Jeedo's

Gossai Aljabri Photography at Amman Street Art Fair

2011-09-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

In his page on facebook, this is what Gossai Aljabri has to say:

"What am trying to do here

is to bring to your attention the joy of a moment missed by a minor distraction, or by a regularity of a scene, as we always miss lots of beauty in every thing that a glimpse of a light shines over, even when staring right at it...

so i try to capture these moments, utilize whatever i have for that purpose.
Hope you enjoy them as much as i do...:) "

Please have a look at his page and check out the brilliant pictures he's taken. A photographer by nature!
These days at #AmmanStreetArtFair you can visit his booth, where he displays/sells his artistic and creative work.

I have a sister~I'm fortunate!

2011-08-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Summer 2010, Mariyah had no idea that her life will be turned upside down once her baby sister arrives to her world. Non of us had a clue of what kind of life to expect. That's the best part of adding a new member to the group.

The very first meeting was full of emotions. Mariyah totally believed that Selma is her new moving doll. She was so excited and thrilled.

She was jealous of course but never in a harmful way. She thought and still thinks that she owns Selma. Selma is hers and she is the one who could take care of her. She insists on feeding her from her plate or simply share her sippy cup.

She believes she's the one who taught her how to walk and how to dance. I tried my best to include Mariyah in anyway possible in the process of taking care of Selma. Mariyah was responsible of getting a new Diaper for her sister. was responsible of keeping Selma's socks on, patting her back to burp her and some other tiny responsibilities and she loved it and felt like a grown up.

Everyone feels bad for Selma though, simply because they think that Mariyah is the trouble maker and that she's controlling Selma's life and also because of the facial expressions of both girls...

LOOK!

Those who are close to me kept assuring me that there will come a time where both girls would become best friends and that the bond between them might get stronger than their bond with me. Should I worry?

I have 3 sisters myself and I remember how at a certain stage of life my sister became closer to me than my Mom!
**Mama is the closest to me now, so it's going to be alright :)

My question was always...When? When would they start playing together? When would they start enjoying time together especially when I'm too tired to take them out. Will they be able to entertain each other and give me sometime to relax?

There were two answers to this questions...
The first answer: Once Selma starts crawling.
The second was: Once Selma starts walking.

I couldn't wait for the first! Selma crawled later than I hoped but still...Mariyah was not interested in playing with Selma...She was actually jealous of her sis she started crawling herself!

Now, that Selma is walking it's happening!
They play & laugh like there's nobody watching :)

And Selma's personality is changing a lot. She doesn't want to be treated like a baby sister anymore...She Thinks she can do whatever she wants...Bye Bye innocence!

She enjoys pulling Mariyah's hair. She knows it makes Mariyah cry and she knows Mariyah won't harm her or hurt her back so she simply enjoys it! The best part of the whole thing is that both of them forget the hurt and pain really quick they get back to playing in a blink of an eye :)

Now, she follows Mariyah everywhere! Mariyah can't wait for her sister to nap so we could read together in peace...
So she could color and paint in peace...
So she could go for a swim in peace...
So she could watch her favourite Dinosaurs cartoon in peace.

Being a baby sister is not easy at all!
Being a mother of partners in mischief is not easy at all...

But it's a life full of fun, laughter and forgiveness,
The day I tweeted about it was the day I decided to post this...I'm becoming a lazy blogger, but...it's Ramadan!

@supernido

It's amazing how kids can easily forgive and forget! I wish I can be as pure and innocent as my little girls...
Aug. 7

Al hamdulillah :)

Mariyah~Saurus

2011-08-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Some people might be against the idea of teaching kids about Dinosaurs. They don't exist anymore, so why bother!
I myself was one of those people. I used to hear Jeeej mentioning their long names for a reason or another and I would wonder...Why? Why would he be interested in them...He told me once that he learnt everything he knows about them at school when he was little.

I learnt nothing about them at schools!
Now, I wonder why haven't we?!
They are so much fun!

With Mariyah, it all started when Jeeej was picking a nice movie for her to watch on Netflix one weekend. He thought about/searched for the movie "The Land Before Time". At first she didn't know what she was watching and then she started falling in love with the characters. Her favourites are Little foot and Sarah.

Then in one of our visits to the bookstore she discovered the dinosaurs section and started playing with the stuffed dinosaurs on the shelves and of course she named them Sarah, Sarah's father, Little foot and his grandfather...but a 5 year old boy was there and he started correcting her. He started saying the real names and Mariyah didn't like it...I was amazed myself by all the knowledge he's got!
Remember,,,I knew nothing about dinosaurs!

The little boy's dad was there and he told me that his son was Mariyah's age when he started learning about them...He suggested we watch "Dinosaur Train" and then he suggested the dinosaur museum in Berkeley University.

On our way back home that day Mariyah cried. I still remember what she said when she cried. She said: "I don't like the boy at the library. How come he knows and I don't!"

The next day she watched a couple of episodes of the "Dinosaur Train" and then later on I got her the Dinosaur book.

I am amazed by how fast she's learning about them. Their names and what they eat...who flies and who swims in the oceans.

We took her to the museum of course and it was a big surprise for her. She didn't know they'd be THAT big! The skeletons were way bigger than she'd ever imagined. Now she knows...a lot.
Now, when we go to Target every weekend, all she wants is a dinosaur. All she wants to read about is Dinosaurs. All she paints are dinosaurs!

Baby Long Neck
Mama Long Neck
Baba Long Neck
........ Long Neck

She even started coming up with names for dinosaurs
Like...TomorrowSaurus!

Meet My Little MariyahSaurus :)

* It took me so much time to shoot this video. I did it last Monday right after she came back from her Gymnastics class, while Baby Selma was napping.

And...We're done ;)

Benga, Selma Says!

2011-07-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

We should have named you Selma Butter Ball Salamonti.
But you were almost 20 days late in showing up,
so we were too tired to give you such a long name

We couldn't wait to have you meet your big sister at home,
so we left the hospital a few hours after you were born!

You Bubbly baby,
Became irresistible! We didn't want you to sleep at all...

You Naughty one didn't want US to sleep at all!

But we didn't care, because you brightened up our
days & nights...

You bring joy and love to any one's heart!
Your facial expressions are priceless,
they say it all...

They say Benga & Bagen and that's all...

You tell me you love me, you tell me you're sad, happy or mad!
You tell me you miss me and how hungry you are...

You tell me you need a diaper change and you ask me to rub your tummy
and play with your hair :)

You ask for a kiss and you bite my lips...and shoulders and knees too!

You drive Mariyah crazy when you pull her hair...

You ask for a bath and for a swim...
you cry for so many teeth are in a hurry!

You ask for hugs, cuddling and more cuddling
And you always always get them!
Who can ever say: "NO"?

Salamonti...You are ONE!
We love you, and even though all you say is BENGA & BAGEN
We understand you and know you well...

One last whisper in your ear:
Whenever I ask you to grow up fast so I could relax more...
I don't mean it! AT ALL,,,
Stay perfect...Just the way you are.

Al hamdulillah :)

Why I picked Hawaii...

2011-07-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

When we were still a small family it was easier to travel more than once a year and enjoy vacations. It was easier financially. Now that we are a family of four planning became harder. Now we have to think about the budget, the location, the "to do" lists and the right place to stay at. It's not easy but so far my Jeeej has never failed us. People joke about it sometimes and wonder if he could have his own office for finding great deals online.

Most of my married relatives and friends in Amman travel to different countries during Summer. They always enjoy it and of course they all need it. I need it too, a vacation I mean. So, where do I go every single year?
Yep, To Amman!

This year, Jeeej said to me: you can go to Amman every single year for a vacation but you won't be able to go anywhere else. Simply because we take a long time off to stay there longer and then the tickets and costs -Shopping here and having fun there- are too expensive.

To be honest, Now when I think of Amman I think of my family and my close friends only. Nothing else! I'm sorry but year after another I find it hard to enjoy time there, neither indoors nor outdoors. Not even in an open cafe. Blue Fig is excluded ;)

Traffic, indoor smoking -not good for my girls-, bad customer service, expensive everything, people staring and not minding their own business & rejection for your looks -Hijabi in my case- and some other reasons too.

This year I was lucky I had mama come over for a few days and tomorrow we have Jeeej's sweet sister coming to visit from Alabama along with her 3 kids. Then some more relatives are coming over too. You see, I'm getting the right amount of family dose to keep me away from feeling home sick.

This year, it was all up to me. He said it's either Amman Or Maui, Hawaii...

So guess what I picked?

Deciding on the right activity for all of us was quite challenging

It wasn't easy but we managed to have fun!

So much fun :)

We went hiking

A nice and kids' friendly trail...

It took us 3 times to become a professional beach family

Food was great!

The private pool by the house we rented was just perfect for calm days

The 6 hours trip on the ferry was so special, we got to swim/snorkel in the middle of the Pacific ocean and watch the dolphins spinning and we had a great BBQ for lunch on the boat as well!

We got to wear our very colorful outfits and it felt just right!

The tips I received upon request from a fellow blogger were so helpful. I felt great wearing the right thing every single day :) I even recieved compliments on my outfits & also on my new Hijabi swim suit

The weather in Maui was beautiful and I can't wait to go there again :)

Alhamdulillah :)

Introducing Arabic Books for Kids, Proudly!.

2011-06-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the eighties, I remember enjoying the Arabic books published by "Al-maktabah Al-khadra'". I read the stories until I memorized them. But then I wasn't a good reader, I mean reading wasn't a passion. It got better in high school though, until it became a hobby during my years at the university.

I'm not here to talk about my experience, I'm here to talk about my Mariyah's.
Living in the states makes the whole idea of introducing her to books so easy and full of fun. When it comes to advices and encouragement I read 7aki fadi's blog and follow @Ala` Awaysheh. They are both mothers who are obsessed with reading and have smart kids who share the same passion for books. I'm lucky their kids are older than mine so I can ask them whatever question I have and they're always happy to answer.

We read at home and play/read at the bookstore, we attend Story Telling there too! One of her favourite places to go to...

Most of the English books Mariyah has were given to her as gifts by mothers or friends who have read the same books when they were little.
I told you we're lucky ;)

Reading to her -and to baby Selma now- is something sacred. I make sure I read to them both at separate times, and sometimes together.
Mariyah loves reading and memorizing whole pages from different books. She "helps" me reading and she "fixes" my mistakes too. That kind of fun.

Her "time out" these days is saying: "I'm reading you one book or two tonight at bedtime instead of three".

Then at some point Teaching her the Arabic alphabets was not enough. I always wondered how I could make her enjoy the language and actually love it and be proud of it and it's beauty. I had in mind that once she turns 5 I'm going to get her the Jordanian schools' Arabic curriculum books.

And then something beautiful happened!

Through Twitter I was guided to @Kalimat Publishing and looking through their website's pages made me fall in love with their books and made me wonder why we weren't this lucky when we were kids.

I mean Look...

I got her this book because her favourite color is Blue. Because she is obsessed with dresses and glittery shoes and because she still remembers how great Eid was here.

I got her this book because tomorrow she'll go to her first Ballet class at the community center and because I'm scared she won't enjoy it although she doesn't stop talking about how excited she is about it...We'll see how that goes :)

I got her this book because she LOVES the moon. She is the happiest when she spots it during day time, I mean in daylight. She knows that once the moon is up, it's time to sleep and when the sun is up she knows the moon goes to Amman and so tete has to go to bed.

Aaaaand I got her this one, this particular one for a very VERY special occasion that I won't talk about here now...But I will do so soon soon insha'Allah :)

You see, these books worth a lot. She enjoys reading her book over and over and OVER again! She only knows about the 1st book so far. I'm giving her the second one as a gift tomorrow after her Ballet class.
They also worth a lot because the shipment from Lebanon was really costly. But to be honest, it's all worth it. The books themselves are really affordable. The material they're made of and the drawings/coloring, the simple and fun stories, the finishing, the covers...everything about them is beautiful. All four of them in fact.

I'm just glad I got them and I'm glad my little girl loves her book about the blue shoes. She asked us about دولاب الهواء، السكاكر و الأراجيح so we simply took her to San Mateo County Fair where she experienced the whole thing "Dima" from the book had. Now she can't wait for Eid!

Neither can I. Because I promised her a beautiful pair of blue shoes for next Eid...

Presence OR Presents?

2011-06-19T23:43:00.001-07:00

I read an article a few days ago about the differences between a life with a working mother and another with a stay at home mother. One of the sentences that I liked was: Your kids need your presence, not your presents.

The article reminded me about how lucky I am to be around my girls watching them growing. Watching miracles in front of my eyes, every single day.
Leaving them both at the daycare for 2 hours every single day aches my heart and I find myself running back to them to pick them up.

The report I get from the babysitter is short, Too short compared to the ones she gives to other parents when they pick up their kids. You see, those parents leave their kids there from 8 am to 6 pm.
I don't want to go into details and I'm judging no one, because I know that a lot of mothers need to work full time jobs for many different reasons. I don't want to be talking about this here. All I want to mention is that I feel blessed and happy when me and Jeeej fight over who discovered this about Selma or that about Mariyah first.

It gets serious sometimes :p

Who discovered the 1st smile. The 1st tooth. The second tooth...the 3rd...it keeps going...
Who heard the first word -which is Baba by the way, no matter how hard you try :(.
Who saw her crawling first and then the 1st step or two...

Yes...Selma is walking now...she takes up to 10 steps at a time and she is our Butter Ball :) The 1st time she walked "perfectly" was on June.14th. But then it was official on the 15th. When I called Jeeej to tease him that I saw her walking first, I knew he was going to get jealous and I heard it his voice. He couldn't wait to get back home from work to see her and then tell me: "It was me who taught her!".

It's fun, it really is :)
It is hard as well. Especially if you have no one to help but your partner. But I can't imagine my life differently. I wouldn't want anyone to steel these precious moments from me.

Today I found this picture. I took it when my mom visited earlier this month.

Posting it reminds of all the beautiful talks me and mama had about motherhood ever since I became a mother :)
May Allah bless all mothers and give them the power and the will to give their best to their kids.

Tempted to Compare

2011-06-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

As far as I remember, I never heard my mom or dad compare between me and any of my sisters. They never compared me to a friend, that I am sure about. I grew up and turned out to be different from the rest.
That was expected and accepted.

Now that I have 2 girls of my own with 2 years difference, I can't help but compare. I don't do it loudly. Non of them hear it or even feel it.
I find myself saying: This one said that first. That one crawled earlier. This one's skin is clearer. This one ate that faster.
Silly stuff I know...but I'm scared it might get serious at some point and I actually don't want to hurt their feelings one day. They are both sensitive and I love them the same and I love the differences between them. I love the fact that each one is unique the way she is. It would be boring if they were both the same, right?

So there...
I MUST STOP!
But, My Dear Friends...

THIS:

This thing...this one thing I can't stop myself from talking about...

Mariyah has NEVER EVER done this!
She was actually shocked when she saw Selma right there. She was speechless. I was so scared when I saw my baby standing there. She did it so quick while I was unloading the dishwasher. She climbed and stood up and started shaking the rack. I took a picture by my cell and sent it to Jeeej right away.

Now, since we're on the subject,
Selma is almost walking and she is a fast crawler. She climbs on everything. Today she discovered that she can "drive" a chair around the living room. She is so loud and she puts everything in her mouth. EVERYTHING!

Today, she ate some of my cactus plant.
Mariyah was not like that ;)

I hope I won't do this again. I must stop!

This is what Mariyah did when she was one year old :)

When Doors Close...

2011-06-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

If I stay home all day long, I won't complain. I don't mind it at all. I can stay home for so many days in a row without feeling the urge to leave and just go outside for whatever reason.

I think I'm like that...I really can't be sure about it though...I mean this is how I imagine my life...But being married to an anti-staying-home-all-day-long husband makes this life style kinda impossible.

And let's not forget that I have a toddler who's favourite thing to do is getting dressed once she wakes up in the morning demanding to go out.

Oh and I have a 10 monther who starts dancing in her place once the apartment's door opens.

This summer, we are not going to Amman for our summer vacation. So basically our days here must be filled with so many activities to kill time. Especially that my good friend's house will be closed since she is Ammaning this summer.

The daycare will be closed as well because the babysitter is going for Umrah this June too.

I know we're already half way through this month but still I have to figure out how to keep my girls entertained so they won't drive me crazy.

I try to show Mariyah that staying home can be so much fun. We color/cut and paste. We read and sing. We play and nap. We watch movies and nap again...yea, it can be fun but she just doesn't accept it. Selma is becoming the same. If we stay home all day she goes crazy after 4 pm. I mean really crazy with her mood and crankiness. When they go crazy I feel useless and I find myself getting them ready put them in the stroller, pack some snacks and go somewhere...ANYWHERE!

My mama came to visit last week and the girls loved it. We barely stayed home and they got excited about a life with no schedule. I enjoyed it too. StressLESS life. Quantity time with me and tete was way better than quality time. They didn't nap and they slept late. That kind of fun.

I don't know why I'm writing about this all...I just wanted to document that mama was here and that we swam the day before she left so she could see our new swimsuits.

I want to encourage myself to stop being lazy and just enjoy the beautiful weather these days. Not too cold to stay indoors and not too hot to swim whenever...But beautiful enough to have lunch by the fountain while chasing ducks or for a walk to the park.

I will miss you Amal!

My girls love yours so much I'm blessed we have you in our life.

And That's Why We Don't Celebrate Birthdays...

2011-06-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Mariyah's 3rd birthday. My in laws wanted to spend the day with us so we went to Stinson Beach and then hiked a little bit in Muir woods. The weather was funny all day long and at the beach Mariyah got wet while carrying a bucket full of water to build castles using the new beach set from her grandparents. We were all excited for her and happy to see her having fun on her birthday.

The next day -Monday- she woke up with what the doctor called: "Croup"!

Mariyah got a cold at the beach and her cough "croup" is too dry and harsh. I've never heard her cough like that before.

And that's why we shouldn't have celebrated her birthday!

No, Really...
We don't celebrate a birthday!
I mean...we don't even mention it and we actually don't get gifts for each other...We don't celebrate the Valentine's, the mother's day or father's day.

We only celebrate Eid Fitr and Eid Adha.
Some might think we are close minded but we actually are not. When I met Jeeej online he made it clear to me that he doesn't celebrate but the two Islamic Eids. I found it different and I thought he was unique. When my birthday came that year and when my mom threw me a birthday/farewell party, he never called to say happy birthday. He actually called me but talked to me about everything but my birthday...I kept singing to myself over the phone: Happy birthday to meeeeeeeee....

Our first year together as a married couple, we had fights about it but then a year after another I realized that it's hopeless and that I should live with it the way it is.

To be honest...I kinda like it. Because having him -us- not celebrating these special days makes it important to be creative and get gifts for each other at random times for no specific occasion.

On Eid days, we get gifts and we celebrate it the best way we can. And now that we have kids it has to be extra special. Living in a materialistic country where every occasion is related to business/shopping/gifts makes our efforts kinda hard, but we are doing good so far.

We get Mariyah a gift every single week. Sometimes big and sometimes little, depends on our budget. We make sure we wrap the gift and use a gift bag. We leave it in her room to see and open when she wakes up in the morning.

She knows she is 3 years old and she knows it was a special day too, Remember, she went to the Beach and then hiking and then to a nice restaurant where she got to pick her own meal...but the gifts she got from my in laws were because they love her...not because it was her birthday.

I was actually writing this post yesterday but fell asleep before posting it and now I'm glad it waited because today my Jeeej got me a bunch of beautiful flowers on his way back home, for no special occasion...When Mariyah asked me about the reason, I simply answered:

Because Baba Loves Me :)

It's OK and sometimes beautiful to be different.

On Being Selfish

2011-05-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

This week has been a really tough one. The whole family was shocked with the news of my uncle going into a coma after he fell down the stairs at some restaurant in Chicago. His son and mother were devastated and everyone else was in denial, Believing that his damaged brain will get better and the fact that he's in a coma is untrue.
He's dead now. May Allah grant him a high place in Jannah knowing that the family has donated 8 organs of his body, since they are functioning well.

What breaks my heart is hearing that tete -his mother- kept saying that she never had enough of him. He spent most of his life in the states and so his other 3 brothers. Living far away can make you forget how time flies and how years are passing in front of your eyes, without being able to catch up with people & stuff you always loved and found interesting back home...
Being far away from my parents and family was never this hard and for the 1st time since I moved to the states I wished I live in Chicago, at least. I have uncles and many cousins there, now standing side by side at these hard times. I have the rest of my family living in Amman also staying together, praying for a dying member.

My mom is in Chicago now, 4 hours away from me. I didn't go and she couldn't come. I thought about going, but knowing how hard it is to spend "quality" time with family there made me reconsider. Having a baby recovering from a bad cold made me reconsider. Realising how expensive it could be to travel with two kids to stay there for a couple of days made me reconsider. Thinking of how hard it could be to leave Mariyah here made me reconsider and the fact that Chicago is way colder than here made it even harder to just pack and go.

Am I being selfish...
Or Responsible..?
I mean, now that I have a family of my own, My daughters who would go through a lot if I travel even if for a couple of days are my main concern.
I felt lost several times this week, unable to decide what's best.
The whole tragic shock and the bad timing of such an incident made me feel lost. The human body is way weaker than I thought. In a glimpse of an eye you are born and brought to live your life and then you are gone! Just like that.

Is it worth all the worrying? all the scarifying? all the working to achieve this or that in life? Is it worth the tears? the rushing and the fights? Is it worth all the planning and the big responsibility we carry on our shoulders?

My uncle was a really good man. He had a really tender and loving heart. Lucky is the man who'll carry his heart soon in his body. I haven't seen my uncle in 15 years.
How long am I planning to stay away from my loved ones...what if it was me who fell down and went into a coma?

Am I being selfish in living away? from my parents and siblings?

May Allah guide us all to the right path.

Al hamdolillah dayman wa abadan :)

The Older You Get...

2011-05-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

My father in law called me on Mother's day to wish me a happy one. He made sure I remember that I'm a good mother. I made sure he remembers that without the love and support in my house, I wouldn't be the happy mother I am today.

Then we started talking about how fast time flies and how I miss my girls so much when they're asleep at night -he called me at night-. Then he said: "My dad once said, 20 years ago, he said: The older you get, the faster time flies!".

Today, I think of all the days that have passed since I stopped blogging. All the memories, the laughs and cries...The love and pain...All the growing..Nothing was documented. It doesn't feel right.

I thought about blogging about this and that but I never did. Well, I tried for a while but it didn't work.
Today I'm back, for good, I hope.

*Contact Me: supernido@yahoo.com

Sisterly Love...

2011-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago, I was trying so hard to make Mariyah nap. I was so tired and I needed to nap myself. So she HAD to nap, but she was not responding to my needs! I tried all my tricks but nothing worked. It was a very cold day but still I offered to take her to the park if and ONLY if she naps! She still refused :(

When I gave up o her, Selma woke up from her nap and I decided to play a game with Mariyah...

I said: Mariyah, Now your sister is awake, make sure you change her diaper and feed her her lunch...Give her a bath at night and then put her to sleep.
Mariyah: where are you going?
Me: I'm going out.

I started getting dressed in front of Mariyah, I put my scarf, shoes and purse on and I kissed Mariyah bye, she kissed me back saying: I love you mama!!

I wasn't sure she understood what was going on...
I told her: take care of Selma while I'm away!!
I left the house and closed the door behind me...and RIGHT AWAY i heard Mariyah grabbing Selma's high chair!! I thought she was going to climb it and look through the door's eye to check whether I was gone or not but the dragging continued!!

I opened the door and got inside to check on her!! I found the high chair in the kitchen next to the stove and Mariyah was trying to climb it!

I asked: what are you doing ???
Mariyah: I am fixing Selma's lunch!!!

That was soooo emotional I almost cried! I hugged her and kissed her like a million times and then I said: LET'S GO TO THE PARK!

It was a beautiful day...and Selma sat in the swing for the very first time in her life :)!
I love you Mariyah

I love you Selma!!

One and a half!

2011-01-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

YES!

Yes, I am talking about her teeth :)

It's all in your head!

2011-01-02T00:41:00.000-08:00

Ever since we met, I kept telling him that I HATE snow!

That I will never join him on a ski trip...

That I would rather die than step in the snow...

He tried to take me to Tahoe several times since 2006 but I always always said:

NO WAY!!!

This year, He had enough! He decided that it's all in my head and that I will enjoy it and will ask for more trips in the future.

Oh Boy! He was right...
I lived some of the best days in my life there...and he said: It was all in your head!

Planning for the trip -Hotel reservation, Clothes shopping and everything- took place a few hours before the trip! We slept around midnight and woke up at 5 am and took off at 7 am!

Freezing cold...Selma came back with an ear infection :(
Her first time to see the doctor was 2 days ago, Hope she feel better soon...

Sledding and snow mobile were the highlights of this trip...

He promises me that I will enjoy skiing as well...
MmMmMMMMMmmmm...I don't think so...especially after watching the movie " Frozen" tonight!
Thank you BUT thank you :)

I love his crazy quickly planned vacations!

Nakad ?

2010-12-21T22:37:00.000-08:00

Today, at Pump it Up, Mariyah kept crying MOST of the time!

I wonder why...Really! It's tiring to keep giving excuses...but it might be because:
* It was her nap time, which isn't something sacred these days as before!
* It was too loud there and she was the youngest.
* The section our group reserved was not for toddlers, like her.
* Being spoiled, my presence makes her needy and demanding!

Or simply and maybe because she is my daughter...me...Nida'a...Um Nakad!!!
I had so much fun though...I jumped like kids and I loved the slides...I forgot about my surgery and kept on going...I did it for Mariyah...it didn't help her but I couldn't stop ;)

Can I still be thankful?!
I am thankful I have a cute and a less demanding baby...
If she was acting funny like Mariyah did,,,I would have gone crazy today!!

I am glad Jeeej was home when we got back!!! PHEW...WHAT A DAAAAAY!

When it got quiet...

2010-12-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend is going to be different...

Because we will finally spend a WHOLE day together :)

Since Monday, Mariyah has been going to the daycare, full time.

So I could rest and work on winning Selma's love back!

We had a quiet and a relaxing time...I took a few pix of her

But I wish I did it while the sun was still up!

I'm getting back to life. Tomorrow I'm seeing the doctor for a check up and then comes the weekend :)

I had the house cleaned up by Lilly today. I did 4 loads of laundry.

I simply feel great. Il hamdolillah !

Believing in MY 6th sense!

2010-12-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night, Jeeej asked me to watch a funny movie with him at home. It was funny but I wasn't laughing...I told him: I'm not happy!! He thought I was joking or saying so just for being tired...

On Thursday, I was invited to Amal's house to have some "fattet magdoos". When we were getting ready to eat I told her "I have a feeling something wrong is going to happen! My heart aches!"
She said: "Yea, me too, I am bored of routine".
I said: "This month has been so busy and full of fun activities, it's not about being bored, it's about having some bad feelings".

We, ate and I told her that I love the fatteh but the lasagna on the side wasn't good. Yea, just like that :)

I was getting ready to leave for my Quran class when I started complaining about a stomach ache. She wondered if it was her food! I wasn't sure actually...I never felt this kind of pain before...

I took the girls and went to my student's house and I asked the mother if I could stay in the car for 10 min hoping to get better...I didn't feel better!

I suggested we start the class, and I couldn't bare the pain...I called Jeeej at work to come and pick me up! It took him almost an hour due to bad traffic...What was I doing till he arrived????

I was laying with Selma on my student's tiny bed! SO EMBARRASSING!!

He picked me up and I started to believe that it was only severe gas...We put the girls to sleep early that night and I called my FIL. He suggested hot water bottle and a massage with Castor oil. I slept all night long after I pumped some milk for Selma...I woke up with a different kind of pain. Jeeej decided to take off. I went to the urgent care down the street walking and the doctor there told me it might be the appendix!

It was the appendix :(

The long day at the e.r was NOT fun at all! A lot of torture till you get in. I was there at 11 am but went to surgery at 11 pm! Came out grumpy, tired and starving at 2 am. I stayed without food from Thursday 3:30 pm till Saturday 2 am.

Amal took Selma and my mother in law took Mariyah. Each one slept in a different place. I slept in a different place. It didn't feel good to be away from the girls. I wasn't worried about myself! I knew it's going to be an easy surgery but it won't be easy on the girls!

I made so many phone calls to Amman and to my friends here...All were supportive and loving!

I felt blessed and loved all the time. Everyone is taking good care of me, Alhamdolillah...even the girls are being nice ;)
Mariyah goes to the day care and Selma came back home to us yesterday evening. It went smooth...

Jeeej is cleaning for me, his mom helps too. My friends are cooking and I am being spoiled :)

Amal dressed up Selma and brought her to the hospital for a quick visit...I couldn't lift her up, but I kissed her big time and wished I could hold her close...

Beautiful flowers from Jeeej and friends!

Sick But HAPPY!

2010-12-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Selma's first tooth.
Bottom Left!

I have never seen Jeeej excited about being sick and off as he was yesterday.
You see, I discovered all Mariyah's teeth. Jeeej always got excited about the news but jealous at the same time for not being the discoverer!

Yesterday he wasn't feeling well and he took a day off of work.
He was playng with Selma when he screamed: NIDAAAA'A!!

A TOOTH!!

So now and finally a dream has come true!
Can't wait to get her a tooth brush from Target this weekend :)

** Today, my three babies are sick! I hope it doesn't get worse :(
Ya Allah!!

Traditional Medicine

2010-12-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

We grew up and have been raised by a mother who's ultimate dream is becoming a doctor. She is so caring and loving and with a single touch she can cure all your pain. ALL kinds of pain!

A touch of her hand with some olive oil!

She believes that it cures EVERYTHING!

and by using her strong powers she hypnotised me and made me one of her students. I really don't know what makes me believe she is right. When my Mariyah gets hurt, I find myself running to the kitchen looking crazily for the olive oil bottle then pour some on my hand then rush to my little girl to rub her pain.

Jeeej on the other hand has done it several times for me, NOT because he believes in it but because of my begging while carrying the little one or because my hands are busy doing something else! He hates believing it's the right thing to do! Every single time he does it he says: "I swear, this is the last time I'm doing this! This is stoooopid!!"

And surprise, surprise!! Mariyah asks for it whenever she feels pain or hurts herself! It makes her quiet in a second!

This week, I've been out of olive oil. The bottle is empty because of too many rescuing. Mariyah of course doesn't believe it's gone, so she begs for it.
Jeeej smart pants found the solution. He told Mariyah: "Don't I always rub my hair with olive oil after I take a shower?" She nodded.

He rubs his head now, and touches her pain afterwards and says: "There you go!"

And all the pain goes away!

Care About Looks OR Fun?

2010-11-29T22:44:00.000-08:00

I had a Reeeealllyyyy good childhood!

It was so much fun. Great sisters and lots of friends, Action and tons of pictures taken by my parents!

Now, sometimes I look at how I used to look and I wonder "WHY?!"

Why didn't my parents take better care of the way I looked?

Why didn't I wear smaller glasses?

Why was my hair THAT big?

Why was I SO skinny?

But then...

I see my daughter with crazy hair,

with a funny taste in choosing her outfits

And a skinny body running and jumping up and down!

and then I am at peace with my parents.

And I hope My girls will remember their childhood the way I still remember mine. Lots of fun!

Jeeej took Mariyah on a date yesterday. He dressed her up and they both looked too cute I had to take a picture!

They went to the movies at 10:30 am and watched "Tangled" and they had so much fun eating popcorn and drinking juice!

I was worried she would drive him crazy. She didn't!

When I asked him if he'd take her on a date again, he said: Of course I would!!

* Children have ONE childhood to live!

** I have ONE great husband, Al-hamdulillah!

Have Faith In Allah & Your Kids, Ameen #2.

2010-11-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

Some people asked me whether I was nervous about getting on stage to speak in front of 250 people last Friday, or not.

To be honest, I was. Not because of the number of people or because of the hard topic or anything like that, but because of a very heartbreaking reason.

You see, I am a mother of a newborn who had to join me to my second student's Ameen party, because I am still not ready to leave her with anyone else while she is awake. Not yet!

Selma was quiet and smiling to my students who gathered around her and when I was informed that my speech should be given in 5 minutes, Selma pooped!

I got nervous!

My student's mother was so nervous, not because she had to carry Selma while I was giving a speech but because she was not sure her daughter would read Quran properly in front of the big number of people.

Me and the girl's mother shouldn't have! Seriously!

We should have trusted our two little girls, and we should have had more faith in Allah SWT that they'll do just great.

My speech was about the importance of teaching little kids how to read Quran. Starting at an early age. I recommended the Quran that is printed in colorful letters so that reading with tajweed would become easier.

I talked about how my student's parents were determined their girl finishes the Quran at an early age so she could read it again and again and then learn the meanings of the chapters.

I talked about my admiration of the whole idea of celebrating the completion of the Quran recitation. This kind of celebration does not exist in our culture -as far as I know!-. I mentioned that I would do my best to teach my girls how to read Quran and promise them a big party like the ones I attended.

If I could give a party as big, I would love to.

But being they had more guests than my wedding it's probably not likely!

The tables center pieces were beautiful.

The outfits worn were beautiful.

The giveaways were beautiful.

The food was delicious!

and my gift was beautiful!

Again, I am so proud of my 8 year old student. I was asked to read the Quran with her again for the second time. Her mom is my girls' babysitter so I mentioned that without her help I wouldn't have been able to teach any of my 21 students.

Soon, InshaAllah, I will get back to teaching.

I wish I can squeeze the 17 students on the waiting list in my schedule, it's just impossible. I have no time!

I just hope I can attend more Ameen parties for my students and I hope we encourage our kids to learn more about the holiest book in our houses.

I'm Thankful Because I Can Post About Thanksgiving in Pictures

2010-11-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

First, allow me to say that this Thanksgiving was the best I have witnessed since 2006.

We were 17 including Selma

The preparation for the dinner was so much fun and the appetizers were just delicious!

And once Mr.Turkey got ready, the kitchen went crazy and the music became too loud and we couldn't wait any longer to eat!

Each one of us talked about the things we are grateful and thankful for and then we got full...

But the desserts were irresistible, so we ate again!!!

And then lots of crazy dancing took place until we decided it's time to go back home -3 hours away!-.
Mariyah cried a lot, she didn't want to leave her jiddo's house! I felt bad for her, i love it when she is surrounded by family and it saddens me that we are far away from family gatherings...

Now, I am not trying to underestimate all the energy and effort Americans put into serving lots and lots of food to the family once or twice a year, but a dinner like that takes place at Any Arab house several times a year. The Arabic dishes are way harder in both preparation and cooking.
I remember -and I still hear- that a big group of relatives -20 people or up- would suddenly show up at my parents' house back in Amman, either for dinner, dessert or just for a cup of tea.

I have to give credit though to all the fun that takes place here at dinners, starting with the table set up and having EVERYBODY help in the kitchen getting everything ready on time.

I am thankful for my beautiful family,
for good health
And great food :)

Thanksgiving, Be nice, Please :)

2010-11-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

I have a friend, she has two little girls. Her two little girls are so honest, too honest.
I love it :)

One day, the little one told me that my house is ugly :)

Today, I made them some homemade pizza, they didn't like it, they didn't even try it!
the older one said: "Auntie, you always cook new stuff and you teach everyone how to make it"!
Me: "Like what? Remind me!"
She said: "Like your cheese muffins!"
Me: "The question is, do you like them?"
She said: "NO!"

Right now, I am making mini cobblers for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner...
Hope the family will enjoy them :)

Happy Thanksgiving :)

Muslims Say Salam.

2010-11-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Something I love LOVE about living in CA is that whenever I meet a stranger Muslim lady in a store, in a mall, in the park, while driving or anywhere else I say Salam Alaikom and I get the same response with a bigger smile.

While in different states, whenever I meet stranger Muslim ladies, I say Salam Alaikom, but I don't get the same response!

During my first year here in the states, I learned to say Salam to every single Muslim lady I meet and I enjoyed it. During that year I went to Chicago and I was hanging out with my uncle's wife "D" when we met a Muslim lady in an elevator. I smiled at the lady and said: Salam Alaikom :)

She gave me a weird look and didn't even say Salam back!

"D" asked me if I knew the lady. I said; No, I don't!! So she started laughing asking me whether I was really serious or joking about it!

Some ladies I know here felt the same way when they were in other states. I think because here in CA we are a small minority and meeting each other is so special and precious, so it simply feels great when we find and greet each other. While in other states -full of Muslims- it's just "uncomfortable" greeting every Muslim you meet, simply because there are many of them around you. Living there is like living in a Muslim country where no body bothers...
I wonder if you agree with me?

*Picture above taken by Jeeej this year in Medina.

"When I was a S.T.A.R" Story...

2010-11-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Two years before I graduated I decided to work during my free time, the best place to work at back then was a fast food restaurant.
I worked at McDonald's!
I thought I would work in the kitchen but when the manager asked me if I speak good English and I said "Yes", he hired me as a S.T.A.R "Store Activities Representative". I felt like a star there because of the tasks I was given and the treatment I was getting, God I was so young.

It was a bad experience for me too because working there meant that I get a free meal for every working day and so I gained a LOT of weight and my blood lost a lot of Iron, all because of the junk...
I don't want to be dramatic about it. Well, I already did, but I am going to stop because this is supposed to be a happy post.

I worked there with the kids mainly. I planned and did birthday parties, lots of games, food service, balloons, decorations and mostly face painting.
The kids loved me, I think, because they came back for another birthday party the next year.
Some parents asked me to plan private birthdays at their houses too. I was asked to work for the Lebanese embassy on it's open day as well.

It was a lot of work but so much fun for me. Tips were so generous too, I needed the tips back then so I could pay the Internet cafe for all the chatting sessions I had with Jeeej back then.
I told you; it's a happy post!

Yesterday,

I was invited to a kids Eid party hosted by a mother of 3 boys and it was fun! I suggested face painting and I did it!

If time goes back I would do this again, I love dealing with kids and see them happy. But of course, no more junk for me, Thank you very much :)!

In Her Four Months...

2010-11-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

She is a day brightener.

She is my treasure

She fills my world with beauty

and giggles!

Even if you outgrow my lap,
You will NEVER outgrow my heart,
My four monther :)!

Lets Just Imagine..

2010-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

We had the best Eid ever...

Let us just imagine we are still celebrating Eid here in CA, just like the family back in Amman, I think we would all go crazy!

Selma got tired from all the action on Eid,
she napped for 3 hours straight the next day!!

Mariyah had so many sugar in her system she stayed up until 9:30 pm that day!
Super hyper all day long.

Very organized this year with some fun activities for the kids.
Mariyah simply loved it, she is still talking about it!

He broke her heart when he told her he has no balloons for her,
She only remembers him by saying: he had a scary face!

Jeeej and his friend had so much wassabi on their sushi,
Mariyah had to try it and she actually loved it!

We forced her to stop eating it!!

La Fondue was the best place to end our celebration!

I am just grateful and happy we have great friends here to celebrate Eid with. It makes us feel we are surrounded by family...

This Eid...

2010-11-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

We will try to help each other enjoy it even if for one day

We'll make sure we look nice for the prayer tomorrow morning

We will miss our family and friends back in Amman celebrating Eid for 3 full days

But again, we will enjoy it, because we have each other here!

EID MUBARAK EVERYONE!
LOVE :) !

THEY were worried, I wasn't! Ameeen :)

2010-11-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of a party called "Ameen"?

Well, I haven't, until one of my students finished reading the Quran.

It's the party the family plans for their children when they finish reading the Quran. Today I was invited to one and I felt happy, loved and proud too.

I started teaching my student year 2007 and I took so many breaks during those years because of travelling, pregnancy, giving birth and for other reasons. Still her parents waited for me.

The mother was worried my speech wouldn't be good enough, for it was my first Ameen party. She called me several times to make sure I understand that I will be talking in front of a hundred people about the experience. About how important it is to teach the kids reading Quran at a young age. She also asked me to say a prayer for the family members.
I could tell she was worried.
I was not.
I knew exactly what I wanted to say.
I said it today.
I made them happy, but I was happier I attended!

One Ameen party down...
Another one is on the way.

One Dimple, Not Two

2010-11-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

Selma has a big smile, she smiles for all reasons and for no reason at all.

She smiles to familiar faces and to strangers too.

But Today she LAUGHED!

Her first laugh is recorded :)

She is getting better il hamdilla, and her voice is back.

The last 2 weeks were so hard on her, it made me cry...

I am in love with my baby, with lots of olive oil on the head and a DIMPLE on the right cheek!

A Whole CD Worth Listening to

2010-11-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Maher Zain.
If you enjoy Sami Yusuf's songs then you'll enjoy Maher's for sure.

Jeeej's friend got him his CD but it's in my car now ;)

Not a Baby Anymore

2010-11-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

This makes me teary.

Once Mariyah started getting used to the idea of having a baby sister she changed, a lot!

Simply, She is not a baby anymore.

She takes good care of Selma, jealousy shows but never in a harmful way. All she wants is to hug her sister, kiss her and put the pacifier back into her mouth.

She tickles Selma, she likes to brush her hair and make sure the diaper is on the right way.

If Selma cries she asks her about the reason in the softest voice you could ever imagine.

Her favourite subject to talk about and discuss is how she did this and said that when she was little.
it always starts with: "lamma kont zgheeereh..." = "when I was little...".

She is still little, but the questions she asks and the topics we talk about are difficult for me to accept at this point.

A couple of days ago she asked me about Selma's age and then she asked me about the trees age!
We can't hide the truth from her anymore. We can't talk about anything sensitive in front of her anymore. She repeats the last word of any sentence she hears and she recites sourat al nas, al ikhlas and al falaq all by herself.

She knows the main colors in both Arabic and English,

She daydreams a lot, sometimes you have to raise your voice to get her attention. I love it!

These days, she is putting herself to nap by herself. We tell her it's time to nap and then we shut the door, she plays a little bit in her room and then goes to bed and naps. She is such an angel and she will always be my baby.

Mariyah, you will ALWAYS be my baby!

The first time she naps by herself.

Selma...SELMA!

2010-10-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

Get well soon habibti

I miss your voice and loud laughs!

I love you,
Especially when you droooool

Your smell,

Your cheeks,

Your chins,

Your smiles

& your voice!

Ya Allah!

Because the pictures were not enough ;)

2010-10-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Keeping Love and Fun Alive!

2010-10-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Selma, I worked so hard on enjoying every moment in life, believing that once I am a mother of two, life is not going to smile at me like it did before.

I was wrong!

I am married to the most amazing man on earth, who's favourite saying is:

"There's always time for ice cream!"

He planned a wonderful vacation for us and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful and romantic trips I have ever experienced!

It was full of love, I could feel it and see it through my girls.

Helping each other out makes everything feels easier, we take turns looking after the girls and their needs. There are no job titles!

We make sure we promise each other that there won't be anything to keep us from having fun. Controlled fire right next to the cabin we rented didn't upset us. We actually loved the smell.

I love the unspoken rule of "He cooks, I clean"

Not that I don't know how to cook, but for some reason his grilled cheese sandwiches are just unbeatable ;)

Plus, I was trying to save some energy so I could kill this Apple pie right after dinner! We were in Apple Hill, it was all about apples :)

Creating a mess wasn't a big deal...A BIG break for me!

Something important we agreed on before the trip was not to care about being healthy or clean!

We did and ate whatever we felt like!

That was the best part of the whole trip...

We got sick afterwards, but it doesn't matter, It's all worth it ;)

Jeeej,

I love you!

Too Many Reasons...

2010-10-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

Because we were on a vacation and then most of us got sick -everyone but me- it's hard to find time to blog.

This is what we've been up to...

choosing a hat for Selma

The cabin we rented for the trip

Just like tete bassoumeh ;)

controlled fire next to the cabin!!!

scared to feed animals

warm then cold then warm then cold---->got sick!

face painting

Jiddo's house, playing GLOOL

na3eeman Selma :)

Took the train in Apple Hill

riding ponies

SELMAAA!

Watching Snow White

I will get back to blogging soon...pray for the girls to get better so I could sleep better and then blog BETTER :)

All Week Long

2010-10-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

One of many reasons behind "Why do you blog?"

2010-10-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I met a nice woman -a mother of 3- and we talked about many things, mainly about motherhood.

And then I told her I have a blog!

And it was an interesting topic, of course!

She asked me: "Why do you blog?"

Today, I wondered about the right time I should introduce solid food to this little big Selma.

I found the answer right here,

on my blog!

All I had to do was go through the archives and see how it worked for this big little Mariyah!

And I have some other answers too.

I love my blog :)

I Can't But Love Both, The Clean and the Dirty

2010-10-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on both days...

They day we got her ready for the photo shoot...

and the day we got her ready for the picnic at the park....

The results LOOKED different,

but the FEELING was exactly the same :)

Yesterday...

I loved the way she looked covered with dust and mud when we got back home from the park ...

and I loved the fact that Selma pooped right after I gave her the daily bath at night just before bedtime :)

Whoever said Clean is the best MIGHT be wrong ;)

Fun to Learn Arabic!

2010-10-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

During high school, my SAT books suggested I use flashcards to memorize vocabulary, lots of them. I remember I used to take them everywhere, to school, in the bus and anywhere around the house. It was easy to post them on the wall in front of me as well. I enjoyed using them, I kept on using them in university, for memorizing speeches and presentations.

This Summer, while in Amman, I was proud of Mariyah's Arabic and I was determined on keeping it strong. I thought of looking for flashcards, with the Arabic alphabets printed on them. I wasn't sure I would find any, but thanks to my cousin and her husband I got them in a very beautiful shape!

Lamination is not that cheap here in the states so we did it in Amman and it cost us about $10.

Mariyah loves them as much as she loved "Max the monkey".!

I know it's going to work :)

One thing I am thinking about right now is connecting them all together so none of them gets lost.

** One of our favourite kids songs in Arabic these days is ردو علي.

Playstoon plays it all the time but since we don't have a TV at home we play it on the laptop upon request.

Requested by Mariyah, of course :)

The BOSS Is Back

2010-10-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

When you and your kids spend a lot of time among the extended family you start to lose control over your kids. Simply because they don't understand who's "THE BOSS" :D

While speaking to Mariyah over there in Amman I could say "NO" for something, someone else would agree on it within a few minutes. She gets confused whether it's right or wrong, I can't blame her nor my family, it's just about the way I want to do it.

She was allowed to eat and drink whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted and they way she wanted. We used to run after her most of the time during the meal to make her finish her sandwich or plate. we used to run after her to make sure she sleeps on time.

She used to spill her drinks on the floor while walking. My mom was so patient and calm about this all but it was driving me crazy. I couldn't wait to do it myself!

To be honest, I was scared and worried about getting her back on track, especially with a newborn in my hands. I wasn't sure she would sit in her car seat, nap, use her highchair for eating, clean after her mess. but I was wrong!
Everyone was praying for me, to be able to have a routine. It seemed like an impossible dream.

We are back. Almost over jet lag.
It's still messy, I can't deny this but it's way better than living in a big house, I am glad my place is small. I know where everything is and I can find it within a minute, instead of walking and roaming a big house looking for it.

My big family in a big house, I love you so much!
Your praying is answered!

Juicy Baby

2010-10-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Masha'Allah :)
Lovable & Kissable!

It took the photographer in Amman 10 min. only to take these beautiful pictures of Baby Selma.
He is professional...
But then again Selma is photogenic too, just like her sister :)!

Getting Back to Life

2010-10-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we woke up and went shopping,
Jeeej and Mariyah did the grocery shopping while me and Selma slept in the car.
He surprised me with these beautiful flowers!
Tonight he gets lasagna for dinner ;)

I finished unpacking. I still can't believe I did it!
Jeeej helped out by framing this picture he took of Kaabah when he went Omrah this Ramadan.
We are still jet lagged though, especially poor baby Selma.

Because I MIGHT get busy

2010-09-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

I might not be able to remember all the things

I want to talk about and all the pictures I want to post.

We are leaving Amman as a family of four,

and we'll be on our own after being surrounded by family and friends for over 100 days so far.

We enjoyed the messy schedule and the big mess was a killer especially without a maid this summer.

"Second day of Eid waiting for visitors"

"Trying to take a beautiful pix, this turned out to be the best"

"Jeeej's angriest face trying to compete with the Moghrabi Family"

"Enjoyed kids fun places in Amman, unlike last year"

"She is not the sleeping beauty anymore, she doesn't sleep anymore"

"With the Wahbehs, Our favourite"

"Selma's first time at Nour's house"

"Rawan cake for our 4th year wedding anniversary"

"Mariyah's having fun"

"Cool in Aqaba"

"My favourite uncle with Selma"

"Mariyah and Sarah, BFF"

"Coloring before breakfast"

"Our first family shot"

"More fun"

"Jeeej's first gidreh, tawasii"

"Right before riding a horse"

"With a handsome cousin at the children's museum"

"We will miss you jiddo"

"Loves cats"

"The best, Lovely!"

"See you soon!"
xoxo

"Garlic"

"Sada"

"Fries"

"Perfect!"

Missing the Kitchen and Cooking

2010-09-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I miss my kitchen and I miss being in control.

I love Arabic dishes and I love mama's cooking. The variety of her dishes and her passion for cooking makes her meals extra delicious! When I was still living with my family I tried to learn from her but she never liked having us around her in the kitchen while cooking, she likes doing it by herself.
When I studied nutrition and then cooking I tried to apply whatever I studied to mama's kitchen. I was able to add more veggies to the meals by making salads.

I know each one of us needs about 3-5 portions of vegetables/day and I know exactly how much a portion is.
Once I had a whole kitchen for myself, I applied more of my studies to my cooking.
Jeeej and I love vegetables and we steam a lot every day, and if not we saute them in a little bit of butter with some olive oil.

A few days ago, I was out with my friends enjoying salads when we started talking about cooking. I told them that I believe that Arabic cooking tastes really good but when it comes to healthy eating it doesn't meet the standards. It contains lots of carbs and meat. Low amounts of vegetables.
Magloubeh, Mansaf, Kabseh, Bokhari, Ma7ashi and many other dishes barely have the right amount of vegetables.
You might say that you add salad to the rice, but still that's too little.

You might mention other dishes, such as:
Fasoulia khadr and baida, sabanikh ou roz, sawani khodar....
but when you think of the amount of time spent on cooking them you'll understand that most of their nutritional value is lost.

If you can't change the kind of dishes being served at your household then at least add more veggies to your daily diet. Fresh vegetable sticks or salads as snacks.

Lucky or Spoiled?!

2010-09-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

When my friends and relatives see Selma, they ask me if they could hold her -she's lovable!-. They find it hard sometimes, especially those who don't have kids yet.

I tell them:

"I understand, I know it's hard to carry a newborn in your arms, I myself didn't hold my girls when they were first born".

The first two to three weeks I have Jeeej carry them, change them, clean them, cut their nails and rock them to sleep.

With Selma he was lucky he had my mom help him out ;)

Up until today, I have never given Selma a bath myself. She is lucky her tete is giving her one every single night before she goes to sleep!

I consider myself lucky. Some guys refuse and won't even try carrying babies. They are afraid they would smash a baby's body by mistake! That's why I feel lucky Jeeej finds it easy. Some old women and men think that I'm being spoiled way too much by Jeeej.
I know he isn't the only guy who loves to hold babies but he's one of a few out there!

Motherly Love

2010-09-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

My mother is the best mother in the world.
I know everybody thinks this but mine truly is!
Growing up, I was not the perfect kid. I had my fights and arguments with my mom. I watched my sisters fight with her as well. We drove her crazy, each one in her own way.
Yet, she loved us more. She always forgave and she always forgot!

I always wondered; How on earth could she do this! How could she survive? Not only that, but she always made sure we end our fights and forgive each other.

"She must be faking it! She is just doing this so life will go on" This is how I sometimes thought watching my mom getting over a fight.

These days, taking care of two little girls makes me go nuts. They don't fight together, they just manage to cry and scream at the same time. I sometimes feel I want to run away and think "Why have I done this to myself?".
But then they calm down and I find myself loving them more and more, kissing them, hugging them and I make sure I tell them how much I love them!

This is still nothing compared to what I'm going to face in life raising them but still, I now understand how my mom could make it.

I just hope I become like her, calm and patient, not only dealing with me and my sisters but also with her grandchildren.

Today I am 28. I love my mom every passing year, for all the beautiful years and for her beautiful existence all these years.

Wrestling Divas

2010-09-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

Mariyah's Arabic is pretty amazing. She learns it really quick and uses different words with the same meaning. When my relatives and friends meet up with her for the 1st time they start talking to her in English thinking that this is what she understands. Once they realise she doesn't understand what they're saying they simply encourage us to keep teaching her more and more Arabic.

I hope her Arabic stays like this even after she starts going to school in CA.

I was talking to mama about this earlier today, that I'm scared she would lose a few words after we leave Amman and go back home. I enjoy watching her talking to my sisters and everyone we see in pure Arabic and I sometimes wonder how hard it is to learn a totally new language.

I find it funny when she learns English from Ward, my brother. The way she pronounces words, long and short, it cracks us up!

Ward loves wrestling and everything about it. He knows all the wrestlers and their moves, he plays it on PS3 too. He teaches her the moves and all the names, her favourite is UnderTaker.

She calls Ward John Cena, and she is UnderTaker. The way she says the names with the biggest scary frown on her face makes us laugh.

Will she remember these days? these words? these faces and laughs?

All I can do these days is take pictures and videos of our days in Amman...more pictures and videos :)

Help me enjoy the Dead Sea!

2010-09-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Say I want to spend a day at one of the Dead Sea's hotels, Am I allowed to swim there wearing an Islamic swimsuit?
If so, where can I buy a NICE swimsuit from?
I forgot to bring mine with me, I didn't even think of bringing it!

One last question,,,
Is there any hotel with private swimming pools? or are they all public?

I appreciate your help :) !
supernido@yahoo.com

iPhone 4 for sale.

2010-09-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

New iPhones 4 FOR SALE...
Jeeej brought them from the states.
interested in buying?
leave me a comment or e mail me at:
supernido@yahoo.com

What's waiting?

2010-09-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

Whenever Mariyah gets mad she says she wants to go home!

We all miss a stable life but we are not ready to go back home, not yet.

Does she really remember her home? room? toys?

Bed?

A new one is waiting for her...I'm sure she'll love it! I got it ready before I came to Amman :)

A Different Light.

2010-09-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Carrying a silky pink bag with fulla praying clothes for Mariyah, Jeeej came back from KSA.

His new look surprised her but she still loves him ;)

This Omrah, he says: "I saw a different light".

We are back together to celebrate Eid.

Hope your Eid is full of love like ours :)

A Productive Night

2010-09-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

It had to be productive...

We are ready now,

I guess!

Beyond The Sun وراء الشمس

2010-09-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Before we got married, Jeeej and I were addicted to TV shows and serieses. I remember we had to cut our video chat sessions so we won't miss our favourite shows on TV.

These sessions were valuable due to the time difference, but they just had to be cut or interrupted.

Anyways,

When we got married we decided not to have a TV at home and it's working out really well. We both decide on renting a movie online to watch together and to be honest, outdoors fun is way better than staying home watching TV!

Now here in Amman and during Ramadan, there's a big comepetition between TV channels airing the brand new serieses of the year. One series and show after another. I can't stand watching TV anymore, not even for a straight 30 min.

There is only ONE exception though...
"Beyond The Sun"!

It is the only series I'm watching and I wish I have posted about it before. It's about the unfortunate life the disabled people live in our countries and how unaware and uneducated we are when it comes to dealing with them.

One of the main actors -Ala'a- is a Down syndrome, Just like our Ward. I never knew someone like Ward could act this way. This guy has many talents, I even heard he won the golden medal in swimming, 2008 Olympic Games.

I know that every single Down Syndrome has a talent that needs to be taken care of. This helps building their self esteem and enables them to become an active part in the society.

I would love to see my brother acting sometime. Me and my sisters thought of writing a script for him to memorise and play infront of us, we might video tape it too.Would be so much fun!

They need a lot of patience and love and support. I can't believe how my mother and Alaa's mother are so much alike when it comes to dealing with their sons. Their patience and acceptance are beyond imagination.

Watching "Beyond The Sun" can be so emotional, we all laugh a lot and we cry a lot while watching, simply because we can relate.

The best part is having Ward watching it with us. At first he showed us that he doesn't like Ala'a and he kept wondering why he looks like that!! Now he uses his famous word "Fakhameh" while talking to us!

I love them. So pure and innocent!
I recommend watching the series. We watch it at 4 pm on LBC. Only a couple more episodes to go, still worth watching. I hope more channels play it during the year, it's an eye opener and I believe each one of us should watch it. There are a lot of them in our country, you have no idea, they are among us everywhere. We need to understand and learn the right way of dealing with them.

God bless them all and bless all the good mothers in this world!

My Men, In Mecca

2010-09-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Baba and Jeeej are in Mecca now. Performing Umrah.

My girls got to see and smell baba jeeej for one day only and they'll see him again on Eid Fitr,

Insha'Allah :)

My Selma's favors

2010-09-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

I started working on these key chains before I gave birth to baby Selma. Iwanted to make something "useful". I gave some to my students and their mothers when the paid me a visit back in CA.

My mom and Mimi helped me get done with the rest -a little bit over 60-. I made the last one the night before the party my parents held for baby Selma here in Amman :)

I like them!

I also had fun making them and those who came to congratulate me liked them too :)

* The second picture shows the little ring I added as keys seperator. It's made of a group of the letter "S".

** S is for Selma :)

Creative Giveaways

2010-08-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

For sometime I considered myself lucky for winning a few gift certificates and in lottery too. I still participate in giveaways on blogs hoping to win and feel lucky again...

Now I feel lucky for being so close to Rina. Being a good friend of hers means that I don't have to participate in the giveaways she announces on her blog! Simply because I get to choose and pick whatever I want from her creative collections.

It's always hard for me to choose. Her crafts room is full of treasures and colorful items. It's never a mess, she's so clean and organized, it drives me crazy!

Follow her blog now and you'll get to win some beautiful items created by her.

1,2,3....karawya time!

2010-08-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

A busy day starts like this...

Cleaning, cooking and....

getting dressed!
And the fun starts and it lasts for a late hour...
Who cares about losing control over kids,
It's Amman, it's Summer time
and It's jiddo's house!
The best part about the best party is
having karawya.

Baby Selma,

You drove me crazy that night, you stayed awake until midnight...

It's O.K, it was your party!

We love you so much and everyone said you are a copy of your baba :)!

Dear Baba...

2010-08-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today, jiddo took me somewhere nice in his nice car. He parked the car infront of a place full of roses but he went somewhere else. I didn't go with him, instead, I stood infront of the roses admiring them. The nice owner came out to see me holding a beautiful rose in his hand...and guess what?!
I got my first rose :)
From a gentle man.

I think I'm in love...
with roses!

Mariyah, with love.

** Hope this letter doesn't upset you. I hope I didn't ruin your day in Alabama, Have fun with my aunties and I will see you soon, habibi baba.

Hand Me Down Baby

2010-08-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

I was born two years after my sister Nour and Rana was born 2 years later. My parents did a great job documenting our childhood in pictures. Pictures are always fun to look at and make fun of.
What makes us laugh and causes long discussions about the differences between us is seeing us wearing each other's clothes, one year after another!
Me wearing Nour's and Rana wearing mine :)

When Mariyah was born she recieved so many clothes as gifts and she barely wore them. Most of them were worn once or twice and it didn't feel OK to just get rid of them. Too precious to go to someone else. At the same time I didn't want my second girl to wear second hand clothes. I wanted her to enjoy new clothes too.

Jeeej got Selma a bunch of new clothes, wiser shopping this time.
I came to Amman and found a big bag of clothes that belonged to Mariyah when she was a newborn.

Tete & My sister Mimi decided to have fun, their way----->Photography!

The Trip to Boiling Hot Amman

2010-08-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

While travelling overseas dealing with a newborn you keep on thinking of how long the trip is and you keep on checking the time every 3 minutes or so.

But, once you arrive and hold and kiss your loved ones you just wonder how time flew and how quick the flight was.

This time I actually slept during the flight, the 3 empty seats in a row were perfect enough for me and Selma to snugle together for a couple of hours.

It wasn't the perfect trip all the way, at some points I felt I was collapsing especially when I ran out of ideas on how to calm Selma down somewhere up between JFK and AMM. each lady around me suggested I do this and I do that, all their kids were sleeping for God's sake, why isn't mine?!

I felt SO unfortunate and unlucky and bad and sad and all.

Whenever Selma fell a sleep I ran to the back of the plane to drink water, I was required to drink tons of it during the flight, so It was better to do it while her eyes were closed.

On one of my 100 trips to the kitchen and while it was so dark in the plane I managed to see people sleeping and I heard some snoring and then I began to hear screaming kids but couldn't actually see them until someone grabbed my arm firmly and started begging: "Please, please sister do me a favor! I beg you, since you are on the way to the kitchen could you PLEASE fill this bottle up with water?" It was then when I opened my eyes widely to see what was going on. There was a young mother with two little monkeys jumping on her and fighting at the same time.

I took the bottle and didn't say a word. I was speechless.

I got her the water, she almost kissed my hand, I kept on walking towards my sleeping beauty thanking God and feeling like the most fortunate and the luckiest mother on earth!

Allah is generous,

Ramadan is generous...here in Amman and all around the world.

Glad to be among family after one of the shortest trips ever!

Maradan Maradan...

2010-08-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

This morning I video chatted with my Mariyah, she was busy having fun with beautiful wet hair.
She started singing: Bokra Maradaaaan====>Tomorrow's Ramadan!

And then I thought of Ramadan this year. It's going to be a crazy one. Hopefully good crazy!

A lot of complications are taking place in my life now but Jeeej insists I should stay positive!

So here I am, wishing you all my beloved ones a very happy and a blessed Ramadan.
May Allah SWT makes it one of the smoothest ever.

Why Do We Love Baba Jeeej?

2010-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Because he always smells good, even after rock climbing with his friends.

Because his hugs are the biggest and warmest in the world.

Because he is the calmest and most reasonable when we all go crazy.

Because he can fight our stubbornness with his patience. -He wishes he can kill it, it's just impossible ;)

Because we believe his eyes are green. -He THINKS they are brown!

Because he loves whatever we do and loves the way we look even on the worst hair days ever.

Speaking of bad hair...please sisters, try to comb Mariyah's hair more often,

Thank you!

We love you Baba Jeeej!

I killed KiKi.

2010-08-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

When he became too noisy I couldn't enjoy him anymore... and the big mess he created over and over again was not nice anymore...

Feeding him became a burden and I started forgetting to add more water for him.

I felt bad for him and for myself.

One day I cried and decided that I can't take it anymore...

I asked Jeeej to take him away...he gave it to his friend Rami after he had some of mama's mansaf.

Today, Rami called.

KiKi died :(

He was feeding him and all...

I think he died because he was happier here and got more attention than at a single guy's place.

I cried when I heard the news...

I know I cry a lot!

It was me who killed KiKi!

An advice from a mother of a newborn...

2010-08-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

When you plan to visit -congratulate- a mother who just gave birth to a new baby and went through a lot to bring the baby to the world, make sure your visit is short. Try not to spend the whole day visiting, even worse sleep over for 2 nights with your 4 kids!

This friend of mine is going through hell because of her in laws. She is lucky she has her mom visiting to help her out with the baby and all. But then the mother is exhausted herself cooking and cleaning after them!

Once she gave birth, after spending over 24 hours suffering while in labor, EVERYONE went to visit her at the hospital. Visitors had to give their ID cards to a nurse standing in front of the room's door, 2 persons were allowed at a time. For the hospital staff, it was something unusual. My friend almost asked the nurse to kick them all out.

All the in laws live around, they start calling the new mother once the sun rises -to make sure the mother and baby are doing alright-!

When they visit, they go at 11 am and don't leave until the sun sets.

When they visit, they get hungry -of course- and they need to be fed. Lunch and dinner.

My friend is such a sweet heart. She won't complain to her in laws. Their intention is "good" she believes. At the same time she complains to he friends that she never takes naps during the day and that she is embarrassed to nurse in front of the visitors, so she started giving the bottle to her baby!

This weekend she had her sister in law visiting along with her 4 kids and stayed over for 2 nights. Perfect!

Mind you, her apartment is so tiny, there's barely space.

I feel so bad for my friend.
I hope no one goes through the same.
In laws, friends & relatives please be more considerate when you plan for a visit.

I Found Balance.

2010-08-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today, me and Selma went to meet baby Ateyyeh for the 1st time, he is 7 days old today.

A few ladies showed up and asked me about Mariyah.

I was nursing Selma when I told them that Mariyah is in Amman.

They asked me: do you miss her?

-Of course I do!

I almost dropped a tear.

I took Selma from underneath the nursing cover and started burping her.

Then they asked me: How much do you miss her?

I looked at Selma and I smiled...

I said: as much as I am having fun with Selma!

And then...
Selma burped :)

A Manual, for my sisters to read; How to handle Mariyah with care...

2010-08-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

When you receive Mariyah at the airport, be gentle and nice. She most probably stayed awake all the way from SFO to AMM. She will be confused but excited at the same time. Try to approach her slowly, she doesn't like extra attention.

She loves outdoors way more than indoors. When you want to take her out for fun, think nature.

If her first answer to any question is "No", don't give up. Try again, she mostly doesn't know what she's talking about ;)

She loves to be pampered. Lotion massages, manicure, make up & accessories of all kinds.

Make sure she joins you on meal times. Use her blue chair, insist on having her use it. otherwise you will end up running after her for every single bite.

Once she wakes up, put new clothes on her, let her brush her teeth and wash her face. She loves doing both :)

Taking a shower every single night before going to bed is her favourite. It makes her extra sleepy too. Please don't keep her awake all night. I know you want to have fun with her. Make sure you follow a schedule, especially for bedtime.

For daily snacks, don't offer candies, chocolate or chips. I know she loves them but she also loves fruits and raisins. And when you give her juice, always mix it with water.

Whenever you pray, encourage her to join you. I sent her praying clothes with her. She knows sourat Al-nas, Al-falaq and ayet Al-korsi.

I love you so much sisters. Ward is a great help and mama knows her well. They will be jet lagged and exhausted after a long trip, so Mariyah is all yours until mama gets back to normal life.

Please keep reminding her that we love her and that we will see her soon inshallah.

Mariyyati...

I miss you already mama :( Be nice to people, they will love you more!

Celebrating America. How About Jordan?

2010-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I got the passport and became an American citizen, I feel good and equal! It went by so quick they even did a private ceremony for me in one of the offices right after passing the tests.
I felt lucky.
Jeeej decided to celebrate and we went on a date later on at night.
We kissed Selma good night and went out for dinner and then to the movies and watched: "Dinner for Schmucks". Hilaaaarious!
It was a great date until we got back home and Selma punished us the whole night for leaving her with a bottle of milk only for a few hours.

I felt like celebrating that Friday. I have been working on my papers since 2005. It took 5 years and the wait was worth it.

I look for the day both my girls and husband become Jordanians.

When Jeeej and I first got married, I didn't think much of it. "He's American, why would he want to become Jordanian?"

Now that my friends are/thinking of leaving the states to live in Jordan makes me jealous of how easy their journey would be compared to mine over there.

One day, we'll get to celebrate Jordan in my family. I just hope it takes less than 5 years :)

I'm Alive :)!

2010-07-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

As far as I can remember, I've suffered from strong headaches 3 times in my life.

One of them was last night. I told Jeeej and mama that I was dying and I almost saw them cry with me.

When I decided to sleep forever Jeeej went to Target and got milk for baby Selma, I haven't pumped milk yet...

Then I slept forever, that's how it felt, and then woke up and heard my baby cry. It made me strong and I asked them to bring her to me...I am alive :)

Pix time:

Looking fancy right before moving to delivery room.

Coming back home on the 20th of July

Jiddo came to meet his new grandchild
While Selma is napping,
it's a quiet time.

And then Selma wakes up

And this is how she looks like.

And when she grows up,

she MIGHT look like this.

Or maybe not...

It doesn't matter

I love them both!!

Maioush...

If you happen to read this, I owe you a nice phone call and I love you so much !

Random Thoughts from a mother of two...

2010-07-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

* Where did my blog's background go?

* I don't like staying at hospitals, I made sure I leave the same day I gave birth. Too many papers to sign though, but laying down on my own comfy bed makes it all worth it.

* The lack of sleep for 2 straight nights before going into labor is harder than the lack of sleep after giving birth. They asked me to walk for a couple of hours to speed up the labor process, I told them I can't! I'm too sleepy to walk.

* My students came along with their mothers today to meet Selma. I had an open house and tete Bassoumeh made Karawya for them. I gave them the favors I've prepared myself too :)

* Tete Bassoumeh loves to massage baby Selma's body with olive oil.

* I am married to the most beautiful man on earth. Beautiful inside and out.

* Jiddo came from Auburn to visit and meet his new grandchild. He brought Mariyah a pack of berries and swam with her too. We made sure he eats "Roz Bokhari". Oh, he loved it!

* Different babies mean different birth stories. Breathing while giving birth to Mariyah made the whole thing smooth and easy. Breathing while giving birth to Selma was ridiculous! Screaming was way better :)

* Mariyah is driving us all crazy! Of course she is :) A new addition is brought to our family and is sharing her everything with her. Patience...patience and more patience...

* My dinner is Selma's next day's breakfast. Al hamdolillah :) I have my mom here preparing our meals, Best food ever! EVER!

* I grew up knowing that I look like baba and his side of family. I grew up knowing that me and Rana, my sister, look alike, in away or another. I grew up accepting these two facts and that not all sisters and brothers look alike.
Never the less,when baby Selma arrived I was shocked she doesn't look like Mariyah. It looks like I've been imagining a mini Mariyah growing up inside me for 9 months. No one can yet tell whom Selma looks like. Yea, It's still early i know.

* It's funny I call Mariyah Selma and I call Selma Mariyah...by mistake of course :)

* I was lucky I had the best nurses taking care of me in the hospital. Before and after delivery.

* I was lucky I had a strong team in the delivery room, Jeeej and mama, supporting me and helping me stay away from pitocin and epidural. I wanted a natural birth and they both helped me stay on track.

* Mama, If you happen to read this...I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

* I miss blogging regularly, I'm just too busy these days ;) Thank you all for your beautiful words and wishes!!

My Girls...Banati

2010-07-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

Selma, few hours old

meeting Mariyah for the 1st time.

Second day,

it got better!
Hoping to see this
Forever :)!

Selma...Whatever it takes...

2010-07-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

This was the sentence that I kept saying over and over to myself!

A long and a hard journey to bring baby Selma to life!

It was all worth it:)

8:47 am

21.5 inches

8.4 lb.

Il hamdolillah...

I Smooooooch Him

2010-07-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

I can't remember who stopped me...

Was it mama getting tired of taking pictures of us...

Or was it Mariyah,

Jealous of me and Jeeej being too close to each other?

In her presence, no one is allowed to touch anyone else. I mean NO ONE!

Big changes in plans for this Summer. I am sure it's going to be for the best, it's just hard to understand what's going on these days.

May Allah swt help us go through this with lots of patience and love.

What helps?

2010-07-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

Acupressure?
Pineapples?
Castor oil?
Praying?
Squats?
Taking the stairs?
Hot baths?
Walking?
Primrose oil?
Swimming?
Dates?
Relaxing?

All of the above? Maybe?

Smooth.

2010-07-15T23:18:00.001-07:00

Two days ago, when Jeeej took us to a park in Palo Alto I got upset because it was not green. I was worried Mariyah would get hurt while playing around.
I was mistaken. The yellow and dry field of wheat was so smooth you just feel like you want to lay down there.

I hope My delivery will be as smooth.
And that my worries will be another mistaken feeling.

spoons and forks

2010-07-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

I use a spoon to eat my dessert...

He uses a fork,

Even if the dessert is served with ice cream.

Is it a cultural thing?
I wonder...

I swam a lot this afternoon, for over an hour.

Later on after Mariyah went to sleep, we walked and walked in Santana Row. We had sweet desserts at Cocola.

Yes, walking these days is not for losing weight...it's for helping gravity do it's job, quickly!

My MaybeS

2010-07-13T04:30:00.001-07:00

Mariyah was born a couple of days earlier than the due date, so a lot of people -family & friends- are calling me these days, texting me and e mailing me asking me whether I gave birth yet or not. To each I have a different "maybe" as an explanation to what's going on.

Maybe she won't come out

until Mariyah understands

that she won't be allowed to wear a diaper like the newborn!

To others I say,

Maybe until my mom gets better

and stops sneezing and coughing day & night :(

Sometimes I find myself saying,

Maybe until I'm done doing special things with mama here.

taking her to my favourite places; shops, restaurants & cafes.

A big maybe is,

until I'm done taking Ward to all the fun places

I promised myself to take him to before his arrival to CA.

Or maybe, until I'm done working on baby Selma's favors. I'm planning to make over 60 pcs for friends and family members. I'm working with wires, beads & charms and I can't wait til I'm done.

The Psychic In The City

2010-07-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

My day started with tears.

I was so confused this morning. I had a funny stupid dream that woke me up early and the fact that mama's calculations say that I will give birth next week made me feel down.

Jeeej said: let's go to the city!

We had a great day there...

I love LOVE San Francisco

Once I got out of the car, a lady touched my belly and said:

"What a beautiful girl inside!

She'll come out soon...

It might take WEEKS!"

I felt like kicking her butt :p

I came back home smiling and full of energy!

She can come out anytime she wants. I don't care anymore.

Let her and let me enjoy whatever we are doing these days...

But we'll have a serious talk once she is in my arms.

Something I love,

2010-07-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday, sometime before midnight we went to the movies a little bit early to find good seats to watch "Predators". We were late. The only 2 seats available were in the second row. I didn't mind. The theater was packed so it must be a great movie.
It actually was.

My back hurt me so much it made me think that I was going into labor. Jeeej asked me if I wanted to leave but I told him I was fine...all I need to do is breath.

I kept breathing and he kept adjusting my way of sitting. He wanted me to be comfortable the whole time.

You see, this is what I love about him or us together.

I have the strangest ways of sitting. On the floor, on a couch, on a chair and even in the car while driving. Jeeej found it strange when we first met but then he got used to it. He also got used to me complaining of pain after getting up.

He learnt how to fix it though!

Now, whenever he sees me sitting or laying down in a funny way he comes to me and makes my "comfortable" position even extra comfy!

That's so sweet.

These days, he notices that Ward has even stranger ways of sitting, he tries so hard to fix his position believing that Ward isn't comfortable at all, but all his attempts fail. Ward has the most flexible body ever.
I don't!

How artistic!

2010-07-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

When amto Maggy -Jeeej's sister- sent me a msg asking for my address, I thought she was going to send something simple made by her little cute daughters. I thought of a small card or a picture of them...

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this!
I love it...Mariyah loves looking at it every time she goes to bed.

Thank you amto Maggy, Nour & Amira!
We love you all...and waiting for a new one made for baby Selma ;) xoxo

I'm Loved!

2010-07-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

Picture taken by Ward.
Went on a date with Jeeej.
Mariyah kissed me good night.
Mama Bassoumeh was the babysitter.

I am Loved :)!!
Took the stairs up to the 6th floor.
Baby Selma...show mama how much you love her!

frisbee in my belly

2010-07-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

Mariyah and I almost fell asleep while watching the rest playing frisbee.

They had so much fun

and watching them play made me feel as if I have a frisbee in my belly

Baby Selma is swinging left and right inside, preparing for womb departure

Jeeej misses baby Selma so much he made me swim so hard after we came back home from Capitola beach...

In Laws & Berries, Fourth of July.

2010-07-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

My in laws visited to meet mama and Ward. My father in law brought Mariyah lots of berries, of course. and she fell in love with him, Again.

Then I told my father in law that I would love to give birth to baby Selma on the 4th of July, Today, because Jeeej and I had our engagement party on the 4th of July, 5 years ago!

I wanted another special baby on another special day. Mariyah was born on a special day, u know.Then we had a great lunch at P.F. Chang's and after dessert My father in law said: "The 4th of July isn't over yet!"
Fire works are crazy this year, but not strong enough to bring my baby to this world.
Not today baby Selma...
Your due date is 7 eleven. will see you soon :)
A healthy beautiful happy baby Insha'Allah.

BusyER soon

2010-07-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

I am trying so hard to enjoy every single thing I do,

I say,
I hear,
I drink,
I eat,
I see,
I think of,
I remember,
I touch,
I feel,
I smell,
And hear...

Because right now I'm kinda free...and in a few days I won't be.

That's the only way of thinking that is keeping me energetic these days, otherwise I'd spend the whole day sleeping.
I feel sleepy all the time this pregnancy.

I also know that Busyer is the wrong spelling, but it looked strongER this way.

Crazy RoutineS

2010-06-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

When Mariyah became 7 months old I weaned her at night. I built a fixed schedule for her. It took her 3 days to adjust and life became wonderful :) I mean I slept all night so life became wonderful!

We loved routine.

Our life as a family became more organized. We started going out on dates, me and Jeeej couldn't be any happier.

If we are invited to dinners here, we'd attend after we put her to sleep. We don't mind arriving late and our friends understand the situation.

Even when we travel we do our best in keeping the routine, It's better for her and us.

Nowadays, because she is capable of making her own decisions, she builds a routine herself and follows it for a while until she gets bored of it and then she creates a different one.

The nap time and bed time, both, have the same routine.

- For a while she decided that both Jeeej and I should lay down next to her and sing to her the same songs every single night before we put her in bed.

- For a while she refused to sleep unless she had her three little rubber ducks tucked with her in bed. "baby battah, batta asfar and batta a7mar" = "baby duck, yellow duck and red duck".

- For a while she decided she should be covered by three blankets while in bed. where all her stuffed animals should be arranged in a certain way around her in her crib.

-For a while, she refused to sleep unless we say good night to ALL of her friends in the daycare including the babysitter and her assistant! The funny part was making sure that the last thing we say before she closes her eyes is "Good night baby Mayraaaa" -her best friend from the daycare-.

- These days, she has to be rocked on the rocking chair while covered with her pink blanket. She requests ""sourat Al-Nas, Fairouz's song "Watani" and "I love you" song for Barney"". each one twice. If you try to skip any she would cry until you do as she wants!

These last few moments I spend with her every night before she sleeps are so precious to me. I find myself crying while singing to her. I know soon I will be too busy and tired to do this for her.
Mama suggested Mariyah should start getting used to her tete putting her to sleep following the same rules.

Today, mama took Mariyah and Ward swimming so I could nap. When they came back home Mariyah was too sleepy so Mama got her ready for a nap, not knowing that I could hear them both while laying on my bed in my room. I heard Mariyah through the monitor asking her tete to recite the soura and then sing both songs to her.

Mama's voice is so soft and her songs are always mixed up!
She sang "watani" to Mariyah in the funniest way you could ever imagine! I wish I could see Mariyah's face listening to her! I couldn't stop laughing and I had to hug and kiss mama after she left Mariyah's room!

Thank God for tetes.
Thank God for routineS.
I am too sick these day I can barely breath.
I am 11 days away from my due date.
I need to feel better so I could breath well while in labor.
I have skipped two apointments with my doctor since mama came. We are too busy shopping.
That was a long post, my eyes hurt I should stop staring at the small screen of my new RED laptop.

My Mother, Myself

2010-06-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

A few days before mama's arrival, I had an appointment with my doctor and she asked me whether my mom is coming to help me out this time or not...and when my answer was "YES!" she asked me if me and mama get along well or not.

I told her that she never visited me before and that she never dealt with me while pregnant. Her question made me confused. Will we fight and have a different kind of arguments? Will my hormones kill nice moments?
My mom is losing temper when it comes to my stubbornness.
All I want her to do now is relax and enjoy her vacation, for I know that once I give birth I will be too weak to take care of myself and my family. I need her strong and full of energy! I want her to relax now because the coming weeks will be hectic and dealing with Mariyah on her own will make her tired.

Mama is so patient and so calm, unlike me. I go crazy about silly mishaps but she keeps reminding me that I tend to complicate things and that nothing is worth it.

We are fighting these days. Mostly because she is realizing that I am a copy of her in so many ways and because she simply doesn't like the feeling of living in a hotel anymore!

She misses cooking and cleaning.

Poor mama...what she doesn't know is that I will make her go crazy after I give birth to baby Selma ;)

Don't tell her I said so, she'll get mad at me being "pessimistic"!

Smells around the house

2010-06-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

I smell Turkish Coffee every day now...
I smell malfoof, hummos and foooool...
I smell mama's head scarves...
I smell the pool's water on ward and mariyah's hair...
I smell jeeej's marinated chicken for Bbq today...

But the most beautiful smell right now is Selma's!
I could smell her while she's inside...I can't wait to hold her tight...Jeeej did the shopping for her yesterday and feeling her new overalls made me melt.

Could YOU smell how HAPPY I am?

Mastering Sushi

2010-06-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

Karate Kid PART 5

COMING SOON!

Al-Yazouri

2010-06-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since my mom quit smoking, she became a big fan of "Bizir=roasted watermelon seeds", and since Al-Yazouri is her favourite place to get it from she made sure she brings a big bag of it with her here to CA.

She tried teaching Jeeej how to eat it...He tried some and loved it...but got tired after a while.

As for me, I'm getting tired these days too, still swimming and walking a lot everyday, The real countdown has started, I want to enjoy mama before I give birth and having her among us makes my days run so quick!

I love it!

I love you mama

I love you Ward

To Kill Jet Lags...

2010-06-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Go To Six Flags!

They enjoyed the rides...
Jeeej is proud he got the season pass tickets.

Mama Bassoumeh and Ward Habibi...

WELCOME TO Jeedo's Life :) !

Cooling Down

2010-06-17T22:09:00.001-07:00

The Road TAKEN

2010-06-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Starting from tomorrow my posts will include more fotos and less words

I will be busy until I don't know when...

Life will change forever

and it's for the best,,,I believe:)

Before I post today's fotos I want to record and document this:

Today, My favourite student finished reading The Quran.

I was so excited year 2008 when she started reading the book.

Today it took her a little bit over an hour to finish reading the last 13 pages! She gave me a big hug once she was done and she told me: I LOVE YOU!

I had tears in my eyes.

I am so proud of her.

Today, was also, my last day teaching. I decided to take the camera with me and take shots of the way I took almost every day since year 2007 to go to my students houses and teach.

It takes me 25-30 min. to reach San Jose

I always enjoyed driving!

I used to depend on my navi. a lot,
But not anymore!

This way had witnessed a lot of memories...

Phone calls, songs, Mariyah talking, singing,

pooping, throwing up, laughing, counting...

I never got bored while driving...I was speeding a lot though...

most of the time,

and this should STOP!

I'm lucky most of my students are cousins

and live in the same neighborhood...

Beautiful area!

I always drop Mariyah at the daycare

before I start my journey...

Her daycare is right here :)

Today I gave my last two classes

I was so emotional about it!

The best part was this plate of a Pakistani traditional dessert given to me by

my student's mother...

appreciating my efforts in making their dream come true!

Finish Reading The Quran That Is.

Cacti LOVE

2010-06-14T23:15:00.001-07:00

My student's mother is obsessed about cacti. Before I brought one home I always thought it's hard to keep them alive indoors, but I was wrong. They are so strong and need minimal care. They are there to survive!

Last Friday, after I gave the student her last class,

I tried to explain to the mother how my cactus

grew up and how it used to look like this....

And that now it looks like this!!

She said I could always cut it at any length I want and plant it again and it will grow the same way it did.

Simple!

Then she smiled and said:

"It's funny you asked me about your cactus today because I have this ready for you to take home..."

She thanked me for being there as her girl's teacher and hoped that one day I'd give her a call announcing that I'm back to teaching

No matter how long it takes.

I loved it

and I feel blessed :)

Best Fathers Day Gift, EVER!

2010-06-13T22:38:00.001-07:00

Robert Talbott Ties,

Best of Class.

For more details about prices and shipping check Jeeej's eBay out!

Click on it's link on the side of my blog.

Over 110 Ties are listed on his page... Most of them are over 50% off retail cost!!

And they are ALL Brand New with Tags!

Auctions ending soon!

Get the tie you dream of.

Make your Dad feel like a king,

Without breaking the bank ;)

And don't worry, we won't tell him how much you really spent or that you didn't get them from Saks Fifth Avenue!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

From Paper To Wood! 5th Year Anniversary :)

2010-06-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

"The gift of paper represents the fragile nature of the early love stages. As another year passes, the pair move onto the relative strength and fortitude of cotton...."

And for a couple on their 5th year together, The gift is wood.

That's us!

This June we celebrate 5 years together! How does it feel?

He said: "It seems longer!"

I hope he's Joking ;)

I say: "It feels like we signed the papers a few days ago!"

From having him meet my family to the day we signed the Marriage contract....All took place in June 2005.

This June is giving birth to me, again :)

I love you Jeeej for the most beautiful years of my life!

I love you for what you have done for me and for what's coming next!

CALM BIRTH

2010-06-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

Listening to this CD on daily basis while in my 3rd trimester carrying Mariyah made her birth story a success. Thank God :)

My Father in law gave me a copy and encouraged me to listen to it every single time I go to bed or nap.
Convincing me to do so wasn't easy, I had never believed in these "relaxing music and words" CDs.
I laughed when I listened to it the 1st time, but Jeeej insisted that I take it seriously, he started listening to it with me :)

I love it!

I highly recommend it for those who are willing to have a natural baby delivery, free of medications.

Good Luck to me this time!
Hope it does magic like it did 2 years ago...

TWO years ago!

Full Life Ahead

2010-06-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Last Week, Mariyah celebrated her 2nd birthday at the day care...

They said it's her farewell party as well!

Poor girl...I hope I can explain everything to her at this age...

How her life will change forever in a month or so...

How busy and full our days will be this Summer.

I just hope it will be alright for her,

Her life will be full...good full insha'Allah :)

Naming after the father

2010-06-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

I was at a baby shower yesterday. The mom to be is pregnant after 5 years and she is so excited about it -Masha'Allah-!

Some women were asking her about the name of her future child -a boy-.
Not all of them knew about her -tragedy-!

once she is asked the question, she looks like she wants to cry. You see...she MUST name him after her father in law's.

She is NOT allowed to make it a double name -murakkab-, because with time people will forget about the inherited name, and for the in laws it is NOT acceptable.

wondering what the name is?!

3a6eyyeh!

I can't stop laughing whenever I remember how she asked for nice nicknames. All nicknames suggested were longer and funnier than the name itself!

Ladies were laughing and she was desperate for help!

Some people insist on calling their boys after their fathers. I see it acceptable if the name is nice and suitable for a baby in a certain area at a certain time.
Some names are just too funny and I believe it's unfair to carry this burden just to please your father.

Some people would stand against my thoughts and words, I guess.
But seriously...3a6eyyeh?!

If you have a nice nickname for my friend's coming son, please don't hesitate to mention it here ;)

A coincidence?! WHAT?

2010-06-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the movies for Prince of Persia and before the movie started, we were watching the previews for the upcoming movies this summer, so we started predicting which movie would be my last before I give birth.

Indiana Jones 3 was the last movie I watched before Mariyah came to life!

Indiana Jones 1 was Jeeej's 1st movie ever. His parents took him when he was still a newborn.

Indiana Jones 2 was Jeeej's last movie to watch with his Dad before he moved with his Mom to the Middle East!