

Like I said, I’ve got mixed feelings about napping.

Welcome Autumn

An early morning paddle on Cain Lake is one of my favorite things to do during the fall season. My parents live near the lake’s public boat launch, so I stash one of the kayaks from my fleet at their place.

USS Mossy Boat -- Member of The Fleet. It's not pretty, but it floats.

Technically speaking I own three different boats. I don’t know if that constitutes an actual fleet or not, but I’m going to start referring to my kayak collection as The Fleet.

Anyway, paddling on Cain Lake at this time of the year is usually amazingly relaxing, and this morning didn’t disapoint. The water was glassy still and a thin layer of fog was rising from the water. To top it all off, the sun was just rising and all of the colorful fall fiolage was being reflected on the water’s surface.

Even better than the scenery is the stillness and quietness of the early morning. I spend so much of my life plugged in and surrounded by man made noise that it’s great to get out and bob along on the water before the constant drone of vehicle traffic begins, or a lawn mower has started. No iPod needed to play the sound track of birds chirping.

Sunshine, colorful leaves, fog, and glassy still water. Welcome autumn indeed.

A Special Friday Face

hb

Full Name: TBD. For now I just go by The Mini or Baby.

Age: not officially born yet. I’m just about to head into the second trimester. If everything goes according to plan, I should arrive at the end of April though.

Favorite Color: I’ve been seeing everything in black and white lately. I have a feeling I might lean towards either pink or blue in a few months.

Current Favorite Food: Chocolate milk and Hansen’s Soda. Yummy!

Favorite Place to Visit: I’d be cool with anywhere I can just take a breath of fresh air on my own. Although for some reason Sydney pops into my head like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.

Where do you see yourself in five years: Working as a line leader in kindergarten.