Terrible Threes

Okay, so my handsome little men are much more handful than little these days.

Brayden just got grounded for the first time ever.  If they are three years old, can they still wear "toddler pants"?  He has been refusing to take naps lately (which only increases the amount of sass his sweet little heart spews out at us), but as long as he stays quiet in his room, I don't bother him for an hour.  Sometimes an hour and a half if he is really being quite.  Unfortunately, when he isn't sleeping that translates into destruction...ripping things off of walls (things that have tacks in them for pete's sake!), ruining picture frames, ripping all of the sheets off of his bed.  Apparently anything but sitting quietly and reading the books I begrudgingly handed over just in case he couldn't sleep.  So, today he escaped his bedroom, tip toed into mine and jumped into the pack and play with his sleeping little brother.  And WOKE HIM UP TO PLAY. Iwill just say, there was some screaming banshee behavior.  From me.  towards my little naptime delinquent.  So, now he cannot watch t.v. or movies until Monday.  Mostly because we don't really watch any shows on the weekend, and I couldn't bring myself to spank him, but I wanted a punishment that would really, really stick.  And TV is one of the great loves of his life so far.  Uggh.  I hope it works.

Jack has learned a new favorite word..."amen!".  When we pray at dinner each night Jack has picked up the last word we say, with a bit of encouragement from his big bro.  And he shouts AMEN!! all of the time.  Especially if he wants us to laugh or is done with his dinner or milk.  He is absolutely adorable and thankfully, in more of a mellow mood than a "toddler pants" mood.  He has developed a habit of SCREAMING no (as if we can't hear him) or walking along and gently sprawling belly down to throw a fit (and pausing to look around to see if we are watching or listening).  But other than that he is sweet and funny and just needs a little re-direction if you don't want him to do something.  Or a flash of his blankie and he dives for it, forgetting about everything else.

Oh, and there is good news!  Daddy got a job!  He will manage his own Dollar Tree!  Wonder what the discount is like when everything is a buck????