Michael said sharing your bed with children was the greatest thing you could do. I have to disagree. I spent Christmas eve with the kiddies at my house and they wanted their old Aunt Lizzy to sleep over their place and wait for Santa. Actually, Mom wanted me over so the kids would stay in bed while she and my brother put the gifts under the tree. So Aunt Lizzy threw her new L.L. Bean nightgown in a bag and off we went.

After the girls decided whose room we would be in, they decided I should sleep in the middle of them. I was fluffing my pillow and ready to count sheep when the five year sticks a couple of books in my face and orders me to read. As I'm reading Monsters Inc. I'm thumbing the pages and thinking to myself boy this is as long as the movie. When she decides she has had enough of that one she hands me what she calls a "smaller book" but instructs me to read it over and over and over so she can "read" along.

I'm winding down on the books, it's about 10:30PM and I'm thinking that should tucker these little buggers out when the seven year old tells me she needs the television on to fall asleep. What? Since when does a seven year old need a TV to sleep? Hell, I went through my whole childhood without air-conditioning! Needless to say there was no TV in my bedroom.

Finally I managed to get a little shut eye. Approximately 3AM I'm awakened with a little whining voice saying,

"Lizzy wake up. I was sleeping in the other bedroom and Daddy went back down stairs so I need to get back in this bed."

What the hell? I never knew she got out of bed. What's with the musical beds in this house?

We're three to a bed again and it's 4 am. The other side wakes me out of a dead sleep,

"Lizzy, I don't feel so good, you better get Mommy."

I spring from the bed with lightening speed I didn't know I was capable of and head down a flight of steps. Now I'm lurking outside my brother and sister-in-laws bedroom whispering for their Mom. She answers me like she has been awake for hours and heads up the steps like she has done many, many a night.

Christmas morning they wake me once again out of a sound sleep.

"Santa was here Lizzy, come and see."

I'm up again. Like a zombie I head to the where I know the tree to be located. My brother shoves a cup of coffee in my face. I started to tell him,

"They woke me up out of a sound sleep twice and ......"

Welcome to our world he said laughingly. I had a great Christmas day and then I came home and took a nap.