On Turning 3

Oh dear!  Please help me name this phase.  All of a sudden he's more articulate...more perfectionistic...more rude...and in the week or so before and after his 3rd birthday, The Duck has, in chronological order:

--taken his grandmother's passport from her purse and stowed it in a remote cupboard (the morning of her flight home)
--pooped his undies (fully) for the first time ever
--emptied half a family size box of cereal on his bedroom rug
--drawn an extensive mural on our living room walls
--sent my cell phone to the "Doom Dimension" (wherever his favorite hiding spot of the moment is)
--screamed about the shape of his waffles
--eaten a contraband lollipop while hiding under his bed at bedtime
--told me all the food I give him is Dumb
--ground playdough into the playroom carpet
--called me Butt Face
--told me my face looks like a Butt

So I bet you're wondering what I was doing while all these things happened?  Well, the usual.   Laundry,  talking to my sister on the phone, working on my computer, preparing somewhat balanced snacks or meals, crying about Haiti, cleaning, handling Mr The King, chasing The Duck himself to retrieve the stolen goods while threatening a MAJOR time out (imagine his mocking chipmunk voice: "Ha!  Time outs have no power over me anymore, cardio-challenged Mama!").  A few of the above events occurred while Nanny L was around too, I'll have you know.

 Up until now, The Duck has been the Easy Child, as opposed to his big brother.  I swear this kid needs six times the supervision he did a few weeks ago!  His twos were not terrible....but what do we call this already rocky year?  Threatening Threes?  Thrilling Threes?  There'll be a prize for anyone who can nail it!

Signed,
Knee Deep