"Hello? Is anyone there?..."

We all spend a lot of time on the phone in this house. The phone is very important, and why wouldn't it be? Matt and I have cell phones, house phones, and the kids have two toy cell phones of their own. The most prized toy, is always the real phone. When we are on the phone our attention is diverted. This can be to Carter and Nolen's benefit, but often it is to their increasing anxiety and frustration in our lack of attention. I, sadly, have become that person who carries on a running conversation with the person on the phone, her children, and herself.

Has this behaviour been rubbing off? I think so.

Example? Recently, Carter has been having short conversations with his Kitty. Remember the cat costume from last October? It spends much of its days being donned by a toddler, or in a "puddle-like state" hiding under a bed, in a closet, or sleeping under a foam chair. However, when not engaged in these thrilling activities, he finds time from his busy schedule to call Carter. The conversations typically run like this:

"Hello"
"hmmm, mmmhhhmm, mhmmmmm,"
"Hi Kit-ty! Hi, Hi."
"What doing Kitty-cat? What doing?"
Matt: "What is the Kitty doing?
Carter: Kit-ty eat noon-ls!
"Bye Kit-ty."

There is much nodding of the head and a look that says "I am committing all of my attention to this conversation".

Nolen, not wanting to be outdone, has picked up his own phone habits: