Improved from ABC

A short "stay-cation" over at Crowne Plaza T3 earlier this month.

樂樂 is 18 months old today. He graduated from his infant class yesterday and he is starting in his new class as I write. It is amazing how fast time flies, and even more amazing at how much he has grown.

He is now an active boy who likes to run everywhere. He likes balls, animals, Barney, Hi 5, and playing hide and seek. His favourite food include water-melon, Pocky and meatballs. He absorbs and learns things very quickly, and has a big vocabulary of words that he speaks and understands. He is more assertive and can articulate what he wants, most of the time.

He is a mischievous boy who knows no fear. He is persistent in what he wants to see and touch, and will not stop trying unless you give him what he wants. He enjoys going to the malls where he can grab all the merchandise on shelves and stack stuff up. He likes to throw a ball and then run after it, right across the human traffic flow. He likes to chase birds and look at water fountains and fish in ponds. He likes to bathe and going swimming. He likes to stir water in cups and pour water from 1 cup to another.

He dislikes dogs (long story), going to bed and being constrained. He doesn't want to put on his clothes after his bath, and likes to run naked around in the house. He doesn't like to wait for us to finish our meals when he has already fed.

I think that while he grows, it is also important to note that we, as parents, are growing as well. Jas and I really work very well together in this parenthood thingy. We try our best to take good care of him, we engage him in conversation, we bathe him, feed him, play silly games with him and comfort him when he's feeling frustrated. And we do this everyday. Even when he's watching Barney, we will try to engage him in conversation occasionally, instead of just letting him watch alone. It is a struggle at times, especially in the early morning and he wants to "kick ball ball" when the skies are still dark. Or when he takes his nap, we rush to pack his stuff, clean his bottles and such, and by the time we are ready to join him for a quick nap, he is awake and tearing to go.

No doubt, hiring a domestic helper will improve the quality of our lives, but it is not an option for us at the moment. Since he was born, Jas and I have only went out by ourselves a few times. There were times when we should have learnt how to let go, and just leave him with our parents or something. On the other hand, I cannot help thinking that there will be a time when he will not like to spend his time in our company. At this moment, he is so adorable, and it almost feels like a crime to hand him to somebody else when he is crying his heart out for us while we catch a show or something.

Of course, he can be a real handful at times. He is also growing into his "terrible 2s" and is quick to show his displeasure when he doesn't get his way. He slaps at his caregivers when he is frustrated, screams non-stop, and throws tantrums by crying on the floor and refusing to get up. Although Jas and I are quick to show him that it is wrong, we are not expecting this to end anytime soon. It is a stage that he is going through, and we just have to go through it as a family.

At the end of the day, he is what he is. Parenthood is not a something where we get to choose to enjoy the good parts and outsource the not-so-good parts. And the thing is, the more we go through the entire process, the better we become, and the more we enjoy it. He is a gift to us, and even though no one else can make us so frustrated, no one else can also make us so happy with just a smile.

樂樂, stay healthy, stay hungry, stay foolish. Daddy and Mommy love you.