Please Please tell me it is not just my nearly-three-year-old...

[drspouse]

who would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS sit quietly on the pool side while I had a swimming lesson with the baby DC for half an hour.
And who tips any open cup IMMEDIATELY out all over himself and will also shake sippy cups everywhere. He was very indignant when a visiting child was allowed an open cup.
And for whom "colouring" lasts approximately 1 minute if I'm lucky.
And who has frequent lie-down strikes on the pavement when asked to walk for 5 minutes (I sleep here mummy).
And who still throws food/cutlery/face wipes at the table.

He sounds gorgeous!
And utterly typical and exhausting. I was about to advise about 100% engaging activities for the swimming lesson when I realised you're not with him and thought ha! not only would non of my 3 have been able to do that, I'm not sure any 3 yo could or should be able to!

I don't think any 3yo would willingly sit still for half an hour while his mum and sibling are in a swimming pool! I can't imagine even attempting it, in all honesty. I'd be too scared.

Throwing food and cutlery though - no. That shouldn't still be happening.

I've never met a three year old who is anything else

See, the same nearly-three-year-old who was given an open cup also sat happily by the pool while Mum and baby DCS had their swimming lesson. I was not there, but it was only remarked upon because older DC accidentally sat in a puddle.
I was envisaging my DS launching himself fully clothed into the pool. This family just gave their older DC some colouring to do.

We haven't had a full on plate fling for some months now (and that was on a very tired day, followed by immediate bed). But we still get small amounts of food thrown, last night a spoon was thrown, the plate was taken away post haste.

Haha my 3.3 yr old would never sit nicely like that by the pool watching us!! I'd be terrified she would jump in, but most okey she would cry and whinge the whole time.
She's not one for throwing things mind, never really was though.
Think I might prefer that to the constant whinging we get though

...most *likely

drspouse - I'd be asking them what drugs they have their 3yo on, tbh.

Good point Thumb

Oh yes - oddly though he will stay in bed quite happily till a moderately reasonable hour, we still have to trap him in his high chair or he gets down and runs around after every bite.

drspouse are you me in disguise, mine is 3 later this week and I recognise the tipping out the drink from a sippy cup, the throwing of things at the table when tired, not sitting in the high chair for long, never ever sits still, well maybe if I put something like frozen on I can get a bit of peace, destructive whirlwind from the minute she wakes till she goes asleep at night. Like yourself though she sleeps well. If I let her sit at the side of water she would jump in, the child knows no fear.

I cm 3 children of around 2.6 to 2.9 years.
2 of them sit nicely to eat, use their cutlery well, can use an open cup without spilling it, follow instructions reasonably well and will sit to concentrate at something for a 10-15 minute period.
The older 2.9 year old has amazing language skills, is confident with numbers up to 20, most letters and all shapes and colours. However she has the most deplorable table manners. Has to be strapped into a booster, have a sports top bottle, use plastic plates as they will be thrown for no apparent reason at all, not overly keen on using cutlery and can be really fussy.

All totally normal! They all have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Thankfully he does have some fear (high climbing frames etc) though he is a lot like your mindee. His pronunciation is not great but his language play is funny.
If you ask him if his food is yummy he says "no, it's no yummy, it's licious!"

There is No Way On Earth my nearly 3 yo DD would happily sit by the pool for 30 mins!!! That would cause a massive tantrum I'm sure & wouldn't attempt! I've seen a 4, nearly 5 yo do this & was impressed. I think there may have been some bribery involved to manage it as well.
Don't worry

Even just remembering that there is a bribe in place would be a little advanced for my DS!

Nope not just yours. Ds won't do colouring, he will drink from an open cup but loses concentration and will spill it. Takes a huge amount of effort to keep him sitting at the table. It's all a bit stressy!

Umm, I don't think my nearly 5yo would sit quietly by a pool for 30 minutes. He's lovely, but likes to run around a lot...

You know, I think mine might have been able to sit there... if I'd been able to endure continuous 'mama, mama, mama, bladibladiblaaa' every 20 seconds through the whole lesson, or if I'd have given him the ipad.

He wouldn't have sat and coloured though (he doesn't do art. He gets other kids/me/teacher to do art for him and brings it home), and he refused to use anything but a straw cup. He's also never been a food thrower (although his younger brother isn't above dropping anything he feels is substandard over the edge of the table, and prefers to stand up, perching on the back of the seat, with one foot casually resting on the dinner table when eating).

In summary, no, not just your nearly three year-old.

I wonder if said colouring was an app on the iPad?