Had a few friends over for a playdate Saturday. Zach, being the social animal he is, promptly took an hour nap. OK. So little K (born three weeks before Zach) hung out inside with sleeping Zach and Steve while us girls headed out into the freshly fallen snow to make snow angels. OK - so I didn't get down into the snow myself, but I watched and cheered everybody else on, so that should count for something.
We eventually came in from the cold and I made hot chocolate. Zach had woken up at this point, and basically spent the afternoon watching movies with K while the girls ran around the house doing various things.
It was time for my friend to leave with her children. They were putting boots, coats, hats and mittens on and Zach began to cry, a wimpery "I'm sad" sort of cry. After asking him what was wrong - offering him food and drink and toys, I realized he was very sad that they were going. I tried to pacify him and told him that they would come back and that maybe we would go to their house sometime. I don't know if he understood what I was saying, but I cuddled with him and continued to console him and eventually he got over it.
A week ago, while watching a Thomas the Train video about Christmas, he began to cry. He just happened to cry during a very melancholy song in the video. I thought to myself, the song is sort of sad sounding - could he be responding to that? I said it aloud and Steve said "Yep - he cried during this song yesterday too!"
Steve snapped at him the other day for making a mess, and off he went to cry for a minute.
I wish I knew what he was thinking/feeling. His often aloof appearance is a big coverup to a lot more going on. I often don't consider enough that he needs to be treated like the thinking and feeling person he is. But he does. He understands far more of this world than I realize.
Being a person of science (or with some science background) I am constantly looking at the action/reaction in things. The problem is the latency factor with some of this stuff - you may not see that reaction for days after. And sometimes it is immediate. His receptive language is much better than expressive.
I can best summarize these experiences best by saying that there is something going on up in that ol' head of his beyond what he can express. Will he be able to let me know one day?
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