Just Leave a Message for Me

I should probably offer an apology or an explanation of some sort to those of you who have valiantly tried to hold a conversation with our daughter over the phone lately.  You see, she thinks she owns exclusive rights to the phone.  If I am talking on the phone with someone, she gets immediately jealous (as do all children, even my infant niece), begs to know who I am talking to, and then insists on saying hi if it's someone she knows.  After we've negotiated an appropriate time for me to hand the phone over, she grabs it, darts to the furthest corner of the room, and becomes something she is usually not: silent.  Then that poor person is left trying to make kind, yet desperate conversation with the air:

"Hi Evie!"
Heavy breathing accompanied by a grin.
Me: "Okay, if you want the phone you have to say something."
Smallest whisper: "Hi..."
"Are you having fun today?"
"..."
"Are you playing with your mommy?"
"..."
Me: "If you're not going to talk, then it's my turn with the phone again."
"AHHHHHH!  No!!  I have it!  Wahhhh!"

Anyway, you get it.
Or you may get the opposite conversation in which she is telling you about everything she sees, remembers, is thinking about, has ever thought about.  During these conversations, I feel it is my duty to assist the poor person who is making such a grand effort to interpret her speech, but I'll have you know that when I actually get close enough to make a comment, Evie runs away, as far away as possible.  It's hard for me to help you, but I try.

So here are a few things you can talk to her about that might help you:

• balloons
• flowers, particularly roses
• colors: her favorite is pink, hands down
• her new baby doll (not the real baby we are having; we're working on that)
• her grandparents' puppies, Mollie and Katie
• the chickens (kickens) or the duck
• any reference to the Froggy books
• make a joke to her and say, "just kidding!"  She lives for that.

You are all champs.  I hope this helps, since apparently I'm not allowed to touch phones.