Jameson insisted on stacking his blocks and blanket himself for photos. I can recall when he didn’t want to take photos (like Coraline is now), so I am really enjoying his excitement. Soon, that chair will be moving out of Coraline’s room though so our yearly photos will have a new background to them. But we’ll continue to take them for as long as they like. I love it.
Toward the end of this last year, he has started to write letters. First his name, which he writes without needing to trace letters now, and things like “yes” “no” and short words he is still tracing from worksheets at school. Sometimes he still gets colors mixed up, so I’m not convinced that there’s not a little color blindness there. He doesn’t like to draw much or color, but he loved the science kit we did the other day and enjoyed watercolors, and likes activities that involve physical movement (soccer, gym, wrestling with daddy), which I think is usual for a little boy his age.
He doesn’t share much about his days at school except that he plays in the gym or plays with friends. Since his best buddy Nathan stopped going, he had to make new friends, so we’re not sure who his best bud is anymore, if anyone. He’s more outgoing now than he used to be, though he’s still shy around people he doesn’t know.
He is almost potty trained at night time now, which we know is a subconscious control he doesn’t quite have yet though he’s been day trained since he was two. We are going through an occasional fibbing stage where he likes to tell one or the other that “mommy said I could do or have this”, or “daddy said I could do or have this”. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn’t now that we’ve caught on. He likes to get out of bed now several times before settling down for the night, and hasn’t napped at home except a handful of times since Coraline was born. Though, surprisingly, he naps at school great now! Once he’s asleep, he stays asleep.
What Jameson is Wearing:
- Size 3T pants for length, though I had to sew in all the waists since he doesn’t like jeans which had the cinching straps.
- 3T shirts
- Soft pants and swishy pants, and clothes with Pink Floyd, superheros, or Ninja Turtles on them
- Pull ups at night, but sometimes big boy underwear
Jameson, describing the grippers on his new socks: “They’re sparkles, I love sparkles! Let me feel them. Ooh they sound crunchy.” Yes indeed, we bought socks with crunchy sounding sparkles (never mind the dinosaurs on them)
– Friday, January 3, 2014
What Jameson is Eating:
- Meatballs, chicken nugget, hot dog, and most any meat he can eat with ketchup or ranch
- Cucumbers with ranch or without. He’ll eat a whole one straight up like a pickle. Also tomatoes.
- Regular and “special” yogurt. He likes regular yogurt again now because that’s what mommy and daddy eat. Still doesn’t like eggs.
- Candy of course
- Potatoes most any way
- Strawberries and berries.
- He’s become much better about trying his food, but counting the number of bites and negotiating for more of what he really likes is still an almost nightly occurrence.
I’ve got to use my looking eyes! (Looking for strawberries)
Mommy! I like your underwear! Is it new?
What Jameson is Saying:
- Jameson likes to ask us about how our work day was, and insists that we answer his questions first before he answers (minimally) about his day at school
- This year, Jameson learned about where we live, cities and streets. He also knows where Grandma and Poppa live and Aunt Melissa, streets and city.
- For several months, Jameson couldn’t say hamburger properly, saying “hangaber” instead (He could says cheeseburger just fine). He finally says it correct now, which is kind of sad.
- We have experienced a lot of “never” (instead of “no”, so at least he’s creative). We also get to enjoy defiant stares and complete withdrawal from participation.
Me: Jameson, did you know mommy got a new job at the mattress factory? [extreme simplification for the 3 year old]
J: Oh, I’d love to go there. Just like Corduroy! [corduroy the bear tries to get a button off a mattress in his book]
Me: That’s right!
J: You look beautiful today mommy!
Me: Why thank you, Jameson!
J: You have all your clothes on!
– Friday, April 18, 2014
What Jameson Likes These Days:
- He really loves to watch TV, any show or movie TV now and all the time. We’re working on this. This year along with the usual favorites we’ve also watched Batman, Rescue Bots, and Ninja Turtles.
- Jameson enjoys reading about super heroes. He was playing super hero at school and told me he was Captain America and Wolverine so I’m guessing those are the favorites.
- Wearing his favorite clothes.
- Duffy the little teddy bear and his soft brown blanket, as well as a dog pillow that he became attached to after Sasha passed away.
- Swimming lessons and soccer. He loved his new soccer class this time around!
- Listening to “his” songs, kid music. He also requests kid Christmas songs randomly any time of year.
- The ipad, but now he only really gets it when traveling so he doesn’t ask for it as much
- Frozen book and movie (but not the live ice show apparently, it terrified him…)
- Wrestling with daddy
- His dogs Sasha, Mayzie and Shiloh, and now Zoe. This year we lost two of them, and he’s stopped asking for a new one since meeting Zoe the puppy. He loves them though and always asked to see Meemaw and Grandpa’s dogs on the iPad during FaceTime
Jameson, what did I tell you about throwing!?
….But I was just catching mommy!
– Tuesday, May 27, 2014
I’m not scribble scrabbing, I’m coloring.
– Sunday, August 17, 2014
What Jameson Doesn’t Like These Days:
- Napping or resting at home.
- Sitting still to eat.
- Being told what to do “right now” or “hurry up”. He really doesn’t like being rushed or forced and becomes very obstinate, refusing completely. We’ve found that using a visual timer works for many arguments and time outs.
- Cold baths. He had one once when his tantrum was out of control at bathtime.
- Toilets… in particular, overflowing toilets. He only has specific ones at home, school and Meemaw and Grandpa’s house that he will go in. He’s finally getting over some of it, from an incident that occurred when I let the downstairs toilet overflow. My fault!
I need my chapstick on because I burned my face! Then he rubs it all over his nose and forehead. Sometime between winter and summer, he got confused.
– Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Why did you break Coraline’s pajamas? (the first time Coraline was in two piece)
What Jameson is Doing:
- Writing his name
- Asking how things work, or making up how they work on his own. Today he told me the humidifier keeps Coraline warm, so I had to correct him but I love this mechanical kind of imagination. I’ve also described how hot air rises to make the ceiling fan move.
- Playing with the little Playmobil or Lego guns and toy swords.
- He dresses himself, identifies letters and loves stories, and likes to make pretend coffee with any stream of water.
Jameson is pretending to swim in the tub.
Me: Jameson would you like to take swimming lessons soon?
J: I don’t want to jump in the pool
Me: Why not?
J: Are there sharks in there!?
Me: No, sharks live in ocean. Only people swim in pools.
J: Oh with the fishes?
– Thursday, March 20, 2014
What We Are Working On:
- Nighttime potty training
- Cleaning up and putting things away when we are done with them.
- Sitting still to eat.
- Mommy and daddy are figuring out good ways to reward good behavior so more of it comes without being told.
Jameson is singing “do you know the muffin man”
Brian: I don’t know the muffin man, who is he?
J: he’s the caker
Brian: who’s the caker?
J: he makes cakes!
– Saturday, September 6, 2014
We also did our 4 year interview! Like last year, he got distracted after just a couple questions so we didn’t get to ask them all. His answers were a lot more coherent this year, but still very focused in the now, like what is around him. His favorite movie is still Lion King, though I thought he’d say Frozen!
What is your name? Grameson… Jameson (He was nervous about the interview at first I think)
How old are you? 4
What is your favorite color? Blue and orange
What is your favorite animal? A lion and a bear
What is your favorite book? My Superhero ones… on your ipad! (He has a set of Marvel Superhero books, but just the other night I showed him the bonus ebook on the ipad that came with the set for the first time, and he loved it. It was our very first kids ebook experience)
What is your favorite TV show? It is Jake (Jake and the Neverland Pirates)
What is your favorite movie? Lion King
What is your favorite song? Old McDonald
What is your favorite food? It isssss a bun. (It’s true he usually requests a bun to eat with his hot dog so he can eat it by itself)
What food do you not like? Pork chops and pork.
What is your favorite drink? It’s water and milk and juice and apple juice and and and apple juice and orange juice and apple juice and orange juice and milk and water.
What is your favorite snack? It is grahams… it is teddies! (as in Teddy Grahams)
What makes you laugh? Pictures. hahahahaha Fake laugh
What is your favorite thing to wear? Mickey Mouse and my Mickey Mouse socks (That was what he’s wearing in the video; he loves swishy pants and his Ninja Turtles shirt. I asked him for more, and he told me that I needed to buy him a sword shirt, like his new toy sword.)
What is your favorite game? The game over there. (Chutes and Ladders, which we’ve recently been playing after Coraline goes to bed.)
What is your favorite toy? My sword
Who is your best friend? Trip and MJ
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Duffy and and Bobby Bear and my baby Rudolf (Plus the doggy pillow and soft brown blanket and a billion other “guys” every night)
Where is your favorite place to go? To see the sound of the owls… with Aunt Melissa (I am so surprised he said this, since he got impatient to go home while we were waiting to hear the owls. It was a cool night hike really meant for older kids and Aunt Melissa came with us; it must have really made an impression.)
Where do you want to go on vacation? Accidentally skipped over this
What do you like to do with your family? Accidentally skipped over this
What do you want to be when you grow up? I wanna… I want to be umm… I don’t know
Upon arriving home today, Jameson said “when I grow up, I’m gonna drive… In my own car… And you’re gonna sit there!” (Pointing to passenger seat)
– January 30, 2014
What did you do when you were little? I was putting things in the toilet. When I was a weeeee little baby.
What do you like to do now that you are big? I don’t put my toys in the toilet and I get new toys.
What is your favorite thing to learn in school? I like to play music. (I paused for a few minutes here since he was really distracted with his camera. Then he got confused and thought I asked what he liked and began listing things in front of him like his rocking chair and the Elmo rocker)
What is your favorite thing to remember? Didn’t get to ask this
What do you want to buy with your money? With the three little circles with the money I want the money. More more more money. (We’ve never asked him this before, he doesn’t really understand how money works yet)
What is the thing you do the most awesomely? Didn’t get to ask this
