What Not To Do When You are 29

Out of pure laziness, I have somehow developed the habit of answering the phone (which rarely ever rings, by the way!) like this:

Me: Moshi, moshi. (Hello.)
Them: Hello, is your mother there?
Me: No, she's not.
Them: Okay, we'll call back later.

Now, I do not do this every time I answer the phone, but when the coversation starts out "Is your mother there?", I used to feel so insulted that I would go off on the salesperson. Then, I realized how funny it was, and I just started answering with the truth.

Tonight, I was doing aerobics to my new DVD (can you believe that?!), and the phone rang. Figuring it was my husband playing a trick on me, I answered the phone like this:

Me: Hello.
Them: Hello, is this the _______ household?
Me: (pause, as I try to discern whether it is my husband on the other end or not)
Um, my dad's not home right now.
Them: Oh, really? Well, we'll call back later. Sorry to bother you. (click)

Before pushing the play button on my DVD, I waited for my "husband" to call back right away, but the phone never rang. Later, I called him to ask if it was really him, and he had NO IDEA what I was talking about.

So, no more of this laziness. I must answer the phone like a proper lady and wife would do. I may think it is hilarious now, but when I have kids someday and they overhear their mother pretending to be a child on the phone so she can get out of talking to salespeople, I think they will lose respect for me. Don't you think?