Easy Like Tuesday Morning

Today has been okay.  I know that’s not very exciting but it’s true, and I’m very grateful for the lack of excitement and incident.

Today T got out of bed without arguing and he ate his breakfast without covering himself with milk and cereal, and without falling off his chair because he was rocking from side to side (stimming).  Last time he fell off his chair because he was rocking from side to side, the bowl went with him and we had Strawberry Squares all over the kitchen floor and his chair.

He ate his breakfast relatively quickly and we ticked his progress off on his visual “morning routine” tickchart.  We also looked at his weekly activity chart and when I showed him that there would be homework this evening, he did not complain or get upset.

We did the usual ablutions without fuss and he allowed me to dress him quickly instead of doing his usual interpretation of a pogoing octopus, whereby I aim his clothes at his arms and legs and hope that a limb will find the requisite hole before the school day begins.  Once he was dressed, he agreed to go downstairs and before I knew it, we were out the door and headed for school.  No cries of “fifteen more minutes!” or worrying that his toys would miss him.

He managed to cross the road on his scooter without being run over and scooted to school without cutting up any pedestrians, ramming anyone in the back of the legs or encountering any scary dogs, which can cause him to swerve into the busy road if preventative action is not taken swiftly.

This evening has passed pleasantly, with T eating all his evening meal.  Well, I say meal but it was simply an entire garlic baguette, served in slices.  However, he ate it all and there was only a smattering of crumbs on the floor, so it’s a win in my opinion.  (T does not like to mix food types and prefers to eat with his hands so he can dance to his Wiggles DVDs in between bites.)

When called downstairs to do his homework, I only had to insist firmly once that he stop making towers out of his Unifix counting blocks and concentrate on the actual homework.  He did all his maths questions quickly and seemed genuinely excited to get the answers.  Maths comes hard because it is an abstract concept but the Unifix blocks and the laminated number lines that I have made him seem to be helping.

He did his reading quickly and read well.  Now he’s upstairs playing again.

I can’t get over how easy today has been.  I have no idea why he is happier and more amenable today, but I’m taking this blessing and running with it.  I know there will be plenty of those other days - the angry days, the defiant days, the confused days, the silly and provocative days, the anxious days.  It’s amazing how our lives are dictated by the emotions of one small boy.  If he’s willing to play ball then we all have a good day.  If he’s feeling stressed, tired or anxious or any combination thereof, then we all know about it.  On those days even the simplest task can be inconceivably trying.  And unbelievably tiring.  And soul-sapping.

So I’ll take our easy, pleasant day and treasure it.  I’m documenting it now so that I can look back and remember when the times are hard and I’m in danger of forgetting what “easy” feels like.  Days like these deserve to be remembered.  We just did the day, simple as that.  And T was happy and content; that’s the best bit of all.