From Nap to Rest to Alone Time -- we are working on sleep shifts

Today I told Silas that rather than sleeping during rest (he long ago announced nap no longer was nap but "rest"), he could play quietly in his room (which is, of course, the laundry closet) and read books. No, I explained, I cannot read them to you because this is alone time. At 1:00, everyone has alone time -- Eden in her room, Mommy in her room, Silas in his room. And today for alone time, you don't have to sleep. When kids get a little older, they stop sleeping during rest and just play, like Gracie (who is 5).
What does Hudson (Grace's brother who's a month older than Silas) d0?
Well, he must have alone time too in his room.
No, he does not. He sleeps.
Oh. Well, you get to have alone time and not sleep.

A fair question is why in the world I am ushering Silas into napless-ness. I've asked myself the same thing. Especially, as Jen pointed out today, after working his whole life to help him fall and stay asleep.

It's because of the post-9:00 bedtime. We put Silas in bed by 7:30 or 8 (but I've noticed it's a little later every night since we know he won't really sleep) and then listen. Footsteps to the bathroom. Footsteps back. Involved stories and questions aloud. More footsteps. Resettling. Singing. And then the calling begins. He calls for me. And calls for me. And asks to change his shirt because he's hot, or to have me tickle his back one MORE time, or for water, or for a kiss, or to come down stairs and eat some yogurt at the table (but Mama, I'm fee-wing (feeling) wike having some yogurt at the table right now, that's what I'm fee-wing wike -- and again we have the conversation about how we don't always get to do everything we fee-ew like doing), he asks for another kiss, for a story, for---

What a glorious day it will be when Silas, once again, falls onto his pillow at 7:30 and sleeps deeply until dawn (which would also mean the end of night wakings -- a whole separate subject! -- which I'm hoping will somehow disappear when the nap does so that the house will be hushed from dusk to dawn and I will remember what it is to sleep soundly night after night. Is that so much to ask?)

As I am writing this, I can't help but notice that "alone time" has become suspiciously silent. In fact, I am pretty sure that 20 minutes in to it, alone time has become deep slumber. Yes, it definitely has.