Cuddle cuddle cuddle

Today, finally, amongst all the end of year Christmas shemozzle, was a day where we didn't have to go anywhere, and we didn't have to do anything much.

I found that Bright Eyes was a lot calmer with the slower pace. In the times when he did start being oppositional, I just said, "You need a cuddle", hauled him on to my lap, and waited with him for a while - about two to three minutes. Then he recovered himself, and went back to do what I had suggested in the first place.

We did lots of 'together' activities. He asked to have a picnic in the lounge room, so we went to get the picnic rug together. Then we chose what we could eat together. After that, he helped me roll up the rug (he picked my pilates mat... not exactly picnicesque, but hey, it was comfortable) and we put it back together.

When eventually we did get in the car to do a few stops at some shops, he started refusing to get out of the car, but again, a cuddle in the back seat and at times, carrying him for a little bit, did the trick.

In general, it was a calm morning, not because he was perfect, but because I was going slow enough to avert the traumas.

This is progress, right?