I have heard that question asked at every bedtime since Little A was beginning to speak. And by every bedtime I mean EVERY single bedtime, every night at every tuck in for years she has asked that question and we discussed all the delicious options as she happily wiggled in her blankies and pillows to get comfy. Amazingly to my astonishment tonight she did not mention breakfast. I even tried to bring it up because I'm so set in our routine but she did not even acknowledge my comment of english muffins, instead wanting to bypass our breakfast speak and move on to singing her favorite bedtime song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I didn't even get an inkling of her routine response "with butter and honey!" I was not only shocked but also super proud of her. We have never NOT talked about the next morning's breakfast at bedtime!
Not only does this make today a milestone day, it was also her first day of Kindergarten. This little girl, who three years ago could not make eye contact and her only known way of communication was either through blank smiles or eardrum piercing screams. When we first met Little A we thought she was maybe severely autistic, probably special needs, and most surely extremely traumatized from the neglect she experienced in her first two years of life and quite possibly locked inside herself forever.
This big five year old girl has proven us all wrong in the most wonderful ways. Two years ago she began to speak right before she started preschool and subsequently charmed everyone around her. She forgot how to scream and learned to interact with her family. She became comfortable with teachers, made friends, and learned to line up at the door and sit in circle time just like all the other kids. She is now almost completely verbally on par with her peers and she runs, she plays, she sings, she laughs, she loves. And now today, I truly believe after all this time, she finally trusts.
