My brother is out from Nashville for a few days, family in tow. They arrived late last night, and I spent most of today with him, his wife, and their son, who is five. I hadn't seen my nephew, H, since their last visit to California in 2006. A lot changed in four years. The difference between Age One and Age Five is astronomical, especially in term of how well I'm able to relate to him. I knew that intellectually, of course, but that's not quite the same as seeing the age gap in action.

He's a great kid: sharp, friendly, talkative, curious. We went to the Exploratorium for a couple of hours this afternoon (and I had forgotten that the first Wednesday of every month is free admission, so that was a bonus), and it was really fun to watch him running around, turning every lever and poking every button, getting engrossed in learning neat stuff. We had real conversations, and we told each other jokes, and when he hugged me goodbye he seemed to mean it. Spending an afternoon with him finally makes me feel like a real aunt.

One thing is for sure: I'm not waiting another four years to see him again. I think a trip to Nashville is likely on the docket for 2011.

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