The dreaded No Nap zone

I'm possibly entering some very dangerous territory here...the no nap time zone.

Perhaps you've never known the sweet silence of a house in the middle of the day when two children under the age of three sleep for three hours.  Maybe you've never experienced the freedom of being able to get things done in daylight around your home without requests for sippies or going to the potty or snacks.  Or the simple ability to sit and write your thoughts to other coherent adults and receive feedback and camaraderie...

Ah, it is bliss.

And I think it is almost over.  

I know...pour a little out for me, if you please.

Daddy and his girls in their night time routine.  Rachel loves Hop on Pop!

But Elizabeth is continually up and about at night - up a good hour and a half to two hours past putting her in bed.  Bounding down the stairs, she comes full of energy.  Or sneakily, she tip-toes down and hides.  Nothing like finding your child laying behind the couch as you get up to go to bed.  

Last night, I sat outside her door for an hour and a half to keep the sneaky temptation down and she got up about every 10 minutes to check on me.  I only complained a little because I have two babies that I need to crochet blankets for and I have finished about a half of one.  So the time sitting in the hallway wasn't completely lost.

Day one of being in a big girl bed - I think this was last year at this time.

We have tried everything short of locking her in her room - and I refuse that.

We have rewarded her for staying in the room - that only works at nap time though.

We have taken away her beloved Juno and the light up ladybug and anything else in her room.

We have spanked, we have scolded.

She's lost TV, dessert, McDonalds after gymnastics...

We've left the light on so she can read for a little bit if she wants.

And she's still our escape artist.

I call this her Beiber hairstyle...she refuses to push her bangs back in her headband...and refuses to let me help her put it on.  See?  Stubbornness is in her blood.  I have no idea where she gets it.

I could keep up the reward/punishment system but Rachel misses Elmo and it has now been six evenings in a row that I haven't gotten to have any kind of intelligent conversation with my husband...so something's gotta give.

And that something may be my precious nap time.

So we're going to try to theory that maybe she's just not tired and see how that goes.  I will certainly keep you updated and please, if you have any tried and true methods at your home, pass them my way.  I love success stories.  

And admittedly, it was my attempt to try this yesterday, but I was so tired and just needed to lay down for 15 minutes and my big girl cuddled up beside me on the couch and was out as fast as I was.  So that wasn't the best test.  (She doesn't wake up any later just because she's in bed later - it's 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. for her so she is tired and ready for a nap by the afternoon...therefore, this evening might be a struggle if we don't get one today.)

Now excuse me as I go start the coffee pot...