linked 52: Shadows

I didn't take a new picture this week.  I didn't have a lot of motivation and I was getting ready for vacation.  I'm headed to Chicago today for about a week.  The kids are coming with and we're going to be hanging at my cousin's house with her family.  I'm so excited!  This photo is from when we went to visit them this past March during spring break.  The 3 boys.  :)

Be sure to check out these other ladies to see what's lurking in their shadows:  Michelle, Stacey, Andrea, Tracey, Heather, Jenn, Jessica, Amanda, Kristin, Amanda, Sara, Tracy, Lesli, Janet, Naomi, Rhonda, Georgia, Heidi, Kristi, and Jean

The challenge

I've been absent from my blog.  That includes my "linked" posts on Friday which I am really missing.  I've been dealing with a challenge.  (I've also had Olympic fever, but that's for another time.)  This is the challenge:

He moves around so much I couldn't really get him all the way in focus.  This was after demonstrating a flip.  He has Olympic fever.  :)  This also came after a 20-30 minute meltdown. 

They have been happening for the past month or two.  Unlike he has ever behaved before.  Nothing at home has changed and I haven't really noticed a pattern in these outbursts.  What I do know is that I'm at a loss. 
He just hasn't been himself.  It's so frustrating to see him so angry when I don't know what set it off in the first place. 

He has always been an easy one to redirect.  I most often have success getting him interested in something else.  I have had very little success doing that during these outbursts.  It's kind of exhausting. 
Thankfully, this does not happen every day or even every other day.  I just wish I knew what I could do to make it better.

These are the types of things that make me feel like I'm failing as a parent.  Not overall, but in these situations/ right now.  Ugh. 

Love him so much.  I just want my happy, little, fiesty (but not so defiant) boy back. 

He really has the best faces / looks.  :)