Phone Penni

We joke about it in our family – but I know to a certain extent it goes on in all families – we call it “Phone Penni”. Let me set the stage – the kids are not listening, they are fighting with one another, one decides to talk back, another one decides to pick a fight with another sibling, you find one sitting in front of the TV not doing their homework and so on. As a parent you get upset – you may even raise your voice to get your children in gear. But wait – then the phone rings – you answer it - and with a pleasant voice say “Hello – oh no you didn’t catch me at a bad time ……” we call this “Phone Penni”. So when Penni is not in a good mood or the kids have gotten to her and it is my time to be with her – I lean over and say I want “Phone Penni”.

We went out with some friends this past weekend and were enjoying some good conversation. I mentioned that Penni had given me some limits as to what I could talk about – they immediately wanted to know what those limits were. Mind you Penni needs to do this – should do this - because I normally get myself into trouble. So I am trying to be good – we are at a Pub so I work in the stories about Penni and alcohol. Always a great story – then the Phone Penni reference works into the conversation. I explain the term Phone Penni to the other couple and the wife immediately says oh we call that “Church Chris”.