The Chronicles of Cael: Sleep, Glorious Sleep

Once upon a time, a two-year-old boy graduated from his crib to his big-boy bed. The boy was a very good napper in his crib, and, although others had told his mom that the naps would soon come to an end, she didn't want to believe such a horrible thing. "He's active," she would say, "so he will need his naps." "He is tired a lot with how busy he is, so I'm sure he will need his rest."

Screech.

That was the sound of the mom's hopes coming to an end when, for the whole first week of the new bed, there were no naps.

No time for the mom to get on the computer without a lap buddy.

No time to watch her DVR'd shows.

No time to bake without a beater-licker.

And, most importantly, no time for the mom to nap.

Oh, the horror.

The mom thought back to all those who cursed her life with their superior knowledge of child-raising, their jealousies of having no napping children left disguised behind their nodding heads. They were right, she reluctantly admitted to herself. With a sigh, she rescheduled her afternoon hours to include a shadow and no rest for the weary.

The hours dragged on. The days. The week. And a half.

Then, it happened. No, the boy did not fall asleep mid-afternoon in his bed, but fall asleep he did. The mom had to lie down next to him on her and the dad's bed and watch part of Up for the ten-thousandth time. She had to soothe him by rubbing his head.

The mom moved her hand slowly back and forth, silently praying Please fall asleep. Please. Please. PLEASE. (The last through gritted teeth)

The sweet relief felt when his eyes closed was comparable to the happiness at his birth. The hallelujah chorus filled the room, or just her head. (She didn't want to awake the boy, after all.)The mom wiped a grateful tear from the corner of her eye, she snapped a photo and sent it to the dad to celebrate with her, and then she joined the boy in dreamland.