Strong Willed?

I'm beginning to wonder... Is my 3 year old a strong willed child? Does he fit the definition, and what really is the definition? Whatever it is, I'm starting to think more and more that he is.

Case in point #1: Today I took both boys to get their hair cut. We cut the baby's first because usually he is a handful and we have to go back to him after the other kids to fix his. But today he was an angel, and while waiting so was the 3 year old. Until... it was time for him to get his hair cut. He down right refused. I tried to take him over to the chair and he did the flailing of the legs, noodle body, stiff back, crap. I tried to sit him on my lap and he did the flat and stiff as a board thing, so I couldn't even bend him to sit in my lap. Last time, he was the angel when he got his hair cut, this time, not so much.

I took him outside, I talked with him, I told him he could have a treat after, he was already given suckers from the salon. We talked and talked, I pleaded, I got angry, I threatened, I tried to bribe, I reasoned, I asked nicely, I did it all, to no avail. We tried going back to the chair and he was kicking and screaming and crying, all the while everyone in the salon is watching. Finally, my hair dresser's next client came in, so I just had to give up. Man, I was so mad. I mean it's just a hair cut, we done this before, it's not like it's something new. Oh and for the record, while the baby was getting his hair cut, he told my sister that he wanted to have long hair like his sister! Little does he know, that now, instead of a hair cut at the salon, or long hair, I will just be forced to shave it with the clippers like I do with my husband, not my favorite look, but I can't stand the mop he has now.

Case in point #2: After the hair cut fiasco I decided to take the boys to "Read Across America" a local event in our town that encourages reading. It has all kinds of activities to do, different stations where you can sit a listen to a story being read, and in the end when you've done a bunch of activities and filled your card with stickers you get a book to take home. My daughter would have loved this, but she was home sick with her daddy.

Anyway, we get there and said strong willed child, wants NO part. Doesn't want to do the activities, doesn't want to listen to the stories, doesn't even want to walk, wants me to carry him- he's 3- his 18 mos old brother is walking without troubles, but no not him!! I cohearse him into some activities, we sit and listen to a couple stories, against his will, we kind of muddle through. Then he gets a balloon animal. This seems to brighten his mood and surprisingly he decides this stuff is kind of fun. And that lasts, oh 15 minutes and we are back to crying tantrums because I won't carry him. Again, strong willed, or just ornery?

And case in point #3, the pièce de résistance, the battle of all battles, the potty training issue! Yes, we are still battling this, and no I still cannot get the child to even GO NEAR the potty, much less sit on the blasted thing!!

So, strong willed? Ornery? 3 year old? Boy? A product of my upbringing? I don't know, but it is driving me crazy. I love ALL my kids to death. I love this kid, he can make me smile for days, he can be so sweet, so loving, so funny, but seriously, this is getting old! I'm hoping this is a phase, actually I'm praying that this is a phase and counting on it being a phase.