Max Finally Where He Belongs

What a thrill to visit son Dallas and daughter-in-law Amanda's home in Illinois where they have finally added Max (a four-year-old from Bangkok) to their homegrown brood of (from left) Sam (10), Elle (6), and Maya (8). The paternal grandparents are called Boo and Ya in Thai. After Dianna and I had visited Max is the orphanage in Bangkok in January, we had been told that he had asked for Boo and Ya every day since. We thought they were exaggerating to make us feel good.

Well, I got to Illinois a couple of days ahead of Dianna, and when I appeared, Max pointed and said, "Mommy! Boo!" Then he dramatically spread his arms and said, "Ya?"

Within a day he realized the other kids were calling me not Boo but Grandpa. We played a game where I would point at myself and ask if I was Daddy or Mommy or Sam or Maya, etc., and he would laugh and shake his head and say "No!" I finally got to "Boo?" and he'd do the same and say, "No! Grandpa!"

I believe he learned a couple of dozen more English words while we were there.