During my time at my former residence all kinds of beasts and children introduced themselves to me. One day I was outside putting recyclables in the bin and a small boy about 6 years old walks up to me, sticks out his hand and says "I'm (states first, middle, and last name) and I've always wanted to meet you." 

I, of course, shook his hand and also stated my first, middle, and last name and told him I was glad to make his acquaintance. He then said "Let's go in your yard where we can talk." and so we did. Turns out this was the child of another neighborhood kid that I had known when she was young. So, I was there long enough that the kids that first introduced themselves to me have had children of their own...insert comment about feeling old here.

A few weeks ago when I was in the neighborhood he ran at me to give me a hug so hard he nearly knocked me over. 

Many mornings and afternoons, particularly on weekends, there would be a knock on my door and it would be two girls, about 8 years old, coming to ask if they could hang out with me for the day. Sometimes they would come in and have breakfast with me. Sometimes they helped me cook. We'd make a dinner, red sauce and meatballs or whatever, and then later in the evening they would come over and we'd have dinner together. Me and two 8 year old girls. Having conversations about all kinds of things. 

Julia would come downstairs and I would be sitting at the table in the dining room having dinner with two little girls. Or I would be leaving the house to go do errands and a group of children would spot me and ask if they could come with me. I'd say go get permission from your parents and they would run off and come back and they would come with me to do grocery shopping or whatever. This would happen so often that people thought they were my kids. Oddly most of the neighborhood kids are blonde so they do look like they could be my kids. 

It was always funny though when someone would say "Oh you have beautiful/wonderful/such cute children." and one or more of the kids would respond "He's not our father he's just our friend."

I was always a little surprised that the parents in the neighborhood seemed to think it was totally normal that their kids wanted to spend all their time hanging out with a 50 something year old guy that had no kids of his own. This got weirder as the gang of kids that were hanging out with me expanded into the surrounding neighborhoods. 

Kids would be coming by my house telling me they had permission to hang out with me that day and I had never even met their parents. I would say "Who did you tell your parents you are hanging out with?" and they'd say "Reggie." and I'd say "And they know who that is?" and the kids would say "Everybody knows Reggie." 

I would bump into parents (sometimes in a store with their kids with me) and they'd say "Oh, so you are Reggie." and they would tell me all the things their kids said about me. 

Once and a while I would say to Julia "I've got to start making some friends that are over 12 years old." but she would say "No, I think the friends you are making are on the same level you are on."

That's probably true when I'm known for pulling out my acoustic guitar for sing-a-longs of The Diarrhea Song. Oh well, people say the highest compliment a kid can pay you is telling you you're one of them...so I am in good standing. Sort of odd though when during a neighborhood BBQ the kids tell me I have to sit at the children's table with them...I mean I feel kind of ridiculous sitting in those little chairs.