A golden morning

Today started like many others. I found S. asleep on the couch and hoped he'd stay asleep till I got back from walking K. to the bus stop. He did, and we got dressed and ready for school. He still loves school - weekdays are his best days because the routine works well for him.

His teacher approached me a couple of weeks ago about trying to start teaching him sight words, and hoping that he could catch on and eventually learn enough words to be able to read and enjoy simple books on his own. I knew he had that ability because of the way he matches up his Thomas videos with the right boxes. So of course I told her to have at it.

Every few days his home note has been saying, "Did reading today...learned another word!" which is totally exciting. Along with the other three million things on my mind at any given moment, this fact made me smile vaguely, happy that HE is happy.

Until today.

This morning I followed him into class, watched him hang his backpack on the peg labeled with his name, and his teacher said, "S., let's read for mom." So he went to the table, sat down, and watched as she opened up the workbook and began to indicate words.

"Hursh." (horse)

"Yewwow." (yellow)

He got distracted and she gently pulled his attention back.

"Cah." (car)

"See."

"A yewwow cah."

"See a hursh."

My baby...my son who bewilders and aggravates and laughs and dances his way through our lives...is reading. He can do this. He has learned at least 10 words in as many days, and he retains them. The child who refused to hold a crayon till he was 5 is READING at age 7. Knowing that someday he may be able to sit down and enter the world created by a book is a golden, golden gift to me. He may never carry on a conversation, but here...HERE is a world he can enter.

I cried without shame as I watched him. This is a day to remember.