"Welcome to the grocery store!"

Saturday, we were still doing a special tract campaign and he kept referring to the tract as "the command"  He was told he could offer one at the next door, "can I please have a command to hold?" 

Monday he stayed home from school with me. He was so excited, and well behaved and polite all day. While we were at Kroger, he kept calling out to people, "Welcome to the grocery store!"  And when we were checking out, he was reading name badges on the employees, "Welcome to the grocery store Jeremy!" (the bagger)  "Welcome to the grocery store Amanda!" (cashier)

Tuesday he had his second special education assessment. Math. We knew he could do some basic math - some simple addition and subtraction, count, identify which group is larger or lesser, etc. We did not expect the psychologist to come back out and say he did SO well that again, he is likened to an 8 year old. That surprised us. Though she did tell us too that when she asked him addition problems, he always chose the second number as the answer. That is his way of telling you he doesn't want to do it.  He also tried to test her knowledge when they were using counting blocks, she had to remind him that she is there to test him, not the other way around.  She told us that if we want to pursue this - to go ahead and schedule the IQ testing because she's certain he's going to pass all three assessments with excellence. So that meeting is scheduled for December.  We'll have to enroll him in school so he's in the computer system and can be tested, but he won't have to take classes there or anything yet.  We rewarded him with his choice of dinner. He chose Buffalo Wild Wings.

Wednesday morning, I heard him get up at 2:28am. I kept waiting for him to go back to bed, and it seemed too long. I got up and he was just hanging out on the couch. (The security camera showed me later that he got up, turned on lights, and then fished through my lunchbox to see what was in it, and then went and sat on the couch.)  He told me he was just waiting for everyone to get up. I explained that it was way too early and he needed to go back to bed.  He appeared again at 3:16, fiddled around. Ted found him asleep on the couch with his blanket over his head at 5:30, when he woke up again. We're not sure how long he was awake that time as it didn't register on the camera.

Wednesday was also his second field trip! His school went to a local Kroger and learned more about foods and prices. They each got to spend $1 on food to donate. 

Wednesday as he was eating dinner, and Annelise came in and he cheerily asked her how she was. She said she felt like her head was going to explode. I quickly told him that it's not possible and not to worry - it just means her head hurts. Then she asked him how he was, he replied, "I feel like my head is going to explode.... and my eyes are gonna go with it."  He's so funny.

Right before bedtime, he kept trying to interrupt a conversation. We stopped and let him tell us a silly story of finding a skunk in a toilet and it turning around and spraying and saying ewww. The second time I told him to wait until daddy was done talking. He scrunched up his face and got upset. I managed to finagle him through teeth brushing and potty and getting into bed. Before lights out, he said he didn't want to pray because he had a broken heart.  So Ted pulled out Psalms 34:18 and had him read how Jehovah is close to those brokenhearted and how it's now that Jehovah wants us to pray to him the most so he can comfort us. That made Andrew smile.

Saturday afternoon, both Shipwrecked and Monkeys Treehouse were both closed for private parties, so we took him to Goofballs. The boys played for two hours while I sat and studied for exams. Andrew had a good time, but they both were exhausted. 

Sunday I made a full turkey dinner and Andrew helped chop up the shredded carrots for the stuffing. He was a good helper in setting the table too.  He just about went crazy though wanting someone - anyone - to play with him.

Sunday night in his prayer, after thanking Jehovah for those who have lost loved ones and "helping bring them back to life in paradise where they can see their children again" .... he also thanked him for the big tower he and daddy are going to build in Paradise and be able to paint the inside walls. His prayers are always interesting.