15BE BORING

MOST CONVERSATIONS ARE EXCITING FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS

On a typically sunny Los Angeles afternoon, I took a stroll around the neighborhood with Felix, my one-year-old nephew who, even by southern California standards, has a laid-back, easygoing disposition. (I sometimes call him Little Dude, after Jeff Bridges’s character in The Big Lebowski.)

Felix and I returned from our long walk to find my four-year-old niece, full of vigor and creativity (and probably missing the center stage), waiting by the door and making loud monster noises. This must have either scared Felix or grated on his nerves, because he let loose with an atypical bout of wailing.

The crying brought in the cavalry. My sister and brother-in-law, also known as Mom ...

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