Should A Nap Compare With Crack

"If you were my mentor what advice would you give me today?"

This was the question I asked my husband as he scrambled off to work yesterday. Hoping for some type of inspiration, some words that would lead to a writing assignment, a completed pitch, a completed page of my play, he uttered the un-inspirational.

"Take a nap when the kids nap."

Take a nap? No, I wanted something more concrete. I wanted to be ordered, challenged, to get something done.

"You're running around like a mad woman. Take a nap."

And so, heeding my husband's advice, I helped the kids hang Easter decorations in the windows, cut colorful eggs out of construction paper that they painted and colored, brought them outside to play, made them a non-healthy lunch of macaroni and cheese (ate my salad along side them-do you even know how much I wanted to stick my face in the pot and swallow the entire serving for 4), changed pants, diapers and dirt covered clothes from outside, and finally put all three and then myself down for a nap. At first I laid there, thinking of all the things I should be doing, the dirty house that wasn't getting cleaned, the laundry that wasn't being folded and put away, the Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion that was waiting for me in the DVR, at this rate I'll never fall asleep, I told myself. But somehow I woke, two hours later, drool covering my pillow and cheek, to the sound of the boys waking up from their nap. But did I feel better? Rested?.....Hell No! If anything I felt irratated, more tired and did I say irratated? I wanted nothing more than to crawl back in that bed and be done for the day, and what was worse, I had no desire to wash the dirty dishes that were piled in the sink from breakfast and lunch, to start preparing dinner, or to fold the laundry that was still sitting in the dryer, so I didn't. Everything went on hold as I sat on the floor watching Sesamee Street with the kids.

Needless to say left over chili was served for dinner, the kids went to bed without a bath (I never had a chance to clean the tub that still had pieces of mud in it from their afternoon excursion outside)and my husband was on my nerves so bad that I retired to the bedroom at 7 o'clock to watch tv and read my magazine in peace.

So, was the afternoon nap worth it? In my opinion...hell no!

But, before my 6:30 alarm rang this morning I found myself up, and in the shower. By 7:30 the kids had breakfast, were dressed, and ready for the day. By 8:00 my bed was stripped, the dishes in the sink were half way finished (there were so many that I have to wait for the others to dry so I can put them away and start another load-the next apartment I have WILL have a dishwasher), there was a load a laundry going in the machine and my bills were laid out and organized on the bed.

I felt, feel, fantastic, as if I've had three cups of espresso, when I've only had one cup of coffee so far.

"Are you going to ask my advice again this morning," my husband asked as he returned from his walk with the dog.

"Bring it on," I said.

"Take another nap."

"Another nap?"

"Just like yesterday, go down when the kids go down. Catch up."

"What's the face for," he laughed.

"I was really hoping to watch the Real Housewives Reunion. I have both the reunions and the next episode of the NYC Housewives waiting for me!"

He smiled, shaking his head back and forth, and walked out the door.

"Take a nap," he echoed in the hallway.