2 miles… February 27, 2008

Ladies and gentleman, we have progress! alhamdolillah we have moved onto two miles today. So within 30 mins, alhamdolillah we’re able to accomplish a good two miles mashaAlllah. I was hoping to do a mile for a week before moving on to 2 miles. but for the 1 mile video, Leslie wears a blue top and for the 2 mile she wears pink. Pink being the new flair for Eesa, he insisted we do the two mile today. Alhamdolillah it felt GREAT! and yeah we clocked in 2000+ ticks right there on the pedometer! So if I’ve had 2000 ticks at 9am, i’m hoping to come close to 5k tonight iA. I’ll keep u guys posted on it!:P

We had a pretty serious booboo in the house last night. Eesa was helping me do the dishes while sitting on the counter. He got up to get the kitchen towel and fell off the counter, face first onto the tiles on the ground. When he got up, I was really scared for a moment coz his face was full of blood but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Finally after washing up, I realized that it was coming from his nose and front two teeth and lips. Alhamdolillah he was being really brave and stopped crying when I told him its hurting me to see him this way. I was worried he might have broken his nose but he said his lips were hurting more. There was a pretty deep cut on his upper lip but alhamdolillah the bleeding stopped once i applied ice. I was scared i would have to take him to the hospital but with my CAS file closing just the week before, I really didn’t want to take a risk. Alhamdolillah, he’s much much better now. His upper lip is super swollen so it looks like donald duck pouting! lol.

Imo’s been in calgary since yest morning. Alhamdolillah I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been able to accomplish half of my list of to-do’s already. Before he left, the list looked so daunting, but mashaAllah its not sooo bad anymore. Since yesterday morning, I’ve been able to shine up the dishwasher, stove and fridge(never get stainless steel appliances, TRUST ME!), re-arrange my dishes in the kitchen cabinets, cook up everything i would need for dinner this week,  scrub out the front foyer tiles, wash all three washrooms (like REALLY wash, not the daily kind of stuff) and run three loads of laundry. All this while having attended two conference calls and having caught up on all the work related pending emails. Alhamdolillah!! I feel like an accomplished maid, err… mom! (arent those two interchangeable in North America, anyway?)

Alfalah has a qiyaam night for the guys so us girlies are having a sleepover at my place iA (with our babies ofcourse!) I’m totally looking forward to a girly night with tons of babies in the house iA! We were rarely allowed sleepovers whiel we were growing up and now that I’m grown and married – this is something I’m totally relishing! That and the fact that I can stay out for as long as I want.

I’ve got some piccys of Hana that Aasiya took at the halaqa at Nada’s place last Saturday. I was super excited coz I finally got a chance to take piccys with Hana, only to realize its without hijab and I can’t share them online. InshaAllah, i may just create an online album or something =P

Walk away the pounds.. February 26, 2008

So earlier today, I wrote about my pedometer barely ticking to 2000 yesterday. Well first thing this morning, Imo dropped us off at walmart while he went for a haircut. Nothing like shopping to get me walkin’! Even during my pregnancy, because of my varicose veins, I could barely walk before getting tired. But, boy! oh boy, did I walk everytime we used to go to Buffalo for shopping Even today, I was super motivated by the fact I only had 20 minutes before imo returned from his haircut, so I wanted to visually devour the entire store within that time frame and therefore walked from end to end as quickly as i could! After the trip to walmart AND a 20 minute workout, I only managed to get 4000 ticks on my pedometer. Alhamdolillah khair!

In other news, Imo’s off to Calgary tommorow. Which means that I’ll have plenty of time inshaAllah to tend to projects that I’ve been slagging on (trust me, I’ve got a list prepared!). Since I won’t have Imo to look forward to by 6pm, I’ve planned out a list of activities for Eesa for each day.  He’s at the age where he needs constant mental stimulation (otherwise he starts stirring mischief!). With all that I’ve got planned for him, hopefully by 7:30pm, inshaAllah he’d be pooped out and ready to crash out for the day inshaAllah.

Eesa’s been saying plenty of funny stuff lately. he’s started picking up on english and its funny hearing him talk. Whats most adorable is how he has his own vocabulary -  says ‘ess-cursize’ instead of exercise and ‘am-e-less’ instead of animals.

  

Today, while I was working out, he kept coming in front of me. During one of the routines, my feet hit him and my toe nail scratched him behind his knee. A bandaid gave him much satisfaction but it still kept giving him a burning sensation. A while after I put on the bandaid, he went to his baba and said: “Mama’s nail scratched me. It’s killing me!’ lol – it was positively adorable coming from a 3 yr old.

  

As for my MPM this week, well I don’t have much planned since Imo isn’t here. I really love having a menu planned coz it saves me time while doing grocery and the hassle of thinking everyday (and all mums know how much their mind is constantly reeling away with mental organization and planning anyway!). Here’s my list for the week(I’m just pasting it from my fridge list:P). I’ve added silly things like juice etc but that’s coz its focussed on Eesa and I want to ensure he gets vitamin D with calcium, iron with vitamin c etc etc :

Weekly	Menu
	Breakfast	Lunch	Snack	Dinner
Monday	Oatmeal muffins PB Quesadillas 1 cup OJ	Grilled Cheese Sandwich Sliced fruits 1 cup Milk	cucumber and carrot salad Apple juice	moms place
Tuesday	Fried egg Roti 1 cup OJ	Egg sandwich Fruits 1 cup milk	Crackers 1 cup apple juice	Pastrami Sandwich Mushroom soup
Wednesday	Cereal with milk	PB&J quesadilla 1 cup apple juice	Fruit slices Orange juice	Herbed tuna sandwich Brocolli soup
Thursday	Spinach frittatas Milk	Mushroom soup with crackers 1 cup apple juice	Cheerios 1 cup OJ	Hamburger Milk
Friday	Rice crispies with strawberries	Bean quesadilla with sour cream dip 1 cup apple juice	Crackers and cheese	Rice daal and shaami kababs 1 cup milk
Saturday	Ommelettes OJ	Karahi chicken with roti i cup apple juice	Yoghurt sticks	Toast pizzas minestrone soup

A gentle reminder… February 25, 2008

Let me introduce my new toy to you… my pedometer!! It’s a step counter and counts every step i take. It’s a tiny lil device that looks like a pager and attaches to the belt of my pant.

I’m absolutely in lowe with this gadget!! For a while, I’ve been reading about the importance of walking 10,000 steps a day. I always assumed that with a toddler in tow, I was well above that mark. Boy, was I wrong! For the past few days, I’ve barely made it across the 2000 mark! My friend, C, who has been using it for a while now mentioned that even after she does 45 minutes of running on the treadmill, she marks only about 7000 steps in a day. yes, she burns excess calories, but doesnt meet the criteria required to be healthy. Scary huh?

 Walk Away the Pounds, here i come!!

Having two.. February 21, 2008

Having two kids is very different from having just one. How? I’m stumped! I can’t put it into words yet. Help someone?!

Big boy.. February 20, 2008

Eesa insists that he should be called Bhaijaan. Not Eesa bhai, not ayya (what i really wanted!), not bhaiya and not even bhai. Bhaijaan, it must be.

-=-=

Kids sleeping in their own bed calls for a more relaxed sleep, right? Wrong! I end up waking up every half hour or so, going into their room and putting a finger to their nose to check if they’re still breathing. (as if, there’s less oxygen in their rooms!?) By 4 am, I get exhausted and move them into my room anyway. By morning I vow not to bring them in again. But repeat from step A all over again!

-=-=-=

Accidents in the bed. Not fun. He insists its the water from the water bed. Only problem is, we don’t have a water bed here. Only daadi and dada have it and I guarantee, it has no leaks!

-=-=

MPM and more.. February 20, 2008

I have a great news. Alhamdolillah, Alhamdolillah, Alhamdolillah…. Eesa’s started reading. Its happened so fast, that I’m still trying to absorb it. It feels like only yesterday that we were going over the phonics… wasn’t he supposed to go all the way to Z before he started putting the letters together?? For most of you living in europe and Asia, 3 yrs seems like a LATE start on reading, but kids in North America start alphabet recognition at 4 and phonics at 5(kindergarten starts at 4!). Reading kicks in at late 5/6 – so I’m absolutely thrilled alhamdolillah that he’s had a head start at 3. What’s absolutely amazing is this sense of  accomplishment – the knowledge that I taught him THIS! alhamdolillah. I hope he develops a love for reading like his mama does.

The past two weekends was almaghrib so We were staying over at imo’s parents’ place. Maryam and zahid also took almaghrib this time around so beeloo was there as well. Since mom and bai attend their own classes on weekday mornings, I had three kids under 3.5 with me. it was CRAZY! I was constantly on my toes from 10-3 and my head felt like there were musicians constantly drumming and singing(crying!) in there.

Although Eesa’s the eldest of the three, sometimes i forget that he’s ONLY 3 and that I need to cut down my expectations from him. But because Hana’s soooo tiny, my expectations from him have suddenly quadrupled and I feel terrible that I end up getting annoyed and mad at him for things that are normal for any three year old, anyway. His behaviour went through a drastic change when we moved and then when Hana was born, but alhamdolillah he’s improving alot now and I have to give him credit for that and continue to remain patient with him.

  

Anyhow, coming to MPM for this week, I’m also planning out my breakfast menu since I find it a difficult meal to come up with spontaneous ideas for (no, i’m definitely not a morning person!)…

Monday: oatmeal muffins, maryam/z’s

Tuesday:  Eggs. Chicken & mushroom pie (didnt get a chance to make it last week)

Wednesday: Cereal. Whole chicken marinated in yoghurt seasoning with garlic bread

Thursday: cereal. Rice with Karhi. Seekh kababs

Friday: Peanut butter quesadillas. Broccolli and chicken pie. Cheese perogies.

As for my “mission organization” for this month’s organized living, well I’ve been procrastinating on it. I can’t get my head around to it yet. I know i’ve got to work on my desk sometime soon but its just not happening yet. Instead, I decluttered and cleaned out Imo’s closet, reorganized Eesa’s cutlery drawer in the kitchen, purged out on Eesa’s old clothes and washed out and hung hana’s new clothes. lol. Well, anything and everything BUT the desk.

  

I think I’m going to change my mission organization to Eesa’s room. All hsi picture frames etc have been sitting in a box in his closet ever since we moved. We were thinking of painting his room but didnt want to make it too baby-ish because his room also doubles up as a guest room. So we’ve decided to work with the current colour instead. InshaAllah I should be done this week, so look out for piccys next week!

Before I say “yes”.. February 15, 2008

Before I say “yes”

by Na’ima B. Robert

~

Here we stand, apart, not touching, not looking.

Tomorrow is our nikah.

But today, it is as if we are standing at the edge of the sea, the tide coming in to meet us.

We are almost ready to plunge into the rolling surf and swim out to the world of tomorrow, with its far-off horizon.

Families, words of praise and recommendation, questions and shy glances are behind us now.

You have seen what pleases you.

And I have seen what pleases me.

But I have not seen your heart.

And you have not seen mine.

And so now, before our fates are inextricably entwined, I will bare my heart to you.

Without reservations, I will show you the core of my being.

I am like a sapling, a tender sapling, whose roots reach eagerly to drink life’s goodness.

Take care when you hold the tender sapling between your fingers.

I was created by Allah, a delicate seed, born of my mother and father’s love.

My mother nurtured me in her womb

where an angel blew a soul into my tiny form.

My mother’s body cradled me and I breathed of her air.

She nourished me from herself and spoke love to me in the darkness.

I was born into the love of my parents and I began to grow.

Seed became seedling under their care and attention.

They showered me with praise, and my self-esteem sprouted.

They guided me with kindness and my character blossomed.

They weeded the world around me so that I could grow strong and pure.

And now that my first buds are about to open, they have entrusted me to you.

How will you tend me?

Will you coax my buds to unfurl with words of love and kind attention?

Or will you pluck them before they’re ready, crushing their new petals and delicate stems?

When I bring forth delicate blossoms of talent and inspiration,

Will you smile at their dreaming petals and share in the blush of hope?

Or will you watch as blossoms wither under your disapproving gaze,

Your criticism, your scorn, and your self-righteous censure?

Will you guide my wilder branches, gently, coaxing them to grow straight and true?

Or will you simply break off the ones that displease you, trampling them carelessly underfoot?

And when, insha Allah, I come to bear your children, will you continue to water me?

Or will you pluck those precious fruits, one by one, and turn away from the empty branches?

And when my trunk grows wide and thick with age, will you marvel at my strength?

Or will you recoil from touching my rough, brown bark?

When the years have become mere memories, will you admire how tall we have grown?

Or will your restless, selfish heart long to reach out for another sapling?

When I am as weak as the waving branches of a weeping willow – will you protect me?

When I am as strong as the trunk of the mighty Redwood tree – will you support me?

When I am as wise as the age rings of the old, old oak tree – will you respect me?

When I am as foolish as the fickle blossoms of early Spring – will you be patient with me?

When I am as fragile as the flowers of a jasmine tree – will you keep me safe?

When I am as bold as the roots that break through concrete – will you believe in me?

How will you tend me?

For now I have shown you my heart, its dreams, its hopes and fears.

Look carefully as we stand at the edge of the water.

Are you willing to bare your soul and show your heart to me?

So that I feel safe as the two of us swim on out to sea.

Remember that I am like a sapling, a creation of Allah.

Take care when you hold me between your fingers.

~

© 2005 Na’ima B. Robert

If you have enjoyed this poem or benefited from it, share it with those you love. Please acknowledge the source and the website.
www.nbrobert.com

Chicco! Freebies? Why not? February 14, 2008

A friend of mine just informed me that Chicco is giving away free infant me carriers everyday. So although I’ve never been the kind to win ANYTHING, I’ve put my name in. Why don’t you guys put in an entry as well? Then atleast I can claim to know someone who won something. hehe! Here’s the link: http://www.chiccousa.com/giveaway.php 

Mornings.. February 13, 2008

I’m not used to being a mommy to an infant at all. I’ve forgotten how to change diapers (they keep leaking!), I’ve forgotten how to talk to babies that don’t reply with words and above all, I’ve forgotten how to wake up to their cries in the middle of the night.

Learning to change diapers and talk to babies isnt tough. But for someone like me who’s always been a night person, waking up is tough. Really, really tough. The only redeeming factor is the rewarding smile that awaits me once I lift Hana out of her basinnette and place her on her changing station.

 Alhamdolillah, thats the sweetest thing about her. No matter where I am or what I am doing, everytime I look at her, she’s smiling right back at me. Last weekend, at the masjid, she was sitting int eh car seat right next to me and kept staring at me. Some of the kids tried distracting her but she kept on closing her eyes everytime they came in the middle of her view of me. SubhanAllah! May Allah swt increase our love for each other make her the noor of our eyes. ameen!

Withdrawal symptoms.. February 12, 2008

I haven’t had coke in five days. I feel out of energy, have a massive headache and can’t think!

Go away sore throat, go away!