1 Mother 2 Another

Yesterday morning Cora had a friend over
to play. While the young girls giggled happily together, Maddie a
bit of the old man out, I took advantage of the pint-sized
distraction and cleaned a couple of rooms. Maddie, bored, ambled
into where I was and said, “Mom, can I talk to Elise on the
phone?” Maddie’s friend has been out of town a couple
weeks and my daughter was clearly missing her – as well as
looking for something to do that didn’t involve helping
five-year-olds dress up the cat.


“Sure, kiddo, let me go get the phone and call Elise’s
mom on vacation for you, and she’ll hand you over to Elise if
Elise is available.” I was headed towards the house phone
when Maddie said, “And Mom? I really think I should get my
own phone for Christmas this year.”

I stopped and turned back. “That,
unfortunately, is not going to happen. Cell phones are not healthy
for kids your age to use, so it’s going to be several years,
honey. But,” I continued, “you are welcome to call your
friends on the family phone any time you’d like.”


Maddie considered the state of affairs grumpily. “I guess
I’ll just use the family phone, then, for now,” she
said, and I dialed up my friend Mary.


Mary answered. “Hey, what’s up in Texas?”


“Hello, is Elise available to speak?” I asked in my
best secretary voice.


Mary, startled, recovered quickly. “Um, yes, I believe she
is, let me go get her!” And I handed the phone over to
Maddie.


“Elise?” Maddie said eagerly, starting to pace around
the room with energy. “Hi! How are you doing? What are you
doing right now? Have you done anything fun recently? Have you
– hang on Elise.” And here Maddie stopped, looked at
me, covered the phone with her hand and said, “Excuse me,
Mom,” and then walked in silence to her room. As she threw
herself onto the bed, I heard her say, “Sorry – now
where was I?”


What just happened here? When did my just-finished-first-grader
turn into an almost-teenager? For the next fifteen minutes or so I
could hear a low murmuring conversation, punctuated with giggles
and the occasional “Oh my GOSH! I can’t believe it! No
WAY!” Every time I’d walk casually past her room
she’d be flopped on her stomach, feet swinging in the air as
she laughed and giggled, propping herself up on her elbows.


When Maddie finally signed off she brought the phone back to me,
flushed and happy. “Thanks Mom!” she sang as she
waltzed away.


Seriously, what just happened here?