Bbbbrrrriiiinnnnggggg…

A few months back, my husband and I were discussing getting rid of our house phone.  We seldom, if ever, use it anymore, but in the end I elected to keep it.

For my sanity.

I am ever so glad that I did. 

The only night we have been home as a family this week was on Thursday evening.  Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were all filled with various family dinners since my cousins were in town.  We have not been home much at all.  The only night Mea went to bed on time was Thursday.

Tuesday evening one of Mea’s friends called our house at 9:15.  I told her not to call after 8 ever again.

Each morning, there has been at least one message from this same little girl who is friends with Mea.

On Wednesday evening, after we got home from our oldest granddaughter’s birthday dinner, there were nine messages on the answering machine. 

NINE.  All calls were between 6 and 8. 

All of them were from this same girl.

Why on earth her parents allowed her to keep calling our house over and over again, I have no idea.  Maybe they didn’t know. 

When Mea calls a friend, we monitor when she calls, who she calls, how long she talks, and if she uses manners or not when calling.  If someone is not home, she can leave a message, but she cannot call back.  Period.  If she breaks a rule by not using manners, or abuses her phone privilege in some way, she can’t use the phone for a while.

Mea stayed the night with my sister last night, and she is staying the night tonight with her second to oldest sister, for her oldest niece’s birthday sleepover.  Two nights free?  Holy cow.  We seriously don’t even know how to act. 

I took Mea to my sister’s, stopped and picked up a movie, and dinner for the husband and I. 

I turned the ringer off on all the phones.  I didn’t want to hear it.  I figured if my sister had an emergency with Mea, she would call or text my cell phone, and I would notice it.

At some point last night, Mea’s friend called.  She may have called more than once, but there was one message on the answering machine. 

“Mea, you told me to call you, but you never answer the phone.  We are not friends anymore.  Goodbye.”

Seriously?

At six years old?

Catty, catty, catty.

In other first world phone problems, this morning I received an email from our cellular provider.  The email stated that my sister’s line was being charged for quite a bit of internet usage charges.  In November, my sister and her husband got their own cell phones.  Since my niece is in Junior High now, my sister decided to keep the line that was on my plan for the last eight years, and give it to P.  It was supposed to be for texting and calling only, a new “old school phone” that is not “smart.” 

I forwarded the email to my sister.  Then actually looked at last months bill.  It was $15 more than usual.  We are not too far into the billing cycle, and this email alert showed her $25 in usage charges.

Apparently, my niece has been watching YouTube videos at school.

I don’t know which part she is in trouble for more, causing her parents to owe me more money, or watching God knows what on YouTube at school.

Girls.