diff --git a/eventutils.py b/eventutils.py
index 605d519..324e81a 100644
--- a/eventutils.py
+++ b/eventutils.py
@@ -49,3 +49,19 @@ class CeleryTask(ParentedLet):
                                          **self.apply_async_args)
         val = asyncres.get()
         yield ('celery', val)
+
+
+class Timer(ParentedLet):
+    def __init__(self, milliseconds, queue):
+        ParentedLet.__init__(self, queue)
+        self.ms = milliseconds
+
+    def parent_msg(self, kind, *args):
+        msg = ParentedLet.parent_msg(self, kind, *args)
+        msg['period'] = self.ms
+        return msg
+
+    def do_business(self):
+        while True:
+            gevent.sleep(self.ms / 1000.0)
+            yield ('timer', )
diff --git a/mpc.py b/mpc.py
index 5dfeeb2..f817bac 100644
--- a/mpc.py
+++ b/mpc.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import gevent
 from gevent.queue import Queue
 
 
-from eventutils import ParentedLet, CeleryTask
+from eventutils import ParentedLet, CeleryTask, Timer
 from task import create as create_continous
 
 
@@ -26,22 +26,6 @@ class MpcWatcher(ParentedLet):
             yield ('mpc', status)
 
 
-class Timer(ParentedLet):
-    def __init__(self, milliseconds, queue):
-        ParentedLet.__init__(self, queue)
-        self.ms = milliseconds
-
-    def parent_msg(self, kind, *args):
-        msg = ParentedLet.parent_msg(self, kind, *args)
-        msg['period'] = self.ms
-        return msg
-
-    def do_business(self):
-        while True:
-            gevent.sleep(self.ms / 1000.0)
-            yield ('timer', )
-
-
 class Player(gevent.Greenlet):
     def __init__(self):
         gevent.Greenlet.__init__(self)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 08b74e5..6009fb5 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ eventlet==0.15.2
 gevent==1.0.1
 greenlet==0.4.5
 kombu==3.0.23
+py==1.4.26
 pyinotify==0.9.4
+pytest==2.6.4
 pytz==2014.7
 redis==2.10.3
 wsgiref==0.1.2
diff --git a/test_parented.py b/test_parented.py
index a199c63..71e5836 100644
--- a/test_parented.py
+++ b/test_parented.py
@@ -1,4 +1,83 @@
-from mpc import ParentedLet
+from __future__ import print_function
+from gevent import monkey
+monkey.patch_all(subprocess=True)
+
+import pytest
+
+import gevent
+from gevent.queue import Queue
+
+from mpc import Timer, ParentedLet
 
 # TODO: implement simple children and check that we will receive the expected
 # messages on the queue
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def queue():
+    print('fixture q')
+    return Queue()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def range_parentlet():
+    class RangeLet(ParentedLet):
+        def __init__(self, howmany, queue):
+            ParentedLet.__init__(self, queue)
+            self.howmany = howmany
+
+        def do_business(self):
+            for i in xrange(self.howmany):
+                yield('range', i)
+    return RangeLet
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def single_value_parentlet():
+    class SingleLet(ParentedLet):
+        def __init__(self, val, queue):
+            ParentedLet.__init__(self, queue)
+            self.val = val
+
+        def do_business(self):
+            yield('single', self.val)
+    return SingleLet
+
+
+def test_parented_range(queue, range_parentlet):
+    t = range_parentlet(5, queue)
+    t.start()
+    gevent.sleep(0.01)
+    assert queue.qsize() == 5
+    while not queue.empty():
+        msg = queue.get()
+        assert msg['kind'] == 'range'
+
+
+def test_parented_single(queue, single_value_parentlet):
+    t = single_value_parentlet(123, queue)
+    t.start()
+    gevent.sleep(0.01)
+    msg = queue.get_nowait()
+    assert msg['args'][0] == 123
+
+
+def test_timer_finally(queue):
+    '''at somepoint, it will get results'''
+    period = 10
+    t = Timer(period, queue)
+    t.start()
+    gevent.sleep(period*3/1000.0)
+    queue.get_nowait()
+
+
+def test_timer_righttime(queue):
+    '''not too early, not too late'''
+    period = 500
+    t = Timer(period, queue)
+    t.start()
+    gevent.sleep(period/(10*1000.0))
+    assert queue.empty() is True
+    gevent.sleep(period*(2/1000.0))
+    assert not queue.empty()
+    queue.get_nowait()