(My family lives in several different countries, and one of the ways we keep in touch is through a messaging group where we send each other pictures. It can get pretty goofy, but this day is one of the best. Keep in mind this is all over chat:)

Me: *sends pictures from zoo*

Brother: “Wow! Did you just get back from the zoo? I went today, too!” *sends pictures from different zoo*

Sister: “We felt a bit left out, so we decided to stop by our local zoo, too!”

(She sent us pictures of my niece and nephew dressed in hooded dinosaur onesies with a sign on the crib that said, “Please don’t feed the animals.” Gotta love family!)

Related:
My Family And Other Animals, Part 11
My Family And Other Animals, Part 10
My Family And Other Animals, Part 9

(My family is spread out over three states and two countries, so most of our day-to-day communication is done through various online chats and groups. My sister has two kids and periodically sends us photo and video updates of what they’re up to. Recently, she sent us a video of her one-and-a-half-year-old eating yogurt straight out of the container with his fingers. This conversation ensues:)

Sister: “Lucky [Son]… He doesn’t have to think about clean-up!”

Me: “Does he have something against spoons?”

Sister: “Well, he used one for a while, but clearly the finger method made it tastier.”

Me: “True… Food is always tastier without utensils!”

(When I relayed this conversation to my boyfriend, who always asks if anyone wants a fork and knife when we eat pizza, he seemed slightly horrified at the idea. I can’t wait to see him spend time with a toddler!)

(My niece — almost eight — and nephew — almost four — have come to visit for their birthdays. While my niece and I are baking her cake, my mom is talking to my nephew. He has a scratch on his face.)

Mom: “How’d you get that scratch?”

Nephew: “My boyfriend bit me.”

Mom: “He bit you?”

Nephew: “Yeah.”

Mom: “What’s your boyfriend’s name?”

Nephew: “Bailey.”

Mom: “Where’d you meet him?”

Nephew: *gives my mom a look* “Bailey is my dog!”

(My two nieces — aged little and littler — and a friend of mine are over. Unfortunately, [Niece #1] has a stomach bug, so no dairy. Before my friend came over, my mother told me to get a “surprise” for [Niece #2] while [Niece #1] snuggled and watched cat videos with her. The surprise was yogurt. A few hours later, [Niece #1] is feeling more energetic after a nap and decides to hang out with me and my friend. After a while, she decides she’s hungry:)

Niece #1: “[My Name], I want a surprise like you gave [Niece #2]. I’m hungry.”

Me: “Uh, hold on a second, sweetie.”

(I text my mother and ask what I can give [Niece #1]. After waiting for a couple moments, [Niece #1] starts waving a wand.)

Friend: “Oh, are you trying to turn [My Name] into something?”

Niece #1: “No.”

Me: “What about a frog? Can you turn me into a frog? I want to be a frog.”

Niece #1: “No! I’m not trying to turn you into something. I’m… I’m trying to turn you into the kitchen!”

(Note, I am female.)

Me: “Oh, is that where I belong?”

Niece #1: “Yeah.”

(Luckily, after the laughing stopped I got the all-clear to give her a popsicle.)

(I’ve bought some old home movies on VHS tapes over to my mum and step-dad’s so he can transfer them to DVD. My sister and eight-year-old nephew happen to be visiting at the same time.)

Nephew: *looking at the tapes* “Hey, what’s that?”

Me: “They’re videos; Grandpa is going to put them onto DVD for us.”

Nephew: “What’s a video?”

Me: “Before DVDs were invented, movies came out on video.”

Nephew: “Oh, my God. There was something before DVDs?”

Me: *laughing* “Yep, and before videos, there were eight-tracks.”

Nephew: “Wow, that’s trippy.”

Me: “You know that before mp3s, there were CDs, right?”

Nephew: “Yep, when Mum got rid of hers, me and [Nieces] used them for frisbees.”

Me: “Well, before CDs, there were cassettes. I think Grandpa might even have some, along with a Walkman. We could see if we can find them.”

(He readily agreed, and we found some old cassettes and Walkmen, along with our old super Nintendo and games. Everything still worked. After hooking the gaming system up to an old TV, my nephew and I spent the rest of the day reliving my childhood. While it made me feel incredibly old — I’m 32 — it was a great day reliving the past and showing him things that had been lost to the younger generation.)