A Brief Message From Brian

Sometimes, it's nice to be baby number four.

You might have to get dragged along to every school pick-up, every gymnastics class, and every ballet lesson with your big sisters. But I'm learning quickly that Mom and Dad have definitely become a bit more lenient over time. I can get away with a lot.

Take tonight, for example. Mom had to work, and Dad couldn't get home in time to take care of us, so Mom drove us all the way up to her work with her. Dad met us there and drove us back home. Anyway, it's a long drive, and I got a bit bored in the car. So, I took off my shoes. This is a trick that I really like to do. It drives the grown-ups crazy.

I played with my shoes for a bit, but even that got boring after a while. I like to put things in my mouth, so I decided to taste my shoe. First I chewed on the shoelaces, but then I tried licking the bottom of the shoe. You know, the part that hits the floor when I walk around with my walker, or when people help me walk. I know it's probably full of germs, but I don't much care.

Mom turned around and saw me licking the bottom of my shoe. She wasn't happy.

Now here's where my birth order plays in my favor. If Beth had done this when she was a baby, Mom would have instantly pulled the car over somewhere and taken the shoe away. But, lucky for me, she's realized that it's just not a battle worth fighting. She made a few half-hearted attempts..."Brian, NO!" and "YUCKY, Brian!!" (I heard that one a lot). But since my car seat is well out of her reach, I just flashed her a few smiles, and kept right on licking the shoes. Finally, she gave up. I licked those shoes for the entire 30-minute ride.


I wonder what I can get away with next...