With Jenn in Athens (Lucky Duck! It’s UGA vs. Tennessee week!) for the next two days, I’m left at home with Raelyn to play Mr. Mom.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a role I really enjoy, but Raelyn has been, well, difficult in recent weeks to put it mildly.

Raelyn is a good kid. A great kid, actually. Smart, funny, active and incredibly caring towards us our pets and her stuffed animals.

But the dark side of 3-year-old behavior, the part worse than the “Terrible Twos”, are the “OCD Threes” which I’ve discussed here before.

The latest manifestation is an unwillingness to follow direction and an impish zeal, a nose-thumbing giggle-fest that laughs in the face of our parental authority, mocking us, daring us to try to rein her in.

And yes, I realize that sounds like hyperbole, but that, apparently, is our Raelyn.

So while I only had one small flare up this morning (a “discussion” concerning how/when/where we would comb Raelyn’s hair and what we would do with it after - no ponytail), I know that something is going to be fight tonight or tomorrow.

But I’m prepared. I’m keeping my tone calm and even, myself down at her eye level and my heart ready to forgive her and hug her once she eventually cooperates.

Plus, as a father, how can you go wrong with keeping snuggle time, book reading and tucking in all to yourself?

I’m not glad Jenn’s gone for a while but I’m happy I get my little girl all to myself for a bit.