Oh, Man. It's Going To Be Bad.

I have a long-held opinion that age two is no big deal. It's pleasant, even. Three, however, is the devil.

Guess who turns three next week!

But, the weird thing is, I've not been scared of three with Mila. I don't know why, but for the most part she has been stunningly easygoing as of late. She's a happy little imp who mostly says what she wants and is then reasonable when she doesn't get it. There's no reason to think that three will be particularly hard with her.

OR IS THERE?

Nothing says "Happy Mothers Day!" like a toddler who suddenly decides that making a scene in a restaurant would be a great idea. I took Alexis and Mila to dinner Friday night because I'm nice and stuff, and Mila returned the favor by turning into a rotten beast. It started with a general need to yell every thought that crossed her mind, and escalated when the food arrived.

You guys, it is totally unacceptable when food shows up on your plate. It's supposed to all be on mom's plate so you can steal it. You can't have your own plate of food. That's dumb.

When Mila's pancakes, eggs, and potatoes (which were exactly what she requested ... not that it matters) showed up on her plate, she was pissed. She escalated from pissed to furious and then angry moved every last scrap of food. Basically, she picked up each little piece one at a time and then threw it all on my plate. When she was done and her plate was clean, she sighed loudly and yelled, "That's better!"

Then she moved it all back.

Because of course.

So which corner should I hide in? I'm ready to start huddling up in the fetal position and rocking until we get past three.

You Say "Teeter Totter"

But Mila says "Titty Topper."

Please don't correct her.

Greek Salad Dressing

Nothing says "Mothers Day" quite like a toddler who can't fall asleep and insists that you be around to see her not sleeping. Alas, the time I planned to spend making photo-ready stuffs for this space was shot. Three days in a row. Guess that means I should bring back a recipe that is worth repeating!

Greek Dressing. From scratch.

I make this fairly often because from scratch dressing is about 1354746846 times better than the stuff you buy in a jar. As a bonus, it's easy.

I've had this recipe for over a decade. I got it from a family member, except that I never knew what quantities were supposed to be in it. I've always just sort of made it up as I go, but for you I figured out the quantities. That is how you know I adore you. Yes, you. And YOU.

You can adapt the recipe by halving it or doubling it or whatever makes you happy. If you want to take your happy to the next level, pair a Greek Salad with Paella. Trust me on this.

Greek Salad Dressing

1 cup light virgin olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (great recipe here)

1. Put everything in a jar, put a lid on it, and shake. And shake. And shake. It's like any other oil-based dressing and needs to be shaken right before use. You don't need to refrigerate it, by the way.

2. Be in awe of how easy that was and how much better that dressing tastes than any other you've ever had.