Cole's personality is developing in noticeable measure. I realize it's an ongoing reality of growing up, yet lately it seems that it's evolving before my eyes. He's always had a strong persona but when he was younger, it was quieter and not always obvious unless you spent time with him. Now, he seems to be coming into his own, bursting at the seams.
His sense of self is more evolved and his desire to be heard and recognized is more determined. He's finally starting to understand that if he doesn't speak up for himself, for what he wants, likes, and needs, others will not know how to fulfill his wishes. Where he was once accepting of my responding for him or making choices for him (usually after much unsuccessful prodding to get him to make the choice himself), now he is more respondent, more communicative, and more sure of what he wants to say, do, play, and of course, what he doesn't want to say, do or play! It's a beautiful thing.
It's also fun to observe the new him with his friends. This past week he had both a sleepover with his friend Aura, and a playdate with his friend Jacob. They are two of his closest friends at school and they both have an innate understanding of Cole. They both talk to him, not at him, and listen for his response, understanding his response. They play together, and except for Cole's need for physical assistance, I could be elsewhere and they'd be just fine. Cole and Jacob tell secrets which I find heartbreakingly amusing. They whisper and conspire and seem wholly satisfied knowing that they share something special. Apparently they tell secrets in class too! (Jacob is in Cole's class, Aura is in a different 1st grade class but the two spend recess and lunch together every day...).
Every day it seems like Cole has something new that makes him laugh or that he is interested in. Each day as we roll in to school, a new friend says hello to him or an old friend references something they shared the day before. It's fascinating to have these little sneaks into his life, his life outside of the life he and I share. Selfishly, I wish I could have more peeks into his new world. Proudly, I am tickled that he is coming into his own and enjoying the place he's at right now with such obvious delight.
