So its a typical Thursday in the Prater house. I'm trying to sleep off my night shift and gigantic pancake breakfast with one earplug in and the other lost in the bed somewhere. Justin is coming down from of a very classy, shells and cheese with tuna lunch. The sound of a persistent whine accompanied with a long drawn out scream echo's into my bedroom. I blindly reach onto my bedside table to check what time it is, because, surely I've only been asleep for 20 minutes. I feel like I haven't even fallen asleep yet. I feel around the table, the book that I haven't touched since Monday is knocked off the table and closed. Now I have to reread 5 chapters because I won't realize that I've already read them until I'm half way through the reread, therefore adding another month onto my "quick read". I grab the clock and squint with all my might, its 3 o'clock! Shit its time to get up! Then I remember that Jaxon likes to reset the clock while I'm getting dressed because he knows that I won't notice and there is nothing funner than twisting a tiny dial around and around and around and around. I then reach to the other side of the table, my phone is plugged in, I pull it. The charger cord falls out, slips back behind the headboard, its lost in the dust bunny abyss. I grunt. Its 1pm. I've been asleep for 3 hours. That scream must have meant it was nap time. The screams become louder.

I'm awake now and laying in bed.

I could try and search for the earplug that has fallen out of my ear in the mess of 2 comforters, sheets and 4 pillows but that would require me to try. I don't want to try.

I'm awake and I am tired.

Then I hear the calm negotiations of my husband with the not so calm screaming of my oldest son.

Jaxon: " I DON'T WANNA GO NIGHT NIGHT!"
Justin: "Jaxon, you are tired. You need to sleep"
Jaxon: "I DON'T WANNA GO NIGHT NIGHT!!!!"
Justin "Jaxon, shhh, you're going to wake up your mother"
Jaxon: " I AM A DOG! I DON'T SLEEP!"

I try! I even make the effort to put my glasses on. FOUND IT! I shove the earplug in my ear.

Silence. Well, kinda. Muffled distant squeals.

Somehow though, I get whats coming to me. Justin comes in to kiss me goodbye. He whispers that the kids are still taking a nap. I'm thinking "shit yeah, another 20 minutes of sleep" He gently closes the front door and Bam! Bodhi is screaming " PEE PEE" "POO POO"

Then comes the groans and moans of the nap time monster from his room.

Jaxon: " I DON'T WANNA GO NIGHT NIGHT ANYMORE!"
Me: calmly walking into his room to give him a big, I missed you hug "Hey baby, I missed you!"
Jaxon: " I don't want you!"
Me: "Well Daddy's at work. We're going to have a great afternoon though. How about Costco, you know the big store with all the free samples?"
Jaxon: " I DON'T LIKE CACACO!"
Me: " Its called Costco, remember that caca is a potty word, we don't use that word"
Jaxon: "CACACACA!!!"

This is where I reach one of those moments in parenting that I'm sure Parenting Magazine would not approve of. I just walk out. I leave him in his room with his post nap time monster caca voice. I leave him, grab Bodhi and loudly tell Bodhi that its time to leave Jaxon and go to Grandma T's house for a visit.

Jaxon "DON'T LEAVE ME!"
Me: "Are you going to start behaving?"
Jaxon: "Do I get a cookie at Grandma T's?"
Me: " yes, yes you do"
Jaxon: "lets go!"

In the car
Jaxon: " I left the caca in my bedroom."