midnight train from georgia

They didn't take a train, and they arrived in the middle of a Monday afternoon, but even so, my brother Riley, came up from Georgia to spend the week with us in Brooklyn with his wife, Chelsea, and their daughter, Chloe in tow. Even though it was cramped in our tiny apartment and the heatwave we're currently riding just about did us in, we had a great time. On Tuesday we rode the Staten Island Ferry for views of the Statue of Liberty followed by a visit to the 9/11 Memorial. On Wednesday they joined us on our treks to New Jersey for barbecue and Coney Island for fireworks. By Thursday we all crashed in an exhausted heap, only making it out in the morning to play in the nearby playground sprinklers.

Riley, Chelsea, and Chloe at the 9/11 Memorial

 Thursday, in a nutshell

For those of you who know Riley, you know that he has a dominant personality. He kept me in stitches most of the time with his spot-on impersonations (his imitation of Garrett is particularly fantastic) and storytelling (his recitation of Dumb and Dumber for those, like me, who still haven't seen it, was probably funnier than the movie itself). And even though she is much, much quieter than her husband, I was able to learn a little more about Chelsea (or "Aunt Katie," as Garrett kept accidentally calling her) beyond her impressive ability to put up with Riley on a daily basis, like, for example, she really loves to read. We should swap book lists sometime, Chelsea!

And there's Chloe -- Queen Chloe. She is a hoot. I hadn't seen her since she was about three months old and now, at 17 months, she totally rules the roost. She has entered one of those difficult toddler phases that entails a lot of screaming. One night at dinner, in response to one her meltdowns, Garrett said, "Um, I think it's time for Baby Chloe to go home now."

But in spite of the screaming, she is adorable. She makes the most hilarious stinky face. And it was so hard not to laugh at her ability to get lost and anxious every time she found herself in our teeny tiny hallway. I suppose that, despite the itty bitty square footage, it can make for a daunting fork in the road for someone who still isn't walking yet.

Queen Chloe

Just when we were all warming up to each other, it was time for them to go home. They headed out early this morning and have two days in the car (with Chloe) to look forward to. It was awesome of them to drive up to see us, and I sincerely hope we get to see them again soon.