GOTTA LOVE SOCCER!

Taking a break from soccer!  We had a beautiful 78 degree day in Flower Mound on Friday and spent the entire afternoon outdoors, raking leaves and kicking the soccer ball around

Went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant Saturday night. Miduk was all smiles after eating some pork satay, spring roll, and a huge bowl of Tom Yam (yum!) noodles.  He was sitting SO close to Shelby, it was kind of funny because Shelby kept moving over a bit (Miduk was invading his space)  and then Miduk would move over too and always had to be touching him or leaning on him.  Makes me wonder if he does that at home with his own dad?  I get the impression that his family is not very affectionate with one another, at least they don't show it. Miduk says they don't really hug each other.  We are making sure he gets plenty of hugs while he is with us!  Shelby went out of town for four days last week, and Miduk's Nintendo DS was in the backseat of Shelby's car.  When Miduk realized it, he said "4 days, no Nintendo".  So when Shelby returned home Thursday night, I fully expected Miduk to run right past him to get his Nintendo out of the car.  He surprised us both by coming into the kitchen first to give Shelby a hug and tell him he missed him (AND his Nintendo!)

Watching Ben's soccer game from the press box at Flower Mound High School on Friday night with Ben's sister Mia.  Flower Mound won, 2-0! Miduk loved watching the boys play on the big field, and wanted to play with them! He is also wearing the Flower Mound Soccer shirt that Ben gave him.

Just can't beat Domino's pizza!  Miduk likes pepperoni and mushroom

Miduk goofing around with our reading glasses and thought Sugar needed some, too :)

His latest chalk creation on the path behind our house, written vertically "I LOVE DALLAS"  The other day he ran a few errands with Kasey, and when they pulled up in the driveway he got out of her car and yelled "I LOVE DALLAS!"

Surrender, Sugar!  Surrender is one of Sugar's best tricks.  She is happy to comply with the request because it always means a belly rub for her...

Practicing some soccer tricks he saw on YouTube

Remember "Santa Ben" who gave Miduk some soccer shoes for Christmas?  On Thursday afternoon Ben took Miduk to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought him a brand new soccer ball.  (somehow Miduk's ball had gone missing).  Miduk is SO PROUD of his new ball!  After he plays with it, he brings it back inside and puts it back in the box.  Not only that, Ben and Miduk had dinner together at Panda Express, a favorite! 

On Saturday morning Shelby and Miduk went to get haircuts.  I've never gone with them, but Shelby reports that when he sits in the chair, Miduk closes his eyes and grimaces the entire time.  The ENTIRE TIME!  As if it hurts!  We asked him about it, and he said getting haircuts hurts.  OK really?  Are we being a little dramatic here!  They didn't even use the electric clippers, just scissors.  Miduk said that he used to have very long hair (he pointed to about halfway down his back) that he wore in a ponytail every day.  I'm trying to picture that!  He also said that usually his brother Besli cuts his hair, but one time he got a haircut from someone else and then he slept for two days. SERIOUSLY! 

Miduk talked about fighting with other kids.  I can understand if he is fighting to protect himself, but I was bothered because he acted like he really enjoys fighting and punching other kids.  I asked him if other kids tease him because of his hip and walking "funny" and he said sometimes, but he just fights them.  Oh brother.   I tried to talk to him about not fighting and how it's not a good way to solve problems, but I am quite sure it went in one ear and out the other.  He seems so quiet and mild-mannered to me!  I can't imagine him hitting and kicking other kids, but he says he does.  Gotta work on that one before he goes back home!

Speaking of going back home, many of you have asked the status of Miduk's medical procedures and what the time frame is.  We have an appointment with the team of doctors at Scottish Rite on Thursday February 2.  I anticipate this may be our last visit, unless the doctors have any other options to offer us besides the hip fusion surgery.  We want to explore any and all options if there are any, but realistically, we are also trying to come to terms with the likely possibility that he will return to Indonesia without having his hip repaired.  He and his parents were made aware of this possibility before Miduk came to Dallas.  Bryan (Linley's helper in Indonesia) has talked with Miduk's mother and she said she trusts whatever decision we make.  Miduk knows that he will probably return to his village without having his hip repaired.  He says he wants to be able to squat and sit and ride his bicycle, all things he would be unable to do if he were to have the hip fusion surgery.  Not to mention, he is currently in NO PAIN AT ALL and gets around great, can practically run with one crutch (he never ever uses both crutches), climb upstairs (and climb trees too!), ride a bike, sit comfortably, and pretty much do whatever he wants.  Hip fusion surgery is just not a good trade-off for him in his current condition.  It's such a shame that he didn't get help five years ago after his injury.....All this to say, we have started the dialogue with him about his return and talk about it frquently, as in "When you go back to Indonesia, what's the first thing you're going to do?" (Play with his friend Donna) "What do you want to take back to Indonesia with you?" (my Nintendo and my remote control car and my blanket)  "What are some of your favorite American foods you want to eat before you go back?" (chili, barbecued ribs, sausage, waffles, hamburgers, lasagna)  Whenever we make the date for his return trip home, I want it to be a fun countdown for him and something to look forward to, not something he dreads.  We also have been encouraging him to call home more often, but darn it's hard to get through and half the time no one answers. And although I have dreamed about accompanying him on his return trip and taking him all the way to his doorstep and meeting his family, I can see that's not going to happen.  So we will just enjoy him while we have him here!

I took Miduk to Braums for an ice cream cone and he couldn't believe all the flavors, and the fact that he could taste any of them.  He ended up with peanut butter cup ice cream on a cone.  "Cone, Mom?  What is cone?"

I worked with Miduk on some ESL picture cards and he knows pretty much all of them, but has trouble pronouncing some of them, such as scissors ("skizzers"), island ("izland").  One of the picture words was fireworks and he said "Katy Perry!"  He is such a teenager!  :)  Shelby says I confuse him because I ask him too many things at once and use run-on sentences (really?) and also my use of double negatives confuses him.  No wonder he sometimes doesn't answer me at all, or just says YES.  I was begining to think he was a yes-man!

On our walk last Friday, Miduk found an American Express gift card on the sidewalk and picked it up.  I told him it was probably trash, but we came home and looked up the gift card number online, and guess what?  It is worth $62.62!!!!!!!!!  You really cannot imagine his reaction when I told him.  When he realized that the card was worth money he went a little crazy!  That's a lot of money for anyone to find, but to Miduk it means so much more.  Keep in mind that his parents each make $2 per day for a full days' work as farmers.  Miduk has hit the jackpot!  He was screaming and saying OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH MONEY! MONEY! I AM CRYING! I SO HAPPY MOM! and putting his hand over his heart and making little beating motions, then he kissed the card.  We told him to put it in his wallet so he doesn't lose it.  We also told him he can spend it on something while he is here, if there is anything he wants to take back.  Or, if he would rather have the MONEY OH MY GOSH MONEY, that we would give him the cash instead when he leaves and he can convert it to Indonesian rupiah.  He was happy all day and all night just thinking over the possibilities.  Kinda like when we play the "What would I do if I won the lottery" game.  My guess is that he will take the cash and use it to buy a bicycle when he returns home.

When the weather turned warm this weekend, I offered to turn on the ceiling fan in Miduk's bedroom for him as he was getting ready for bed.  When I turned it on, the blades began to rotate and something dropped off the fan and onto the bed.  It was Miduk's wallet!  What in the world?  He said he hides his wallet on top of the ceiling fan.  Wow, what a great hiding place! haha  I reassured him that we were NOT going to take his money or the gift card he found.  He told me that at home he hides his money from his family.  Right now he has $5 hidden at home and is worried that someone will find it while he's gone! 

And last but not least, we now have an 18 foot tunnel under our house that Shelby is considering turning into a man-cave and having a poker party down there if they don't repair this darn leak soon!  And the biggest pile of dirt you have ever seen on the side of our house!  I am happy to report that they turned the water back on for the weekend, but this morning Mr. Leak Detector is back and the water is shut off once again.  Miduk to Mom:  "Oh no! Really no water? Oh my gosh again?"  Yep, we have Americanized him.  Oh, the inconvenience!  :)