If you hear grinding...

...it's my teeth. Ethan has decided that it's time to test our limits. ALL of our limits. We should have seen it coming. He's been inching up to it, but he hadn't really crossed the line until recently. Today it came to a head. (I should mention that this all happened after an ok morning and a good nap.)

First at Target, where I literally needed two things. It took us more than half an hour b/c someone decided that he needed rest breaks every few feet, that running away and hiding between the racks was a fun game, and that biting mom was a great way to pass the time. I finally managed to make it out, my two items in one hand and Ethan on my other hip, facing away from me to avoid being bitten. When we arrived home he was slightly annoyed that I refused to take him to the park, but decided dad would so it was ok. Apparently not a good enough punishment, so I also banned playing in the car in the driveway and TV. Many fits ensued. He was repentant and we'd talked it over by the time dad got home, so they did go to the park for a little while and then played in the back yard while grilling dinner.

Ah, dinner. Ethan flat out refused to fold his arms for a prayer (something he's been doing more and more often), so we decided no one could eat until we'd said the prayer, and we couldn't say it until we were all ready, i.e. folding our arms. This ended with me holding his arms so that we could eat. (We wouldn't have pushed this, but he's been folding his arms since he was 12 months old. This is just pure rebellion.) Then we had to enforce the rule about sitting at the table or sitting in time-out during dinner several times (and the one about sitting in your chair while you are chewing, even if it's your last bite.) By the end of a very tear-filled meal, Ethan had eaten only three bites.

We've also been fighting the "I don't want to do what you're asking, so I can't hear you" syndrome and the distraction tactics.

Our little angel is becoming quite the punk kid. Somehow I just can't get myself excited about doing it all again tomorrow.