Benjamin at Age 3

Benjamin turns 3 yrs old today. Technically it already happened early this morning.

It used to be so easy to describe Benjamin. I could break it down into nice little categories: Speech, Motor Skills, Diet, Sleep.

Now he is an actual little person with a distinct and complicated personality. How do you sum it up in a post? I can't do it.

Benjamin's favorite thing in the world is to play. "Play with me" is a constant refrain in our household. But, he is still picky about who it is that answers that call. He wants his parents attention the most, especially his dad's. He will be stubborn and not want to play with other family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc), especially if Dad or Mom is around. He is similarly protective of his home, he doesn't like new people coming into it too much, and doesn't tend to want to talk to them or let them play. It took two sessions of uncle and aunt M&K babysitting before he started to warm up for example.

He is typical 3 yr old in a of ways. He likes to make excuses not to go to sleep - he needs water, he needs a hug, he is hungry, he has a story he just has to tell us, his stuffed animals are not under his covers (This one is a sign he might finally actually go to sleep). He still likes us to sit with him. Luckily for him, I have started to find sitting up with him quite relaxing. I tell him I will stay as long as he tries to go to sleep, and he lays there and I sit in the rocking chair dozing or day dreaming with out a care in the world. Its a nice break from other demands (baby duties and cleaning etc).

Speaking of stories, Benjamin loves them. He likes to make them up, he likes us to tell them, he likes us to read books. His special interests are pirates and cars of course. He is very obsessed with Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Luckily, Jake is a pretty good role model. He is nice to people, helpful, inclusive, and eats yogurt with granola. LOL.

Benjamin is a very picky eater.. .also typical three year old. Mac&Cheese, pretty much anything made of pork (bacon, sausage, hot dogs, ham). Lots of carbs, apple sauce, berries. cereal. Yeah we are not the healthiest eaters. I guess everyone has their weaknesses. He drinks chocolate milk like its going out of style.

Benjamin like swim lessons, he likes gym time, he likes other kids and will make friends quick with anyone at the playground or mall or anywhere he is playing. He loves going to the mall and playing on the ride-on toys, and at the B&N trains table. He likes Target. Actually he has been known to say "Target, the Mall, Home, those are the places I like" (he might also refer to either or both G&Gs houses. He likes shoveling snow into his dump truck, or sand, he doesn't care which. He pretty  much considers snow to just be sand that is everywhere. He has expressed interest in ice skating recently but we have not had a chance to take him. He can sing the entire U & M fight song. He can count to 14, and then gets a bit lost (eleventeen ends up in there somehow). He knows his alphabet and is just starting to associate phoenetics with letters (very very just starting). He likes his friends at daycare and playing with them. He is proud of being a preschooler and doesnt want to be called baby or toddler. He is a great big brother, who is helpful when we ask him to be, and loves to give baby sister hugs and kisses.

He has very little interest in potty training, in general he is afraid or hestitant to try things he think are hard or he will fail at, even if he originally expresses a lot of interest. He likes the idea of new things
more than the actual new things. Therefore he takes a lot of ecnouragement when starting new things.

He is extremely inquisative and firmly in the "why" stage. He wants to know everything about the world around him, frequently more than we can explain in a way he understands. I love seeing when something "clicks" for him and seeing him connect the dots as he learns.

I am sure there are other things I want to say.. but this is what comes to mind right now!