Terrificly Terrible Threes

Gosh I love this kid Spencer but he is a hard 3 year old.      When Spencer is happy he is adorable.  He's the one in our family who is so happy to greet us and is the first to give a needed hug when someone is struggling.   He's a man of many ideas!  He loves his little toys and legos and gathers them up in his lunch box and moves around the house playing with them.    He likes attention and doesn't have a shy bone in his body.  One Sunday they asked me to sit in with his Sunbeam class and he rambled on and on to his teacher about everything in his little world.   Sister Chow was so loving and kind and laughed and told me there is always one kid usually the youngest of the family who has a lot to share.  Even at the dentist with Jane while I'm trying to have a serious conversation with the Endodontist about the need to give her a root canal,  Spencer needed to be right in the mix of the conversation asking the dentist all sorts of questions.   I don't think the prudish old man was amused but that didn't deter Spencer.  He just went right on interrupting us until the dentist answered his question.   Lately he gets in his head he needs to wear everything of the same color.  He will put on his red  spiderman underwear, Ninja P.J's shift through the bucket of gloves and hats and find his red gloves and a red hat and will wear it all day saying he is red Ninja man.    Both of us have been enjoying blueberries this winter and will sit together at the island and talk enjoying the yummy fruit.  The other night he decided he wanted to go to bed as a blueberry boy.  He spent the better part of an hour shifting through his P.J. and put on all the blue ones, he found a tie from Aaron's robe he promptly put on and then proceeded to collect every toy he could remember he owned that was blue.     It's so fun to see his little mind develop and work.

Yet there are far too many times I want to sell him into Egypt.   When something doesn't go just the way Spencer thinks it should he has no problem hollering about it.  Man does this kid have lungs and he just doesn't let up.      Dogs are dogs but within the species there are different breeds.  Some dogs hardly make a peep and some are constantly barking and barking and barking until the neighbors call the city on you.   Spencer's of the screaming breed and with yell until he loses his little voice.  I wonder if any of my neighbors will call the cops on us because I'm pretty sure they wonder what sort of torture we are doing to cause just a commotion from a three year old.  He's constantly in attack mode with Aaron.  I mean full on bite, kick, hit mode.  Aaron often looks like he's been attacked by a cat.  Bart and the girls hate the commotion hurting their ears and tell me just give Spencer whatever he wants so he will be quiet.  Sometimes I think he enjoys compact with all of us.  The other day at dinner I asked each of my family  to tell each other what they love the best about that person.   Spencer straight up said "I love Aaron because he fights with me".   The only discipline that works with this kid is to put ourselves in time out from him.  He hates it when I go into my room and lock the door to get away from his screaming.  He'll scream and yell and then finally when he realizes he isn't getting any attention he will calmly say through the door.  I'm calmed down now mom.   He would probably be great in sacrament if he could chat away at full volume the entire time but as soon as you tell him to use his whisper voice or turn it off all together he gets even louder.  I think he often enjoys pushing the boundaries  with straight up defiance.   Soon enough one of us is dragging him out to the hall while he shouts "Don't take me out I promise I'll be quiet I promise"    I know my congregation means well when they come up after church laughing that they get the biggest kick out of Spencer but I really wish he wasn't the side show each week.    I often think back during his baby blessing when he was screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time and the only thing I remember Bart saying was "You will be a powerful voice for the kingdom of God on this Earth"   I realize that if I let this kid live long enough to grow up to an adult his big powerful spirit and voice will do much good." 

 I know part of the terrible three's is he developmentally is not needing or wanting naps yet just can't make it the entire day keeping it emotionally together without one.   When he gets a nap he is a happy lovable boy but the cost is he doesn't want to go to bed.  If only Bart and I were night owls and could stay up happily until 11 that wouldn't be a problem.    Speaking of night this kid has been bad lately.  He even  argues in his sleep.   All of us are constantly woken up to Spencer having arguments with different people including cousins, friends and of course Aaron.  Even though he doesn't need me once I realize he is asleep I unfortunately often can't fall back asleep.   He has lately become a very fickle sleeper and wants the hall light always on and if he wakes up in the dark screams for us to turn the light back on.   I almost feel like I've got a newborn again with all these interruptions.

Someday Spencer and I won't be sleep deprived and hopefully I can keep it together enough to teach him emotional stability but I fear that instead I might lose all of mine in the meantime.