We were driving Emmy to school, and the babies were sitting quietly in the back. Then Brooks started yelling,
"Harley-Mommy, HARLEY-MOMMY!!!" (That's what he calls me - he can't say "Ch" for Charlie)

"BAD Harley!!! Hat! Bad Harley Hat Bad!!!"

Sure enough, Miss Charlie had removed her hat and Brooks was in full tattle-mode - and she knew it. She then cursed at him - in Italian, I believe. It sounded very much like the time Joey yelled at Chandler in Italian.

Today was my first day of providing full-time childcare for Brooks.
i've watched him occasionally before, but today has been the longest day. Ashley dropped him off bright and early at 6:15. Charlie was awake too - which is rare for her. All of that woke Em up early too. Things were fine until we dropped Emmy off at school. She carried Brooks out to Walter (our new/old HUGE truck) and put him in his carseat behind her while I put Charlie into her carseat behind me.

Once I returned home, however, the madness began. Which child should I leave unaccompanied out in the driveway while I took the other one into the house first? It seemed cruel to abandon Brooks on his first day. But it seemed equally cruel to force poor Charlie to watch me take some other child into her house without her. So I attempted to do both at once.

Once back home, they both needed to eat all the time. Except when they were both pooping all the time. Charlie has never pooped that much. And Ashley swears Brooks only poops about 5 times a week. Well, he's just about finished the week then today. My house looks like a bomb went off. I managed to get in a shower, but was unable to actually dry my hair because Brooks hates loud noises.

I learned that Charlie would prefer a lose/lose scenario to a win/win one:
Charlie has two cookies (one for each hand) and Brooks has two cookies (again, one for each hand) is bad because Brooks has cookies. The fact that Charlie also has cookies is, somehow, irrelevant. She would prefer to have all four cookies. Barring that, then no one should have cookies because, bottom line, BROOKS SHOULD NOT HAVE COOKIES!!!!

They did nap - for about 6 minutes. They both look exhausted now, but I'm forcing them to keep playing because we leave in 30 minutes to go get Em. By the time we're back, Ashley should be here to get Brooks. Then maybe I can get Charlie to take a long nap while I:
pound a fifth of Jack Daniels
sit in the corner and eat my own hair
attempt to blackmail Emmy into becoming home-schooled

clean up the chaos the two babies created.

Brooks came over today. He's 10+ months old and crawling.

You studied him very intently and this evening finally put it all together. You are officially mobile now. And most proud of yourself!

He came to pick you up - as a proper gentleman should. And he came to the door to get you - he didn't just honk from the driveway.

You were eagerly waiting:


He wore jeans which was a bit informal, but he balanced it nicely with a collared shirt and jacket. You'd had on a lovely pink outfit, but you soiled it right before he arrived - possibly from pre-date jitters, I guess. So you were in your pajamas when he arrived - which seemed a bit suggestive.

We all had a lovely dinner, and then you pretty much passed out on the floor. That's my party girl.

And here you are, ready for him to escort you home:




He sent you this email yesterday for Valentine's Day:
Dear Charlie,

I just wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day! You are the best Valentine
EVER!

Brooks