Sunday Morning Skype Sessions

Every Sunday morning, at 8:30 am AZ time, and 9:30 am Utah time, I Skype with my adorable nieces, Abby and Lyla.  We started doing this a few months ago, and it is delightful.  I think Lyla was a little confused at first.  She kept telling everyone that “Sometimes Shannon is in the computer, but sometimes she is in Arizona.”  Life is very confusing when you’re 3. 

I like this tradition for several reasons.  First of all, I really like that it gets me up early in the morning.  Since I have church at 1:00, it would definitely be easy to sleep in and not be productive at all, but because we Skype, I have to be up early.  And then, of course, I love these sessions because I love talking to these crazy kids.  Sometimes I feel like I am missing everything since I live so far away from them.  They are growing up without me, and there is nothing I can do about it.  The whole family is so close together—except for me.  I am THAT one.  The one who lives far away.  How can I have the title of favorite aunt if I never see my nieces and nephews?!  And what if they forget about me?!  But, thanks to Skype, they won’t.  I still get to keep in touch with them.

Abby is so grown up when we Skpye.  She just sits right down and talks to me like a little adult.  She tells me what she did the day before, and she tells me all about preschool.  Usually she writes words on a piece of paper and then holds the paper up so I can see what she’s written.  Sometimes we choose a big word for her to write and we sound it out together.  And then she’ll write it and feel so accomplished.  She has that love for learning that most young children have.  She just knows that she is the smartest little girl in the world, so there.  She knows she can learn and do and be anything she wants.  I love it.

Lyla is usually a little less focused.  Sometimes she’ll just get up in the middle of us talking and disappear for a while.  She usually tells me long, rambling stories that really make no sense to me.  And then we usually have a conversation something like the one we had this morning:

Lyla:  “Shannon, can you come to our church today?”

Me:  “I wish I could, but I live in Arizona, remember?”

Lyla:  “But you could DRIVE here, Shannon!”

Me:  “I could, but it takes a long time to drive from Arizona.  By the time I got there, church would already be over.”

Lyla:  “No it wouldn’t!  We have three churches:  my primary, Abby’s primary, and sacrament meeting.”

Me:  “You’re right, but it would still be over by the time I got there.  But when I come home in about a month, I will go to church with you, okay?”

This concept of distance is quite hard for her to wrap her head around.  One day she will understand, but until then, I am grateful for modern technology which gives us the illusion that we really are not so far apart, after all.

Max LOVES Skyping.  He never says much—except for hi and ball.  But he just sits on the chair and looks at me and giggles.  And he’ll reach out and try to touch my face a lot.  He is a little stud.  Can’t wait to see him soon.

Little Miss Abby in her Cinderella dress... over her soccer uniform.  Classic.

Lyla and Abby.  Lyla had just taken off her princess dress.  Love these two.

I love our early morning Skype sessions.