Max, my 18-month-old nephew, calls my dad Aba, which is actually the Hebrew word for dad. He’s unable to pronounce the ‘s’ in Saba, Hebrew for Grandfather. I was visiting my sister and her family in Austin this weekend, and when Max saw me, he said “Abba.” Which is funny because I’m neither his Abba nor his Saba, but when he saw the tall, funny looking guy with glasses, he thought I was his Saba.

Maya, the three-and-a-half year old, has her own ideas about me. She stubbed her toe and my sister was trying to get her to eat some soup, but Maya was too concerned about crying over the stubbed toe. So I told her that I’d eat the soup if she didn’t hurry up, and then I made a funny face, and she said, “HEY! You’re thilly! Hee hee hee.” She laughed, the tears vanished, and started she eating the soup.