Birds of a Feather

Remember when I said Fern is just as brilliant as my other two children?  Please keep that statement in mind while I tell this story. 

The house phone rang the other night and since I do not have caller ID I decided not to answer it.  I hate dealing with telemarketers or people asking for money for cancer research.  Trust me, I donate to them but it’s NEVER ENOUGH.  So I sat there and listened to the phone ring instead.  The kids got all riled up “What if it’s someone we know?  What if it’s an emergency?”  I told them if it was someone we know they will call my cell phone if I don’t answer the home phone.  However, all that time the phone kept ringing.  I started counting (because I am OCD and I count everything).  That phone rang 23 times before I finally picked it up and barked “HELLO?!”  I heard a sweet little voice say “Can I talk to Fern please?”  In utter embarrassment I said “Oh, sure honey.  Can I tell her who this is?”  There was a brief pause before the sweet little voice answered “Fern.”  We both sat in silence as I thought “Wow, another Fern?”  Then I heard a gasp and the sweet little voice said “Hehehe - No, wait I’m Ashley!”  I felt bad laughing at the poor kid, I really truly did.  It’s not that I was making fun of poor Ashley. But see, Fern can be a little scatter-brained so I found it hilarious that Ashley and Fern are like two birds of a feather – meaning they really DO flock together.