Three Years Seven Months

Nick is three years and seven months old. In the last month, I've seen that rapid development that one sees in a three-going-on-four-year-old. Actually, I often wonder if this is just a growth of communication ability, because Nick will talk to me about things we discussed several months ago.

Height:
37" (3 feet 1 inch)

(Now that I type this, I can tell that he has grown two inches in the last few weeks. I measured him this morning at preschool and he was 39 inches. Oh yeah, and the pants I put on him today were short and tight.)

Weight:
30 lbs.

Sleeping:
He's up at 7:00 or 7:30, with bouts of waking at 6 or earlier. If we hear him get up early, we put him back in bed for another hour or so. If we don't, we find him on the couch when we get up. He usually falls back asleep either way.

He naps from about 2:00 to about 4:00. Naps are very flexible these days, but he does fall asleep for nap nearly every day.

He is in bed for the night between 8 and 8:30.

I have no complaints about this!

Eating:
He is still eating a lot, like every hour if allowed. For breakfast, he has (for example) a peanut butter honey sandwich, some cereal, and two pieces of fruit. Then he has a morning snack before lunch.

He doesn't leave much on his plate, so when he has eaten everything, we often allow another snack. It's nice that he loves fruit. Most of his snacks are an apple, an orange, or a banana.

Main Interests:
Avengers figures, wooden blocks, Duplo blocks, books, Imaginext castle, eating, music.

Favorite Books:
Myths & Legends, Smithsonian Oceanic Institute collection, Spiderman comics for kids.

Miscellaneous:
Strangers understand him completely now. He expresses himself in comprehensible, complete sentences and conversations. He can explain what he is feeling or doing or why he is upset.

Rough Schedule:
7:00 breakfast
7:30 Morning Cards to get ready for the day
8:00 announcements, pledges, calendar, and school warm-up (and second breakfast for him as often as not)
8:50 make sure Morning Cards are done, chores - or preschool on Mondays
9:10 break, music or preschool
9:30 learning activities or preschool
10:00 independent playtime or preschool or science playgroup on Fridays
11:00 free drawing or library story time on Wednesdays
11:30 possibly a fun school activity or game
12:00 lunch and clean-up
12:30 outside playtime
1:00 SSR and reading and writing activities
2:00 nap
4:00 TV time or free play, snack
5:00 a couple of pre-dinner chores
6:00 family dinner
6:30 family activities or sibling playtime
7:00 start getting ready for bed
8:00 bedtime

Some days this schedule is strictly adhered to, but if Nick doesn't want to do any of the learning activities, he doesn't have to. He is allowed to watch four TV shows, one movie, and two computer sessions per week at times when he's not supposed to be doing something else. (PBS, nature specials, Muppets movies, Star Wars stuff...) Note that that's per WEEK, not per day. Unless I'm sick. ;)