And the fog is slowly lifting…

13 months in…and it’s starting to feel that life is re-shaping…yet again.

This time around, the sleep-deprivation daze is slowly disappearing and the hormonal haze is evaporating.

Dare I say, life is starting to look a lot clearer.

It’s like I’ve been wearing reading glasses with the wrong prescription.

Then, someone pops the right ones on my face.

All of a sudden…clarity.

In mind and in emotion.

This is so very timely, as we are also entering the scary stage of toddlerdom.

The boys are a lot more interactive now.  Which is actually bittersweet.

There is a lot of clapping, dancing, “high five’s” and even some involuntary kisses in our home at the moment.

Yet, on the flip side, we are witnessing extra explosive energy – the climbing on boxes, lounges, chairs, playground slides.

The result:  Donks,bumps and bruises…of course.

So, with the beginnings of their social development and their gradual physical independence, we are trying to teach them that tricky concept called “reason”.

Little K in particular seems to happily babble in some form of a conversation with me.

Or is it actually just back chat ?

In any case, it kinda goes like this:

Mama Grace:  Little K, please darling, please get off that chair.  That’s very dangerous.

Little K: Nya nya nya nyaaaaa !!!  Ba ba baaaaaahhh !!!

(Jumping up and down on the play chair even more excitedly)

MG: But, sayang*, you’ll fall over and hurt yourself and cry.  And you don’t like to cry…

LK:  Yayayayayaaaa !!! Nya nyaaa !!!

(He scrunches his face while pointing his finger furiously at his mother)

Then, just as he starts to lose his balance and wobble on the play chair, Little N totters by and pushes his brother off the chair and…CRASH !!!

There are tears, screams, yelps from both twinlets for at least 10 minutes. (Which in parenthood time is an eternity).  And then another 15 minutes after that, Little K is back on the chair…sitting on it in squat position.  Again.

Having learnt nothing from the previous encounter.

Children and reasoning ?

I believe this is going to be a torturous, continuous battle.

Let the negotiation games begin…

But hey, at least the fog is finally lifting…

*Sayang (Pronounced: “SAH-young”) is an Indonesian term of affection for “Darling”.  It can be used to call your lover, a dear friend or your crazy 13 month old twin son when trying to get him to see reason as he dangerously stands on furniture or other high objects.

P.S  If there are any experienced parents out there with any successful tips on how to negotiate or reason with a 13 month old, please drop me a line.  SOS…