I was confused by the catching-up with the parents-- why they wouldn't have kept in touch and already known how each day of their children's summer was going-- but then you reminded me, this was the iPod touch era. Of course. Not only couldn't they text, unless they were the few oddballs with a Blackberry or something, but they would have only called long-distance maybe once or twice the whole summer, if there was even a phone at the vacation rental.
Technology has changed parenting so much!