Terrible Twos, Terrfic Threes, ....Fours,....Fives

What word describes the fours and fives? For Alivia, terrible twos, were non existent. I had the perfect child. Then something happened almost over night at about 4 years old. I have been trying to think of negative words that start with f. Frightening fours, freakin' fives, which is a word I have had to cut out of my vocabulary since growing up a little from high school and becoming a mom. Even though, I'm sure Jared would tell you, once in a while he hears something mumbled out of my mouth that sounds something like, "freakin retard." So coming up with words that begin with F to describe Alivia's stage right now isn't easy and probably shouldn't be contemplated too much. But she is near impossible. She won't do anything. She can't get herself dressed in time for preschool. One morning she finally made it dressed right as it was time to go. Her hair had been in little braids the day before and was a mess everywhere. I said, "Oh darn, it looks like you are going to have to go to school with your hair like that." She cried almost the whole way there about how embarassing this was. Then when she got home, she said, "the boys liked my hair today" and fluttered her eyes in that cute but devilish way that she does. She lies constantly. Kayla still wouldn't dare to lie, Kayla had her own issues when she was five, but lying was never one of them. :) The other day I went into her room and found clothes underneath her bed (this isn't the first time), and I said, Livvy there are clothes underneath your bed. Would you like to take care of that or would you like me to?" So of course she wanted to and ran quickly up the stairs. And about two seconds later she came back down, smiling big, and said, "It's all done. I was so fast." There was no way that huge pile of clothes was taken care of. I went and looked, and she had just pushed them under her bed even more. She must think she has the stupidest mom in the world. :) But everyday is filled with tantrums, lying, and not being able to get anything accomplished. And these two stories are stories that kind of make me laugh. They are not the ones that make me go sit in my room for a few minutes so I can think about how I should handle her at that moment. I feel like we have been quite consistent in consequences with her, but I see improvement only on a very short temporary basis. So when Jim Fay says things like, "A child worth keeping is one who tries us again and again," - or something like that in meaning - I want to say, freakin Jim Fay retard, freakin Love and Logic. :) Sorry, Mom, I know you would say I am not speaking like a lady right now. :) But, Kayla is living proof that phases come and go. And I am attending another Love and Logic course next month, so maybe that will give me enough optimism and reminding of what I lovingly need to do to get through this phase. And maybe it is just a sign to me that I need to get down on my knees a little more often and ask for help. :) It's amazing that despite it all, I find her spunkiness endearing and cute.