Eddie's first official magic trick

Eddie has been doing "magic tricks" for the last few weeks, where he asks you to close your eyes and he will get a "wand" and make something "disappear" by removing it when your eyes are closed. It's pretty funny the first time, but after a while I was starting to fight between "Should I keep pretending I am surprised? He really is going to annoy his friends doing this, if I don't stop him from thinking he is actually doing a trick." and "He looks so cute when he thinks he's fooling me."

I looked up some easy magic tricks kids can do and found a few I want to teach him. Here is the first one I taught him. He liked doing it and picked up on it rather quickly. Maybe a magician's costume is next on the Christmas gift list! We shall see...

Eddie's first magic trick!

Power outage Sunday

So Sunday, we had a power outage at my place. The bathroom doesn't have any windows, so no matter what I did to make it light in there, it was completely dark. Turns out the power was going to be turned back on later that evening. I was supposed to do laundry this day...... In this case, I declared it a "day out and about.: Neither Eddie nor I were able to get fully ready in the dark bathroom, so we got up and said we would be visiting several playgrounds to kill time.

The first playground, we met an aunt with 3 nieces (ages 14, 6, and 4) and the aunt's baby nephew (age 8 months.)

These people were super fun! The aunt, asked all of the kids to get up and participate in a make-shift obstacle course, created on the playground. The obstacle course was like this: Run between the swings and go around to the play structure, run up the steps, go down the slides, get on top of the stationary horse. First person on the horse, wins! Eddie had a lot of fun with that group and even discovered that he shared the exact same birthday with the 6 year old girl; same day, same year.

Next, we went to another playground. This time, Eddie struggled with this group of kids. To be fair, I guess, they were a little younger than Eddie and didn't really understand English. There was a lot of frustration on Eddie's part, not being able to get them to understand his jokes etc. The communication between them was so difficult that they were both sticking their tongues out at each other. At one point, Eddie told me that he hated Spanish so much! :(I tried to give him tips on how to make it work, but it was difficult because the other kids were not cooperating and still were doing things like sticking their tongues out at Eddie when Eddie was trying to fix things with them. Their parents were not around.

After that, we drove to a new indoor trampoline park. I took a short video clip of Eddie and I jumping.

It was really a lot of fun and I wish I could afford to do it more often! Or like every day!  There were several moments where I saw Eddie behaving well and others where he needed my help. There was little boy there, who was bigger & taller than Eddie who approached us. When Eddie found out he was 6, Eddie lied and told him that he was actually 7. The little boy seemed impressed by that about Eddie. It didn't help the situation that he was impressed. I talked to Eddie about why he lied and he said he really wanted to "win at ages." I told him he didn't need to do that because you can have fun no matter what your number is. I am way over 6 or 7 years old, I am still having fun and you are faster than I am, even though my age number is bigger than yours.

Later, we ran into that same boy at the jousting area. Of course, he challenged Eddie to a joust and the first two times, the boy beat Eddie knocking Eddie into the pit of sponge squares. The boy was a few inches taller than Eddie and weighed at least 10 lbs more than Eddie.

Eddie became so angry. He ran away from the jousting area. I told him to remember the time that he was trying to make a basket into a hoop recently. I asked him how many times he had to try to make the basket before he actually made the ball in and he said "A million times!" I said, then you have to fight a million times on this, until you get it right. I advised him on what he was doing wrong: 1) he was closing his eyes during almost the entire fight 2) he was turning his face away 3) he was not standing with his feet strong to the bar. I showed him how to do it right. Then, Eddie tried again and was able to push the little boy off. But he celebrated a little too loud. Oh boy....I had to deal with each issue separately. The only thing I was able to get Eddie to do was to say "Good job" to the other little boy. I did ask Eddie to give the boy his hand, to help the boy out of the pit he fell into, but Eddie said he couldn't because the boy was too big.

By the time we knew it, the day was over! What an active day we had. Lots of fun and learning moments thanks to this power outage.

Eddie is growing out of his clothes

Seems like lately Eddie has been growing a lot recently. I sometimes hear myself chanting songs to him that I used to sing when he was a baby. I look over at him and he's so big!
I have been purchasing clothes for him, for fall and winter, little by little and now have a good little collection going! I am happy to say Eddie is ready for the cold weather. His cold weather clothes from last year fall and winter, DO NOT FIT! Next, may be new shoes!? We shall see.

A nice poem to share-Father Forgets

This doesn't apply to every part of Eddie's life, but reading the below poem certainly touches my heart for those occasional moments I see Eddie as an equal adult and expect him to act like one.

Below are the words of the beautiful poem “Father Forgets”:

Listen, son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside.

There are the things I was thinking, son: I had been cross to you. I scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab with a towel. I took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily when you threw some of your things on the floor.

At breakfast I found fault, too. You spilled things. You gulped down your food. You put your elbows on the table. You spread butter too thick on your bread. And as you started off to play and I made for my train, you turned and waved a hand and called, “Goodbye, Daddy!” and I frowned, and said in reply,

“Hold your shoulders back!”

Then it began all over again in the late afternoon. As I came up the road I spied you, down on your knees, playing marbles. There were holes in your stockings. I humiliated you before your boyfriends by marching you ahead of me to the house. Stockings were expensive‐and if you had to buy them you would be more careful! Imagine that, son, from a father!

Do you remember, later, when I was reading in the library, how you came in timidly, with a sort of hurt look in your eyes? When I glanced up over my paper, impatient at the interruption, you hesitated at the door. “What is it you want?” I snapped. You said nothing, but ran across in one tempestuous plunge, and threw your arms around my neck and kissed me, and your small arms tightened with an affection that God had set blooming in your heart and which even neglect could not wither.

And then you were gone, pattering up the stairs. Well, son, it was shortly afterwards that my paper slipped from my hands and a terrible sickening fear came over me. What has habit been doing to me?

The habit of finding fault, of reprimanding‐this was my reward to you for being a boy. It was not that I did not love you; it was that I expected too much of youth. I was measuring you by the yardstick of my own years.

And there was so much that was good and fine and true in your character. The little heart of you was as big as the dawn itself over the wide hills. This was shown by your spontaneous impulse to rush in and kiss me good night. Nothing else matters tonight, son. I have come to your bedside in the darkness, and I have knelt there, ashamed!

It is feeble atonement; I know you would not understand these things if I told them to you during your waking hours. But tomorrow I will be a real daddy! I will chum with you, and suffer when you suffer, and laugh when you laugh. I will bite my tongue when impatient words come. I will keep saying as if it were a ritual: “He is nothing but a boy‐a little boy!”

I am afraid I have visualized you as a man. Yet as I see you now, son, crumpled and weary in your cot, I see that you are still a baby. Yesterday you were in your mother’s arms, your head on her shoulder. I have asked too much, too much.

-W. Livingston Larned

"Mama Cochita" bear

Eddie's great grandmother, Mama Cochita, who passed away in 2013, was also Eddie's best friend. Eddie was with her the first 4 years of his life, while mom and dad were at work.

When she passed away, Eddie mourned her. He still remembers her.
The teddy bear (pictured below) was made from a blouse she wore. The teddy bear has been at grandparent's house, next to a picture of Mama Cochita wearing the striped blouse.
The other day, grandma let him take the bear home with him after visiting with grandparents.

Eddie is so sweet with this bear. He calls her "Mama Cochita." He takes care of her as if she were his baby. It's very heartwarming to see him love this bear so much. I'm glad grandma let him take her with him. He's been very good about taking care of her and keeping her by his side, even while he sleeps.



A sweet memory to jot down.

Eddie got sick

Eddie had a busy weekend. We took him to soccer on Saturday and then we went to have Denny's for breakfast and then the Montclair pumpkin patch. We have been taking him here since he was a baby. He remembers it too.

 

On Sunday, I took him to church to visit his cousins. He seemed to be doing ok. He did have some trouble sitting still during the class. When it came time to get up and sing, all the kids stood up. They clapped and danced and sang to the music. I thought it was so cute that his cousin Penny was up on stage (same age as Eddie). She was clapping along and singing. I never saw her like that and was very impressed.

Eddie, who was sitting in the audience, told his aunt (who was serving in the class) that he was too old for this and it was for babies. Oh boy....Eddie had been in a good mood, up until that moment, so I wasn't sure what triggered his behavior. I thought maybe he would have liked it more if he was on stage with his cousin? Maybe he felt jealous of her being up there?
He was actually very excited about going to church where his cousins go.
Another triggering factor may have been that he was disappointed that the class room had changed. He remembered it as another class room that had toys (legos or something like that) he could play with.

When we got home, Eddie said he was not feeling too well. About an hour or two later, he said he felt hot. I took his temperature and he was a little warm. An hour after that, he was very warm and he fell asleep. It was about 5 pm. Eddie never sleeps or naps during the day.

 

Dad took his temperature and it was up to 103.5. Eddie had no other symptoms. We are not sure what happened exactly. Monday and Tuesday he stayed home from school and had energy to play, even with a fever.

Wednesday and today, he has been complaining of a sore throat. Other than that, he seems fine.  

I just like to write down the details of when he gets sick. He seems to get sick around the same time every year.

Eddie's socialization

Being a parent to an only child is hard work when it comes to socialization! I never realized how easy my mom had it, in this aspect with 5 kids. No wonder she had so much "free time" to be involved with church; She just sent us all outside to play in the backyard. We were each others "social practice" so-to-speak.

I scheduled a play date for every Friday since we have had incidents with Eddie at school. Last Friday, October 2nd, our play date was postponed and we ended up having a last minute picnic with our neighbor's daughter, Summer.

I gathered our picnic blanket, some outdoor pillows, paper plates, snacks and even cupcakes with birthday candles (just for fun.) I set up some of those capsuled animal toys that expand in warm water for them too... those were a hit!

For some reason, Eddie does very well with his friend, Summer. I've tried to analyze it and really think about why it is they get along so well and the only reasons I can come up with is they are both very energetic and like to do things like play tag for a long period of time, Summer is a bit of a "tom boy" (not too typically girly) so she rolls with all of Eddie's punches, they both like power puff girls (a very super hero like cartoon), and they laugh at each others nonsensical and silly jokes. All of this happened on this picnic day. Eddie has been doing well at keeping his hands to himself with Summer.

At one point though, he was being unfair when distributing the capsuled animal toys. There were 10 total, he gave her 4 and kept the rest. She was asking for more and Eddie said no, because he wanted to have more than she did. I ended up convincing him to share equally with his friend. After that, they played happily together.

Looking back, I realize, I should have been the one who distributed the toys evenly from the start (something I have to learn to do as a parent of an only child. This is something my mom used to do with all 5 kids.) Instead, I gave Eddie the authority to distribute the toys. My mistake.

The most fun they seemed to have had was when they made an Easter egg hunt with the animal toys. They hid they toys in the bushes, as I closed my eyes and then had me look for them.

The picnic was over in about an hour, due to the sun setting early recently. But Eddie said it was a lot of fun.