Recharge

Poor Little Bird.

The last couple of months have been a bit of a whirlwind for him--since May, he's gotten a new baby brother, had to move (again), had non-stop house guests, and had his sister start Kindergarten. Everything has been topsy-turvy for my already sensitive little guy. I know that Squirrel going to Kindergarten has been hard for him. He likes to tell me all about his "Kindergarten"--this usually consists of him repeating the stories that he's heard Squirrel tell. Or he will sometimes interrupt Squirrel's play-by-play of her day on the ride home to tell me something really important. ("Mom. Mom. I havva tell you sumping!") When it's time to load up to take her to Kinder, he often drags his feet and takes his sweet time. On the way to pick her up, he'll usually hop right up from any activity and beat me out the door. He loves his big sister fiercely, and has ALWAYS had her by his side. This school thing is messing with his groove.

However, in the past week or so since Squirrel started Kindergarten, I have realized a couple of things:

1) He really enjoys the time to himself.

2) He's never had any!

It's fun to see how he spends the couple of hours he gets alone now--he goes in his room and plays and plays. He talks to himself; I like to listen to him acting out big scenarios between his cars and his dinosaurs, his two very favorite types of toys. He makes different voices for each one and finds new ways for them to interact, weaving long tales into his play. To be honest, I don't even think I realized that he liked to do that enough to spend hours a week doing it. His play has always been much shorter; but then, he's always had a big sister who could interrupt. Now, he finally has the freedom to do exactly what he wants to in that time. And I have to admit, I feel a level of guilt realizing that it is something he has wanted but not gotten in the three years of his life. Something *I* know that I need to have in my life, but which I never even gave a thought to when it came to him: alone time. Quiet, individual activity is something I really value. It's why I'm a night owl (hmm...maybe why he's one too...), because staying up late after everyone goes to bed gives me the time I need to have my own thoughts and time to relax without having to play by anyone else's rules.

I've been reading a book suggested to me by a friend called Raising Your Spirited Child, and must say it has been eye opening for me as it relates to Little Bird. I'll probably go into it more in later posts, but one thing it discusses is how being an extravert or introvert affects us because it is how we "recharge our batteries." Extraverts (like Rob and Squirrel) are energized by being in company and playing and talking with others. Introverts (like me and Little Bird) are energized through alone time and reflection. So, even though I know that Little Bird misses his sister and feels pretty left out whenever she gets to go to Kindergarten, I also know that he is getting something that his little soul needs: a little more time to be at peace, look inside himself and recharge his mind and spirit.