Is my head a giant magnet or something?

During our vacation last week, my husband let me take over his Blackberry during our long drive to southern Indiana.

This was great because it kept him from trying to respond to his work e-mail while he was driving. It also allowed me to write funny answers to his e-mail even though people didn't know it was me answering.

On Friday, an e-mail came through from his co-worker.

"How do you feel about going to New Zealand this week?"

Heh, heh, heh, I thought. Here's my chance!

I thought about insisting that I wouldn't go to New Zealand unless my entire family could go along on an all-expense paid vacation to a luxury resort. But then I realized my plan probably wouldn't work, and I really didn't feel like making a 15-hour flight with the three kids anyway.

So, we got home Sunday night, and on Monday, CapableDad caught the first flight to New Zealand.

I don't know much about this place, but it seems like it might be about as far as one can travel, not including maybe South Africa or Antarctica. I mean, the time difference is 17 hours, so that makes it seem pretty darned far.

I found out that it does not have a population of kangaroos, as one might expect on an island so close to Australia. I posted on my Facebook page that I hoped my husband was seeing lots of kangaroos in New Zealand, and someone let me know that the country is actually only known for its huge herds of sheep.

I don't know about you, but I don't think this is fair! New Zealand seems like a great place for kangaroos, ostriches and maybe an emu or two. I think someone should put some in a boat and take them over there.

When Daddy is away on business trips, the kids and I have a tradition of going to Blockbuster to rent some movies. The kids also think all four of us should have a slumber party either on the sleeper sofa or in our king-sized bed.

Well, last night my oldest son came sulking into my bedroom, asking if he could sleep in my bed for the night. The highlight of my husband's work trips for me is that I get to sleep diagonally, so I never, ever give into these requests from my children.

But my 8-year-old said he was just feeling so alone, and he doesn't get to be near me as much as he would like.

He put on his super sad puppy dog eyes, and I finally relented.

"OK. But you have to stay on your side of the bed and you can't talk."

He agreed.

Throughout the night, I kept waking up to push him back over to his side of the bed. This would cause him to wake up and then he would have some deep question he needed to ask me right then.

"NO TALKING!" I reminded him.

Early this morning, I felt a heavy weight on top of my head. Sure enough, he was trying to sleep with his head on top of mine. I kept inching away from him, and his head kept following me until I was out of room on the pillow.

I'm pretty sure I have a giant mommy magnet in my brain that pulls him from the opposite side of the king-sized bed all the way over to the other edge and right on top of my pillow.

This morning, he just happened to mention that it was much cooler sleeping in my room. I guess his top bunk has been way too hot this summer.

A-ha! And I fell for the trick about how he just wanted to be near his mommy!

I'm sure a few more will be trying to squeeze their way into a sleep-over tonight. And I will just tell you right now, it's not going to happen. Not for all the kangaroos in New Zealand!

Don't miss a post. Subscribe in a reader!