Not. One.

Tantrum.

All.

Day.

Yesterday.

Well, we had the usual kind of three-year-old stuff, but that's it.  Seth A. woke up cheerful, and he stayed that way.  The whole day.  The whole day.  I'm still in a bit of shock about it.  It was our best day yet, by about a hundred kilometres.  It was hectic and a little crazy around here at times, but I had a glimpse into what our family's future might be like:  great!

Even better for me:  my two boys played together.  They actually played together...quite a lot.  Other than a couple of short stints wrestling and pillow-fighting last week, they really didn't get along well last week.  Yesterday morning, before the day started, I prayed about this very thing.  When we got a sibling referral where we had a boy and a girl, and where the boy wasn't much younger than Matthew, it was a total answer to prayer.  Despite their size difference, Matthew and Seth are only seventeen months apart, and I have so wanted them to be friends.  I knew  it would take time, and the working through of competitive spirits, but yesterday I caught just a glimpse of what it might be like some day.  They laughed together, played pranks on each other, kicked soccer balls around together, took turns falling out of their beds together (pretending to be mortally injured each time) and chased each other around while trying not to fall down from laughing.

Oh, and then there was their favourite activity (which, yes, I allowed).  I pushed Lizzie in the bumble bee swing...

...while Matthew pumped himself on the swing beside her.

Seth kicked the soccer ball underneath where the other two kids were swinging and then, with quick darting movements (man, that boy has quick reflexes!), he wove his way under/around/through the moving swingers to collect his ball...only to do it all over again.  About thirty times.  Can you see the focus and determination in his eyes, in the picture below?


He never once got hit by flying feet or bodies - much to my relief, otherwise I'd make 'bad parent of the day award' and this post might read somewhat differently.  I know it was a bit reckless to let him do this, but really and truly, that boy is quick - and he knew exactly what he was doing.  He just swerved and ducked his way around the other kids...and they all laughed.

And then, given the general state of cheeriness of the kids, I got my first picture of the three of them together and happy.  Aren't they a happy-looking bunch?

Anyway, that was my day yesterday.  It was a day that I hope is replicated soon (maybe even today??), because it was a really, really good day.