Sexist?

Is it possible for a three-year-old to be sexist?  If so, I think my son is just that.

I am VERY big on not imposing any sort of gender restrictions on my children.  They are never told things are just for boys/just for girls or they can't have or do things because they are the wrong gender.  I believe in letting them figure it out for themselves and see what happens.  I love that my 7-year-old daughter loves her Barbies and dress ups and crafts, but she also loves to help her Daddy in the yard and garage and likes rooting on our favorite sports teams.  My 3-year-old son loves sports and action figures and wrestling, but he is also my biggest cuddler and loves to help me in the kitchen and can be found on occassion playing in his sister's Barbie house.

I think we also do a good job around here of sharing household responsibilities, so our children don't make any assumptions of their own.  The only job I have never done is mow the lawn.  (I will not lie - I have no idea how to mow the lawn.  I have never pushed a lawn mower in my life.) 

So WHY is my son so against females in certain positions?  And why does he designate things as "guy things"??  A few examples...

He has a female swim instructor.  She is wonderful and motherly and older than I am with children of her own.  Lucas likes her, too, but he is mad that he does not have a male instructor and he does not let us forget it.

I told Lucas I would have to keep exercising so I could get stronger and always be able to pick him up.  He told me I needed to start picking up "those guy things."  After further conversation I figured out he was talking about weights.  I asked why they are guy things and why they can't be girl things.  He said girls can use them, but they are still guy things.  How very gracious of him. 

We pulled up to the playground today and he only saw 1 girl, no boys.  "Why is that girl out there?"  I said because she wants to play.  He said "I'm not playing with her."  Lovely. 

The examples certainly don't end there.  He has also informed me that Daddy is smarter than me and stronger than me (on many occassions) and if he needs help and I offer, he will remind me that he asked for Daddy.  He went through this faze as a baby, where he very much preferred men over women, Momma included.  But he eventually outgrew it and I assumed we were done with it.  Apparently that is not the case.

So as much as I remind him that girls can do certain things and he should be nice about it, I'm not sure it's doing much good at this point.  I guess it goes back to certain traits being ingrained into people at birth, regardless of how they are raised.  All I know is that he better get over this soon because he has a big sister and I'm quite certain she will not hesitate to put him in his place!  And if she doesn't, this Momma won't let it slide.