Mommy Moments

They started once I became a mother -of course-.

Once, When I was still living the sleepless nights, I woke up so dizzy and tired..I was fixing myself a bowl of cereal. I poured my rice milk over her scrambled eggs!

-NOT GOOD-

Once, I almost left the house with no scarf on my head...I actually locked the house's door and was about to start pushing Mariyah's stroller in front of me...and then I felt "cold" and went back inside before anyone could see me.

-NOT GOOD AT ALL-

Once, I made some yummi apple dumplings, and called my friend to come over and have some. she came along with her kids, we talked and played and talked. and then they left...and my dumplings were still in the fridge, waiting for recognition!

-THAT WAS BAD-

Once, I made some gifts for my friend's kids -the same one mentioned above-. I asked her to come and pick them up, she got excited. I served her something yummi, and she saw the gifts and loved them. but I forgot to pack them up and give them to her before she left.

-REALLY EMBARRASSING-

Once, I locked myself out. My keys were inside the house, I couldn't get in and I couldn't drive my car. Jeeej was only 10 min away and came to rescue me. I was late for my appointment that day.

-IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE-

Speaking of being late, these days, My students KNOW that if their class is at 3 pm, it means it'll start at 3:15 pm.

Once, I mean TODAY, I broke the record!

I was invited to a gathering, a small one -lucky me-. I made some really good chocolate cake balls. my friend came over to have some. I got Mariyah ready and I wore my new outfit -we looked nice-. Before heading to the gathering, I had to give 3 classes in San Jose, 30 min. away, and then drove up to Fremont -the gathering- for 45 min. To realize while driving that I had polished the nails of my left hand and forgot about the right hand!!!

-I THINK THIS IS ENOUGH-

You think I will get better when I become a mother of two?!

Let's pray, wait and see!

Communication, How?

Before I got pregnant with Mariyah, or before even thinking about it, I never paid attention to parents -especially moms- communicating with their toddlers. Why would I?

I thought it's easy and "normal".


When I got pregnant, I became more alert, trying to learn as much as I can. I found it joyful and I tried doing it myself. talking to toddlers that is.

I found it almost impossible!

Is it because Arab kids here mix between Arabic and English while talking? Is it because I'm not focusing well? I wondered. Sometimes I felt stupid. Mothers always responded to their kids. I wanted to be close to these little people and felt embarrassed asking the mother to translate whatever they said!

And then Mariyah came,

and then she grew up,

and she's talking these days!

I feel special when I understand the words she says. I find it hard to believe that some people can't understand what she's saying.

We video chat with my mom and I have to keep translating.

I translate to her older friends.

I translate to my friends.

I even -sometimes- translate to Jeeej.

I once said to Jeeej: "it's funny how I'm the only one who understand whatever she says".

He said: " you better! You're the mom".

That's so sweet :)

Some of the words she says that need translation: -In Arabic-

Ibbeee' = jug.

tatit = bed.

bego = burger.

massata = straw.

hzam = blanket.

obbokh = blow.

bostan = dress.

tabooo = soap.

and many other words...

But the sweetest word that I love to hear over and over again is BITATA = Potato :)

I like it how she responds to my requests.

Like collecting her lego blocks into the bag.

Throwing stuff in the trash can.

That's really SWEET, SWEET, SWEEEET!

Good Morning Sunny CA :) !

Wee Baba Weeee....

eeeeeeeee...

Qaman...Qamaaaaan = Kamaaaan = Moreeee!!

One more weekend to go, and Jeeej will start having weekends again! We've been living weekend-less weeks since the beginning of Jan. this year!

We miss him so much, and we can't wait to have him all for us on Saturdays and Sundays :)

...and I am a good wife/friend too ;)

I can't cook mahashi. It's a fact.
I tried so many times in the past and I always failed. The sad thing is that it's one of my favourite dishes.
When I go to Jordan, my mom makes it several times, and whoever invites and actually asks me what I would like to eat, my answer is/will always be mahashi.

2 weeks ago, I was driving on the high way, on my way to give classes when I thought about this delicious dish! Without even thinking I picked up my phone and called a friend -a mother of 4- who lives in Fremont, almost 45 min away from my house. I called her asking for a favour ;)

she laughed!
Her answer was: you're lucky my kids love it and I make it very often here...
I said: I tried yours several times, that's why I am calling you.
She asked: what mahashi would you prefer?
- Everything that can be stuffed!

She invited me the week after... stuffed vine leaves, cabbage and squash too.
She is such a sweet lady. I can never forget her favours...
I love talking to her and spending time with her whenever I get the chance to.
She was actually the very first Arab woman I ever talked to here in CA, that was 4 months after my arrival to the states.

To be honest, some friends here are just like sisters.

My closest friend here calls me whenever she cooks something I like.

Last week I was craving fattet magdoos, she made a big dish for me.

Today I'm relating good friends to cooking.

Those who take care of me are real friends :D

On the other hand,

When I cook Lasagna, it's ALWAYS a success...

Preparation and cooking takes only ONE hour.

To most of the gathering I go to, I take a dish of lasagna.

and I feel happy when ladies call me few days later asking for the recipe IN DETAILS.

Because the kids and the husband loved it, even the leftovers, and asked for the EXACT same one again :)

Yesterday, Jeeej came back from work early, I wasn't planning to cook but he was hungry and I suggested Lasagna -yea, I love him- and he loves my lasagna once/week, so the ingredients are always available here at our house.

When he drove me crazy wondering if it was done yet I asked him to go check it out,

He grabbed the camera on his way to the kitchen and took this video.

While he was eating, I asked him: what do you think?

He said: Later! I'll tell you later... I'm busy eating right now :D

I READ

Jan. 2010:
1- The Five People You Meet In Heaven.
2- Drowning Ruth.

Apr. 2010:
The glass castle.

May 2010:
The Red Tent.

Looking alike, or maybe different?

This is how baby "Y" looks like these days...size of an apple.

This is how Mariyah looked like,

back in the days.

They look different, no?

Maybe because Mariyah was seen using a Level 2 Ultrasound?

Or maybe, they won't look alike at all.

Does it matter?

Not really, I'm hoping for another unique child :)

Inshallah...

Only if the doctors could agree on ONE due date and not four!

* I added circles to my baby's body, because I always find it difficult to understand these fotos. Hope you don't suffer the same when you go see your coming babies :)

Random thoughts about the future

Mariyah's future of course.

A couple of months ago, my favourite 9 year old student was wearing pajamas for our class, she was excited about it, she told me she wore it to school that day, because it was a "Pajama day" at school. I liked the idea...

Today, during the class, she stopped reading and told me that tomorrow is going to be a "Crazy hair day" at school! Now this is going to be fun.

She told me she'll have three ponytails and she'll put all her hair clips on...

she said, all of her friends want to wear wigs, but she wants to be unique...

I love that girl!!

--------------------------------------------------------

As for Mariyah,

These days, it's not a surprise anymore to see her in her crib, ready to be picked up after a long night or after a nap with her pajamas off! She knows that once she is up, new clothes should be put on!

As for her hair, mmmm
It's A CRAZY HAIR DAY everyday here at our house!!

She's got my crazy hair, I'm sure. and that's super COOL.

-I remember when I started covering my hair after my freshman year in university, a lot of guys and girls asked me: how the hell do you cover your hair?! Where do you go with it?-

So,,,

I think a "Pajama day" at school is going to be a NO FUN day for Mariyah...

And a "Crazy hair day" at school is going to be

" A no hair clips" for Mariyah!

I hope she'll love this post as much as I do...and I hope she'll love her hair as much as I do!

sometime in the future...once she starts going to KRAZY schools!

A Honeymoon memory

When we went to Spain for our honeymoon, year 2007, we couldn't buy a lot of souvenirs. The budget and luggage space were always objecting.
The trip to Spain was followed by our first visit to Jordan after getting married. Our bags were full of gifts already.

When we planned the trip, a visit to Al Hambra palace was a priority.
What was so attracting about the palace were the carvings on the walls. Where ever you look you find words and phrases carved in a beautiful way.
The inscriptions are mainly verses from the Quran or poetry. Reading the words was a big challenge for me, or for both of us ;)

We spent SO much time trying to read the phrases. Sometimes it was impossible!
Some tourists walking around were actually surprised we could read some words or letters, They didn't know the carvings are real words!!

One of the most repeated phrases in the palace was "لا غالب إلا الله " = "There is no victor but God."

We were happy we could read it, it was an easy one.

These pictures were taken by Jeeej.

Before we left the castle, we wanted to buy a painting to hang on a wall once we are back home...and we bought this one.

We came home, it stayed wrapped, stored somewhere safe...

I saw it a few times and wanted to frame it so bad...But I didn't...

It moved with us to two different houses...

Today, I decided!

I will frame it and hang it :)

We did it!

We loved Spain -Granada- so much...and now when ever we look at this beautiful frame, above the main door...we'll remember our sweet sugar honeymoon :)

Nido's "friends"

I was one of the first girls among my friends to get engaged, married, live abroad and later on have a baby...

I remember how most of my single friends -back then- if not all were so curious about how it feels like to be married.
I left Jordan one week after I got married and I remember the e mails and the chats filled with so many questions.

I was asked all kind of questions, about EVERYTHING! Marriage, leaving home, in-laws, some sensitive issues, etc.
I answered what I felt appropriate to answer, and kept the really private issues for myself. It was fun back then, for both sides. It never felt weird talking about such issues, we are friends after all, or maybe "were". And I always believe that this is what friends are for...
sharing good stories and laughs, sending positive energy to each other and stay away from bad assumptions.

Life continues, and these "friends" got engaged, married, lived abroad, got pregnant, had kids...and of course life became busy and it became harder to communicate like the old days...

The only thing that surprises me these days is the feeling I get about "trying" to communicate with these friends...
The feeling of being accused of being nosy maybe...
I ask: how are you? how's marriage like? how's your pregnancy? General questions...way more general than the ones I used to get and actually answer from these same friends...

and then their replies -if they ever reply- mostly sound like: HOW DARE YOU ASK?

It's either because one of the following:
* They think I'm too nosy.
* They are scared of envy.
* They live miserable lives they don't want to share or talk about.

The third reason is the only one I would understand and actually respect....because negative energy is the last thing I want to be sent to my path.

If it's the 1st reason, I just wish I can publish the kind of questions I got when I first got married...

If your reason is the second...believe me, I never ever wished to be in your shoes! I am blessed and I love my life, and would never trade it for any other kind of life... Il hamdolillah.
It's full of fun and love and this needs a lot of work too.

it is not easy to live away and it is not easy to lose friends...but it happens to some of us...

Writing this down makes me feel MORE relaxed. And to be honest, looking forward to meet LESS friends on my vacations in Amman makes me feel MORE relieved :)

Ladies, eBay shoppers, ECKO Red Lovers...

Check these Four beautiful purses on Jeeej's ebay.

If you love any of these big purses...
Ed Hardy Style...

Go Ahead and bid...or buy it now...

Before he lsited these...I got me one ;)

And I'M IN LOVE!

A slice of lemon

When I stay home all day long, I get more tired. The mess around the house is uncontrollable. I find myself going crazy sometimes, running after Mariyah begging her to calm down. It gets worse when I decide to cook a big meal. I usually cook at 7 after I put her to sleep, but sometimes I wonder about the kind of energy that makes me change my habits. my routine. MY LIFE.

Last night I was chatting with my sister Nour online, I told her that my nausea isn't going away, even though I'm done with my 1st trimester. Then I found myself saying that no matter how crappy I feel, I still get up and play with Mariyah forgetting that I'm even pregnant.

She said: she's your biggest motivation then!

Yes, she is :)

At the end of her day after she goes to sleep, I sit down and think of all the events that took place during the day. Most of the time I feel proud. Especially if I witness something new she said or did...

Today she made 2 sentences, her 1st informative ones :)

The 1st one was : takee tooooot??? -wanna have some berries?-

That was her answer when I asked her: what do you want to have for lunch?.

The 2nd one is funny...

I put her on the toilet and I was praying somewhere close where she could see me, suddenly I heard her yelling asking me to close the door!

she said: sakeeee baaaaaaaaaaaaab!!!

And then I feel proud for knowing how much she likes to take care of her looks and how much she appriciates beauty...she has to get her nails manicured every other day...

Today I let her do my nails :)

I also feel proud for being active with her until she goes to sleep...I feed her well, I read with her, I sing for her and she dances, we paint together and we play Lego too.

I still feel nauseous sometimes...I used to open a can or 2 of Diet 7UP/day to take a gulp down, trying to feel better...it always helped.

Today I decided it's enough, I filled my big cup with water, and added a slice of lemon to it and left it in the kitchen. Whenever I passed by it I took a sip or two and it did magic :)

Mariyah loved this water too!

Yes I feel like crap right now...but so proud!

Il hamdillah...

My baby "Y", the size of a lemon right now...I will see you on screen soon, You better behave ;)

My favourite musicians/music of 2009

* Mariyah playing the Piano...Thanksgiving Song.

* Baby "Y" playing in my belly, Heartbeats Song.

Perfect Dinner

Mariyah's bedtime is 7 pm.

5 min. after that she is considered drunk.

Last night, jiddo & teta decided to visit us on their way back home from Santa Barbara.

It was sometime around 6:30, Mariyah's dinner time.

Jiddo made sure he brings his grand daughter a pack of organic blue berries "LOVE OF HER LIFE"

She calls them tooot.

and if she is in a good mood, she calls them tabi tabi "balls".

Yesterday she was in a reeeeeeeeally good mood "drunk"...she kept saying jiddo and teta and hugging them in a really funny way.

We couldn't believe it when she gave jiddo a berry or two...that's how good her mood was :)

We had to skip her bath last night...she was so tired after they left at 8.
Before I slept I prayed her diaper wont look disastrous the next morning :)
In case you are wondering, she finished the whole pack...
sahatain o hana my little girl! :)

How? and some other questions

- How many books have I read year 2009?
- Zero

- How many books will I read this year?
- A lot.

- How many "friends" have I deleted from my facebook?
- Over 50.

- How does it feel?
- Goooooooooooooooooood :)

- How did we say goodbye to year 2009?
- Fighting.

- Did we stay awake til Fireworks started?
- YES, WE FINALLY DID!

- How did we welcome year 2010?
- Making up.

- What did we do the first morning in year 2010?
- Video chat with family in Amman.

- What was the first dinner in 2010?
- Turkey and fresh spinach sandwich for me. Carrots and celery dipped in ranch for him.

- What did Mariyah say today?
- doori "My turn" & smoothie.

- How big is baby "Y" inside, today?
- The size of a medium shrimp.

- Where did Mariayh and I go today?
- No where, we stayed home, cleaning, eating and PAINTING!

Happy New Year My Beloved Readers!