Ring Ring...

The telephone is a magical apparatus. Its invention was truly a miracle, and picking it up is like unwrapping a Christmas present. Who might it be on the other end? Who might call to speak to you? What might happen as a result of this phone call? These questions are obviously what gets the Toothless Fairy hot and bothered (pardon me, for using this not PG rated expression for my 8 year old), when the phone rings. It is true. Nothing gets this child as excited as the ring-a-ding-ding of the telephone. No matter what she does at the moment... watching TV, reading a book, creating lovely art, at the first ring of the phone, Toothless Fairy jumps up, and runs to wherever the sound originates. And in our house the sound might originate in the bathroom, if that's the last place it has been put by whoever had it before.

If she does not, in fact, make it to the phone before her parents, she'll stand next to the phone with cabbage ears, taking every piece of information that might be of importance. If for any reason she cannot figure out the identity of the caller, she will not stop asking until her curiosity has been satisfied. "Who was that? What did they want? Are we doing anything with them? Did they say anything about me?" I used to have a strict no phone policy for my children. I believe I may have encouraged her desire to be the first person on the phone. So I don't bother with this policy any longer.

Interestingly, in most cases she is disappointed about who I talked to. Specifically when I talk to Shady Lady, which can happen several times a day, if we have things of great importance to share. ;) Toothless Fairy loves Shady Lady, but the fact is, nothing new and exciting comes from Shady Lady. My friend... what can I say? You are not a popular caller to my daughter. And I mean this in the best possible way. ;) Really, she loves you. She said so the other day.

The other child in my house couldn't care less about the phone, by the way. Who cares about who might call? I find this curious. Because he is like this in other areas as well. Where Toothless Fairy has a very strong opinion about anything and everything, Blue Eyed Boy doesn't get bothered, unless it directly concerns him. This would include such things as when do we eat, and why does he have to be done playing the Wii after only 2 short hours. Otherwise he is happy and content to just live and enjoy, and waits to be told, whatever we need to tell him.

It must be a girl thing, offered my brother yesterday, who is afraid the baby they're expecting might be female. And I'm afraid he might be right. It is a tradition in my family to have the girl first and then the boy. I will be happy of course, to share my great wisdom with him, in about 9 years, when his Toothless Fairy, sprints to the phone (because her favorite auntie is calling.)