Growing up international....

This is a post about the kids.

Which will make my mother very happy.

We have 3. You may know that already.

Riley -


Janelle -


Natalie -


We are entering a new phase of parenting. They are running toward the 'tween' phase while Alan and I are wondering where the last 10 years went. :) That in itself can leave a bit of a 'what now?' feeling in the pit of my stomach but then you add the international twist on it and...some days...we just have to laugh.

Yesterday was one of those. It has to to with a common household appliance - the phone.


We have a house phone here. We HAVE NOT had a house phone since we left the states. For the most part cell phones are what is used. I think there was a phone connection in Madera for a while but honestly, it just collected dust and never rang so it wasn't an issue.

We do have a skype phone (with video feed even!) so my kids think talking on the phone means getting to see the person you're talking to and making charming faces so you can crack yourself up.

Enter new area, new friends, new schedule, and a telephone. It never crossed my mind to do any kind of lessons with this thing. It should have.

On our way to basketball Riley and I had a conversation in phone manners after yet another, one-sided phone conversation that left me a little shocked. "So Riley, when you call someone don't yell into the phone - 'HEY! WHO IS THIS?'. The proper response is 'Hi - this is Riley. May I speak to......'."

And for the girls - the lesson goes as such. "When the phone rings - you don't start running pell-mell through the house and screaming, 'I'm GOING TO GET IT!!' then proceed to chew out the sibling that beat you to the punch while they're talking to the caller."

Yesterday, as I was lamenting the latest phone call debacle, Alan said casually, "We've not had a house phone since they were old enough to do anything with it." Oh geez. Lightbulb moment.

So now we are doing little 'phone etiquette' lessons in addition to math, science, reading, and writing. I wonder what else I'm missing.

Feel free to call anytime though - you can check on their progress.

Faith