Jackson- 35 months

In 1 month exactly Jackson will be a 3 year old.  I don't know where the last 3 years have gone, but they have been the most AMAZING years of my life!  Of  course I will continue to say this until teenagerhood, but until then it's amazing.

Everyday Jackson learns something new, it might be a new phrase, understanding, feeling, or action... but he is learning ALL the time.

Likes:

• Tractors... specifically John Deere Tractors.  My parents got him a John Deere Tractor movie while he was staying with him and he cries for it all the time.  It's got some catchy tunes and lots of great information, but 1 time a day is definitely enough!  While watching the John Deere movie he plays with his tractors uses the technical names and overall just enjoys playing farm.  He takes a bucket full of tractors to bed with him and first thing in the morning he talks about them to us.  He takes them in his Elmo "packback" (backpack) wherever we go.  He doesn't like for me to play tractors with him, but loves Grandmas and Grandpas and Uncles and Aunts to play with him.
• Curious George, Clifford, and Wild Kratts- all PBS shows.  It's so funny when he is playing he will reenact one of the shows.  He also likes for us to read him Clifford and Curious George Books. 
• Books- this kids loves books.  Books about trucks are his favorite, but he likes anything.  We try to read some of the same books to him and then ask him  to "help" us read.  He is really good at this.  He can also answer lots of questions about the books that we read.  I often ask him how the characters are "feeling" in the story by looking at pictures and the other night, he asked me how Emily Elizabeth felt.  Very cute.
• Playing golf- He and Daddy head out to the golf course at least once a week in  the golf cart.  It's so darn cute!  He puts his plastic golf bag into the back.  "Tees off" with Daddy, then RUNS back to the golf cart to put everything away (golf ball has to go in the front).  And then they are off to find the golf balls.  He talks about using his putter when we are playing in the yard.  Super cute.
• Boats- we bought a camper on the river this year and now he talks about the Mississippi River and riding in Daddy's boat.
• Working in Grandma Donna's Garden.  He planted some plants with her and was so excited to hear they were growing.
• "Doing my work"- this is anything that Daddy is doing.  Especially mowing the grass and working with tools.  Today Andy was lowering the crib and Jackson had to come downstairs to get his toolbox.
• Playing outside and doing anything he can out there.  He has a riding lawnmower tractor that he is always wanting to ride.
• Food:  Mac 'n' Cheese, hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly, fish, shrimp, pasta, pizza, chicken fingers and some other chicken, any and all fruits, cinnamon toast crunch, milk, waffles, french toast, pancakes

Dislikes:

• Leaving  Mommy.  He cries a lot  when I leave him anywhere, but stops almost as soon as I am out of sight.
• Doctors- he has had a lot of ear infections and just hates for anyone to put anything in his ears or  look in his ears or by his ears.
• Vegetables- he picks them out of his food and won't eat them.  Every once and awhile we can get him to eat carrots and corn.  he will also eat veggies if they are hidden inside pizza.
• Most of what we serve him at dinner... just isn't into it.  But we make him try it!

Fun things he has said recently:

• While trying to teach Maxwell to crawl on his hands and knees:  He turns around and puts up his hands and says to Maxwell, "Hears the deal, you crawl like this."  
• When going to bed:  "hold on a second", "wait just a minute", I'm scared of...., I'm hungry, I'm sick, I need medicine, I forgot my....  Anything to get out of bed.  It started when he was sick after his surgery a couple of weeks ago.  We are working at getting him to stay in bed again. :)
• Ziggity, Ziggity, Ziggity, SOLD!  We went to a cattle auction last weekend and he loved the auctioneer.  He danced around and pretended to be the auctioneer.  Now at home he does this too.
• "He's such a cute baby", "I love him", "Be careful Maxwell"-  he loves his little brother.  He is so good to him (except when Maxwell is playing with something he wants) and tries to make him laugh all the time.  This is especially nice in the car, because they start giggling at each other.
• "Mommy, I  wait for you in the pink chair. You pick me up. All the kids are asleep."- in regards to daycare.

 

 Jackson with his Grandma's last weekend

What he can do:

•  
• pull up his pants
• put on his shoes
• put on his coat/take it off
• brush his teeth (we have to help, but he's got the motion)
• pick up his toys
• put his dishes in the sink (he cleans off his plate, too)
• get out of the house (into the garage)- not so good
• unhook his lawnmower tractor so he can play with it.
• play with other kids without fighting for awhile- he is getting better at daycare playing with the other kids and getting over me leaving fast.
• Talks to EVERYONE.  He talks about tractors, his school, what he plays.  It's so funny!

He is becoming very very head strong.  He whines when he doesn't get his way, fights us to do things sometimes and is all around stubborn.  I have noticed though, most of this happens when he is very tired or hungry, so if we can avoid those two situations we are mostly golden.

He's such fun to have around!!  We love him!