Not much has changed since last year. Okay, a lot has changed. :) Xander, however, remains fairly consistent. His little personality is very clear.
He's quite the perfectionist. He gets that from his daddy, for sure. There was a time when he wanted an adult to do everything for him because he wasn't satisfied with what he could do, i.e. coloring, making things out of play dough, etc. He's gotten over that somewhat, now that he's in preschool and sees other kids work. He still likes for us to do things with him, but I now think it's so he can have one-on-one time with us.
He can get easily frustrated if he can't do something or something doesn't work out the way he anticipated. Right now we're working on channeling his frustration to other things besides the object or other people. He used to hit on occasion if he became frustrated. He's much better about that now, but we do have to redirect him at times.
One of Xander's love languages is quality time. He loves to play with his toys and is a very good independent player. However, he also loves to play with us, too, and will use any excuse to get us to spend time with him. I probably give in more than I should. :) He often comes up to me and in a sweet, sing-songy little voice says, "Mommy? Wanna snuggle with me on the couch?" It's very hard to resist. :)
Xander is very sensitive, like me. He easily gets his feelings hurt. He doesn't like to be chastised and can burst into tears if you tell him not to do something. It pains me sometimes to see how sensitive he is, mainly because I know exactly what he's feeling. We're working on toughening him up a little bit. :) I kind of expected to have a sensitive child, I just didn't realize it would be my son!
Xander continues to enjoy the company of adults, especially "his people" (people he is accustomed to and knows well). He still does not care for the company of other children. He's fine when they're around and he'll even talk about them once we're home, but he's not the social butterfly I thought he might be when he was a baby. However, he has a very outgoing personality and will talk to any adult when we're out and about.
He still has red hair!! I'm so excited about this! My hair was red when I was little, but by the time I was three my hair had turned blonde. I kept expecting Xander's to do the same. It still could, but for now it's a beautiful strawberry blonde. And I love it. Apparently other people do, too, because they are constantly stopping to tell him how much they like it. This is when Xander gets into long conversations with total strangers.
He is extremely neat for a 3 year old. He actually asks for a napkin, will wipe his own face and hands, cleans up the table, puts his dishes in the sink, throws away anything I ask him to, and has gotten in the habit of going directly to the bathroom to wash his hands after he eats. He's less willing to clean up his toys, but I think that's because he goes back and forth between different toys and likes having options.
He can play with toys for hours on end. He is very focused and attentive in his play. Lately he has started playing board games like "Hi, Ho, Cherry-o" and "Memory." He plays by the rules and is incredibly good at them.
He still LOVES preschool. He has never had a problem at drop-off and just waltzes right in. He's very confident and comfortable there. He loves his teacher, Ms. Jean, and she loves him. They're a great fit for each other. I'll be sad when she is no longer his teacher next year.
He continues to amaze me with how smart he is. He has an incredible memory. He often tries out new words or phrases he's learned. I love it when he doesn't really know the meaning of a word, but tries it out anyway. Like when he told me, "Mommy, that's too fake for me." I think we were talking about a song. I can always tell when he's trying out a new word because he looks at me out of the corner of his eye when he says it like he's wanting to read my reaction to his usage of the word.
I got an idea from pinterest a few months ago. "Interview" your child each year (with the same questions) starting at age 3. When they turn 18, make a book for them with all of the interviews. I hope to be consistent about doing this because I think it would make a really sweet keepsake. I had to explain a few of the questions or concepts, but he answered each one all by himself. Here was the interview this year:
Favorites -
TV Show - Curious George
Movie - Cars
Song - Party Rockers in the House Tonight
Musician - The Avett Brothers and Ms. Jean (his teacher :))
Food - Peanut butter sandwich (He said, "Mmm, mmm...that's delicious.")
Candy - purple candy hearts (we just finished up Valentine's Day...normally I think he would say M&M's)
Toy - cars
Activity - coloring/reading stories/ride the train
Cereal - Chocolate yums/Daddy's own cereal (that's what he calls chocolate frosted mini wheats and quaker oatmeal squares)
Vegetable - carrots
Drink - Milk
Game - Cars Memory
Book - Curious George and the Dump Truck
Restaurant - the burger place and Chick-fil-A
Holiday - Christmas
Animal - a puppy named Scout
Color - blue
Vacation - to the beach
If you could change your name to anything, what would it be? X
If you could have anything you want this year, what would it be? Lightning McQueen
What do you love most about Mommy? She can clap.
What do you love most about Daddy? He can clap, too.
What do you love most about Amelia Jayne? to be happy
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