Anyway, a few weeks ago, we took Rafa to Toy Kingdom at Ayala Fairview Terraces. We were there to buy a birthday gift for Luis, Kuya Miguel’s best friend at school. Just the same, we figured to treat Rafa out and let him get the toy of his choice.

We began with the usual trucks, then action figures, then balls, and then onto the educational toys section. However, what really caught Rafa’s fancy were the toy guns – not the pistol-type guns but the laser beam rifles that make cute “pew…pew…pew” sounds when you pull the trigger. It was obvious Rafa was having a hard time making up his mind with all the many choices in front of him – long guns, short guns, guns with revolving components, and so on.

While we were observing Rafa, we were amused because he was patiently trying each of the guns that captured his interest. He would compare one with another, try out the triggers, listen to the sounds that they make, and even compare how comfortable each one was to hold. Rafa was already asserting his choices when it came to the clothes that he wanted to wear. However, when it came to the toy guns, Rafa was using the process of elimination to arrive at his final choice.

It was just an everyday moment but the way Rafa tried each toy in order to come up with a decision made Mammy Khris and me proud. It made us realize that our little boy may not be that little anymore. We know that there are still many years ahead of him but, as other parents say, kids grow in a snap. 

One moment they’re little, then you’ll realize the next time that they’re already teens who want independence. It makes me nervous to think about that. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy the little moments with my kids.

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