When friends are famiy and brotherhood is mutual

Daniel told me he had fun sliding off my back onto his bed after a piggy-back ride. I told him I always have fun with him, and he volunteered the following:

Daniel: I also have fun at Mommy's friends' house.

Me: What friend?

Suddenly he made it clear that the "friends" he was referring to were his cousins, whom we visited last weekend, including the two brothers Daniel and Jeremy. He clarified:

Daniel: Daniel - which is my name and - what's the other one's name?

Me: Jeremy.

Daniel: Daniel is Jormy's [sic] brother and... Jormy is Daniel's brother.

Daniel was clearly pretty excited at figuring out that the brother-thing was symmetrical; it wasn't just that Daniel was Jeremy's brother - the relationship actually runs both ways.

(August 18, 2009)