Grandma's Briefs

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Wherein Grandma's FaceTime game's gone weak

Megan and I have been on opposite schedules of late, especially in terms of scheduling a FaceTime rendezvous with my grandsons. She and the boys are busy with the start of the school year and all that goes along with that as well as baseball for Brayden and flag football for Camden. I've been busy building a better blog.

When Camden sent me a spidorpion in the mail, then Brayden followed a few days later with kiddo correspondence to Gramma of his own, I knew a few minutes of FaceTime to thank each for their snail mail was out of the question. So upon receiving Camden's mail, I sent Megan a text message video to and for Cam. I did the same a few days later for Brayden.

Last Friday I was lonesome for Declan, having not heard from him, not having sent him a Declan-only message. I called Megan around noon figuring that would be about lunchtime for Declan and I could fit in a few minutes of FaceTime with my favorite three-year-old.

No answer.

Later that afternoon Megan returned my call while making a quick run to the grocery store with Declan. We talked a few minutes and as she arrived at the store, she told me Declan had fallen asleep in his car seat on the short drive.

Shoot, I told her, explaining that the sole reason I called earlier was in hopes of a quick FaceTime session with him.

"I feel like I haven't talked to him in forever," I said.

"Oh, he's been talking to you," she said. "A lot. He thinks the videos you sent Camden and Brayden are FaceTime, so he's been watching them over and over, talking to you as if it's live."

Gah! The grandma guilt set in. Did he think Gramma was speaking only to Camden and Brayden, never mentioning his name, no conversation directed at him?

First thing Saturday morning I FaceTimed, I mean, texted Megan a video just for Declan.

With pauses after each question I asked to allow him time to respond FaceTime fashion.

A busy grandma's gotta do whatever works to stay connected with her busy grandboys. And if faux FaceTime works for a three-year-old, it works for me.

At least until schedules sync and for-real Facetime fun with all three boys can be arranged.