Charlie At 3 And a Half!!

Charlie is growing up way too quickly.  It seems like he has sprouted into a big boy over night, and I am not sure how I feel about it all!

Charlie is currently:     41  inches
                                       38 pounds

He has consistently been a inch and a half to two inches taller than Lauren was at the same age.  Somehow I have a feeling he will be a tall boy!

                           

Charlie's daily schedule looks like this:

7:45 am - Wake up & Breakfast
8:30 am - Take Lauren down to the bus stop (with Mom of course)
9:00 am - Play Time
12:00 pm - Lunch Time
1:00 pm - Nap Time
3:30 pm - Wake Up
4:00 pm - Get Lauren off the bus (with Mom of course)
6:30 pm - Dinner
7:30 pm - Bedtime

Charlie's vocabulary has really increased tenfold the past 6 months.  He still speaks a lot of gibberish and we usually need Lauren to translate, but I have seen such an improvement.

Some of his favorite words:

"No like"
"Oh, I see"
"MooMaw" (his personal nickname for Meemaw)
"Jammy" (his personal nickname for Grammy)
"I do myself"
"Estudo" (Testudo!!)


Some of his favorite movies/tv shows:

Anything Cars (Cars 1, Cars 2, Cars 3)
Tom & Jerry
Rescue Bots
Super Wings
Paw Patrol
Mickey Mouse

Some of his favorite toys & things to do:

Transformers
Legos (Duplos)
Cars characters
Matchbox cars/race tracks
Playdough
Kinetic Sand

CLIMB on anything and everything (thank goodness Chad bolted down most of our furniture)

Visit Dad at his office

Hug his big sister, DiDi (sometimes they do like each other)!!

Watch Chad play hockey!!

Help his mommy vote in the Virginia elections!!  He loves feeding the ballot into the scanner.

Some of his favorite foods are:

Doughnuts
Pasta
Pizza
Chicken Nuggets
Fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples)
Cheese (sliced cheese, shredded cheese, string cheese, etc)
Mushrooms
Hummus (roasted garlic)
Cheetos (we have to hide the bags)
Fruit smoothies

Activities:

Charlie has been taking swim classes through Swim Kids, the same place Lauren went.  He is lucky enough to have a one-on-one class with an amazing teacher, Coach Angela.  She is very patient with him and always finds ways to keep him engaged and learning.  He can be a handful in class, many times climbing out of the pool and refusing to get back in, but she always finds a way to coax him back in to the pool.  He is still a hesitant swimmer, but has started putting his face under water, on his own, and he is doing really well on the back float.  We still have a ways to go, but I have a feeling Charlie will be swimming in no time, thanks to Coach Angela's guiding hand.

We have not put Charlie into an independent ice skating class yet, because we are not sure he will pay attention or participate.  However, Chad and I still try to get him out on the ice as much as possible.  He was lucky enough to get to participate in the "Try Hockey" program, because Chad was one of the coaches for the course.  Charlie still enjoys falling down, a LOT, but I feel sure that once his confidence grows, he will be zooming by me before I know it!!

   


Charlie's Big Boy Bed!!

This fall, Chad and I decided it was finally time to transition Charlie to a big boy bed.  He was doing well with his toddler bed, and had successfully slept in a grown up bed at both Meemaw's house and Grammy's house.  We had previously purchased the necessary rails, so Chad began the process of changing the bed, while Charlie and I went out to pick out a new comforter and sheets.

We also needed to purchase a new mattress, but we decided to give it to Lauren, and move Lauren's older mattress to Charlie's room.  We were sure he would be a bit rough with the mattress, jumping up and down, so we gave Lauren the newer one.

So far, so good.  Charlie was very excited and has been a big boy bed champ.  When did my little baby boy get so big?!?!?!

All in all, Charlie is a typical 3.5 year old boy.  He can be rambunctious, silly, sweet, and cranky in a matter of minutes.  He likes to rough around with his sister, he loves to climb up in my lap for hugs, and he pushes the boundaries every day.  If we say No, he tries it anyway.  If we ask him to quiet down, he yells louder.  We are always prepared for that epic meltdown, that is simmering just below the surface.  And just when we think we cannot handle anymore "3 year old" behavior, he cracks a smile that gleams with sweetness and a touch of mischievousness, climbs in our laps, and gives the worlds best kisses and cuddles!

       

Charlie frequently tests our parenting skills, and I know that we are better parents because of it.  I pray that he always keeps that inquisitive nature, that he never stops pushing the boundaries in life, and will never be too old to give his mom a hug and kiss!!!