Chuck D & Mr. T

Today I was driving carpool and at a stoplight on Wisconsin Avenue, the trash truck driver on the right of us was trying really hard to pick up the lovely lady to the left of us. He was leaning out the truck yelling “Hey baby, what’s your number? What’s your number?” Charlie asked me “Why isn’t he asking for your number?” I said I didn’t know. Then the guy jumped out of the truck and ran over to her car to lay it on thick and get the number. Charlie then said “I know why he needs her number. He wants to call so he can pick up her trash.” Good thinking. We then smiled and wished the guy luck.

Teddy thinks all fireman are fire chiefs, anyone in a military-inspried coat is a police officer, and that the guy working at the hardware store in an old REdskins jersey is an actual football player.

Carol, Siri and I took C&T to a skateboarding competition at RFK the other weekend. They loved it. Charlie wanted to skate so badly. He was really interested in the skater kids and their clothes. He said “I can skate so high over that building in skinny jeans.”

We continue to be afraid of bears.

Today Charlie’s good friend told him he wasn’t his best friend anymore and didn’t want to play with him. I knew he didn’t mean it–he is only 4–and it would last only about 15 minutes, but Charlie was devastated and sobbing and it broke my heart and gave me a glimpse of the way things work with kids and their friends. I hugged him and tried to get everyone to play together but it wouldn’t work and Charlie kept wailing so much that everyone on the playground was watching and I wanted to let him know that crying and screaming generally drives kids away more but how do you convey that to a 3 3/4 year old? As I predicted about 20 minutes later they were happily playing again.

MJ and I went on a date to the Dancing Crab for crabs the other night. My favorite part was MJ pointing out that the hand towlettes they give out “are like the working man’s finger bowl.”

The Brooklyn Bermans gave Teddy little stuffed Spiderman, Thor, and Incredible Hulk dolls for his birthday. He didn’t take to the Incredible Hulk. Charlie took the Spiderman as his own and is in love with it and won’t let Teddy touch it. So Teddy was left with Thor, and as Siri said “Teddy is skeptical to Thor.”

Charlie has been eating lunch at school (and begun telling me what his friends eat that he wants. Like gummy candies) and he often goes to a friend house so isn’t upstairs when Teddy wakes up from his nap. Teddy asks each time “Charlie go?” He loves his brother.

Teddy has begin climbing up on everything every time I turn around. Last week during nap time he climbed out of his crib and up onto his changing table and tried to change his own diaper. Despite the mess and my fear of him falling, I was impressed, especially by his use of wipes.

I love hearing Teddy say “Go!” for “Here you go, ” when he hands you something.