You are gonna think I'm insane...but when I 'facetimed' with my mom and dad Tuesday, I honest to God almost cried.

I mailed my parents my old phone and I upgraded to an iPhone 5. I wrote out in Sharpie EXPLICIT directions on how to:

  • turn on the phone
  • what the 'belly button' was
  • how to use your finger to 'swipe'

The first clue I had that the phone arrived is that the land line was ringing. That was my second instruction. First was to turn the iPhone on, second - call my home phone!

When I got mom on the phone, I called her new iPhone with facetime. I told her to hit the green button. On the third try, she got it. Listen, my parents are 80 years old and I am not kidding, this is the newest technology they have dealt with since a photocopier!

And then it happened...I saw my mom's sweet face and I swear - I damn near cried. They were however still confused over what the hell was happening! But when she saw me, you could tell she was pretty excited too.

I told her to go over to dad. He was so funny. He held the phone away from him, like he was having a hard time seeing it. Then I started waving like I was in the background of the 'Today' show. I swear I saw him smile.

I taught them how to turn the camera so you could see the opposite way. I showed them my dinner: breaded chicken cutlets, broccoli and blue mashed potatoes. I explained that they are blue because of the kids, not a special potato.

Then came the big test...to have them call ME! As we chatted on the land line, I walked mom through the process. It was not smooth. I kept telling her to press the 'belly button' but I forgot that if you press it too long SIRI shows up! Now THAT was funny. I had this converstion:

LORI: 'What does the screen say?'

MOM: 'How can I help you?'

LORI: 'Oh, that's SIRI, Press the belly button again Ma.'

MOM: "It says 'I don't understand your request.' And there's a squiggly line.'

We did get through this and Mom DID actually facetime me. It was important to me that they get this phone on Tuesday, because today (Wednesday) my dad has some surgery that he is super nervous about and I can't be there.

I told dad that the phone will do amazing things: It will land planes, it will cook your dinner and solve global warming. But I don't care if he does any of those things - I just wanted to see them. And it made my day.

More From Q97.9