Everyone in my class but me

The Vet said, "Everyone in my class has a cell phone but me." The Scientist quickly pointed out that she also was the only one in her class without a cell phone. The Vet is 10 years old and The Scientist is 11 years old.

I've heard this before but after the new year they started up again on their crusade to get their own cell phone. It went something like this:

S & V: Mom, everyone in our class (@Hebrew School) has a cell phone and we think we should have one too.

Me: Well if everyone jumps off a cliff are you going to jump too?

S & V: (with eyes rolling) Mom we need our own cell phone. Remember that time you were late picking us up from religious school? It was so embarrassing, we had to ask to borrow someones phone so we could call you.

Me: That's not a reason. You should have just waited until I got there. You didn't need to call.

S: Remember when I was in kindergarten you fell asleep on the couch. You were 10 minutes late picking me up from school. If you wouldn't of woken up who knows how long I would of had to wait.

Me: It's not like your teacher would have just left you out at the curb till I came and there are lots of phones in the school to use.

S & V: But what if we have to make a phone call? It's not that much money to add a line on. We checked on line and it's only $9.99 a month.

Me: We have the house phone and I have a cell phone that you are welcome to use when you need to make a call. Then I really put a nail in it by telling them that if they were going somewhere without me and I felt it was necessary for them to have a phone they would use mine.

At this point desperation was setting in. They couldn't think of a good reason and they knew it. Finally they just asked how old they would have to be to get a cell phone. When I told them 16 years old and they'd have to pay for it themselves they were speechless. That almost never happens, it made my day.