Barrett is THREE!

Gosh, how do I even start this post? There is so much to write but I'll try to not be too long winded. It already takes me hours to write these as it is!



Barrett has such an over the top personality. Everyone says he looks like his dad and for those that know him know that he has a strong personality like him too. He is very loud and strong willed and bossy. He is usually a people person and loves to say hi to all the moms and dads as he leaves daycare. Ironically, he is very cautious of strangers though. He still wants to be carried places because he doesn't want to venture far from Joe or I. Not sure how long that is going to last. I want that phase to be over but I know I'll miss the time he stops asking to be picked up too. He's freaking heavy though!



Buddy also tests us because he wants to be Mr Independent at times (No, I do it!) and others he is so incredibly needy. He wants people to do anything and everything for him and he usually gets his way if he tries hard enough. He would be happy doing two things. 1. being outside playing. Either swimming, golfing, kicking a ball, chasing bubbles, swinging, riding golf carts or some other sport related activity. 2. Watching a Disney movie. Kid does not watch tv anymore unless it's a Disney movie. Totally my fault but he's only watched 1 other movie (to my knowledge and it was Despicable Me). We are gearing up for his first trip to Disney World in 3 months.



The trait he most resembles from me is my perfectionism. He does not like to fail. It is very VERY strong. He wants to be perfect at everything on the first try. If he gets a new toy and he can't quite figure it out, major screaming and tantrums commence! I'm not quite that much of a baby but I like to succeed and be in control. He hates to be not in control. Speaking of me, he is very attached at the moment. I'm not sure if it's because he knows he will be vying for my attention soon but I cannot go many places without him. If he knows that he is leaving the house or that I am leaving the house, he is very adamant that "Mommy go with me" or "I go with Mommy." He has to practically sit on top of me if we are on the couch and wants to be held while I make dinner. He has certain books that I read to him and certain ones that his Dad get to read to him.



Barett is very much a creature of habit and he hates to share. The latter is a great sense of stress for me. He is so territorial and bossy and strong willed (hmmmm Joe). He loves doing art projects and learning his letters. Helicopters and airplanes are like the holy grail in our house right now. He is a wannabe gymnasts who is constantly flipping and jumping and climbing all over. He basically stands to eat because he can't ever sit still. Everyone new that meets him asks if he always has this much energy and the answer is yes. He's incredibly exhausting but hopefully that will be a good trait to have in the future.



My least favorite traits are that he has selective hearing and is still what I call a "runner." He does not go anywhere without holding my hand and by holding my hand I mean that I hold it in a death grip so he doesn't go sprinting in some direction. If I didn't think they were the worst things ever, he would be one of those kids in a leash. He is getting better but the kid just has a real need to constantly be moving. I'm totally serious when I admit that he will probably be diagnosed with ADHD. I know he's only three but I know so many other kids his age and even younger who can sit and play and you know…act normal. Barrett is incredibly smart and I think because of that he gets bored and loses attention very easily.



Little man's eating habits are pretty in line with what they've been for close to a year. He could pretty much snack and eat like 8 teeny meals a day and be happy. If you asked what he wanted to eat, 98% of the time, it's "chickens" and french fries. About 80% of those times, he would take 5 bites out of that meal. He is a grazer. He knibbles and then leaves to do something and comes back eventually to eat some more and do it again. (See no attention span.) It's a battle I do not fight anymore.



Bubs has brown eyes and blondish/brown hair. I don't quite know what he weighs but I'm guessing it's close to 33lbs and he's about 37" tall. He still sucks his two fingers on his left hand when he's tired and is very very attached to his blankie. He is doing well with potty training. About a week ago, he had 3 straight accidents at school and he had never had one there before. Not sure what the deal was because we know he can hold it. He goes to bed in underwear and has never had a nap or nighttime accident. (This is totally going to come back to haunt me.) He does not want to be asked or forced to go to the potty. He has to initiate it. His accidents happen when he holds it too long and then decides it's time and he can't quite make it. He's not at all poop trained. Just the last few days, he tells us he has to go and tries but only rarely makes it happen. We won't push and wait until he takes the lead to figure it out himself.



He moved to the "big room" at school and loves it. His newest head teacher is Ms Jesse and we all absolutely love her. I've loved all his teachers but she is so incredibly awesome. Knows exactly what he needs when he's clingy to me in the mornings and has such great activities planned for them each day. She will be his last head teacher before he stays home with me which means I'm going to have some big shoes to fill to keep him engaged and entertained during the day. We also must say hello to Ms Kelsey every morning before we head to the big room.



His favorite place to be is Grandma and Grandpa's. He would swing for an hour straight if you kept pushing him high enough. We listen to "Seize the Day" from the Newsies at least 10 times a day. He goes to bed like a breeze usually but we're lucky if he makes it to 5am. He is scared of practically everything. He is currently hating all baths. He gives the best little kisses and very rarely says no to a hug. He needs a new bandaid for some random owie every day. Can never have too many bandaids!



A few firsts this year:
First plane ride and vacation
First trip to the zoo
He just became a cousin! He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. 3 years is a long time to be the center of attention!



I did a quick survey and asked him to answer some questions. A few of the answers surprised me.
Favorite color: green
Favorite movie: Cars
Favorite food: suckers
Favorite drink: lemonade
Best friend: Keagan is my best friend.
Where does daddy go to work: his car
Favorite tv show: Dora
Favorite thing to play with at school: colors


He's our bossy, funny, challenging, loud, smart, energetic firecracker and we wouldn't change him for the world!