As If "Yesterday, She Was Born"

I still remember the day Mimi was born, we couldn't wait to meet her at the hospital and I remember my mom's words describing her.
Mama said: "Her eyes are mesmerizing!"

I'm 7 years older than Mimi. For years I was responsible for her. She was my own baby for so many days. We shared one bedroom and that meant it was my duty to put her to sleep, to read her stories and come up with fun "before bed" activities.

It was my job to get her ready for school in the mornings.

Mimi was always bright, she's always ahead. I watched her bloom with the passing years and then I left to the states when she was only 17 and now she's 23.
Whenever we met during those 6 years it was never awkward. It was almost as if we've been seeing each other every single day talking and laughing and more laughing.

Mimi is the kind of a girl who would keep you entertained the whole time. She ALWAYS has something to talk about and share and discuss and you always have to be awake enough for her, otherwise, it's a fight!
But then it's all forgiven...
Remember her mesmerizing eyes?

Mimi my little sister presented her graduation project yesterday and she made our mom one of the happiest on earth. But then Mimi brings joy and happiness to mama's life every single day simply because she's her favourite :)

And no I'm not jealous :)

I love you Mimi so much and you make me proud as well...
I just wish I was there for you yesterday but I know you believe me when I say that I slept praying for you :)

You have a wonderful life ahead of you, I can see it :)

You know you have a BIG spot in my heart because you and Mariyah have a lot in common...I just pray you stay the baby you are so my girls would always have fun playing with you every time we're in Amman...
Or here in CA :)

When Your Kids Stress You Out...Just Laugh or Cry

I'm not a perfect mother who enjoys every second spent with her kids. I have my bad habits that I need to work on.
Bad habits like Stress.

I'm always stressed out. I have this blog to write down my days and then hopefully feel better about myself and my life in general.
I like to write down about the good things I do for myself, for my girls and for my family. It's kind of a way to cheer myself up at the end of a hectic day.

A couple of days ago, I was checking one of my favourite blogs, halistic for Hala, and I was interested in checking the blog she highly recommended; Zenhabits.
Once I read a post there I became addicted. I read many of Leo Babauta's posts in one night and I still am. I just click on a catchy title and then read forever.

His posts taught me to laugh more with my kids when they stress me out. Now instead of trying to make my girls stop crying I make them laugh right away.
I know it's been only a day or two but it's working. I love to see my girls laughing with teary eyes.
I see success!

Tonight,,,
I couldn't laugh.
I mean, I was laughing really hard inside but I couldn't show it!

This little baby of mine is a big trouble maker.
People believe she is so innocent and cute and lovable and all...
She actually is, along with the adjective: Naughty!

It was OK with me when Jeeej told me he's planning to hang out with his friends tonight, it was OK only after we put the girls to bed.

They are usually asleep by 7 pm, Mariyah in her "big girls" bed and Selma in her crib.
At 7:20 He left.
At 7:30 I started my class on Skype.
At 7:45 I heard my baby running around in her room while Mariyah is still in bed shocked by her little sister's actions.
I stop my class and run to their room, I'm laughing so hard inside but I put on a mad face and ask Selma to stay in her bed and Sleep!
At 7:50 I stop my class again and put the baby back in bed, trying so hard not to show my laugh.
At 7:55 I cut my class and apologize for the inconvenience and I hold my baby in my arms after she fell off of her crib and hurt herself.

You see, I have never had this problem with Mariyah -I'm comparing, again-. Selma has done it once -jumping off her crib- with her big sister's help and that was it. I didn't see this coming at all.

I love how strong and brave she is, I wanted to hug her and tell her how funny it is to see her running around in her room carrying a book while in her pajamas but I just couldn't!
I had to be that stressed out mother who wanted a perfect child during that crazy 30 min.
And I almost cried.

Golden CA

This Summer, we decided we should go to the beach more often, for so many reasons...

* Because we love to please the girls and trips to the beach are so enjoyable for all of us.

 

*Because it's a really short drive to very beautiful and quiet beaches.

*So we could use our new yellow beach umbrella.

*So we could enjoy the clean golden sand for free ;)

*Because I love to see this and much more :)

Learning about crabs

Enjoying the water away from the ocean

Both Mariyah and Selma have been sick since the trip last weekend but "it's OK" As Mariyah says..."We need to get used to it" "معلش ماما لازم نتعود عالبحر"

"Be Brave, Mama"!

Ever since Mariyah was little, she's a brave girl.
Last month, I started teaching her the meaning of the word brave in Arabic "شجاعة".
She loved it.
I first used it when she didn't want to eat Kofta, I told her that she has to be brave and try it before judging it from the way it smells. She loved the word and now she enjoys kofta.

 The week we started teaching her this word, my friend Jenni got her the scariest book ever to teach her how to be brave.

 I wasn't sure she'd like it...I thought it would freak her out, but now it's her favourite new book :)

On Thursday morning she promised me she'll be brave performing on stage for the spring event at school.

And boy! Was she brave!!

She was happy I was there, she kept waving and sending me kisses from stage :)

When her classmates got noisy during the show she had to cover her ears so she could keep singing :)



I couldn't wait to hug her after all and tell her how proud I was for having a brave girl!

  

Today we went to the beach. Jeeej taught her how to catch baby crabs while there and she was able to catch "BIG baby crabs" all by herself.

When she brought them to me so I could have a look, I asked her to stay away because I was scared...

She calmly said: "Mama, Remember the word BRAVE?"

Ooooops!!!