mommy travels

[phone rongs, machine picks up. it's mommy.]

daddy: hello...

mommy: hi. how are you?

daddy: [pauses] fine. how are you?

mommy: fine. tired.

daddy: you need to go to bed immediately.

mommy: i'm waiting for dinner.

daddy: you need to go to bed immediately after you eat dinner.

mommy: i know. how are the children?

daddy: fine.

mommy: did they have a good day?

daddy: they did. do you want to talk to them?

mommy: sure.

avery: hi mommy. good. yes. uh-huh. okay. i love you. here, daddy.

mommy: she was a little distracted.

daddy: that's because she was watching tv. i told her to talk in here.

avery: preston wants to say hi to mommy.

daddy: then you tell preston to come in here.

preston: [near tears] hi, mommy. no, daddy wouldn't let me. he said i couldn't go until next year. yes. i love you too. okay. bye.

mommy: didn't preston go to chess club today?

daddy: didn't we say he'd missed too many, and he'd go to the next session? didn't we talk about this?

mommy: okay, that's fine.

daddy: yeah, well, he's all bent out of shape about it.

mommy: it's fine, he can go to the next one. my dinner's here.

daddy: all right. eat dinner and go to sleep.

mommy: i will.

daddy: all right.

mommy: you doing okay?

daddy: yup.

mommy: i'll call you tomorrow.

daddy: that'll be good. sleep well.

mommy: i'll try. you too.

daddy: oh, i will.

mommy: love you.

daddy: love you too.

mommy: 'kay. bye.

daddy: bye.