One If By Land, Two If By Cell

Where do I begin?  Oh where?

Yesterday there was simply too much to do.  Thus, the mommy-do list was chucked out the window and my only goal was to shower.

SUCCESS!

I wanted to write about cooking club at the junior high this morning but instead, I will talk about the phone....

No, this is not going to be a tirade about Sean going over his minutes.  He doesn't even have a cellphone.

This is going to be about the old-fashioned land line, one of which I still have. 

Yesterday, was cooking club at the junior high.  Or so I thought....  It was marked down on the trusty calendar.  It was even stated on the email that was so wisely printed and attached to said calendar.

But, alas.... it was not meant to be.

Sean, however, was picked up from his day school and shuttled over to the junior high to enjoy....nothing.  I, blissfully unaware of the schedule mishap, was driving about town taking care of things at my mom's and picking up Ashley at preschool.

I usually ignore the answering machine and its blinking light - it can only mean someone, somewhere, wanting something.  Maybe it was instinct, but yesterday I was drawn to the red flashing button.  I pressed it and a voice came on.

It took me a second because the "real" voice was talking about the machine's voice...

And then I realized it was Sean.... 

He wasn't saying "Hey, mom.  Come and get me."  It more like recording his conversation with the school secretary.  Of course, I was able to figure it out and was on the phone with the school in a split second.

"This is Frances.  I'll be right there...."

I was relieved to see a smiling Sean emerge from school.  The shredding of routine a mere blip on the radar.

"Sean, do you know my cellphone number."

"Yes...."

"Why didn't you call it?  I was at Grandma's and then right across the street picking up Ashley."

"Because I was calling from a land line."

In the two minutes it took to get home I tried to explain that he can call a cell phone from any phone.  I'm sure Sean heard none of it.  His mind and mouth were already racing through his list of topics.

We got home and I proceeded to scurry about trying to get ready for work.

I yelled from my bedroom, "Sean, call your dad and find out how soon he'll be home!"

He did.  He called his dad.  He called his dad's cellphone....from a land line.

I will never be able to figure out that boy!