Video Calling

Is there anything greater than video calling when you are separated from your family by, well, a few miles anyway?  I got a text that Andy wanted to Skype with me today so after I got home from work we did that.  It took me a bit to get set up and then when we got started I was having challenges with sound, the mic on my camera wasn't working and the mic on the computer may not exist.  We ended up video calling on skype while talking on the cell phone.  It worked. 

Andy was up first and we spent quite some time on together.  He was talking about spiders and snakes and things.  He had a spider caught in a cup that was attached to a vacuum gun or something.  I don't know if he simply sucked the spider up into that thing or if he had to catch it a different way.  He was also all about the snakes and now I am wondering where the heck this kid came from.  There are two things that I really don't like in this world - spiders and snakes.  Rats rank up there too but spiders and snakes, not my favorite, not even remotely.  Anyhow, Andy was all about facial expressions.  He was fun.  I couldn't understand him all that well but it was fun to watch him and to listen to him.  He talked non stop for quite some time.  We even got to a point when he said he was done and he left.  Jack had gotten up and we were getting started when Andy came back with a large box, it looked like a banana box.  He started up again and Jack left.  Andy turned his box so that I could see the bottom.  He was drawing all kinds of pictures and told me what it was all about but all I could do was make like I knew exactly what he was talking about.  He got excited and drew a stick figure, it was me.  He then drew another stick figure, it was him.  Then he drew a snake, it was a happy snake.  I'm sure he was sharing a wonderful little story to go along with his drawings but it was really hard to hear through the cell connection.  Really not a bit deal though, I loved seeing him.

Jack did get his turn and we moved from one type of animation to another.  Jack did not stare at himself in the video.  He looked straight into the camera and he went on to talk trains for a while.  There will be a new track that runs from Cedar City to Pennsylvania and it will do it in 2 days.  Pretty Amazing.  It will be a steam train, 2 pistons and it will be a passenger only train.  There will be no smoking in the passenger cars.  Jack was very adamant about the smoking.  Jack is also the king of motion.  He has down the universal signs for all things train.  The coupler, the pistons, the driving wheels, the cattle guard, the engineer sticking his head out the window (don't do that in a tunnel), the brakes, he's got it all.  He invited me to come aboard his train.  He will have his family with him.  He will have a son named Jim and a daughter named (pause for dramatic effect) Sally.  Jack is a character that is for sure.  We had a good visit. 

Natty brought up the rear, or the caboose if we want to stick with Jack speak.  She was funny to talk to.  The entire time we talked she was staring at the little picture of herself on her monitor.  I was laughing.  It reminds me of growing up with Pete and sitting at the dining room table across from him with my back towards a large mirror.  Pete would tell stories and stare at himself in that mirror.  It was a little tough to take.  I just laughed at Natty striking her various poses, snapping her jaw shut in dramatic fashion and eventually taking her hair down.  We had a fun time laughing about her obsession with her image. 

It was fun to see them.  I am looking forward to having them come home next week.  I am sure there will be spiders and snakes to hunt, trains to build and mirrors to stare at ourselves in.  Fun times.  Love these kiddos very much.