Challenges and Changes

The kids are very antsy for school to start. They will start their school year Tuesday, September 4th with the other local Michigan schools. They are constantly showing improvement this summer! I will blog with photos of some of it tomorrow. Tonight I want to talk about a mom's lack of faith, and a son's journey to push her limits!

Brenton is my eight year old autistic son. He has always been a computer genius, no-I'm not kidding-at two he was doing more than I was at twenty-one! I've never doubted that even-thought he may not learn like so-called "other normal kids", he is capable of more than life allows, but sometimes things don't come easy. He is quick to be disturbed and moves on to projects probably every five minutes, if not more often. He loves to just be going and going and going! So when we challenged ALL the boys to accomplish reading one hundred books by the end of the year (Christmas actually) I allowed him to read "kiddie-books" with his little brother.
Suddenly Brenton was reading chapter books that James (eleven year old son) or Bobby (brother) were reading. I just figured he was flipping through, seeing a few words he knew. However, shortly after Brenton started to talk about the books, and started to say things that were in the books, so I wondered, but honestly didn't pay much attention.

Brenton has been flying through books with the older boys, and I honestly just thought he was skimming or looking or trying to be like them. I know that he is smart, but seriously-the boy took my Wuthering Heights book to the toilet...who reads that at eight years old? Right?!?!?!!?!?!?

Well, then momma bought the Hunger Games series. I was reading them, finished them quickly, then we started Hunger Games as a family. However, we didn't get past chapter two because of life in summer. The movie was JUST released, and we bought it on DirecTV and watched it...Suddenly ALL the boys wanted to be reading! James read it first, and then Bobby started it. Brenton kept asking, and I said no over and over again. Suddenly one day while I was frantically doing my own college homework I slipped and said whatever. (Don't act like I'm the ONLY mom who does that-I know you have at least once!)...

Suddenly I was noticing what he was reading, how he was reading, and what really was coming from his reading!!! Tonight the news was on, and there were some larger words. Brenton read them (they were non-spoken). He did this when telling his father and I about the Hurricane coming to Florida as well, before we even were aware a hurricane was coming. The boy can read, not only can he read large chapter words, but he can sound them out, spell them as he goes, and is learning to say them each correctly (with his delay). It truly is an amazing miracle to see how far he has come with this. I would LOVE to rub this in some teachers and therapists noses who had NO faith in our amazing son, even when we told them over and over-he is a genius!

So now I can't wait for school too! Tomorrow we will be heading to the teacher store to get some supplies and check out new things, and I am very excited for what the year will bring ahead for our K-1, 3rd, and 6th graders!!!!

LOVING BEING A HOME-SCHOOL MOMMA!