Yesterday I just couldn't wait for 7:30. That was the designated time my sister in California and I had set up to try our first e-chat.
Or iChat. Or webcam chat.
Whatever you call it, we were going to talk face-to-face with the assistance of digital video cameras.
And while I was excited to try this with my sister, I have to be honest and admit that the big draw was her babies -- my twin nephews, who are 20 months old. We decided we were going to put her little guys and my kids in front of the cameras and let them catch up with each other. We were all together last month in Door County, but prior to that, we hadn't seen the babies at all (other than pictures, of course) since last Thanksgiving.
That's way too long when kids are learning to walk and talk and just becoming their own little people. Way too long.
A video chat seemed like a good way to make all those miles that stretch between us disappear, even if it was only for a few minutes or about the time two busy 20-month-olds are willing to spend in front of a camera.
My smart sister decided to sit her boys down for dinner right next to each other and set up the webcam in front of them. We had ours in the living room, with myself and my two kids smooshed on the couch.
A few keystrokes later and we were face-to-face. I'm sure many of you have done this before, and if you have, hang with me here as I describe this experience.
It kind of felt like the first time I got a phone call in my car. I had one of those old bag phones, a big clunker that you plugged into the lighter, and my phone rang and I answered it and I kind of couldn't believe that I was talking on the phone and driving at the same time.
Last night, I kind of couldn't believe I was sitting in my living room, asking my nephews what they were having for dinner and watching them hold up their sandwiches.
I kind of couldn't believe that my son scooted into the camera's view and the boys pointed and said, "Jack!" I couldn't believe that we were making silly faces and talking silly talk and trying to cyber-tickle them, all with the help of this little camera on my coffee table and a laptop.
It was nothing short of amazing.
Sure it was grainy and the images moved a little slow, but I'll tell you that despite those shortcomings, I've smiled all day about this.
And I just can't wait to get to do this again.
