Now if only audiobooks came with pictures...

As the cool aunt, it is my job to break the rules. The kids know this, and quite frankly, I think they like it. Recently, I was off visiting my youngest nephew. Visiting him requires spending the night. That's ok - I get my own bedroom - heck, I have my own floor when I'm over there. Not that the cool aunt actually expects anything like privacy. Pitter-patter follows me everywhere.

Anyhow, one very late night, I was trying to fall asleep, when I heard the familiar pitter-patter, (Actually, the boy is 10 now. The pitter-patter is more like-clompity-clomp), and the little giggle. "Yes sweetie?" I asked. "I can't sleep," he answered. Then, in the dark, a book was thrust into my face. "I always like it when someone reads to me. It helps me sleep."

"Really?" I said, turning on the light. "I was just having trouble sleeping too." "Well, since I'm the kid, you're going to do the reading, right?" he responded. I laughed and began to read. After a while, he piped up again, "Who reads you stories when you can't sleep?"

Weeks later, back in my own space, my old nemesis Insomnia returned. I tossed and turned, and tried all the usual tricks to fall asleep. Nothing worked. So I pulled out a book and started to read to pass the time. That's when I remembered my nephew's strategy - someone's got to do the reading for you. But that time of the night, calling anyone isn't a very good idea. (Except, of course if you have Skype and friends in Europe, but that was a different sleepless night.)

Then I remembered iTunes - you know you can download entire books from there? And I found one of my favorite books, which is six hours of audio bliss, read by the author. And you know, I think my nephew is on to something. Listening to the story got me to forget that I am not able to fall asleep, which, I think, helps me fall asleep quicker.

Of course, my nephew is very jealous that I have an iPod, and he wants to download music and stories too. I told him that I'd get him one when he was too old to have a fleet of in-person story-readers. I expected him to protest the idea, but oddly enough, he was ok with that. "But even after you buy me an iPod, I'll still let you read to me, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks Little Guy."