"...A Pocketful of Mumbles, Such Are Promises..."

I know... You thought I'd gone the way of all things.

You aren't that lucky.

We're still here - still kicking - we've just been sort of quiet about it which is unusual for us.

I've been afraid I'd exceed my lifetime quota of how many times I can blog about how much I miss my kids or how stinkin' sick I am of them still being stuck in an orphanage in Haiti. You have to pace yourself on these things, don't you know...Given that there isn't really an end in sight, I had to back off for a few weeks so that I could still blog between now and when they come home.

Or something like that.

We are going down to see them again on Oct 16th. This trip will be the longest we've had in duration - I think we have nearly 6 days there with them. It will also be our 6th trip in two very long years. Brent's mom is also going to go on this trip with us. We're very grateful she's willing to pay to see her grandkids and we're excited to have her with us.

So let's talk about something else, shall we?

We've recently been adopted by a little neighbor boy. Ironic, I know, but it's about time an adoption happened around here, I guess. B (as I'll call him) has decided we're his best friends - at least that's what he told me the other day. Sometime in August we were outside and B came by on his bike and said, "Will you be my friends?" The rest, as they say, is history. He comes over pretty much every day as soon as I come home from work and stays until we kick him out...I mean... walk him home. :)

B's a special little guy. He's 8, but he's got some learning disabilities and some severe speech issues. I'm learning how to speak his language pretty well and we usually understand each other. B's also very lonely. He doesn't really have friends his age and the school district has moved him to a different elementary school each of his 4 years thus far to shift the number of students in the special needs programs.

Because of B's speech issues he can't say a lot of letters so my name's pretty much shot. We were trying to practice saying it one night and B decided it was just too tough. With a big sigh he told me "I think I'll call you 'Mike.'"

So that's what he does. He calls me "Mike" or "Michael". Even my nickname has a nickname. He calls Brent "Bubba". So I'm sure his parents must be curious about who "Mike and Bubba" are, but what are you going to do.

I tell him he's an "old soul" because sometimes he just floors me with what he says. A few weeks ago he told me that he'd made a new friend that day so I asked him what his friend's name was. He said, "Hmm...Me can't memember. When me was six me could memember everything but now that me older...." (picture him shaking his head with that resigned expression you'd expect)

I asked him if that's what my problem was as well and he nodded and told me sincerely, "me thinks so".

Good to finally have that diagnosed.

The sad thing is that I think I needed something to mother as much as B needed a friend. We just kinda fit each other that way. I never guessed I'd have a little happy place where my name is "Mike" but that's how things have turned out for my little buddy, B and me.

So that's what's up at our house. We're busy with work, busy playing "put-pall" (football) catch with B, busy with church stuff, did I mention busy with work, and waiting.

Always waiting....