Only mostly big

Nico had a really rough day at preschool today, unusual for him since he typically loves it. When I picked him up after work, Dad said his teacher had reported Nico was sad today and didn't want to play on the playground. "I'm just sad," Nico told me, coming over to lean in for a hug. When I asked him why he was sad he answered, "I'm just sad." He was a little prone to weepy outbursts all evening, and seemed both a little wheezy and a little steamrolled by the time change. I let him snuggle up with me on the couch and watch a DVD while I gave him a nebulizer treatment, and then I put him to bed a little early. Once the kids were down for the night I emailed his teacher to ask a separate question and commented that I was sorry to hear he'd had a bad day. She emailed me back and said she thought maybe the time change plus the change in school routine due to class picture day had been too much for him. Apparently he sat on the little bench and cried through the entire playground break. Oh, buddy.

Nico does seem to have trouble with routine changes, especially at school. His teacher mentioned on Halloween that he'd seemed a little "off-kilter" all morning, and we wondered together if the excitement of the class party had been a little too much. I try not to worry overly much in general but I sometimes feel concerned about Nico when it comes to this difficulty processing change. Is it normal? Is he just a little sensitive? Is it a warning sign of something significant? I have to remind myself that as a child, I had an awful time dealing with changes to my expected routine. Worse than Nico, for sure, and it persisted well past my preschool years. Probably he was just bound to be a little bit that way, too. I also have to remind myself that as big as he seems, as capable as he can be, he's really only mostly big, which is very different from all big.

Reading:  Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Playing:  Lay it Down by the Cowboy Junkies