Coping Strategies

I am ever so glad I decided to keep Justin outdoors today. After being subjected to ultra-Stitchness Monday and Tuesday after he got back from the sitter's, I was kind of dreading having him all to myself all day today. I mentioned to Chris that we might stay outside most of the day and he said, "Good idea. First thing in the morning, toss him out the door. If he behaves well for an hour, he can have his boots."

Not a bad plan, that ;)

So we went for a walk in the forest, had a picnic at the pool on the other side of the forest, I recited "Promises to Keep" and he wanted to know what promises those were, came back, had warm milk, then set off to get some groceries, stopping at Burger King on the way for lunch. Didn't get back home until about 1:30. He went straight to nap with no fuss at all - I think I'd actually worn him out with about 3 hours of hiking in the cold.

Go. Me. I wore out a three-year old.

He was still whiny and irritable, and I most probably would have killed him had we been at home. As it was, his irritability was only mildly annoying, and fairly easy to redirect; "Oh, look at that fallen tree! How do you think it died?"

( Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening )