Bright Eyes is going through another angry phase.

I love the happy, sunny boy. It's a little harder to love the boy who is screaming 'Diiiii-eee' at his brother and attacking him with whatever homemade weapons come to hand.

My current tactic is to separate them, cuddle the hurt one and put the anxious, murderously raging one in a room with a few of his favourite books and the door closed.

Sometimes the angries will last 45 minutes. Other times they are over in 10, and the two of them are then off playing happily.

He's had many many episodes of rage this week. It's times like this that I want to bury my head or come out with fruity language or eat chocolate because it's all just such hard work. Unfortunately, I usually end up with the chocolate...

Today was a birthday party of a 4 year old that Bright Eyes knows a little and likes. He was all set to go - helped me buy a dragon present, got dressed up as a cowboy, and then all of a sudden said, "No! I hate parties! I'm not going!", took all his costume off and refused loudly and with tears to do anything.

In the end it was probably just as well he didn't go, because I don't know how he would have coped, but it was disappointing to get that close and then have him refuse.