Hello? Anybody there?

We thought that maybe we were missing important calls when our home phone went dead a few months ago, but none of them could have been that urgent because we survived almost as much time unscathed without replacing it. Not yet ready to join the new age, we decided to continue phone service and plugged some landlines in. Unfortunately, this expense was only met with a few sales calls here and there, and seeing the number on ID, I'd just let it ring.

Out of the blue, though, our 4-year-old took notice of the bell. He has been stopping mid-motion anytime the phone calls out, pushing any of us aside to say with determination, "I'll get it." He loves to talk, so this job is perfect for him. When he first took a sales call, he let them know firmly, "Rob isn't here." When another group to request our time for a survey, he asserted, "We're about to eat dinner," like an expert. The person on the other line must be a slightly charmed, in addition to his/her annoyance, because they still wished him well. "You have a good dinner too," he said tonight before he set the phone down. He builds social skills and we get to avoid the unpleasantness of saying, "Not a good time, but good luck to you."

What other exciting things can we accomplish with a good old-fashioned telephone?