Change

A child can change in a sudden . You turn your back for a few seconds, and when you look at him again you find that he has already grown into someone else. Just when you thought that the Terrible Two's might have skipped Ash, it came back with a vengence and brought along his best pal as well... the Tantrum Three's. What's next? The Fearsome Four's?

Toddlers, like sea monkeys, seem to grow so fast. One moment Ash is a cute, obedient and oh-so-adorable kid and overnight, he had somehow managed to morph into this opiniated young man who seem to be on this never-ending quest to irritate the hell out of his parents.

Truth is, I never imagined someone to be able to be so headstrong and bent on doing something regardless of what anybody says. But enough about myself. Everyday, I see Ash growing. Growing into this person whose character is a lot like mine. Or so Sharon says.

Now all the seemingly mundane chores are magnified into these mammoth tasks. Simple things like asking Ash to lie down and go to sleep or to switch off the TV are met with a swift retort, "I DON'T WANT!" Tears usually follow after that.

Sleeping time is especially daunting now; with this young gentleman religiously chanting 'Ashton don't want sleep...Ashton don't want sleep...' We usually leave him to his own devices and he usually plonks onto his bed with his eyes closed after 15 minutes of chanting. And that is if we are lucky. Some nights, he will try to push his luck and ask for his Goofy (That's his current fave by the way) VCD to be played while he's on the bed with ALL the lights in the bedroom switched on. And if we refuse, our ears will be treated to this crying marathon, while our eyes will come face to face with a very wet (and sticky) face.

But there are sweet times amid the gloom.

Whenever Ash senses that I'm starting to get angry or upset over his actions, he'll quickly put his arms around me and go, 'I love you, Papa.' Like that how to scold right? Or whenever he wants to buy something like an ice-cream, he'll say what he wants and for that extra effect, he'll throw in, 'I love you.' Like that how to reject right?

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade Ashton and Ayden for anything else in the world. At least not yet.

Kidding.