23 June ‘93 — We took the train to Boston today to meet Joel [a brother-in-law] and Joshua [a nephew] at the New England Aquarium. On the way home, Gabriel and Evan were sitting on opposite sides of the aisle in front of Victoria and me. At one stop as some passengers got off, we noticed that Gabriel was patting people on their arms as they passed by him. Victoria leaned forward and whispered, “Gabriel. What are you doing?”

“I’M PETTING THEM, MOM,” he matter-of-factly replied.

“What!? [incredulously] Gabey, you shouldn’t do that, son.”

“I’M ONLY PETTING THEM, MOM,” he explained.

We overheard Evan telling Gabriel to go pet someone in the car behind us, the purser whom Gabriel mistook for the conductor.

“Go pet him!” Evan urged.

“NO,” Gabe said. “I DON’T PET ABDUCTORS [sic].”

Then a big ruddy Norwegian came up the aisle. Gabriel saw him approaching and didn’t pat him as he walked past. Evan asked Gabriel, “Why didn’t you pet him?”

“BECAUSE I DON’T PET THE ONES WITH RED BEARDS.”