This Sidney

1, and 2, and 3!

2011-04-19T17:44:00.002-04:00

Sid lost his third tooth this morning. He had been playing with it from last night. He's so grown these days - growing into a handsome young man. And he's still so intelligent. He's a sweetheart to his grandmother, my mother. She loves to have him around cause he's so laid back and just goes with the flow. She calls him "My Sid." There is a lot of love there.

From the mouth of a minor

2011-03-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

The other day I was talking to Sid about something to do with ages and I told him he was still a minor. He then asked me if I'm a major!

Not-so Sunny

2010-06-08T02:49:00.001-04:00

Note to self: No more Sunny-D. Sidney is severely allergic to it! Raised welts for days and stomach problems. :(

Sid is 7!

2010-02-19T15:38:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe that my baby, my first born, is well on his way to becoming a man! He turned seven years old last Wed and before I know it he'll be 10, then a teenager, then in college, then... *sigh*.

He had a good week. We spent last weekend in Orlando, Sunday he spent the night at grandma's, Monday was a holiday, Tuesday we went to Sugar Sand Park, Wed was his birthday (read: class party), Thursday was a field trip to Miami Seaquarium, and Friday he got 1st place in his school's science fair project! *whew*

2009-10-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

Last night we were watching a cold case show and there was a private investigator involved. Sidney asked, "If he's a private investigator, how did they find him?" LOL

Sid Not So Ready For School

2009-10-01T12:06:00.001-04:00

Sid lost a tooth

2009-08-20T21:38:00.001-04:00

When I tried to get him to sit still for a picture Shelby had to show her mouth too!

Sid

2009-08-12T13:43:00.000-04:00

Sid at the beach a couple of weeks ago.

Sid and the Snake

2009-04-01T02:02:00.003-04:00

Monday was one day I really should have had my camera handy. We went to the pet store to get some water conditioner that was supposed to have come with the starter aquarium, when one of the associates comes out with the cutest little snake. Sid got all brave and touched it. One touch wasn't enough, there had to be another and yet another. It wasn't until hubby brought it to my attention that I saw that Sid was holding the snake in his own hands! I gave him a big smile while carefully maintaining my distance. :)

My Little Scientist

2009-03-14T22:01:00.001-04:00

Sid one first place in his class for his science fair project.

Birthday Celebrations

2009-02-21T22:06:00.003-05:00

These first two pix were taken at Boomer's. There's Sid and daddy on the go-karts. The last pic is Sid at his party at church tonight, cutting his cake.

2009-02-20T19:33:00.002-05:00

Sid's library card is finally clear. We had borrowed some photo/video books and one I returned late. I knew I returned it. But we started getting hate mail from the library saying that he owed $50+ and if the bill wasn't paid it would reported on his credit. Can you believe that?! So, I went from branch to branch to branch looking for this doggone book, but you know I never found it. That was some months ago. Today we decided to just go and pay the money - it burned me to think about my money going to waste like that but what else could we do? Hubby went to pay and they told him the total due was $7. $7! Why? Because they found the book! Thanks for letting us know.

Sidney is 6 today

2009-02-17T09:13:00.003-05:00

Six years old! I almost can't believe it! I know this post shouldn't be about me, but I can't believe that I have a six year old. Just the other day I met my husband, and his daughter was six at the time. At not long before that I was in college, living at home, a child myself. Life is amazing though. God is amazing.

Happy Birthday, Baby!
xox

Animated

2009-01-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Happy with an iPhone

2009-01-01T14:52:00.001-05:00

Annoyed?

2009-01-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

I think he was getting tired of having his picture taken.

The Sid-man

2008-12-31T11:44:00.003-05:00

Sidney is getting bigger and bigger! He'll be six in February (February 17, in fact, in case you want to send a gift). :) He's taller and leaner and more active than ever, as if I thought that was even possible. The only times he can sit still is if something interesting is on the television, or more importantly, if he can play games on the laptop. I told him to tell his grandmother that he needs his own computer. Every day now all he wants to do is go online - cartoonnetwork, overthehedgemovie, jadatoys, etc. - or play one of his learning game DVDs that he has. I don't mind. In fact, I'm glad that he's so computer literate. (When Uncle G comes over he immediately starts asking for his iPhone.) I'm ever conscious though that he needs space and time to expend his energy. If only his little sister could keep up.

Yeah, so he's grown but he's still a joy to watch. His expressions are too funny. His choice of words sometimes is priceless. His independence is good and bad - he needs me still but not like before and certainly not as much. Last week he spent most of his days at his grandmother's. Last night he left with his grandfather so he could go on a day trip to the west coast (of FL) today.

He loves his sister and she loves him, which is great. I hope they stay close.

Sometimes I bathe him to make sure he's clean at least one day a week and that when I really notice the difference. He's taller and not so easy to move around. I remember when I used to bathe him in the sink!

Can't let this day go by

2008-11-05T23:23:00.002-05:00

Sid, you don't even realize what happened only yesterday. A historic event occurred - an African-American became President of the United States of America. He won by a landslide. This election could not be rigged or stolen. Look at him and see that for you anything is possible. You could do the same if you wanted to. Most people didn't expect to see something like this happen in their lifetimes. Racism is still alive and kicking even now. But things have gotten better. People gave their lives so that we could be judged by the content of our character instead of the color of our skin. Better days ahead.

2008-10-02T00:20:00.000-04:00

Sidney's Response to Communion

2008-09-06T16:12:00.002-04:00

"That's it? A chip and some juice?"

2008-08-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

TV, TV, TV

2008-07-07T15:38:00.003-04:00

That's all Sid can talk about these days. All he does at my mother's house is watch television and play on the computer (and supposedly play with his toys too).

I've been abandoned

2008-06-26T17:14:00.003-04:00

My son has been spending his days and nights and my mom's house ever since he got out of school. He says he doesn't want to come home "because they won't let me watch TV. They only tell me to go to bed." ROFL

I make him come home on the weekends, though, so that we get to enjoy him too. Shelb asks for him often enough.

That much?!

2008-06-16T16:31:00.002-04:00

Here is a paraphrase of one of yesterday's conversations.

Me: Stay here and watch your sister.

Sid: Why isn't she your sister?

Me: Because I gave birth to her.

Sid: Where did you get her from anyway?

Me: God gave her to me.

Sid: Why don't you ask God for another one?

Me: lol Oh, no, babies are too expensive.

Sid: To buy a baby??

Kindergarten

2008-06-05T12:25:00.002-04:00

Sid graduated this past weekend. He spoke at the ceremony too. He only turned five this past February. Now he'll be going into the "big kid's" class - First Grade. This week he's off, hanging with grandma, then next week he goes to summer school/camp.

My Prince

2008-04-17T10:49:00.001-04:00

Sid

2008-01-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

My Sid

2007-09-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

At the Beach

2007-06-11T12:21:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful day we couldn't let it go by without taking an impromptu trip to the beach with the babies. Sidney loved it!

My Pirate

2007-06-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

I don't think Sid was even aware of what I put on his head! We were going through the mall and when he saw the Dis.ney store of course he wanted to go in.

He Got a Library Card

2007-05-31T10:05:00.000-04:00

For fun in our family we do things like hang out at the local home improvement store and let our children ride the equipment.
See Sid signing the application for a library card.
Here is Sid and his library card.
Here is Sid after checking out some books and a movie.

My Baby is Reading!!

2007-05-17T15:34:00.000-04:00

Sid on a Piano

2007-05-10T09:57:00.000-04:00

Pix of Sid

2007-05-09T13:49:00.000-04:00

He's Learning

2007-04-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

Sid is learning to read now. On the way to school this morning we were sounding out words and he was spelling them. I was so proud of him. He did an excellent job spelling 3-letter words like 'cat', 'pan', and 'mat'. He is such a sweetheart. A real boy. What does that mean? He's extremely rambunctious, he loves cars and always wants more cars, he enjoys watching car shows. Yesterday he packed a bag full of cars and two DVDs to take to his grandma's so he wouldn't be bored. Who told him to think ahead?? He asked me if he could bring some cars and I told him that would be a good idea. When we were ready to leave there he was with his grocery bag. What a funny sight. The two DVDs he chose to bring were "Thomas" and "Spiderman." We had some issues last night when we picked him up cause he and my mother were only halfway through watching Spiderman. She wanted to see the rest but Sid wanted to take it home. The DVD stayed and he left, but he was not happy about it at all. This morning he didn't remember anything about it but I bet he will tonight.

At the Park

2007-04-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

My Boy

2007-04-17T11:21:00.000-04:00

In the car on the way to school

2007-04-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

Looking through the back seat of the car

2007-04-13T10:25:00.000-04:00

No More Nickel

2007-04-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

Sidney finally passed the nickel yesterday evening. Eww! We're all relieved that the waiting is over.

Pass the Potty

2007-04-02T12:22:00.000-04:00

Last night Sidney swallowed a nickel. At least, he said he swallowed it and he said it was the 'medium' coin, the same color as a dime, so it must be a nickel. He maintains that he didn't put it in his mouth but that it somehow fell in. That was last night after I put him to bed. Not even ten minutes later he came downstair crying about swallowing this money. This morning we stuffed him with all kinds of fruits. He didn't pass the nickel this morning, although he did do a #2 and I had the glamorous job of checking it. He's spending the day at his grandma's house in hopes that sometime today the coin will appear. We packed him with a potty and I'm sure she has some plastic bags she can line it with. The pediatrician said we're doing the right thing. Of course, if he experiences any pain, etc., or if it doesn't turn up in the next two days then he needs to see a doctor.

Besides all that excitement yesterday Sid and Shelb went to a birthday party in the park. Sid spent at least 90% of the time in the bounce house. At one point some kid must have pushed him and I heard him screaming. I went over to the bounce house just in time to see him with tears running from his eyes and both an angry and upset look on his face, as he pulled the guy down and proceeded to punch him in the back! I don't think I have EVER seen him that angry. I told him to stop and asked him what happened. He said the boy pushed him. The boy said he pushed him soft. Now this boy he was about to pummel had to be six years old, judging by his size cause he was quite a bit bigger than Sid. His father and I told him to come out and the mother of the other boy told him to come out as well. We calmed him down and everything was fine after that. A bit later I talked to him about it again. I told him he shouldn't try to hurt people whenever they hurt him, but I felt lame saying it. How do you teach a kid to stand up for himself but at the same time not to inflict hurt on another person?? Sid used to cry and not do anything when people bothered him before. He's obviously not like that now - and I'm glad. But still I don't want him to become a vindictive type of person or feel he can or should use violence to even a score. That was the only incident the whole time we were there. I saw the other boy a bit later whining about something else.

As usual, I don't know.

Sid Again

2007-03-19T12:29:00.000-04:00

Of course, when I take pix of Shelb (ok, when I have pix taken of Shelb) I try to get a pic or two of Sid. So, here's the pic he took of himself this time... What a ham!

A Model Son

2007-03-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

I took Sid to the mall Tuesday evening because M.odel P.roductions was having an open call. I talked to Sid about it the night before but he said he didn't want to do anything with modelling. I took him anyway. I managed to convince him that going up on the stage was like being on the stage with Chuck E. Cheese. From then he willingly learned his line ("Do you see this happy face? My mom's taking me to Mall!"). The first thing he had to do was a screen test where he recited his line into the mic. He's no stranger to the mic and talking in front of people so he did that quite well. I couldn't get my camera ready in time though cause his turn came and went so fast. Next he had to walk down the runway. I told him to smile but of course he didn't remember anything about that. He just walked. Which was ok with me, I was proud of him that he did it. It in the end he was one of 15 kids to be selected to compete in the finals. The catch with that is that each kid has to sell three tickets (at $50/ea), and they have to pay for the first ticket up front to secure they're spot. I didn't pay. Granted, it pays for the t-shirt, and the headshot, and the DVD of the competition, but still. They have different dates for the finals so if I get sponsors then I'll call to see if they will still take him. Otherwise, oh well for that one.

********************

Grandma and the babies

Sid got a big boy (booster) seat. Doesn't work so well when he falls asleep in it though.
Sid took this pic of Shelby

Pictures I Found

2007-03-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

It's cool to turn on my camera and find new pictures...

The Opposite of Slow is...

2007-03-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

Me while driving: blah blah blah slow-poke blah blah blah

Sid to me: Mommy, are we a fast-poke?

2007-03-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

Sid said that I was his valentine. That was so sweet! The inside of the card had "I love you Sidney" written by him on lines that it looks like he drew. I know that kids do this every year for their parents but I was
still surprised and touched. That's my baby! Although, I don't know quite where I rank in his life right now considering he has a *ahem* girlfriend.

Grandma to Sid: How do you know she's your girlfriend?

Sid to Grandma: Because she said so.

LOL

2007-02-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

This is how they do. Shelb will learn how to ride her daddy by watching Sid.
Just the two

Sid is Four Now

2007-02-19T11:47:00.000-05:00

Sid's birthday was this past Saturday. He's been celebrating all weekend long. Friday his class sang Happy Birthday to him. Saturday they announced it in church so all day people kept coming up to him with well wishes. Saturday evening I picked up his birthday cake and ice cream and went back to church. I got a bunch of people together to sing to him and share in the celebration. He liked it. He had told me a few months ago that he wanted a party at church and that's what he got so he better be satisfied! :) Sunday Spiderman came to the house courtesy of Grandma Marie.
Spiderman bday cake
Sid cutting his cake

So what is Sid doing now that he's a big boy? Well, he's still trying to adjust to having Shelby at his school. These past two weeks I've gotten reports that he hasn't been listening to the teachers and a couple of times my mother stopped by the school and found him in timeout. I had a talk with him about good attention and bad attention. I'm making a concerted effort to give him the individual attention he's used to. What else? He still can't seem to sit still. He is always on the go and his voice is as loud as he is fast.

Spiderman Visit

2007-02-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

My mother paid Spiderman to visit Sid yesterday. When he knocked on the door we told Sid to go answer it. When he did, of course, he was surprised and he shyly retreated to my mother's skirt. He brought animals and face paint (see pix below). I think he enjoyed the whole experience but it was pretty funny. Spiderman was played by a Hispanic woman with a heavy accent and a washed out, saggy costume.
Sid and Spiderman
Daddy had to get his face painted first before Sid would allow the guy to touch him.
Sid and his Spiderman sword and a big ole rabbit.
Sid and some birds.

My Valentine

2007-02-14T18:14:00.000-05:00

My mother asked Sid if she was his valentine. He told her 'no'.

She asked him who is his valentine. He said, "Mommy."

On the way to School

2007-02-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to yell at cars driving too slowly for my tastes is, "Come on, man, at least drive like you have somewhere to go!"

This morning Sid noticed a car in front of us and he asked me, "Mommy, is he driving like he's going somewhere?"

Sid on a Field Trip

2007-02-01T11:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday his class went to the Museum of Discovery and Science. Shelb and I went too.
Sid's reflection in the rearview mirror of the school bus
Sid playing with bubbles

Sid On Stage

2007-02-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Sid went to my girlfriend's daughter's birthday party a few weeks ago. It was held at Chuck E. Cheese. When the hostesses called for kids to come up and dance with Chuch I encouraged Sid to go and he ended up being the only kid to go up on the stage with Chuck (there were two bday parties being held at that time).

Big Bro

2007-01-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

Sid was originally trying to read to Shelb but then I don't know what he wanted to do. He made me put her on his lap then he gave her a toy.

I'm Trying To Be Fair

2007-01-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

I don't spend nearly a comparable amount of time writing about Sid's adventures as I do Shelby's. Maybe because I spend so much more time with her than with him considering I have her at home while he is at school. Anywho....

Yesterday Sid was telling me somethinga bout some kids in his class. Something about their writing books. He says, "You know Howard, right?" I said, "No, I don't know who Howard is." Sid replies, "I just told you his name."

This morning when Sid was turning in his homework his teacher showed him a homework paper that he left at school. She asked him, "When did I give this to you, Sidney?" His reply: "When I was here."

I've started preparing Sid about Shelby attending his school. I told him she will be starting there soon and he asked me if she's going in the baby's room. I told him yes and he seemed fine with it. (Note: This was after he told me he wants to go to another school so he can be good there since he's not good at his current school, but really he is.)

Sid and Grandpa Joe aka Joe Joe

2007-01-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Something about Daddy and Sid's Ears

2007-01-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

Pix by Sid, The Photographer

2007-01-07T21:37:00.000-05:00

Priceless

2007-01-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

Sid: Mommy, how did Shelby come out your belly?

Me: I pushed her out. (Knowing full well the real answer he was looking for.)

Sid: Your belly popped?

New Shoes

2006-12-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

Sid was in dire need of some new shoes so along with replacing his multipurpose black boots we also bought bought these Skechers.

2006-12-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

This is some of us walking to the truck on Monday morning after being smoked out of our home the night before. We stayed at hubby's mom's house.
Hubby's mom needed a ride so I sat in the back seat between Sid and Shelb. This is the view of Sid from my seat next to him.

Pic Taken By Sister Alex

2006-12-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at the airport

2006-12-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Shelb and Sid and me and hubby took grandma (my mother) to the airport. She left for Jamaica. She was nervous about the turbulence and esp the air pockets but she made it with little of the first and none of the second. Anywho, here are pix of them kids seeing her off!
Sid and Grandma
Shelb and Grandma
Sid being silly
Sid at the ticket counter
Sid took this pic of grandma before she went through security

Focus, Focus

2006-12-11T15:34:00.000-05:00

Sid's teacher says that he's going to be a genius who doesn't write. lol. She's trying to get him to focus and finish what he starts (uh oh). Last week she had to "drape him up" by telling him that he couldn't go outside to play until he wrote the date in his writing book. Of course, she said, when he did write it it was his best work so far! A friend of mine who is also a teacher gave me some worksheets for Sid to practice writing(? - I haven't even looked at them yet). What I need for Sid is an area that he can sit and work without distractions. Right now he works at the dinner table and his seat faces the television. Granted, we rarely watch anything in the evenings besides the news (and we used to watch A.N.T.M.) but surprisingly he gets distracted by that.

First of Many

2006-12-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

Sid had a little accident with a shopping cart yesterday. He was laughing and playing around with his father when he did a quick spin and run and ran right into the cart shin first. Last night when I bathed him him is when I noticed the nice bruise. This morning though I was hard pressed to figure out which leg was the hurt one cause they both looked the same. It's amazing how quickly kids heal.

Acting Silly and Looking Cute

2006-12-11T15:23:00.000-05:00

It's a phase, right??

2006-11-30T01:38:00.000-05:00

Sid doesn't seem to know when he needs to use the bathroom anymore until it's just about too late. Tuesday when I picked him up from school the front of his pants were wet - he didn't make to the bathroom in time. Wednesday his father got a school from the director saying that Sid was very upset that he peed in his pants again - he made it to the bathroom but the pee didn't make it to the toilet. Sid also said something about not wanting to go outside and play because he was embarassed. Hubby IM'd me and told me what happened. I packed up Shelby and zipped off to the daycare. I found Sid outside riding a bicycle. When I went up to him he told me that his pants were dry because he was riding the bike. Uhuh. I made him change into the dry clean clothes that I brought for him anyway. By the time we got home he practically ran to the front door telling me that he had to use the bathroom (he drank some water right before we left the school). Once again, he made it to the bathroom but the toilet was empty while the floor was wet. Poor baby was upset. His grandma happened to be around at that time and she told him it was ok, that accidents happen. Is this some sort of regression that he's going through or maybe a subconscious plea for attention??

***************************

Tuesday Sid was the last kid to be picked up from school. All the other kids were gone 20 minutes before I got there. The funny thing is that Sid told his teacher that "No one is picking me up so I have to play." Makes sense to me.

2006-11-14T15:30:00.000-05:00

Sid is doing very well adjusting to the presence of his new little sister. The other night when she was crying while he was watching one of his movies he reached over and started rubbing her back!

I try to make sure we have time that I can focus only on him, and I least keep up with the level of affection he received before Shelby came. I still call him My Sweetheart and I tell him I love him. The past two Saturday nights while everyone was at church, we watched a couple of his movies together while eating popcorn and snacks. Yes, baby was there too but she was asleep most of the time.

He is so smart, my baby. He remembers things and puts things together in mind fairly quickly. One day last week he and I were home with my mother and Shelby, and I had to run to the store to pick up a few things. Sid was watching his movie and I asked him if he wanted to go with me. At first he said no but he quickly switched to yes when he remembered that the grocery store bakery gives out free cookies. I told him to get ready so he jumped off the bed...and stopped. He was still into his movie. As I got ready I had to keep reminding him to get himself ready because he would stop every so often to see what was on the tv. I went downstairs and he followed. He was supposed to put on his sandals but he never did. He became involved in what my mother was watching. I must have told him, with increasing sternness, at least four more times to put his shoes on otherwise I would leave. Of course you know what happened - he didn't put his shoes on so he got left. He came screaming barefooted towards the front door as I was closing it. I made sure his fingers wouldn't get jammed and I closed the door. Poor, poor baby. The store is only a few miles from my house but before I was even halfway there I got a call from my mother telling me to come back for him. Uh, no. She kept telling me to come back and I kept saying no. After we hung up I knew I would hear about it later. Anyway, the point is that the next evening Sid made sure to tell me that he would pay attention and listen to me now.

I wonder if most kids are like him or if he's above average. His teacher says he grasps things very quickly but that he gets distracted easily. You don't say. I'll assume he's above average. :)

Well, I know pictures are always in order so maybe I'll take some this evening.

Being a Big Brother

2006-11-04T17:03:00.000-05:00

Ready For The Corporate World?

2006-11-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

New PJ's

2006-10-31T20:54:00.000-05:00

Sid's school hosted an hour-long storytelling pajama party. Since Sid didn't have any real pjs we had to get him some. What you see here is Sid wearing one of two new Spider Man pjs while eating an after-story snack. (By the way, the pic was taken with my new chocolate phone!)

2006-09-27T03:36:00.000-04:00

Sid and Clifford

2006-09-21T17:21:00.000-04:00

Look at my big boy doing homework!

2006-09-10T15:34:00.000-04:00

You should have seen the boy last night! I wish I had a video camera. After my baby shower me, hubby, and the kids, hung out at the hostesses house for a while and talked. K Jr was bored and asked if he could play the piano, to which the hostess agreed. Sid eventually made his way over to his brother's side on the piano bench and while K Jr played, Sid sang. They weren't in tune as Sid didn't know the tune and made up his own words, but oh, what a sight! It was too cute.

Horton

2006-09-10T12:01:00.000-04:00

Sid's been asking me to read this book over and over lately, Horton Hatches the Egg. It was given to him last Christmas courtesy of Auntie SP. (Thanks, SP!) It's a really cute story and I don't mind reading it to him cause it's actually fun. And I use to try to teach him how to read short words. Now he can 'read' the title, but I know it's just that he has it memorized. That's alright. He'll learn. He is learning.

My Mother

2006-09-08T12:35:00.000-04:00

Ok, so grandma wants to read something about herself and Sid. I told her she needs to start her own Sidney blog but I know she won't. So what story can I tell to appease her? Let's see, I can at least tell you that the two of them are almost always fighting. She's says it's not so, but that's what I see. He's always running around (being the hyper child that he is) and she's always yelling after him to stop making so much noise, be careful, etc. She did tell me about a cute story that happened a couple of weeks ago. She had picked up Sid from school like she does every Friday afternoon and they went back to her house to cook. My mother starting putting the things together for one of her special recipes and Sid was helping her mix. At one point Sid must have lost his footing and knocked over the mixing bowl. I can imagine based on what my mother says just how distraught he was about it. The poor baby was so upset and crying. He thought he ruined the whole thing. But, it didn't all spill out and they salvaged and baked what was left. I still feel bad for him every time I think about it. He must have been trying so hard to do well. I was still proud of him.

There, ma, are you happy now??

Two Must Be Better Than One

2006-09-06T00:16:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday morning I sent Sid to start getting dressed. I first sent him to go to his room and put on clean underwear. He came back in my room with the underwear on and I figured we were good so far. It continued with the rest of the clothes and all went well. Later that morning, while at church, I took him to his usual bathroom break before midday service. He proceeded to do what he to do but as he was pulling up his underwear I noticed something strange - he had on TWO pairs of underwear. I said, "Sidney! Why are you wearing two underwear??" His response: "Because I like race cars and Spiderman." Makes sense.

My Baby's In School!

2006-08-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

Sid is 3 1/2. His birthday isn't until next February. However, the teachers at his daycare spoke to me before school started about promoting him to pre-school where he'll be in the big kids class (age 4). They said we could always put him back if necessary but they didn't think that would happen. Now, my baby is learning to read and write. I'm so proud of him. Sometimes he comes home with schoolwork he's done throughout the day, sometimes he comes home with homework. Last night he was supposed to do an experiment with blowing air through a straw and making a piece of paper move. Another time the class did an experiment where they left one pile of salt and one pile of sugar out overnight to find out what the ants liked. Yesterday when I picked him up he was too excited to show me the water with the floating "boats" and the sand.

I'll have to scan in and upload some of his work so you can see his writing. I'm quite impressed. He can write and stay between the lines. He can even write his name. The only thing there is that he writes some of the letters backwards. I'm hoping it's just a phase and not dyslexia.

Anyway, along with being in pre-school he now has to be at school between 8:00 am and 8:30 am. Times I'm used to still being at home. This morning I did well in that I got him to school by 8:20 am. Last year they wanted him there by 9:00 am. This year they didn't tell me that it would be different so I've been aiming for 9:00 again. But this week having been a rough one including many late nights, I've been too tired to get up early, which means he's been arriving closer to 9:30. At least now I know and I want him to have every opportunity to learn so I'm going to do better. I used to drive my stepson to a bus stop for 6:30 AM! We had to leave by 6:10 am the latest. And I did it. If I could do that then, then I can do this now. Hopefully it means I'll get to leave work a bit earlier too. :)

2006-08-21T22:02:00.000-04:00

He won't talk to me.

The Kidder

2006-08-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago I was getting on Sid's case for slamming my room door, esp with the keyfob hanging on the outside. Whenever he tries to slam the door the keyfob gets in the way and door bangs back open. (Okay, they keyfob is there so that stepson can disable the house alarm in the mornings so he can leave for school.) Anyway, Sid replies back to me the he "will not stop slamming the door." Now, I know him, and I know that he likes to reverse what you tell him to do, knowing full well that he better do the right thing when the time comes. I didn't pay him any mind. His brother heard him and as he started to reprimand him Sid said to him, "I'm just kiddin."

Re: Writing a Book Based Loosely on Sid

2006-08-18T18:14:00.000-04:00

No, I actually haven't given that idea much thought. I don't know how good I would be something like that. But I'll keep it mind. I do want to publish a book about something one day.

Sid the Sensitive and Talented

2006-08-17T13:23:00.000-04:00

Last night I was sitting the wrong way. This time around, being pregnant is not as easy. I have what feels like a muscle weakness in my left leg which get aggravated depending on how I lay or sit. Well, last night I aggravated it to the point where I almost couldn't walk. Sid watched me intently as I hobbled around like a crab and with concern in his voice he asked, "Mommy, what's wrong?" I was touched that he asked and I told him what the matter was. A bit later he was watching me again and he said to me, "Mommy, why don't you just sit down?" :) That's my baby love.

Even later, when he was getting ready for bed, he complained that his leg hurt and started mimicing me. lol. (He had a mosquito bite or something like that on his leg which in no way warranted his antics, but he is such a performer!)

Before I Forget

2006-08-07T18:50:00.000-04:00

After picking up Sid from his father's job I told him we had a few stops to make, one of which was to an Indian grocery to buy some cardmom for my mother. We stopped at the same plaza where I get my eyebrows threaded and Sid asked me, "Are you sure this is where it is?" I smiled and told him that yes, it is the place. Unfortunately, the place is closed on Mondays so we started to drive away, to which Sid then asked, "What are we going to tell grandma?" I told him that we didn't have to tell her anything because she didn't know that I was going to buy anything for her anyway. I had planned to surprise her. He seemed to understand that and didn't say anything else about it.

Sleepwalker

2006-08-03T09:44:00.000-04:00

Every night when I put Sid to bed I remind him that if he needs to pee he has to get up come and use the bathroom in my room. Maybe he doesn't hear 'bathroom' because last night was the second time in a week that he has walked into my room in the early morning, pulled down his pants and peed on my carpet. Both times I jumped up to the sound of the waterfall, asking, "What's that?! Sid!" Hubby was oblivious both times until he felt me jump up. Sid realizes something is wrong and starts to cry. I try to soothe him while trying to get him to finish in the toilet and then sopping up the wet spot and changing his clothes. In the morning I ask him if he remembers what he did, but he doesn't seem to remember so much.

Another night I heard him make some noise in his room and when I went to check I found him on his siter's bed.

All of this concerns me a bit because I don't want him tumbling down the stairs. Granted, the stairs are in the opposite direction of my room, but he still could make a wrong turn. I'm opting for putting up the baby wall divider again, at least at night, just in case.

2006-07-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

Hubby drove his cousin to Orlando yesterday so I didn't have to pick him up from work. That meant all I had in the world to do was pick up Sid and go home. As we walked in the door I asked him if he was hungry. All I wanted to hear was the first syllable of 'no' and I was headed upstairs. He wasn't, in fact, hungry so I laid out on my bed for the next two hours while he played with his cars on my bedroom floor. Even in my sleepy state I noticed he was getting bored. At one point I heard him say something about the computer (laptop) and then there were some struggling sounds as he lifted it from the counter and brought to his self-made play area. He turned it on, got in to the guest account and somehow found a program to type in. When he tired of that he found my digital camera and started taking pictures. I know that not only because the proof was in the camera after the fact, or because of the annoying beeping sound it made when he filled the card, but because of blinding flashes that I saw even with my eyelids closed.

I haven't yet checked my computer for signs of deleted files or moved programs, but I need to, although I'm not that worried. What a good boy, though! He let me sleep while he entertained himself.

***************************

Later that night he was laying next to me while his father took a shower. He started to rub my belly and out of the blue he asked me who was going to the hospital with me when the baby is being born. I told him his father. He asked, "Not me?" I told him I didn't know because they don't usually let children in there but that I would check. He said ok.

2006-06-14T23:53:00.000-04:00

Sid 'n' Daddy Fun

2006-06-14T23:44:00.000-04:00

About to say something...as usual

Dental Woes

2006-06-13T10:54:00.000-04:00

I warned Sid from last night that he would be going to the dentist this morning. Unfortunately, I couldn't go with him. His father had an appt also, so he went. I tried to let him know what the dental hygienest would be doing. The last time I went Sid was right there with me watching everything up close and personal. I hoped that would make him more comfortable when it was his turn.

Not.

Today his father went first and Sid watched. Then it was his turn and he didn't want to have any part of it. K called me and put me on speaker. I talked to Sid a bit and finally got him to agree to let the hygienest do one tooth and then he could tell his father how it felt. I was somewhat surprised that he actually did agree to go along with that.

Here are a couple of pix - one during and one after the fact.

2006-06-08T23:10:00.000-04:00

While waiting for K in a fitting room last week Sid and I were talking. He has quite a way with words, this boy does. He told me that the baby in my tummy is his baby and that he would not break off a piece and give it to me. I laughed and told him I didn't want a piece but the whole thing. He said, "no."

Motherly Instinct

2006-05-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago me, Sid, and K went by K's friend's house. We don't really go over there for one main reason: we're afraid of his kid. His son is not much older than Sid but he is probably three times his weight and 1.5x his height. This kid doesn't know what to do with himself or his strength. Plus, I don't think he's quite all there unfortunately. Anyway, one time we were over there and the boy gave Sid one thump sending him reeling back to the wall and crying. It all happened so fast the boy's older sister who was standing right beside them didn't even have time to react. The boy got a reprimand. Fine. But you can still imagine me sitting on edge during this recent visit. When his sister, who is about six years older than he is, walked in the front door he grabbed her and literally threw her to the side. She and the cake she was carrying went flying. I stood there with my mouth open. Barely a reprimand this time. His father and mother were both there. Then he found Sid. As he reached his arms out toward Sid's unsuspecting back I said, "Don't even think about it." Of course, everyone turned to look at me but I didn't care. I didn't know what that boy was going to do - intentional or not. K chalked it up to my maternal instincts kicking in, esp. with me being pregnant. Regardless, I kept a close watch on that kid's every move, unpredictable as he was.

That poor kid was always too much for his mother and his father had the "boys will be boys" attitude and never curbed his over-aggressiveness. I fear what he will be like when he becomes a teenager.

2006-05-30T15:25:00.000-04:00

We've finally run out of diapers. Normally, at night, if Sid has had a lot to drink in the evening we'll put a diaper on him right before he goes to bed. last Thursday night we used the last one. All weekend long, in Georgia, he didn't wet the bed once. Probably because his father would wake him up in the middle of the night to take him to the bathroom. Last night we got home after 11 pm. Sid was sent to the bathroom and then to bed. Sure enough, when I checked on him at 3:30 am he had already wet his bed. *sigh* So, I took him the bathroom, changed his clothes and sheets and put him back to bed. This morning he was still dry. It's going to be a long week.

I don't know how the potty training will go with the next baby seeing as it looks like it will be a girl. I don't if the gender makes a difference. Sarccastik asked for potty training tips but I don't have many. Keep in mind that Sid only stopped wearing diapers a few months ago when he turned three years old. I just told him one day that he was a big boy and that he wouldn't be wearing diapers anymore. From then we just made sure that anytime we were about to leave somewhere he would be made to use the bathroom. Plus, we watch his mannerisms. If he starts grabbing his penis too much I ask then I know he needs to go. What would a girl do??

********************

On the way home last night we passed a few cars having been pulled over for speeding. Sid would ask, "Is that a accident or purpose?"

2006-05-22T23:22:00.000-04:00

Why does this boy keep finding himself in my bed in the middle of the night?? Last night the poor thing came in asking for water. I was too out of it to get up and my husband never even knew Sid was there. Needless to say, he didn't get his water.

Sid has taken to doing baby-talk these days. Maybe it's because a baby is coming, I don't know. We've never encouraged baby-talk around him.

2006-05-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

I worry about you, Sid. I find my self yelling at you more lately. I believe it's a combination of your sudden hyperactivity along with your refusal to hear me when I speak and added to the fact that I'm pregnant (= tired, cranky, etc.). I'm sorry, baby. Things that I know to expect still bother me. I expect you to jump all over the house and on the furnitured. I expect you to get yourself dirty after I just bathed you. I expect you touch things even after I have ordered you not to. But I guess I also expect you to listen to me more. I know you will listen to your father more readily - I expect that too. But when it's a reality it's frustrating. I still tell you I love you every night when I tuck you in. I still want to hug and squeeze and pinch you and hear your free laughter. You're my baby-love, always.

On the floor?

2006-05-09T14:04:00.000-04:00

Last night I heard Sid wake up crying. I think he called to me and I answered back. I thought he was going to come into my room and bed but he never did. He eventually went back to sleep. When K got up to use the bathroom he went to take Sid also and found him asleep on the floor. He says it didn't look like he fell out. I wonder how he got there. Did he want to come to me but it was too dark? Poor baby. If there's a next time I'll definitely try to force myself to go and check on him personally right away.

2006-05-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

The Babies at the Beach (Apr 30 '06)

The Cars

2006-05-03T18:09:00.000-04:00

For Easter our neighbor bought Sid a pack of treats - plastic cars and candy. These poor cars have barely lasted a week. The wheels have broken off along with various other parts. Last night we found one of bigger vehicles in pieces next to my bed. K said he was going to throw out the car and told Sid to say 'bye'. So Sid says, "Bye, car." K and I looked at each and laughed. Sid realized it was a joke and said, "You was jus' kiddin'?" TOO FUNNY!

I'm So Alone

2006-05-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

Last Friday we moved Sid's crib into his and his sister's room. We figured the best time would be on a weekend when she's there so he won't feel like he's thrown in a room all alone. Friday and Saturday nights he did fine in there with her. There are many weekends when he asks to sleep with her so we knew it would go alright.

Sunday night she was gone. I put him to bed and the boy must have woken up at least three times asking me to sit with him, which I did. Then I would leave when I figured it was safe. The last time he woke up I found him sitting up. He said to me, "I don't want to sleep in my crib," in a sad voice. I asked him why. He didn't respond. I told him he needed to answer me. He replied, "I don't know." I was very ok with that answer. He was being honest. He really didn't understand that he felt alone. I picked him up and hugged him and told him ok, he could sleep with me, and as we lay down in my bed I told him that the next day I would make sure to buy him his own light for his room so that it wouldn't be too dark for him.

Monday came and while doing some grocery shopping we picked up a night light. That night I didn't have to do much to get him in his room. I plugged it in and showed him that it wasn't so dark anymore and he was fine with it. He didn't wake up once that night. As a matter of fact, when he woke up Tuesday morning the first thing he said to me was, "I'm a big boy. I didn't cry for anybody." How cool is that?! Of course, I could do nothing but hug him and agree. Tuesday night he again went to sleep without a problem. He did ask me to sit with him at first so I tucked him in, rubbed his back a bit, then lay on his sister's bed. Not much later I left and he was still laying there singing to himself. He never felt the need to call me back.

The title of the post is, "I'm So Alone" because, well, I almost am. He's no longer within arms reach of me. I used to be able to put my arm through the slats in the crib and tickle his feet. Now I have to watch myself to make sure I don't roll off the bed and onto the floor!

2006-04-25T21:38:00.000-04:00

Matching Red Shirts

2006-04-24T14:59:00.000-04:00

Now when Sid wets the bed he climbs into mine...with his wet pants on!

2006-04-21T10:07:00.000-04:00

A couple of nights ago I mistakenly sent Sid to bed without any diapers. I don't know what I was thinking or where my mind was but he didn't say anything about it, he just went to bed. The next morning when I took him out I realized his behind wasn't as padded as it should have been. It also wasn't wet! When he finally woke up as I rushed him into the bathroom I told him how proud I was of him for not peeing his bed.

The next night I told him beforehand that he wasn't going to wear a diaper to bed and that if he needed to use the bathroom all he had to do was wake me or his father and one of us would take him. A couple of hours into his sleep K and I were about to go to bed when we decided to pseudo-wake him and take him to the bathroom, hoping to prevent any nighttime interruptions. Imagine my surprise when he did indeed wake me up around 4 am. On the way to the bathroom however I found that he had already wet himself. Poor baby. I told him that was ok and put a diaper on him, cause since his bed was wet he would get to sleep with us, and he ain't sleeping with us without a diaper just yet.

The following night I told him the same thing - that if he needed to use the bathroom he should tell one of us. K usually gets up between 3 and 4 am to use the bathroom himself so when I heard him stir I asked him to take Sid. He did the pseudo-wake up thing and Sid peed and then continued to sleep til morning without an accident.

He's doing quite well. He can even use the bathroom by himself now - #1 or #2. And he thinks he's so grown he even tries to wipe his own behind after a #2 (haha). He's too cute.