3 year old in the house

Jocelyn has been acting three lately. She will be so grown up and helpful and independent sometimes and then at other times she’s throwing fits (and I mean kicking, screaming, hitting, out of control ones), and hitting or taking things from Lillian. She’ll waffle back and forth in one day, even. She had really struggled at the end of last week with everything from eating to napping, sharing and getting dressed and I thought perhaps we could use a little Jocelyn/Mommy time to form a friendship again instead of battles. I took her out all Saturday morning and we did the Home depot craft, went grocery shopping, picked out a Christmas gift for Lillian, got her a cheeseburger and I thought we had a great time bonding.

Well, the next morning Jocelyn woke up with a vengeance. I literally had to sit on her and wrestle her into her Sunday dress so we could try to make it to church on time (I had to pack up her breakfast and put it in my church bag because she wouldn’t eat a bite of it). She had ripped all her curlers out of her hair the night before because I wouldn’t let her stay up late so her hair looked like crap and due to her inconsolable kicking and screaming I finally went and strapped her in her car seat and made her scream in there for 10 minutes while I got Lillian ready for church and we all left. That night, however, she asked Jared and I to come listen to her lesson so we came in to where she had pillows all laid out so we could sit on them while she proceeded to open the scriptures, the gospel pictures, activities, etc. and teach us a lesson about "Jesus and the scriptures". How can one yo-yo back and forth so dramatically? She was even telling Jared and me how we needed to take turns and share when she handed us the activity! At least I know she has it in her somewhere, I just wish she’d use that side a little more frequently! Amazingly frustrating! I’ve been trying to take her to story times at the library, a creative play group that we found out about in Santa Cruz, taking her to friends houses to be with other kids, anything to give her a little more social outlet in case that is the issue. I’m at a loss, but after talking with Jared and a couple older women/mothers I know, I think it just must be her age and her efforts to figure herself out. She’s not out to sabotage my sanity!
She is a happy girl and loves to “nest” throughout the house. In any little corner or nook of the house I am bound to find several pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, heated rice bags and her parachute all gathered together as she snuggles in and tells me she is “sailing on the sea”, taking care of her toys, or other such adventures. She’ll even invite Lillian on her adventures and I love when they play together so well. She is having fun playing with the little nativity I set out just for the girls. She had me make a “gate” out of cardboard to pen up the animals, and a star for the angel to sit by. We’ll tell the Christmas story over and over while Lillian takes off with various pieces of the nativity. The other day Jocelyn told me “I’m not sure where Myrrh is?” as she has named each of the wise men with the gift they are carrying.