When “Nap” Was Still a Bad Word

[ Skeets and Mom all grown up ]

February 10 – One of the things I really hated when I was little was to take a nap. Mom sent both Skeets (my younger sister) and me to bed in the afternoon so the house would be quiet for a change. The older kids were at school, and that gave her a few minutes to have a little time to finish up some of her projects that were set aside till we two girls were not on hand to bother her.

Well, I sure had a hard time even trying to go to sleep. Skeets just covered up under one of the warm quilts Mom had made, started to suck that horrid thumb, and was off to sleep, almost immediately! I tossed and rolled around from one side of my space to the other while Skeets continued to snore and roll around. All I could think of was how I would ever go to sleep and how much I would rather be off that bed and in to a lot nicer place, like in winter when I could slip behind the old heater and soak up the warmth.

But during the hotter months when the others were still in school, we tossed off the quilts. Who had ever heard of air conditioning in those days! It was really hard to lie quietly when it was so hot outside.

Would you believe that I even tried, from time to time, to suck MY thumb to see if it could work its magic for me as it seemed to do for Skeets? No hope. When Mom came in to tell us we could get up, I almost beat her to the door, leaving Skeets behind and still half asleep! – CHRIS