One of my many amusements this summer has been my mother’s adventures with her new smartphone. Since she gave up her landline, I decided a more technologically advanced phone would be better than her antiquated flip phone. I gave her my old phone, which I only abandoned for one with more memory. She’s been having fun discovering all the perks technology affords us these days, the main one being the voice texting option.

However, as those of us who use such texting methods know, what we speak isn’t always what appears on the text. But I am proud to say, most of the time I can figure out what she’s trying to tell me by repeating it out loud. They’re kind of like word play riddles with insider clues. As in, one would need to know things within the family to figure them out.

Of late, it’s been rather fun and challenging and has elevated my status in my family as a cryptanalyst. Snort, not really. I just found the term on Google trying to prove I am more than just cooking and laundry (note last week’s column): These people are cryptanalysts, also known as code breakers.

This makes my mother a cryptographer: A person who communicates through secret writing. Cryptographers might use codes, ciphers or a combination of both to keep messages safe from others.

Here are the texts I decoded for your enjoyment:

Text: There is a list of succulents in the Matt and Marion benette’s call him for Friday August 10th the day sound really interesting.”

Translation: There is a list of succulents in the Marianne Binetti column for Friday Aug. 10 that sound really interesting.

(Text from me for a little set up for this next puzzle): Do you need anything from Costco?

Text: How nice of you to think about it but I under your chain just called me and she’s going to be passing by the post office today and will pick me up what I need from the post office okay

Translation: How nice of you to think about it but Garden Jane (our family system when my children were small for differentiating the three Janes in our lives) just called me and she’s going to be passing by the post office today and will pick me up what I need from the post office today

This next conversation is regarding whether putting fake plants in her garden is a good idea:

Text: that I D I head out there for over a year is still in good condition I had (your sister) wash it and bring it back into the house cause I missed it.

Translation: That ivy I had out there for over a year is still in good condition…

This next one is regarding a chore she needed my husband to do.

Text: When you come please have your husband bring a small screwdriver small screwdriver electric small screwdriver I want to hang some books for my hats.

Translation: She needs him to bring an electric screwdriver to hang some hooks for her hats. Not a hammer, a screwdriver.

Text: When you come with your husband and the screwdriver he will need to bring me his collection… (your husband) with his screwdriver will need to bring at least four screws about an inch long with the star heads to screw these hooks into the wall. I looked at my collection and I don’t have anything that would work. Does he have a collection of miscellaneous screws. Thank you.

Translation: Do not bring your husband without the screwdriver. A Phillips screwdriver. She needs screws. Phillips screws.

Gretchen Leigh is a stay-at-home mom who lives in Covington. You can read more of her writing on her website livingwithgleigh.com, or follow her on Facebook at “Living with Gleigh by Gretchen Leigh.