My kids face-timed me last night. At the same time.

Firstborn: ” Hey Mom, what’s going on? I miss you!” Brilliant blue sky framed his face, his dark sunglasses now part of his SoCal uniform.

I smiled, as I noticed in my periphery, the winter white snow blowing outside my window.

A few minutes into the call, I get a video call request – it’s my not so little G.

“Hold up Mom, I can let her in” said my boy… and in she popped. Her face in frame, from her shoulders I could tell she’s in her usual uniform. Pyjamas.

“I’m being surrounded by crows! What the heck – there are like a dozen of them around me – maybe it’s the new stuff I put in my hair!”

His sister: – “…yeah, they probably think you’re food. They’re coming after you! ”

Me: “I doubt you know this, but reminds me of the movie “The Birds” (which honestly, was made before I was born. I remember the iconic scenes of the birds chasing down Tippi Hendren. Tippi being the mother of Melanie Griffith, and grandmother of Dakota Johnson – who my kids don’t even know. Dating myself and digressing…)

I love the banter that followed, as my son made his way back to his apartment from the rooftop.

“Gonna make dinner now! See this (he opens his fridge) … it looks like sh#t but it’s actually salmon marinating in miso sauce!

“Yum”. says my daughter. I know that she just made tofu and beef for dinner, she had texted me earlier.

Me: “What is up with this, you both cook so well when you’re on your own, but at home ?”

“Adulting while away. But kids when we’re home, Mom. That’s just how it is”.

Well, partly true. They’ll always be kids to me.

Random facetiming. The best.