Phone Calls

Right now I am out of town without Ellie. It is Garred's year for Thanksgiving and so I didn't really get the option to bring her. I miss her when I don't see her every day. Talking to Ellie on the phone is usually hit or miss. And honestly, miss is usually the outcome. In person she doesn't stop talking, but she must be like her mom on the phone - which is - get me off as soon as possible. Anyway, when I'm out of town the phone is my only option. I asked Garred to have her call me when she was free Sunday night. She called and the typical conversation began by me asking her how she is, what she had been doing, etc. and I got the usual one word responses. I try to ask open ended questions that require more than one word, but Ellie finds a way around it. I knew she had been at my mom's for some of the day on Friday so I asked her what fun things her and my mom did. She said, "It's kind-of a long story mom." I couldn't help but crack up.

--redeeming phone call--
I called her yesterday in the day (which is usually a little better because she's not tired) and asked how school was, etc. She gave me a few longer answers so I decided to press my luck and ask about the "long story" - she said it was a long story because they did lots of things - but she did tell me a few of them. The best part of that call was that she kept saying "just a second mom" to tell her friend Luke something that was more urgent than the phone call to mom. How old is this kid anyway?

I posted this picture because it is Ellie doing something for mom that she would rather not do - just like the phone call. At four - sometimes it is hard to smile in front of pupkins and talk on the phone. Actually, I know there are days when I don't want to do those things either.