SMILES!!!

Alhumdillah, aren't they sweet?

Vintage Pearl Giveaway!!

:-D One of these days I'll stop posting giveaways and actually blog about me. But until then, here is another one. The Vintage Pearl is having a giveaway for one of their unique jewellry pieces. Please go and check it out!

http://thevintagepearl.blogspot.com/2009/12/whimsy-giveaway.html

Pioneer Woman Cookbook/T-Shirt Giveaway!!!

A site called The Provident Woman is having a giveaway of The Pioneer Woman Cookbook and one of her T-shirts. And if you know me, I LOVE Ree's site! Please go here http://www.theprovidentwoman.com/?p=1709 to enter. Thank you!!

GIVEAWAY!!

http://housequeen.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-gift-guide-bell-designs.html is having a giveaway of her site! Please check it out for more details; the prize, while not a big, is a gorgeous one! Thank you.

They grow up toooooo fast!!!

These last 2 weeks has just been a blur of where my kiddies have been concerned. Everytime something happens I go "I have to blog about it" and then when I do have the time, I go "what was I supposed to blog about again?" I really have to write these things down!! :-D

Noor is crawling all over the place and you have to be careful of where you place your feet. It don't matter where you are, if the door is open, she'll come in. :-)) She's also at the stage of hauling herself up onto stools, coffee tables so she can stand. But with standing comes falling like a tree and scaring the living daylights out of me in the process.

She figured out really quick that if she wants to be picked up, and mommy is busy doing dishes or something, just crawl on top of her feet and then she has to pick the baby up!

Osob has really started to talk this week. Of course, she's had the usual words like 'bye', 'hi', 'gamma', 'abo' but the rest was gibberish. This week, she actually said a german word for milk and I don't know who I was prouder of....her for saying a word that I could understand or me for actually understanding her!!

And then in the last couple of days Noor has been going through a stage of I want mommy/I don't want mommy. She now has gotten her 3rd tooth. She's talking up a storm at times...'da da' is her favorite word.

Well, I know I've forgotten stuff but I will try to remember for next time. And as usual, here are some pics of my blessed children.

FREEDOM!!!

You know, its amazing how much better it feels when a person has freedom to come and go and isn’t stuck inside the 4 walls with 2 growing kids and reliant on other people for transportation. Thank God (and my mother) we have been able to buy a vehicle recently. Yesterday was the first day I and the kids really made use of it; and it was so wonderful!! To be able to spend the day at my sisters house and not watch the clock for when hubby was going to pick me up or for when I had to be home. Alhumdillah, I just can’t describe it. So, then because we had such a good day yesterday, I’m full of piss and vinegar today. :-D All my laundry is being done as we speak, and then later dishes and cooking will be done.

What I also like about having a vehicle? Finally the hubby and I are having a social life, together! For most of our marriage it was us doing our separate thing. But the thing is, he’s a worse back seat driver than I am!! *groan* But I can read a map book better than him!! *grin*

And of course, here are some pics of our gorgeous children. Have a good day everyone!!

Depression

I’m not sure even where to start of how the last month or so has gone. I’ve been quite hormonal (actually, that’s very much an understatement), and whiny, and quite bitchy at times. I feel sorry for my hubby because when he comes home, he’s not very sure of what he’s walking into. Is he going to get his head bit off? Is his wife just going to look at him and start bawling? Is she going to start snarling and show her claws? Like I said, I feel sorry for him at times.

And what is the cause of the above? At times its lack of sleep; my babies have it down to a science - one’s asleep, the other’s awake. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing because then I’m not overwhelmed by both wanting my attention at the same time, especially if they both crying. :-D But in the afternoon, it would sure be nice to lay down and have some shut eye. At other times I know I am still fighting depression. Thank god the depression isn’t as bad as when I only had Osob but when you go days without a break from both kids, the tears/bitchiness comes way too easy. Hubby comes home from work and he’s tired and he wants a shower and a nap, which he’s perfectly entitled to. But there are times when he walks in the door and I immediately hand him a baby and say “there you go”. Kids seem to sense when mommy is at the end of her rope and they push her buttons even more then.

2 weekends ago we had a bout of the flu in our house. Alhumdillah, we all survived it but you know what the hardest part of being a parent is? When your kids are sick and hurting and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that you can do to make them feel better. You feel so helpless. And then I got sick, you end up being a bigger baby than your kids!

Okay, now enough with the bitching and onto the pictures. Thank you for listening!

Where has the time gone??

I'm been thinking lately....where has the time gone? My baby Noor isn't such a baby anymore, she's now 7 months and counting. Osob is getting to be 2 1/2 years of age. My birthday is coming up wwwaaayyy too fast. I haven't written on my blog for close to 3 months (I was only going to take a couple of weeks off).


Noor is crawling now, a step at a time, she baby talks like you wouldn't believe, she LOVES the exercise saucer, I'm guaranteed a dirty diaper 9 times out of 10 whenever she's in there, she loves to tease Osob which makes my heart melt whenever I see it, she will take a step or two if you support her, she doesn't have any teeth yet but unfortunately, she's not one of those kids that the teeth come pain free; the poor kid has been drooling for how many months and lately has gotten the teething fevers/diaper rash/chewing on anything and everything in sight and that includes mommy when she's eats (OUCH!!!!)





Osob has an attitude (just like her mother); she doesn't allow Noor to have ANY toys unless I intervene; then she'll share, she's slowly but surely starting to talk, she is mommy's little helper with everthing, especially if it includes water and bathing Noor, she LOVES to have her toys strewn ALL over the house but like a typical child, she doesn't like to clean them up, she tries to breastfeed her dollies because that is what mommy does to Noor. Below is a pic of us having a battle of wills - she didn't want to go pee-pee potty but I knew she needed to go because it had been a couple of hours. She sat on that potty for close to 1 hour having a hissy at times but finally she went pee-pee. Since then, she has not given me any more problems about going on the potty. Now, I just have to train her to go #2 on the potty. (I know, I'm so mean for taking a pic while she's crying!!)




Here's them with bed hair.

I thought I would try a hijab on Noor this past week and you know, she didn't bat an eyelash when I put it on her. Of course, trying to take a proper picture of both kids is impossible. Thank god for digital cameras!!

Thankful for my Blessings

Sallam alaikum/good afternoon everyone!! I hope everyone is having a good day and just enjoying whatever blessings Allah has given them this day.

I've been thinking for the past hour {I know, what a concept eh? :-D} and wondering of what I wanted to put in my blog. I just didn't want to put another mindless little paragraph going blah blah blah along with a picture or video. So in amidst checking the endless garbage that somehow finds its way into my email box I look over to my baby Noor and she gives me a big grin.

And then earlier in the day was another grin (sorry for the fuzziness).

And this is what I got all day long. It gave me a high that no happy pill could; I definitely wasn't depressed today!! Alhumdillah that Allah gave me such good kids. Even Osob was in a good mood today; her attitude lately has left something to be desired. I even caught her kissing Noor's butt!! I don't have a clue of where that came from!!

So today, I'm definitely thankful to Allah for my 2 beautiful blessings for keeping a smile on my face all day.

*giggles* It is too early to be telling jokes but tell this to Noor, who had an extremely dirty diaper 30 min ago. She woke me up with her farts, believe it or not. I'll have to blame her gassy state on the bag of cherries I ate the other day.

So here is your laugh of today, thanks to one of my joke lists.


A local newspaper (in England) ran a competition asking for a rhyme with the most romantic first line... But the least romantic second line. Here are some of the entries they received.

My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe "go to hell"

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head.

Oh loving beauty you float with grace
If only you could hide your face

Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not

I want to feel your sweet embrace
But don't take that paper bag off of your face

I love your smile, your face, and your eyes -
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming

My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way

Sleeping so peacefully......

Yep, I noticed that after my baby fell asleep so nicely, she'd had a little help.....from her thumb. She rarely sucks on the little digit but the poor thing was teething so badly today she obviously needed some relief.

Mennonite Culture

So for some reason today, I decided to search for Mennonite groups on Facebook. Well, there are plenty of them on Facebook. So I joined one group an started going through their members list. Man, did the names start bringing back memories of growing up; of going to church on Sundays and then afterwards going to someone's house and eating such good food and yapping/playing the day away. Then falling asleep on the car ride home. There were some posts that were written in low german and I was even able to read them; it put a grin on my face. So, someone had written a mennonite joke which I had to post here.


How many Mennonites does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Ten...One to screw in the light bulb and 9 women to prepare the food for the pot luck afterwards.


I had to giggle because it is so true; for any occasion there has to be food, food, and more food. Did I mention that there had to be lots of food? I did? Okay. The food might be simple but oh man, is it ever good. Yep, can definitely get fat on Mennonite food. Maybe that is why I got some (I mean a lot) of extra poundage around my hips because I learnt to cook from my mama. Now that I got myself good and hungry, I have to go hunt around the house to see if I hid any chocolate that I forgot about.

Chow!!!

It is better to be alone, than in the wrong company.

I got this off the All things Fluffy...Famous...and Fashionable website and thought you all would enjoy it.

It Is Better To Be Alone, Than In The Wrong Company.

Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are.

If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.

A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate for the good and the bad. The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.

Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.

An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.

As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are.

Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl.

Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream.

Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider This:

Never receive counsel from unproductive people.
Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.
Not everyone has a right to speak into your life.
You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere.
With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.
Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.
Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.
Choose to rise...Don't settle...and go for your dreams!!!
And most of all let God lead you in everything you do.
"Do not ask God to order your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet."

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations to Shafiq and Fatima on being married for 1 year at the end of June. Last night a surprise walima was held for them. Although I didn't take as many pics as I wanted to, I managed to get a couple.

Here's them last night:

Here's them getting married last year in England.

May Allah grant them a long and prosperous marriage, grant them the strength and patience to get through the trials and blessings of life, and to thank Allah always. Ameen

Differences

*grin* This is only one of the many differences between Osob and Noor. Osob NEVER sucked her thumb, everything else was fair game though. Noor on the other hand, discovered it the other day and she didn't let go of it. I swear if it hadn't been attached to her hand she would have swallowed it.

Things I swore I'd never say as a parent.....

I got this off of the EverythingMom website.

Things I swore I’d never say as a parent: I remember growing up and thinking my mom said some crazy things; things that I would never say to my own kids. And wouldn’t you know it, I woke up one morning and realized that I had become my mother. Not that that is a bad thing. But those things I swore I’d never say as a parent, I say, like:

I can have twice as many cookies as you because I’m twice as big as you

When you become a mom you can make up your own rules, until then you follow mine

Eating carrots will improve your eyesight and help you see in the dark

Just wait until your father gets home

Because I said so

The black part of the toast is the best part.

Common Sense

I got the following from somewhere, I'm not sure where. But it sure tells it like it is. I hope you enjoy it.


We’ve all heard it over and over again…”the choice is Yours”…
I’m a big believer in “owning” your life. I have a sign in my kitchen that says

~~”THOU SHALT NOT WHINE”~~

And I mean it. I can’t bear whining. Physically and mentally, it wears on me. Life IS all about choices–if you don’t like the direction you’re headed, you certainly won’t like the final destination! Own your life. I tell my kids that all the time. You can’t plan a trip for London and not pack a raincoat or an umbrella. Likewise, if you wanna end up in Hawaii, leave your winter coat behind! Extra baggage is just that–Extra. It gets non-sensically heavy and is best left behind. As in, In the Past. Also, Preparation is essential.
Sometimes, being a wife and mother is messy. And inconveniant. Sometimes it’s a hair-raising, tongue-biting, eye-popping, tear-jerking experience. When David Scott was a missionary in Canada, I got a letter from him that was better than winning the lottery! He wrote, “Thanks Mom, for not killing me in my sleep when I know I deserved it.”
Yeah, he did. What a payback for him to realize his part in our relationship.

That’s another phrase I use ALOT: “DO YOUR PART”….do your part…do your part. Whatever you’re involved in–a cause, a career, a marriage, a relationship, schooling, faith…whatever your life entails, if you want to have a positive expereince YOU GOTTA DO YOUR PART. It’s sweeter that way too. No one is gonna hand you a perfect life. Life is a Do-It-Yourself Project. Owning your life means recognizing that A) You’re not perfect and mistakes will be made. B) When a mistake is made, there are 4 steps you need to do to get past it: first: Own it. If needs be, openly confess your mistake. second,Apologize. Admiting your imperfections is actually freeing. thirdly, make amends the best you can. Fourth: Learn from it, forsake it, and move forward.

For example, when my kids have hurt one another, they know that part of the “I’m sorry” they offer to the offended party needs to include, “I will never do that again.” And they need to mean it. Cuz if the behavior continues, then they lose their credibility. This process is also called “repentance”–some people think it’s only a religious practice–to be repentant–but it’s not. It’s for all of us to learn to be better, to learn to keep our word and master ourselves. We all know people who have hurt others, maybe even ourselves, repeatedly–and the words “I’m sorry” just doesn’t cut it after awhile. They’ve lost their credibility with us. Trust is lost. But if they are careful to not repeat the offense, whatever it is, then trust is restored. It is my experience that we all want to trust those we love implicitly and most of us are quick to change when given the chance.

You know, if someone hurts my feelings and apologizes, I am quick to forgive. That’s just as important. Forgiveness. It’s been said that “holding a grudge is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.” Forgiveness is freeing too. I have found that the older I get, the more Mercy I need, the easier it is to give mercy too. Owning My Life leaves no room for blame. If I don’t like how things are going, there’s no reason I can’t say, “Oops, that’s not working for me, something needs to change.” And just for the record, apologizing to my kids doesn’t work against me…it binds me to them closer. They know I’m human and just trying my best.
　
If I were Queen…actually it has been my experience that a Mother is the Heart of the Home. Those little sayings “ If Momma ain’t happy, Nobody’s happy” ”Happy Wife, Happy Life” ”A mother is only as happy as her saddest child”~~~ all of those are true. My mood is reflected in my family’s mood and behavior. What an incredible responsibility. Somedays it is overwhelming. I’m just a person. I haven’t got everything figured out. All I know is that I want to be happy. And the things that make me happy most are when my family is happy, productive, respectful of themselves and others, and show appreciation in the little things. My family is my life’s work, no matter what else I may devote time and talent to, my legacy will be how my family shows Love.

In my teenager’s room hangs a poster that she and I made together, it says “Happiness is a Choice”. And it is.Part of being Queen is to show my kids how to be happy. In fact, I would dare say, that is the secret to life…to learn to live happily. Because really, don’t we all want happy endings?

Funnies from the Pioneer Woman

Creative Puns for Smart Minds

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s Round Table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated in an algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here, I’ll go on a head.”

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, “Keep off the Grass.”

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned
to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21 A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In a democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don’t join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

Video Time

Hello everyone. I know its been a long time since I've posted, and the reasons of why are so long. *grin* Oh, don't get me wrong, I have had the time to post but when the kids/husband are sleeping/out of my hair, the last thing I want to do is use my brain and try to write something reasonablely intelligent. I just stare mindlessly at the tv/check email/read other people's blogs who have much more interesting lives than I do.

The following is a video of my Osob and Noor. Whenever I put Noor in the crib, Osob has to be with her . Gosh forbid I don't because otherwise Osob whines and whines until I give in. (Gee, she takes after Jasmine in that aspect.)

Frankly, I'm too tired to write...don't know much to say so here are a few pics to tide you over till next time.

Doesn't Noor look just totally comfortable on his chest? I'm lucky, Shafiq adores both my girls, as do the rest of his family (wife Fatima {in the purple} and sister Lina).

To: Jasmine

In response to your comment - Jasmine said... Mother! That pic of all of us.. i look absolutely horrible!!! - you do not look horrible!! Is there a wart or humungous pimple on your nose that I missed? If not, then you need new glasses.

P.S. I see you have a blog yourself, why isn't anything written on it? Darren isn't that handsome that he has to take all your spare time, is he?

Jasmine said...
Mother! That pic of all of us.. i look absolutely horrible!!!

Ahhh, another day in the life of moi. I could sleep for a week, if only the hubby and kids would let me; my 'girls' would be where they should be if Osob would stop using my bra straps as climbing tools to get onto my lap; I need a pedicure like you wouldn't believe.....anybody want to volunteer?

So, since I can't think of what else to say...my brain is too fuzzy....I will leave you a picture or two of my babies.

Yes, I have a blog AGAIN!!!

Howdy people. :-)) I missed having a blog; now after a much needed break I'm back with a new one. As you can tell, this one is private. So give me a little time here to get things set up and I'll be back to posting soon.

Thank you
Ubah