Summer: NH, Tues. 7/27

Today we did the most un-New-Hampshirey thing imaginable: we drove to the Verizon store in West Lebanon and got Lucia a phone. It was time. She spent all of fifth grade as the only girl without a phone, left out of group chats and etc., and though I have always loudly claimed there was NO WAY ON THIS EARTH she'd get a phone before high school, I caved. I can't have her be left out. The years ahead will be fraught enough without forcing her to the sidelines from the get-go.

As I wrote in the last post, we told her last night that we'd decided to get her a phone, and she was over the moon. It was like Christmas Eve, and it took her forever to fall asleep. Greta handled the news with surprising grace, probably because we said she could have my current iPhone to use for photos and videos after I upgraded to a new phone. 

When we got to the Verizon store today, I had three clear goals: upgrade to a modest new phone for myself; add a line and get Lucia a phone; factory-clear my old phone to give to Greta (no phone line attached). But there were deals and promotions that quickly made it all very complicated--a trade-in promotion that made my ancient iPhone 7 worth $450 toward a new iPhone 12; a free iPhone SE with a new phone line; and even cheaper line fees--and another free SE--if we added a third line. 

End of the day: I got a way nicer phone than I expected, Lucia got the phone she expected, and Greta got her own brand-new phone too instead of my hand-me-down (to use for photos etc. until she gets text/phone privileges in 6th grade). The Verizon guy set everything up for us while Andrew took a work call next door at Panera (this errand took much much longer than we'd anticipated). 

The girls and I also went to TJ Maxx, where they each picked out a cross-body bag so they can carry their phones; to Books-a-Million for one final book (we're leaving Friday); and then to Walmart, where we got screen protectors and cases. 

We set it all up at home, and Lucia started texting her friends in group chats. She talked to a couple of them on FaceTime. And so it begins. 

No pictures tonight--my phone has to update a bunch of stuff and I'm just going to let it do its work. 

The genie is out of the bottle. Already the kids are begging to be allowed to text pictures to each other--both a reasonable request and a slippery slope for our plan to keep this as a non-working phone for Greta. Sigh. We'll allow it, of course, because how can we forbid them from texting each other pictures of the turkeys that flocked into our yard tonight, which is what they specifically asked to do? It's new, but it's harmless, even fun. I've spent so many years viewing screens as evil and destructive, but it's time to maybe not feel that way. 

For all this time, I've held my ground. I've made my point. I can step aside now, I think, without (too much) angst. 

Today is a new day.