No, I don't wanna!

So this is José's favorite phrase.  I hate this phrase as much as I find it cute. That alone expresses what it's like to raise a child.  There are moments you hate, and within them you're still loving them and finding them to be the most beautiful creation ever.  I hate this phrase because it means somewhere in the next 10 seconds its going to be a battle of the wills.  Have you ever faced a stubborn two year old? Their will power is so strong, it seems like they could resist Chinese water torture...FOR YEARS!  This phrase means that I will have to tell him to do something, more than once, with each repetition getting sterner and with added consequences until he utterly breaks down, violently and spastically launches himself to the floor, centering his gravity to make him weigh 200lbs instead of 27 and screaming at full volume.  He can scream.  Need an example? He can scream so loud, the neighbor across the street from his sitter, came out of her house, ACROSS the street and asked him what the fuss was about.  His response, "I don't wanna diaper change!"  See? This is then followed by tears, more refusals, and a time out. A 2 minute time out that takes 15 minutes to complete because..."I don't wanna time out!" Sigh...  If you're at this stage now, you're presently looking at your kid hoping that this battle will only be fought 6 times today instead of 60.  If you're past this stage, you're probably cringing in phantom pain from the memory of it.  Not there yet? Oh just you wait! It's about as fun as chewing glass while being dragged over a street of nails.  Each time this happens, I think "God, please don't let him do this...again! Please make him compliant." Gods response? "No, I don't wanna!" Why? Because José, like every two/three year old is reaching his independent stage, figuring out what he can/can't do.  It's a learning process.  Sigh again...  I can honestly say that I hate this process.  I understand it, but I don't have to like it.  I just want my sweet baby all of the time.  The one who says "Yes, mommy..." or "Ok, mommy..." THAT KID! That kid makes the occasional appearance.  So until that kid shows up, I get a miniature dictator who thinks he's the ruler of all the land, when reality is he's only in charge of his toys...unless he throws them (his pitching arm is a whole other story).  But this dictator is damn cute! When he says "No, I don't wanna!" He crosses his arms tightly, drops his chin to his chest and drops his bottom lip in the cutest pout ever! When he throws himself and screams at sound breaking barriers, he's the cutest red faced looking monkey ever.  When he cries, they're the biggest tears and his eyes are so mournful you want to stop making him cry and hold him.  In that moment of parental pain and agony, he is stunningly beautiful.  I guess kids are designed that way, because otherwise they wouldn't make it far (ask my mom why I'm still alive).  So, onward we trudge with what seems like a never ending battle that is hated and cherished all at the same time.