Shane was the third child to join our family, but is now in the middle of the pack, with four older siblings and five younger siblings. Shane is turning eight years old next week, and the kid is a hoot.

Everybody loves Shane. He is loving, sweet, outgoing, funny and thoughtful. He rarely gets in trouble with Mom or Dad. The big kids think he is hilarious. The little kids think he walks on water. His teachers think he is a genius and the "nicest boy ever". All of the boys at school want to be his friend, and all of the girls at school pay him way too much attention for my liking. He is a great reader, excels at sports and wins everybody over in a heartbeat.

We call Shane "Puss in Boots", because if you have seen the Shrek movies, Shane can do that thing with his eyes that Puss does that makes everyone around him stop what they are doing and go, "Awwwwwwwwwww." That's Shane.

Shane's very best friend in the whole world is Ben, who joined our family at age five from Ethiopia. Shane is about a year older than Ben, but they are in the same grade. The two of them literally almost never argue or get tired of each other. They often have to be separated at church, the dinner table, during prayers or anywhere else where two little boys are expected to sit quietly and avoid laughing, wrestling, potty jokes or making gun noises.

Shane and Ben have been plotting to share a room. Right now, Ben shares a room with Marcus, and that is the bedroom right next to the room I share with Josh. Shane is downstairs in a huge bedroom that he shares with Nate and Ry.

There has been lots of talk about where we will put Solomon when he comes, and if there will be any bedroom shuffling to accommodate him. I am leaning towards just putting him in with Ben and Marcus for now, as that room is childproof, right next to mine and has room for a toddler bed.

Shane, however, has a different plan. He suggested that it would be a much better idea to move Marcus downstairs with Nate and Ry, and to let Shane move upstairs with Ben and Solomon. As I pictured hours of Shane and Ben giggling and messing around at bedtime, my brain was nixing the idea before we even really discussed it. Plus, Marcus is newly potty trained and the idea of him roaming around downstairs in the middle of the night when he had to go to the bathroom was not appealing to me either.

When I told Shane that I thought it was best that he and Marcus stayed where they were for now, he protested. He gave me the Puss in Boots eyes and said, "But Mom, I know this is the best plan. I really should be in the same room as Ben and Solomon."

So I gave him a chance to plead his case. I said, "Tell me why."

He looked at me, dead serious, and said, "Because Mom! The Ethiopian kids just LOVE me."