Tuz is almost 3 years old. He is a happy and hyperactive child and is typically in his terrible twos. What I mean by this is that most of the time he is just happy playing by himself, playing with us or playing with other kids at the farm. Even though he gets moody and stubborn from time to time, especially when his sleep is disturbed or when he’s tired and couldn’t seem to go to slumber, he easily gets back to his positive, happy, hyperactive self. He doesn’t hold grudges (I know some toddlers who do hold grudges for a long time) and I’m just glad that with Tuz, after a certain episode of scolding and spanking — yes we spank our kid — it’s like nothing happened and he forgets all about it and gets back to his laughing, playing, hugging and kissing mood.

He also knows how to express his feelings at this age. Like when he just wants to cry, he will tell me “Tuz cry” or “Tuz angry”. After a few minutes, he will simply stop crying and then he will ask me to clean his face by saying “Clean it, clean it. Tissue and alcohol.” This means he wants me to get a WET tissue that smells nice and not a dry tissue but not necessarily put alcohol on it. I do put alcohol at the corner of the tissue if the wet tissue is not the fragrant kind. Then I wipe his eyes and nose with the fragrant wet tissue. He is OC like that (he probably got it from me coz I’m OC too) and we are really lucky to have him.

But on those moments, when he does have a meltdown, it can really be hell at home. He won’t stop crying. Spanking doesn’t help. He shouts. I shout. Mahal remains calm and becomes the referee between me and Tuz. And I just cry in a corner out of frustration and desperation which makes Tuz cry some more too. It’s a scenario I don’t want to relive. I’m sure you mommies out there get the picture.

Below is a video of Tuz I took weeks before when I couldn’t understand what he wanted me to do and ended up crying and crying for what seemed like an eternity…
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