S has become car-centric. Somehow cars have made it onto the radar screen in a big way. Brown van. Silver van. Yellow cab. Green car. Red truck. His skill in identifying and classifying cars has grown to different makes and styles. He can tell an SUV apart from a jeep from a van from a stationwagon... And he can spot a Honda a block away.

We think that cars made it on the radar when we got a second carseat to put in Roland's car. He started saying, "Dada's car" and didn't object to going out with Roland without me (at the time he was still very attached).

I was teaching him the alphabet while this car curiosity grew. One day S was getting out of his stroller which I parked behind Roland's car. Suddenly a lightbulb turned on. He excited pointed to the car and yelled, "H!!! Dada's H car!!" Thus his ability to identify Honda's. What I'm trying to figure out, though, is how he can identify a Honda by seeing a profile of the car or an angle that doesn't show the 'H'.

On the eve of S's 2nd birthday, Roland mentioned something about heading into the 'terrible two's'. I've never liked that label. I've pretty much blacked out the fact that two is a difficult age and have instead brainwashed myself to embrace the wonder of toddlerhood.

But then it suddenly hit me--what if S is 'terrible'? What if S turns out to be the kid that throws flailing tantrums in the grocery store or the playground sandbox? What if S whines incessantly for something then ends up a sobbing heap on the kitchen floor?

I have to say that we've had our moments. S has his fair share of tantrums but so far they're not much worse than when he was 18 months old. He's always voiced his needs quite strongly so his behaviour isn't anything new. Now that he's older he understands much more when we try to reason with him and he's also better able to express himself. Also I think we're better at reading him and heading him off before a tantrum starts.

We're only 2 months into the two's so we'll see how things go!