[imported from livejournal and backdated]
Definitely on the up, and not as likely to slide, although that still happens every so often.
The
other day (when? Who knows, I don't usually make distinctions between
days, just aware of the sun moving :P) something Tao was doing was
shitting me, Josh had denied him something and he was wailing and
carrying on and complaining. I was getting irritated by his whinging as
he'd been on and off all day, on and off the boob all day and I was
feeling slightly short tempered.
I really wanted to give the child a decent clout and tell him to shut the hell up.
What I did was say "Poor little bugger, you really wanted to [do whatever it was that I've now forgotten] didn't you?"
Tao paused in his wailing, stared at me, then tearfully replied "Yes!"
"Yeah I know, it was good fun, but we can't do it right now. Let's have a cuddle and we'll go find something else to do."
We
had a cuddle and then found something else to do, though again I can't
immediately recollect what. It worked out so much better and was so
much nicer than yelling. And it works because on average (even when I'm
feeling bad about the days where I've yelled too much) I do that more
than I yell, and thus I don't really have much f a clue about the
phenomenom often referred to as "the terrible 2s" and "the terrible
3s". I have no doubt that it exists but it doesn't seem as big a deal
as it's been made out.
Josh's parentage are apparently going to
be retiring in Perth soon, sometime in the next couple of years or so
Josh keeps saying. I might see if Nanna is interested in having Tao for
part of or a full day one or two days a week to cut me a break, and add
Ruan to the mix when she's 2 or so (whenever she's ready to be left).
Hopefully then I'll be able to get a decent amount of work on the
animation done as well as get back into kung fu. Will see how we go on
that front. In the meantime I'll jhust have to continue struggling
along as I am.
Oh yeh, and silly season. It went well, though
because I'm stupid I forgot the camera, so no Jurien photos. Tao had a
blast playing with Josh's cousins, Ruan cuted everyone out, Ruan got a
stash of very cute clothes and a couple of books, and Tao got a pile of
books and workbooks aimed at 3-5yos. A few of them are awesome because
they are wipe clean ones and he has been having a blast with them,
although Ruan broke the compartment that contains the magnets on one of
them.
Tao also got a big as Tonka dump truck from us. He loves it.
Things
are looking mostly clearer in the home education department as the kids
get older and I can work out what to do with them, and the option is
looking better and better every day.
And now time for bed, seeing as my thoughts ar emore disjointed than usual.