Miracles happen
OK, so it might be a slight exaggeration.
I have discussed the youngster's ADD here before. He suffers from it and we all deal with it, helping him understand things and learn. I have said before that it's difficult for me to understand everything he deals with, but while I'm struggling, I am making progress.
His class participates in something called "the Woodman". It's a speech competition between schools and eventually winners go to a national competition. This year's subject is one of the United States. Pick one you were born in, live in, have relatives in, whatever, but do your speech about that state. The speech has to be between 4 and 5 minutes and memorized. Everyone in the class has to do it and they are graded, with the best moving on in competition.
For the youngster, this is hell. It's tedious and repetitive and it's everything he can do to sit and memorize while every fiber of him wants to run around the house till he drops. So this past weekend, he and I sat down and wrote the speech (on Florida, because it's the only place he's ever lived) and went over it, and over it, and over it. By Sunday night he knew it...pretty much. Beginning Monday they started getting their names pulled out of a hat to do their speeches. I was praying he'd get called on quick, so we could be done with it...because....every day that he didn't do it meant we had to go over it a few more times to make sure he remembered it and yes, each of those times was more torture for him. So Monday went by...no speech. Tuesday went by...no speech. Wednesday comes and mom-in-law, who's at the house, calls and tells me the youngster didn't take his ADD medication. It's still on the table beside his empty milk glass. I'm thinking...oh shit. School is going to be a joy and lets hope he doesn't come home with some conduct issue and...please God, PLEASE don't let him do his speech today.
I called home after he got out of school and talked to him.
"Well, how was school?"
"It was OK."
"You know you forgot your pills, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Did you do your Woodman speech?"
"Yeah."
Oh shit...this can't be good. So much for prayer. "So, how'd it go?"
"I did good. Mrs. Teacher said I'm going to move up."
"Oh WOW, bud. I'm SO proud!!"
"Yeah, maybe I should forget my pills more often."
Oh Lord no, let's not go there, but we did celebrate last night.
So, not only did nothing bad happen, but he rocked (and without his meds), and was apparently one of the best three in the class, because three move up to compete with the other classes in the school, and then the best move on to compete with other schools and so on. I'm slightly shocked, amazed, and very proud.
I have discussed the youngster's ADD here before. He suffers from it and we all deal with it, helping him understand things and learn. I have said before that it's difficult for me to understand everything he deals with, but while I'm struggling, I am making progress.
His class participates in something called "the Woodman". It's a speech competition between schools and eventually winners go to a national competition. This year's subject is one of the United States. Pick one you were born in, live in, have relatives in, whatever, but do your speech about that state. The speech has to be between 4 and 5 minutes and memorized. Everyone in the class has to do it and they are graded, with the best moving on in competition.
For the youngster, this is hell. It's tedious and repetitive and it's everything he can do to sit and memorize while every fiber of him wants to run around the house till he drops. So this past weekend, he and I sat down and wrote the speech (on Florida, because it's the only place he's ever lived) and went over it, and over it, and over it. By Sunday night he knew it...pretty much. Beginning Monday they started getting their names pulled out of a hat to do their speeches. I was praying he'd get called on quick, so we could be done with it...because....every day that he didn't do it meant we had to go over it a few more times to make sure he remembered it and yes, each of those times was more torture for him. So Monday went by...no speech. Tuesday went by...no speech. Wednesday comes and mom-in-law, who's at the house, calls and tells me the youngster didn't take his ADD medication. It's still on the table beside his empty milk glass. I'm thinking...oh shit. School is going to be a joy and lets hope he doesn't come home with some conduct issue and...please God, PLEASE don't let him do his speech today.
I called home after he got out of school and talked to him.
"Well, how was school?"
"It was OK."
"You know you forgot your pills, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Did you do your Woodman speech?"
"Yeah."
Oh shit...this can't be good. So much for prayer. "So, how'd it go?"
"I did good. Mrs. Teacher said I'm going to move up."
"Oh WOW, bud. I'm SO proud!!"
"Yeah, maybe I should forget my pills more often."
Oh Lord no, let's not go there, but we did celebrate last night.
So, not only did nothing bad happen, but he rocked (and without his meds), and was apparently one of the best three in the class, because three move up to compete with the other classes in the school, and then the best move on to compete with other schools and so on. I'm slightly shocked, amazed, and very proud.
John put this out here at 8:51 AM
2 Comments:
You know... I can relate to your shocked surprised... that's how it is with William and his autism. Everything the doctors said he couldn't do...he's conquered.
When he accomplishes small feats (small to us...difficult for him) my heart swells with so much pride that I swear it will burst.
:)
Go "youngster"... he did great!
Yea, your youngster will be just fine :)
My Childhood Friend was an ADD kid - he ran amock every minutes of his waking hour, screamed out of his lungs whenever he didn't get what he wanted (until he got it) and kissed all the girls (and made them cry) everyday at school recess. Now he's so quiet you would have thought he's partially deaf and mute.
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