Monday, November 28, 2011

Of Nooks And Books (And Turkey)

Not as intuitive as it looks...
I don't know how you folks spent your holiday weekend; but I spent mine attempting to teach my father how to use a Nook e-reader.  I swear, I have never seen anyone have so much trouble with a touchscreen device.  Steve Jobs was turning over in his grave, I am sure.

Oh, and yes, there was the turkey thing, complete with stuffing and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce that mysteriously refused to gel for the first time ever.  And there was Anna being annoyed because she had to give her room to Grandpa for 4 nights.  It's not as if we had her sleeping on the couch, either.  She took Susie's bed (which has a better mattress than mine); and Susie stayed in our bed (because that is where she ends up every night anyway).

Yes, I do know Susie is 6.  Six and a half, actually - but we are lousy parents.  I can only assume she'll be in our room until she graduates high school.  And I don't even care anymore.

Maybe I'll write a book - How To NOT Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems.  Not catchy enough?  Then how about Sleep Schmeep - Forget About It Already!

All you imaginary book agents who didn't bother to contact me about my How To Talk So Kids Will Shut Up, I'm giving you another chance to email me.  We've got a winner here. 


[Nook image: CNET]
[Book image:  Mad Professor]

14 comments:

  1. Sleep Schmeep - Forget About It Already!
    Now that's an excellent book title!

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  2. I am curiously relieved, as I lie here in my bed with the 8yo snuggled up to me. Sigh.

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  3. How to talk so kids will shut up. I like that. In our house, it's just called Yelling Really Loud.

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  4. My eight year old winds up in bed with us every night too. It is what it is.....

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  5. What would Thanksgiving me without an annoyed teen?

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  6. I would buy both books, but I am still partial to How to Talk So Kids Will Shut Up. I haven't mastered that one yet. And I love sleeping with my baby, except for the times when I don't, you know when she kicks and occupies more space than I do. But, to paraphrase a future bestselling author, she is still cute as a button and I love having her next to me at night.

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  7. My 8 year old son would love to sleep with me every day. He sneaks in every now and then.

    My mom, who can barely do email wants a Kindle. I think my dad is getting her one for Christmas so I can see myself in your shoes very shortly.

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  8. I'm not sure we ever really want the "baby" to leave the bed. You start to realize how short a time we have them. I still go in and kiss my 20 year old up on his temple when he is sleeping, because it is what I always did when he was growing up. Some things are hard to let go.

    Oh, and for the record, I clearly remember going and crawling in bed with my mother when I was 16 and woke from a nightmare. Thankfully, she didn't toss me out, but instead laid her arm over me. I'm 55 and I still remember that safe feeling clearly.

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  9. My parents' bed was absolutely off limits to children. I shared a room with my older sister for years; I have more memories of her comforting me during the night than of my mother doing so. When I became a mom? We never even bought a crib. My 7yo would still be crawling into our bed, I'm sure, if I hadn't had another when he was 4 1/2. Now she's in her own bed, but ends up in ours every morning to cuddle.

    Could you write a book called How To Talk So Ferberites Shut Up?

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  10. My 6 yr old has some sp needs/ADHD/anxiety , and he sleeps in our room. Instead of begging him to go back to his room for hrs,locking him in (which perpetuates things and is just cruel) we now have come to a compromise.We put him to be in our bed and then we move him to his spot on the floor. He actually likes it there. I didn't want to encourage things but I did ask if he would like a mattress and he said no. My DH just couldnt sleep with all 3 of us in a Queen. We do have to be creative with "alone time". So his room most of the time is the "love shack"..he never sleeps in there anyhow..lol

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  11. I remember when my mother wrote her first e-mail. She managed to work out how to type in the 'To' address but wanted to know where the return address went. Then she couldn't find 'Send.' As for your book, I would have LOVED that book when DS was about 3 and believed sleep was something only old people did! Now I've joined the club and given up.

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  12. Hey, there are 6 and 8 year olds the world over who are cuddling up with their parents at night, and they turn into perfectly fine adults. Just think of it as teaching multi-culturalism :-)

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  13. That's funny--I was worried about G, who kept trying to sleep with us until about 6 months ago...when he turned 7.

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  14. The years fly by--what's a little lost sleep and a little extra cuddling while you have the time...

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