First mate's log:
February 15, 1972
For Valentine's Day, Mary Ann and I went to a place that serves chocolate fondue, and then we went dancing. We got home from Blenford late, but the Skipper didn't seem to mind.
Carol Brady's diary:
February 16, 1972
Oh gosh, I almost had a heart attack this afternoon! Mike and I were in the living room, talking to Jan about the presentation last week of the Honor Society award to Nora Coombs, who apparently thanked Jan in her speech, for Jan's honesty and integrity. Then Cindy came in and she may be a reformed tattletale, but she does have lapses. She asked if it would be tattling to tell something that someone wouldn't want anyone to know. And Mike and I told her it would be. Cindy started to leave but Jan loves gossip and insisted on hearing.
So Cindy cried, ""Bobby nearly fell off the house!"
It turned out that Greg was doing his chore of fixing the shutters on the girls' bedroom window, when Bobby wanted to help. Even though he got his picture and name in the paper last month, I guess Bobby still feels like he's just a little kid compared to his siblings, especially Greg of course. So, although Greg sensibly discouraged Bobby from climbing the ladder, Bobby tried it anyway when Alice called Greg away for a phone call. The ladder fell over and Bobby had to cling to the windowsill!
Luckily, Greg heard Bobby's screams and was able to pull him inside. Bobby's hands were full of splinters but, considering what could've happened, that's a minor injury. Mike and I of course scolded him. The irony is, he wouldn't even have tried this stunt if he hadn't gotten over his fear of heights that time after he fell climbing up to Peter's friends' clubhouse.
After talking to Bobby some more, we realized it's not just about being almost the youngest in the family. He's also the second-shortest boy in his class. I'm sure he'll get a growth spurt in adolescence, because Mike is so tall and Greg has really shot up in the last couple years. But I know that must seem a long way off when you're almost ten and there are constant reminders of how little you are.
February 17, 1972
Bobby Brady told me he feels like a shrimp, not just compared to his brothers but compared to the other kids in fourth grade. I remember feeling small compared to my brother, although I was always kind of a beanpole as a kid. I suggested Bobby try stretching exercises.
"Like what?"
"Well, like hanging by your arms from trees or from monkey bars."
"Won't that give me arms like a monkey?"
"No, I think it'll make your whole body a little longer." I should probably check with the Professor on that, but I don't think there's any harm in Bobby trying it for awhile.
February 18, 1972
I'm a little worried about Bobby, somewhat like when he and Cindy were trying to break the teeter-totter record. This time, he's hanging from the swing set in our backyard, trying to stretch himself. He's been at it since yesterday, and now it's the weekend. At least he takes breaks for meals, bathroom, and sleep. He'll have to stop for church tomorrow, and maybe Reverend Alden will have some words of advice. Of course, Bobby will probably ask him to pray for Bobby to grow six inches overnight.
February 19, 1972
Cindy told me that Bobby put a piece of tape on the wall in his room and was measuring himself against it in between stretching exercises. She moved the tape down half an inch so he'd think he was getting quick results. Unfortunately, Jan and Marcia also wanted Bobby to feel taller, and the sisters didn't compare notes before the tape ended up an inch and a half below where it started. Bobby found out and thought they were doing it to as a prank, even though they were trying to help. I feel sorry for all of them.
February 20, 1972
Bobby came home with a black eye! It's not like when Peter got hit defending Cindy from Buddy Hinton. He actually picked a fight with a boy named Tommy Huxley. I told him he was acting like Napoleon, a little man who was trying to prove he was big. I guess I can be glad that Tommy wasn't as bad as a Russian winter.
I encouraged Bobby to develop his mind, to be big and strong in that way, but I don't know if he was really listening. This isn't the sort of thing that boys turn to their mothers about, but maybe Mike can give the same advice. I do know he advised calm, cool reasoning in the Buddy Hinton situation, although, again, Peter was going through something very different.
February 21, 1972
Greg told me that Bobby has given up stretching exercises and is trying to stretch his mind with a bunch of trivia books he got from the library. "It's kind of annoying, but I'm not going to be home as much with my new job." Greg is saving up for a better boat, so he's now working as Sam's delivery boy, just on our island. (I said it was too bad he didn't have a boat, so he could make deliveries to Blenford.) Greg will be working after school and before dinner, and all day Saturdays. It'll take awhile to save up enough, but he figures he can work more hours over Spring Break, and the summer if necessary.
February 22, 1972
Oh my, I nearly had a heart attack again! It again involved Greg and Bobby, only this time Bobby saved Greg!
Greg has a new job as Sam's delivery boy, but yesterday Greg suggested locking up while Sam made the last deliveries, so that Sam could meet Alice on time for a date to Blenford. Meanwhile, Alice was trying to put together a meatloaf for me to serve while she was out, but she needed sausage. She was going to call up the butcher shop so Greg could make a delivery to our house, but Bobby offered to go. And she thought it might boost his confidence to be trusted with this errand.
Unfortunately, Bobby accidentally locked himself and Greg in the meat locker! They could've frozen to death before Sam returned in the morning! Well, I suppose Mike and I would've gone looking for them when they didn't show up for dinner, but that still might've been too late.
Greg was able to break the small window in the locker's door, and Bobby was small enough to crawl through. Yes, he feels better about his size now. Greg threw him a dime and he called home on the pay phone. (The same pay phone that inspired Mike to install one in our family room.) Sam had just arrived when Mike answered in the kitchen. He was calm and soothing, to me and Bobby, but we both still worried about Greg.
Sam, Alice, Mike, and I all headed straight over to the butcher shop. Sam was able to unlock the meat locker from the outside, and he promised he would update the lock as soon as possible. (He leaves the door open when anyone's in there, but Bobby didn't know that.) Greg was freezing but otherwise unharmed. We got him home and into a warm bath as quickly as we could.
He might've been mad about Bobby locking them in, but he's just so happy that Bobby saved him, he's forgiven him. I'm glad everything worked out, but this last week has been very stressful as a mother of risk-taking boys. Thank goodness everything's fine with Peter lately.
