Liar Liar, Pants on Fire

Princess has forgotten how to tell the truth.  She's started lying about pretty much everything even though she gets in trouble for lying every. single. time.  Today, she came out of her room and stood innocently in the middle of the living room for a few minutes waiting to be noticed.  When I turned around to see what she wanted, she smiled a chocolatey smile and said, "I didn't eat any chocolate, Mommy."  Jumping into judge and jury mode, I pointed out that she had chocolate all over her face and made the assumption that she had, indeed, eaten chocolate in some form.  A punishment was administered, and I asked her if she had eaten chocolate. 
"No, and I didn't get any on my hand either." 
Realizing that she'd been holding her right hand behind her back this whole time, I pulled it in front of her to find that it was covered in chocolate as well.  Another punishment for lying to me again and I asked her once more if she had eaten any chocolate.
"No, and I didn't put it under my bed either."
A quick search under her bed revealed the chocolatey goodness of which she had been partaking.
The same query was posed to her again, only to get the same results.  This lovely scenario continued for another half an hour before the truth which I was already completely aware of reluctantly came out of her mouth.  For the 14th time this week, we went over the basics of telling the truth and lying, and I emphasized once again how she would get in so much less trouble if she would just tell me the truth the first time.  Having grown up with a brother who was a compulsive liar (he has since kicked the habit quite satisfactorily, or so he says), I'm disinclined to see Princess head down the same path. 

And don't even get me started on Little Man's screaming tantrums.  If he doesn't get his way, he lets out scream after scream which earns his a time-out in the pack and play.  They aren't the nice screams that just puncture your ear drums though.  They're the kind of ear-piercing, hawk-about-to-descend-on-its-prey, make-you-want-to-cover-your-ears-and-scream-too type of screams.  I'd say Little Man's right on track developmentally.  I've only gotten  3 1/2 years of parenthood under my belt, but from my experience, brand-new toddlers are the hardest to handle.  And with Little Man's massive temper, I'd say we're in for a long bumpy ride.