What Shall We Do?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor napless toddler?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor napless toddler?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor napless toddler...

In the middle of the afternoon?

Sing with me now!

Seriously. In a bar fight, I'm sure the toddler would win. Errr...except the toddler wouldn't be in a bar. Or a bar fight. Ahem...obviously. And you know, I think I'd prefer the drunken sailor any day. Okay, not really.

Who wouldn't prefer this sweet face?

Except that when he doesn't nap, that sweet face looks like this:

Don't stare at it too long. It even scared me.

All joking aside, I've exhausted all of my ingenious ideas on this one. Or maybe I'm just exhausted. Either way, it's driving me bonkers. Until about two weeks ago, enforcing nap time was for the most part a successful venture (bedtime...notsomuch). For whatever reason, the boys have decided that now nap time is also the time to push every blessed button in my body. And honestly, with an infant that isn't sleeping well at night and is generally only happy in my very tired arms, I don't have many buttons left.

I've tried every positive reinforcement strategy that I'm willing to. I've tried every negative reinforcement strategy that I'm willing to. I'm even okay with it if they *gasp* don't nap for a day or two. My main goal is to get them to rest. I mean, it's pretty stinking adorable when I walk in and find them both snuggled up in a twin bed together, quietly reading or plotting their next rascally adventure talking together. Instead, it seems that nap time is quickly turning into an episode of Ultimate Fighting Championship. The past few days, I've come to expect the enormous THUMP and ensuing screaming about five minutes after I leave their room. And when I walk in, I usually find Cameron sitting on his brother, trying to pry his precious taggie blanket out of Kayden's fist, both of them shrieking like banshees.

Can you help a tired mother?

Please, please, please offer any and all suggestions you may have! Whether we've tried them or not, I'd be happy to hear them! Because when it comes right down to toddlers, I much prefer this:

Not this: