A is for Anderson

Just a few thoughts on what Anderson is up to at

AGE 3!

Favorite Activities: Reading books still tops this list! He will "one more" you to death at bedtime and sleeps with his books instead of stuffed animals. He loves going to school with his friends, playing with Play Doh and making "worms", playing outside and swinging on his swing set especially when Atticus will stay outside with him, playing with Lydia and swimming. He is a little fish! He loves to just dive in on his belly and hold his head down under water. He also still loves anything to do with animals, particularly elephants, tigers, monkeys, etc.

Favorite TV Shows: We went through a "Diego" phase, but he doesn't request it as much anymore. Curious George is still his absolute favorite, which is no surprise since it is all about math and science and figuring things out. He watches it like there is going to be a test! I think we have a future engineer on our hands! He also loves Calliou, Martha Speaks and Wow Wow Wubzy. He is just know starting to get into Batman and Superman, but we limit it because he still gets a little scared of the "bad guy" music. He is not into Mickey Mouse...I guess we should expose him to that before we do Disney World, huh?

Favorite Places: He loves to play at CHOM (Children's Hands on Museum) and recognizes when we drive into downtown asking to go there. A new favorite is the library. Of course he loves the pool too! Attending birthday parties is another favorite thing particularly when there is a bouncy house/slide involved. He also loves going to a good playground. We have been frequenting a newly remodeled playground at a nearby school in the late afternoons.

Favorite Foods: Sadly, anything I DIDN'T cook! He has started asking to "go in the car" to go eat somewhere. If we do happen to go through a drive-through he always wants to go inside to eat! He calls McDonald's "Old MacDonalds", which is pretty funny! He loves hot dogs, pizza, chicken, corn, P&B and Jellies cut in the shape of Dinosaurs. LOTS of milk. Go-gurts (Yogurt push-ups), suckers and the all important gummies...George, Batman, Diego any character will do!


Dislikes: Brushing his teeth, being told it is time for bed. Not getting his way. Being made to stop talking because he is interrupting someone ( we need to work on this one big time). I try to give him warnings for these...in five minutes we are going to bed, etc...to avoid the meltdown.

Personality: He loves to study things quietly and figure them out. He generally wants to do everything "hisself", but does like to ask LOTS of questions. Lately if you say "I don't Know" he starts insisting..."Answer Me!!" I think he doesn't know what I don't know means...he thinks we just aren't telling him something and it infuriates him!

He spends an hour at a time with one of Jeff's bungee cords from the garage wrapping it around whatever he can find. He calls it his "tight Rope"...a version of tie rope, I think. Anyway, I spend at least another hour trying to get it away from him before bedtime so he doesn't choke himself. It doesn't seem to matter where I hide those things....every few days he just comes up with one!

He is really smart. I hesitated putting this on here because it sounds like bragging, but then I remembered it is MY blog, after all! ;-) His vocabulary is expansive and everyone that meets him for the first time can not believe he is only three. With that smart little brain has come some mischief on his part! He tries to manipulate us from time to time. I'll tell him no he can't have a sucker. He'll ask 15 more times and then sulk off to the living room for a while. Then magically he comes back in saying he wants a "snack". On to him, I offer a banana or apple to which he says..."um- no thanks"...then..."How 'bout a...." long pause with index finger to the chin as if to look deep in thought, complete with an eye roll as to appear to really be mulling it over..."Mom- I Know- How 'Bout a ....Sucker?" with a gleeful expression on his face. Nice try buddy!

He also has a sweet little spirit which I hope he keeps! Don't get me wrong- he is ALL boy, but he isn't as much of a rough houser as most boys I know that are his age. He has a genuine sense of people's feelings- especially when they are hurt! He LOVES Lydia and it is easy to see! I often catch him (unaware of me peeking around a corner) smiling at her as she stands up, laughing at her as she laughs or claps, or reading her a book. I hope he stays kind-hearted like his Dad.

Discipline: We try to follow the book 1-2-3 Magic very closely and it works well for him. He thrives on Praise and hates to be in trouble, so usually I only get to two before he decided to do the right thing, but we have had lots of time-outs and several pops over this trying year as he tries to assert himself and we continue to reign him in and teach him right from wrong. The more consistent we are the better behaved he is. Some weeks are more of a challenge than others, but for the most part for his age he is very well-behaved.