Hello, Operator? (part 2)
You may remember a while back, Sarah answered the phone and kept her Grandpa on the line for a few minutes until I came inside from the deck. Now she wants to answer the phone all the time. Here is a great example of what happens when a 2 year old picks up the phone as well as a sure-fire way of confusing and (hopefully) getting rid of a telemarketer. :)

I answered the phone first (upstairs):

Me: Hello?
Telemarketer: Hello. May I speak to Mr. or Mrs. Haddin?
Me: This is she.
TM: Mrs. Haddin, my name is (blank) and I'm calling from Bellsouth. As a preferred Bellsouth customer we would like to thank...
Sarah: Hello?
Me: Hang up the phone, sweetie.
Sarah (to Pete downstairs): It's Mommy! Mommy? Where are you?
Me: I'm upstairs, sweetie. Hang up the phone.
Sarah: Mommy? Hey Mommy!
TM: (laughing) Aww, that's so cute. Mrs. Haddin, here at Bellsouth we'd like to thank...
Sarah: Mommy?
Me: (yelling down the stairs to Pete) Will you please hang up the phone?
Pete: What?
Sarah: Daddy, it's Mommy!
TM: (still laughing) Mrs. Haddin, as a preferred Bellsouth customer...
Sarah: No, I talking to Mommy (Pete is trying to take the phone from her).
Me: Sarah, hang up the phone.
Sarah: Mommy, where are you?
Me: I'm upstairs, honey.

There is a click. Pete managed to get the phone from Sarah and hang it up. The TM sighs.

TM: Mrs. Haddin, hehe, that was cute. Um, as I was saying, we at Bellsouth would like to thank you...

Pete is coming up the stairs.

Pete: (mouths) Who is that?
Me: (mouthing back) Bellsouth.
Pete: What?
Me: (yelling) BELLSOUTH!
TM: ... at 5 cents a minute, the lowest rate including international rates ...
Pete: We don't want to talk to them.
Me: I'm sorry, we don't want to change our long distance.

There is a pause.

TM: Oh, well, okay. Thank you.

CLICK.