Even Geeks Get Old

Yesterday was a roller coaster - work was hell, but our new iPhone 4's came in to make up for it.  I went home and we started the transfers at 6:00.  Pretty straightforward, just took a while to restore our data to the new phones and play with the fun new features.  Facetime is awesome!

By 8:00, it was time to wipe our old iPhone 3G's to give to the kids.  Being the chea... frugal parents that we are, they were just to be iPods, no phone service.  Sounds easy, right?  Hah!  Since I wanted to share my iTunes library between the 3 phones (so I can control what apps and media they load) I had to research the best way to sync that wouldn't require connecting to my Outlook. I then cleared my data off the phone manually - slightly faster than the 1 hour data wipe. Next, I had to go look up Emma's Gmail password, get Gmail sync to work, rename the phone, arrange her apps, select which playlists, etc.  Dinner was thrown on my desk at some point, and by 11:00 we had "EmmaBox" up and running.

Then it was time to setup Alex's new iPod.  Strangely, it would show the proper apps and data on the phone in iTunes, but it wouldn't remove them or write new ones during the sync.  After THREE attempts trying to arrange and load apps and having it fail to sync, I finally set off the 1 hour wipe, and then went through all those fun steps above.

At 3:00 a.m. when I finished I sent an email to the immediate family to let them know they should email the kids regularly this week, so the rugrats would start getting in the habit.  Then I emailed the kids the following:

Hi kids!  As a thank you for the many hours I spent setting up your phones, you could fold my laundry in the dryer.  You can email me any time and I will get it.  Mom (Sent from my iPhone)

When I didn't have any emails back by lunchtime today, I called the eldest, who explained that his email settings weren't working. Joy. (He made a half-hearted case that I should give him the email password, and I countered with a have your dad call me when he gets back from the store.)  So, first thing when I get home, I spend 30 minutes correcting email, helping him shop in the iTunes store for a "few" apps, and yet another sync.

After picking Emma up from summer daycamp, I managed to grab a quick late lunch in the car. When we hit the house, I suggested to the kids that they check their email. Emma jumps right in and proceeds to start emailing me (while sitting all of probably 10 feet away). Here's the conversation:

Hey mom guess What I'm not doing your laundry  Emma  (Sent from my iPhone)

I'm not taking you shopping in the iTunes store then.  Mom (Sent from my iPhone)

Fine but Alex has to help    Emma   (Sent from my iPhone)

Sounds like a plan.  When done we can load Monkey Ball on your iPhone.  Mom (sent from my iPhone)

Ok that sounds like a plan.  so how was your day?  Emma (Sent from my iPhone)

Long.  Going back to work now.  Mom   (Sent from my iPhone)

If you have any new videos of luren please send them   Emma  (Sent from my iPhone)

Lauren.  Email Uncle Bill and ask.  Mom  (Sent from my iPhone)

So, despite being the penultimate geek myself, I started to wonder if the kids having unlimited email access was really a good thing.   I suppose I can always make the router reject their DHCP requests as necessary.

I need a nap . . .