Being Charlie

It started the first time Eli saw the cat licking himself. He thought it was the funniest thing, but only copied that once or twice. Other than that, he mimics almost everything the Charlie does. Even if we're away from home he sometimes transforms into a serious, crawling, meowing toddler. We go along with it, petting him and calling him "Charlie." Tell me if this is bad, as I stopped reading baby/parenting books once I got him sleeping.


At home he tries to climb and perch on the highest point he can get to. He even uses the stairs as a scratching post too. The last few days I have caught him twice, after some eerie silence around the house, laying prostrate on the ground with his face in the cat's bowl, enjoying the new cat food while Charlie patiently waits for his turn.