Well, I don't have a REAL million dollars in my pocket or anything. It was just that big of a reward. See I am feeling quite under the weather today. I didn't get to go with some of my kids for their first night back at AWANA as a result. I worked on their verses with them. I made sure they had their stuff together and their "dues". I just didn't get to go so those moments with them.
This was a big night for Zeeky. I took him into the Cubbies room last year for the lesson time. I made sure he sat good and tried to get him to participate. I knew that he wasn't ready to fully do it though. He wasn't talking enough to even attempt saying verses. He wasn't able to stay "on task" like I knew he should. He wasn't able to interact enough either.
This year is another ball game entirely. Zeeky was able to say his verses with me today. He even understood it enough to know what it was meaning too. I'd been having him repeat "God loved us and sent His Son". When Brent got home, I asked Zeeky to come say his verses for Daddy. I was getting ready to say part for him to repeat and he said "God loved us and sent Jesus"!!! Now that means that he knows what we are talking about and that "His Son" and "Jesus" are the same thing!!!!!
I sent him with Brent and some of the other kids hoping that he would really do it for them. Guess what, HE DID GREAT!
One of his teachers let us know that he did well. She also said that he helped a little girl with a puzzle. He said the letters and put them in the correct places. I've seen him do this stuff, but to have him finally able to go and do this on his own is extra awesome. It really was MUCH BETTER than a million dollars.
They said Zeeky was "severely mentally retarded" and "nonverbal autism" when he come home to us at age 3. He didn't talk at all. He made no eye contact. He still had a bottle and all he was fed was poptarts and cereal bars. He was behind in ever single area. I just knew they were wrong though, because I could see the spark behind his eyes.
I would love to find that psychologist who labeled him that way at such a young age. I would love to let him know that at 5 years old (almost 6 which will make me cry) he is doing so very much more than they said he would ever do. He is talking, saying verses, and participating in AWANA without me. He knows his colors, letters, shapes, numbers, and can read quite a few sight words. He has not gone to school since he got here and we only did speech therapy for a short time because he wasn't working for them. He just needed love and someone to believe in him. I believe he is going to keep right on going too! I also believe that I am very blessed to be "Mommy" to my little "Zeeky Monster"! God is so good!
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