My great nephew Robert is one year old this month. I went to his birthday party on Saturday which was a good excuse for the family to have a barbecue. It was fun and Robert got a lot of presents. I gave him a Barnes & Noble bear which he seemed to like. It's like other bears, but he's wearing trousers and a sweater which makes him look like a more civilized, educated bear. Of course, at the age of one, even a piece of driftwood would be met with a happy expression. Still, I refuse to buy something practical like clothes for a kid. What's the point of having a birthday party, if you're not getting toys? My sister gave him some clothes, including a hat. He's probably thinking, "How lame is that?". Just one of the many reasons that I'm a great uncle, not just a good uncle.