Tuesday Night

Like most divorced families, we do weekly phone visitation.
Tuesday night at 7:30 is when it happens around here. Usually
that means JD's father calls him for a short chat. They talk
about school, movies and video games.

But for one month during the summer, it's my turn to call JD
while he is visiting his dad. These calls were never so
impressive. We'd set the phone on speaker. JD would talk, my
mother would fingerspell to me, and I'd yell into the phone. All
JD ever seemed to say was "what? Ummmm.... yes or no." It was
good to hear from him, and it told me he was okay. But I was
always left feeling so unsatisfied after the calls.

This year is different because we both have new technology. I've
got the DBC and he has an IPhone. We decided to try using text
messages for our Tuesday night phone visitation.

I can not even begin to express how different and better this has
been. He actually TALKS to me. I ask him questions and he gives
me real answers. He even offers information and makes funny
comments. I feel like I'm really communicating with JD now.

This past week he spent two nights at his paternal grandmother's
house. They visited a relative who lives on a farm. He saw
goats, chickens, pigs and horses. They didn't have any baby
animals, but they did have eggs. And he got to ride on a four
wheeler. He really liked that.

My kid has such quick wit. He's always popping out zingers. He
knows it's okay with me and that I will laugh.

I told him we got most of his school supplies and asked, "Isn't
that exciting?"

He replied, "No."

I told him we couldn't find the required orange notebook
anywhere.

He said, "I guess I'll have to skip 5th grade then."

The system isn't perfect. He went to his grandmother's house
without his IPhone. He didn't answer Tuesday at 7:30 or on
Wednesday when we tried to re-schedule. This didn't upset me too
much. I guessed what was going on. JD really isn't into phones
yet and hardly ever thinks to take his IPhone with him.

However, I was quite pleased and surprised when he contacted me
last night at 10:30. He had just gotten back to his dad's
apartment and went right to his phone.

We talked for about twenty minutes. He had me laughing out loud.
I said, "You know, you are staying up late talking to some weird
girl on your phone."

JD said, "Yes, I am."

Oh, gotta love that boy! I sincerely thank technology for making
this possible.