Chance just gets better on the phone

In the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity of talking to Chance on the telephone. I was at a conference a few weeks ago and called home to talk to the kids. Then today, Chance called me to tell me that he was at a friend's house.

I am happy to report that it is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between Chance and my other kids on the phone. It used to be that I could tell right away when Chance got on the telephone. I had a hard time understanding what he was saying, and he did not understand what I was saying most of the time. Now however, I find myself talking to Chance and then it dawns on me a few seconds into the conversation that I am talking to Chance and not one of the other kids. The reason I come to this conclusion is not what you might think. It is not usually because Chance's speech gives him away. It is because he will say something that identifies him like who he is playing with, or what he did at school.

I am in awe each time this happens. Not so long ago, if Chance's dad or I called on the phone to talk to the kids, it was just a given that Chance would not understand what we were saying and we would struggle to understand him.

I have to give a lot of credit to Chance though. Even though talking on the phone was difficult for him, he never gave up. He would try with his hearing aid and with out his hearing aid. He would try different settings on his hearing aid. Once we got the implants, he did the same thing. The implant does have a setting that helps Chance to hear on the phone. I think that he must have learned to switch to that setting when he calls from other peoples houses because today when he called me, the conversation just flowed like it does when I talk to anyone else on the phone. Chance heard me, and he responded to my questions. What's more, when Chance first called, I did not get to the phone in time. I noticed on the caller I.D. that one of the neighbors had called, so I called them back. To my surprise, it was Chance that answered their phone. Chance recognized that it was me on the other line right away with out me telling him who I was. So, now he answer the phone at neighbors houses too I guess:)