I love talking to Little Billy.
I never know what will come out of his mouth.
Sometimes, he is very serious and sometimes he is so goofy that he makes me laugh until tears well up in my eyes and my mascara begins running down my face.
Not too long ago, I was lying in bed and he came to lay beside me.
I was watching "I Am Sam" (with Sean Penn - great movie) and Little Billy got into the movie with me.
When the movie was over - me in tears and Little Billy admitting that he got teary eyed a few times himself - we got to talking about mentally challenged children.
Little Billy said, "I think they probably make the best friends," really serious.
I agreed and explained that they are often children that are very lovable and sweet and aren't often mean because they don't have those tendencies in them. We got to talking about the boy in his class that has Downs Syndrome.
I said, "Do you take care of J, when you are at school?"
He said, "Yes ... sometimes the teacher asks me to walk him to his other class."
He then went on to say that he and J were friends, but that he was probably not J's best friend.
I asked who was J's best friend.
Laying on his back on my bed, with the pillows all propped around his head, Little Billy began his story. "Well ... there's this other kid in our class that thinks he is J's best friend," he says this a bit harshly. "He's not always that nice, though. And ... he has been missing a lot of school lately, He was out for 3 weeks straight, " he rambles off subject.
I know the boy he is talking about and ask, "Three weeks - that's a long time to be out. Why has he been out - what's the matter with him?"
Without missing a beat, Little Billy takes a deep breath and says ... "I think he has gingivitis."
*ACK!*
I tried.
I tried really, really hard.
But, I couldn't help it.
I knew this was a serious conversation.
I knew we were having a good moment - a good discussion.
I. COULD. NOT. HELP. MYSELF!!
I started laughing so hard that I began snorting and tears were flowing ... I nearly swallowed my tongue, trying to get a breath of air in between all the gagging laughter!
Little Billy giggled a bit - let me have my little laugh and then smiled sweetly and said, "Oh ... that's something that has to do with your teeth," and he pulled the pillow over his head.
On the upside ... He meant to say tonsillitis. That boy cracks me up! It sure was funny and a lot funnier story with him saying gingivitis! Oh good Lord - here I go again - *HAHAHAHAHA! Can't breathe - snort - snort*