Terrible, trying, testing, tiring Two's

I've never really placed much emphasis on the "terrible two's".  Lots of people actually say the 2's are fine, it's the 3's that'll get ya.  Well, either those people had very little patience with their toddlers or I had the best twins ever!  Maya and Riley were a dream during their 2's and 3's.  They were so inquisitive and funny and playful.  A bad day was just that, a bad day.  Those were isolated and few and far between and definitely not what I'd consider to be "terrible" at all.  For goodness sake, we all have days with meltdowns....even in our 30's!  The twins turned four this fall and their independence continued to grow as they start school and I just couldn't help but pat myself on the back a little for sailing through my first two kids unscathed.  I was in the middle of writing my acceptance speech for mom-of-the-year......

...and then Teagan turned about 2 years and 3 months (right about the time Maya & Riley started school this fall) and my world came crashing down around me.  She is the Tasmanian devil.....and in her swirling vortex of chaos she has entrapped her sisters and brought them along for the ride.  Heaven help me!

I have potty trained and re-potty trained that kid about 3 times since July.  She has a potty mouth of late and lets and occasional explicit word fly or likes to "potty talk".  She is forever the instigator with her sisters and does stuff to them just to be mean.  Our once fun and easy-going family meals have been replaced with constant reprimands and threats and often times her leaving the table with all of us in disgust over another frustrating evening.  I think I say "sit down and take a bite" about 84 times during any given meal.  She rarely sleeps through the night anymore or she is awake at shortly after 6am and stays awake even though since 8 weeks she's slept a solid  11 hours/night 99% of the time.  She gets Maya and Riley worked up and then the 3 of them totally gang up on me or Bill or whatever.  She is headstrong.  And BOY does she have a TEMPER! 

I mean look at her, she marches to the beat of her own drummer....obviously!

So do I have little patience with my toddler?  Or did having Maya & Riley first set the bar too high?

I know that not every child has the same demeanor, even children in the same family, raised by the same parents with the same parenting philosophy.  It's not like I had my first kids a decade ago and now I am just older and more of a lax parent when it comes to stuff which may have triggered different behavior in her.  Time outs have proven ineffective.  Taking away toys and privileges just lead to uber meltdowns.  And swats to the behind seem to slide right off like I stood there and dumped water on a duck's back. 

Some say it's just a phase. 

Others say she's testing me. 

I say "would YOU like to take her for awhile?" 

So, it is what it is until we figure out what to do.  I guess.  I will continue to show her acceptable behavior and certainly not tolerate outright disobedience or dangerous actions.  I hope that this is short-lived or she may find herself grounded from her Senior prom before she enters pre-K. 

But the best part is knowing that she's only going to be this age for a short while.  She's still my lovey, snugly TT.  She still gives me the biggest hugs and says "I love you mommy, you're my beeessst friend".  She still crawls in bed with me on weekend mornings and give kisses and she still wants to be a big helper with dishes, laundry, playing games or whatever.  She is testing me.  This is just a phase.  This is probably also just her attempting to be more independent like her big sisters and making sure she's not forgotten.  But how we ALL treat this time in her life will help her become the person she is meant to be.  Not every kid is perfect.  Not every parent will be mom-of-the year.  But we are who we are because of each other and in spite of what may happen for a few months or a year out of our lives. 

I mean, come on, any kid that watches TV hugging her rocking horse deserves to be cut a little slack...

(But maybe you could cut me some slack if you see me some day and I look a little worn out.  Thanks in advance!)