All three kids got to skip school after the Christmas holiday, just so I can have a taste of what my life would be like come next year March.

Actually, it’s because Nat has conjunctivitis (again!) and I had grand plans to read and do craft with the older two kids.

But I also managed to get a glimpse of what my life would be like next year. *Gulp*

Every day, I do the impossible. It’s just impossible to make them eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner without me yelling, threatening and tearing my hair out. It’s impossible to get them to the bath to be clean without having to count to three.

But that’s not the worst. The worst, and the one I dread most, is nap time.

In daycare, the two older kids (and now even Baby Nat) follow a routine. By 1pm, I hear, they would’ve had their lunch, shower and milk and would be fast asleep. The teachers tell me Ben and Becks have no problems at all falling asleep together with their friends. It’s peer pressure, they say.

It’s a different thing altogether at home. There’s no sign of sleepiness at 12, 1, 2, 3, no, not even 4pm. Even if they were up at 7am.  I don’t give them sugary treats and so I am always wondering why it would take them so long to finally settle and take their afternoon nap. I’ll get them to start winding down by about 2.30pm, put them to bed by 3pm and they would be tossing, turning, chortling and saying the most random things to each other.

Ben: You’re so poot poot la la. Hahahaha.

Becks: You’re so di dom dar doo. Hee ha ha ha. La la la.

Ben: I’m not la. You silly pom pom pee.

Becks: YES! You sullee ballee tom tee.

Ben: NO! Poot poot doo doo.

Becks: YES! Ba baa yooooo….

Ben: NO!

Ben & Becks: (together) Hahahahahahaha!

This happens every day without fail. All this while the baby is whining outside, calling out in his babbling, “I need milk. I need my mother. I don’t want to be carried around by the maid. Oh please, would you let me join in the fun with my kor kor and jie jie”. All this while I’m asking them to stop the laughing and to close their eyes. All this while I’m holed up in the room for one and a half (precious) hours patting them till my hands are sore and numb.

Just now, I had to smack Becks five times on her diapered bum for doing the freestyle and breaststroke on her bed while pretending to close her eyes. I had to use the cane three times on her thighs for jumping in and out of bed despite my instructions to get in bed and prepare for nap. I also lost my cool at Ben who fidgeted and squirmed for two hours, to be exact (his sister finally fell asleep before him), picking his nose, scratching his ears, and pretending to be asleep. He was winking and blinking and secretly laughing at his sister while she was being disciplined.

Meanwhile my helpless helper outside the room was rocking my baby silly till he finally fell asleep, tired from all the whining for Mama.

People say in order to get as much rest as possible, I should sleep when my children do. I say, after getting all worked up, I’d rather put up this post than to lie in bed. And go eat some chocolates and think about how I’m gonna do things differently at tomorrow’s naptime.