Movie Clip Monday 16 - 4D scan

I went for my 4D scan this morning and once again, baby is a bit camera shy. With a bit of poking and prodding at my belly he finally moved his arm away from his face just long enough to briefly catch his profile on the scan. At least it was a lot clearer than when we had Sumayah's scan. So as promised, here is a clip of the scan showing his beautiful face! And as you will see at the very end, he's definitely a boy!

Welcome to the final stretch

This week I will be 28 weeks pregnant, the official start of the third and final trimester. Not only is it a big deal because it's the last stretch, it is also generally thought that a baby born prematurely from now has a very good chance of survival and normal development. Tomorrow is a very exciting day because I will be going for a 4D scan. With Sumayah we couldn't really get a clear image of her face because she kept moving away from the ultrasound, so I really hope this one will not be so camera shy tomorrow. I am starting to get really excited about his arrival now which is what makes the scan so exciting. I am so curious to know what he will look like and what his kind of personality he will have. They usually give a CD with these scans so will hopefully be able to post a clip tomorrow for movie clip monday. Wish us luck!

The Calm before the Storm

This well known expression is the perfect description for my kids. Bilaal has always been a little gentleman. Yaasier refers to him as our 'heart' because he is so caring and considerate of how others feel. He relishes in the approval of others, but also has a yearning to do whats 'right'. Bilaal is also very pedantic and needs everything to have order and structure. From very young he used to play with his cars by placing them in neat, tight rows, calling them traffic jams. His pretend play would always involve good and bad charracters with some element of law making. He responded almost too well to routine in that if you introduce something a certain way more than once, do not dare try to do it any other way again. Everybody must sit in exactly the same place, when you greet him at bedtime you must say the same thing in the same order or he can't go to sleep! He has outgrown some of his little OCD type reactions but he still craves and thrives by the predictable, ordered way of life.

Then... Sumayah came along... And turned Bilaals world upside down. She is definately like the storm that comes suddenly after the calm. It never ceases to amaze me how 2 people from the same parents can be so completely opposite in character. Yaasier calls her our 'spirit' because she is so spirited yet so loving. Sumayah just does things with confidence and carefree enthusiasm. There is no such thing as 'can't' with Sumayah. I know all children go through the terrible twos and they don't listen etc, but Sumayah is just so completely stubborn and independent-minded that she seems to take the naughitness to a whole new level. Structure and order are certainly not her thing! When she plays with cars or blocks its all about creating chaos, often ending in her enthusiastically smashing her creations or throwing everything with vigor... And not out of naughtiness, but genuine enjoyment. She is the child that writes on the walls and floors with black koki, or empties a tub of aqueous cream on her body in the middle of the night. She is that little girl on the playground who makes the little boys cry. Our neighbour whose son is the same age says that she noticed he has become alot more assertive in playgroup since playing with Sumayah so she loves that Sumayah is 'manning' him up. Yet in the same vain she is very loving and sincere. She shows so much affection to everyone and always wants to 'help'. Sometimes her 'helping' doesn't go down too well because she is so rough but she really means well and I am sure as she grows up this will be one of her most beautiful traits.

So we have heart and spirit... I have to wonder what number 3 is going to be like. The time is drawing near now and I am getting excited to meet the little guy who will be joining our  family.

Wordless wednesday 58

Wordless wednesday 57

A Direct Line?

My previous post 'When prayers are answered' described how Bilaal's prays for a baby had been answered, well it seems he even got his wish as far as the sex is concerned...it's confirmed... It's a Boy! Someone commented that perhaps he has a direct line and now I'm beginning to wonder, guess we should start placing our orders right? Lol. When I went for my scan on monday everything was fine, but the doc is just a bit confused about my due date. Initial measurements and calculations put my due date at 20 March, but the latest scan's measurements suggests 9 March. The doc says that either his earlier calculations were incorrect or this is going to be a big baby! Now here is the typical mumdrum twist to the story... Even when the due date was 20 March, hubby insisted that this baby will be born on 9 March. Why? Well he has this way of spottting patterns in everything and so with Bilaal being born 03/02/05, and Sumayah being born 02/07/11, in his mind it only makes sense that baby number 3 be born on 09/03/12. (for those like me who takes a while to get it, the numbers add up lol!) And what do you know, it now seems quite likely that this might just be the case!

Porridge brain is real

There are many who doubt the existance of pregnancy porridge brain, but no matter what the sceptics may say, to me it is a very real phenomenon. In all 3 pregnancies I have displayed many daft moments from early on already. For me porridge brain is putting the cooking oil in the fridge or the open milk in the cupboard. It is putting 6 spoons of sugar in your tea and putting sugar in the food instead of salt. Porridge brain is the perfect excuse for wearing your top inside out and yes sometimes even back to front. I have sent many a text message to the wrong person entirely and almost blocking my email account insisting on using the same wrong password only to realise on my 3rd attempt that I was entering my ATM pin! Just the other day I was sitting in the car in the garage, kids locked and loaded and all ready to go, frantically searching for my car keys, only to find them sitting on top of the car. And then of course there was the day I opened the garage door, started the car and then closed the garage door BEFORE pulling out! Just as I put the car in gear I realised my error and disaster was avoided. There many other little mishaps and I am not usually the absent-minded type, forgettful yes, but usually quite a good multi-tasker. So call it an excuse if you will, but it's one that works for me. 

Wordless wednesday 56

When prayers are answered

A couple of weeks ago in the post My sister's an alien! I described how Bilaal had been praying every night for a baby brother. Well just as with Sumayah, Bilaal's prayers have once again been answered! I don't know yet if the 'boy' part was granted, but I am very much pregnant. But the surprise and excitement doesn't end there, oh no, in true mumdrum style there is a little twist in this story of mine. So a few days after the post mentioned above, I started to feel that maybe I was pregnant. I hadn't yet missed a period or experienced any nausea, but I was visiting the toilet very regularly during the night and seemed to be hungry all the time. So I took a home pregnancy test. I even bought one of those fancy digital ones that give you an estimate of how long ago you conceived. Eighty bucks is quite a lot of money to spend just to pee on a stick! But there I was nonetheless staring at the flashing screen while Yaasier patiently waits outside the toilet for the result. And there it was...'pregnant-3+'...which meant pregnant 5 weeks along or more. As surprising and completely unplanned and unexpected as this was, we were undoubtedly ecstatic.

For various reasons that I won't go into detail about here, we couldn't use the classic method of working out how far along we were, so we assumed that it couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 weeks. this is what I told the receptionist when I made an appointment with the gynae, so I had to wait a whole week before I my appointment. So Tuesday 20 September I anxiously waited in the doctor's waiting room, nervous that I would have a scan and there would be no heartbeat. I was hoping and praying that this wouldn't be the case, that I would see the tiny little bean with a tiny little blinking area indicating a healthy hearbeat.

Finally lying on the examination table, the doctor palpates my uterus and has this really serious expression on his face and my heart begins to sink. I think he's going to tell me that there isn't anything there. Instead he says in his heavy Paraguayan accent, 'well! there's definately something there!' And then the moment arrives, I look at the ultrasound screen and nearly fall off the table with shock... because there on the screen is not a bean, nor an alien-like figure with a beating heart, but a clearly defined baby with fingers and toes and limbs moving all over the place! Turns out I was pregnant far longer than I realised... 13 weeks and 6 days to be exact! Yes I know what you are thinking, that after 2 kids one would think that I would know when I am pregnant, but I honestly had no suspicion till that week.

So that explained why my clothes were steadily getting too tight and why I was constantly hungry, and why I was so tired during the Ramadaan. I even fasted for the whole month of August without knowing and I just assumed that this was the reason I was so sleepy in the afternoons! Well the nice thing about finding out so late is that I don't have to wait too long before finding out the sex of the baby. At my next visit I will be 18 weeks already and I am definately showing already. I still keep looking at the scan image now and again to prove to myself that I didn't just dream this all up, but it's still strange to think that in only 6 months time we will be welcoming a new member to our family, Inshaallah.

Wordless Wednesday 55

In Loving Memory

Today's post is dedicated to an amazing woman who I have been priviledged to know. Yesterday my cousin Adela lost her long battle with cancer and leaves behind an incredible husband and 3 beautiful daughters. I feel really sad not to be able to be in Cape Town to offer my support and condolensces to the family, but at the same time I am comforted that I can offer the most valuable thing of all... prayers to the Almighty.

As sad as her passing is I feel I want to celebrate the beauty of her life. When my sister and I were still very young, Adela often used to babysit us. I remember her always having such a joy and love for life and love. She used to love singing Michael Bolton songs at the top of her lungs while sweeping the house and always made the most amazing teeny little clothes for my Cindy doll. Adela and her sisters used to put on little plays for all the younger cousins with props and costumes and everything. And I remember for my 6th birthday I had a huge bash and of all the cool gifts I got the one I always remember the fondest was the 2 little sock puppets she and her sisters made and gave me in decorated shoe box.

Adela also had incredible poise and style. I was one of her bridesmaids when she got married and as a teenager then, always admired her keen sense of style and class. I also always admired her tenacity and confidence in her abilities. She was the kind of person that could walk into any job interview and get the job.

But they always say that true character is only revealed in times of hardship, and if that's the case then Adela was a true beacon of hope and strength and inspiration. I can't even begin to imagine how tough these past years must have been for her and her family, and unless you have been through it yourself, nobody can. But through every obstacle, through every challenge Adela kept looking forward.

Living far away I didn't get to spend much of her last years with her, but I am so grateful that I was able to visit her recently even if it was just for a very brief time.

So I would like to honour Adela's memory by also rememberring all the other loved ones lost to cancer and all those still fighting on. And a special prayer to all those families who do the incredibly difficult task of being there with such unwaivering support. These are the people who are a true testament to the Almighty and His creation of the human spirit. All praise be to Allah and may He grant her Janaatul-Firdous (the highest heaven) Insha-allah.   

The Night-time Escapades of Sumayah

Yesterday we were out all day for a picnic so Sumayah didn't sleep and then of course fell asleep in the car on the way home. I tried waking her a few times when we got home but she was too tired so I knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep at her usual bedtime. So she and I were lying in bed watching one of my favourate movies, 'The Wedding Planner', me hoping that she will grow sleepy. Skip forward a few hours to midnight, the whole house was dark and quiet, everyone fast asleep...or so I thought. When I turned off my night light to sleep Sumayahs room was quiet so I assumed she was sound asleep in her bed. But I was rudely awoken from my deep sleep when I heard her walking into the room just past midnight with no top on looking like casper the ghost! At first I thought she had gotten her hands on the powder again, but as she approached me I realised that she was in fact smothered in cream, all over her torso! I was partly too sleepy, partly too amused, partly too flabagasted to have any sort of angry reaction to this. When I took her back to her room to clean her up I discovered that what was left in the the 400g tub of aqueous cream was not only all over Sumayahs torso and face, but also on her pillow, her sheets and her duvet! What amused me the most was that this was all done in sneaky silence in a dark room. And this is not the first time either. You see I have been battling with Sumayahs sleep habit for all of her little life. For quite some time we managed to cut the night wakings to just one per night, quickly resolved with a measly 75ml sip of milk. This I could accept, the real problem was getting her to fall asleep in the first place. I would find myself lying in her room for sometimes 2 hours before she slept usually only at about 10. This caused havoc with my nightime marking. But finally this week I tried to implement the sleep training again and within one night she was allowing me to leave her room and she would stay in her bed till she fell asleep. It was like she was just ready, so there were no tantrums only a lot of back and forth putting her back into bed the first night. I guess because she understands alot more now so I could actually use reasoning rather than behaviour modification. But of course in between we had out 'incidences' one of them much like the one I described from last night. She was in her room with the light off talking to herself as usual and then finally it was quiet. We were in bed with the rugby on very softly and I can see her room door from my bed. So I thought it was safe to assume that she was asleep...again, I was mistaken. When we finally turned off the tv and lights to go to sleep I heard a faint sound coming from her room at about 11.30. I decided to investigate only to discover Sumayah sitting on the floor of her dark room with all the toys unpacked from the toy chest, her clothes unpacked from her chest of drawers and scattered all over her bed, and Sumayah with one of her pants halfway up her one leg. When she saw me she casually said, 'Mommy, I'm dressing' as though it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be doing at this hour! Yes, this is Sumayah, our little alien ;)

Wordless wednesday 54

Someone found the lipstick!

My sister's an alien!

Bilaal is convinced that his sister is an alien! Before we found out we were pregnant with her, Bilaal had been earnestly asking for a baby sister every night in his prayers. But one night he said to his dad, 'when I asked Allah for a sister I didn't think she was gna be like THIS!'. He has since concocted this very creative conspiracy theory that Sumayah is in fact not the real baby. Down the road from where we live is the hospital where she was born. And on the opposite side of the road is one of those old, huge concrete water tanks with the dome roof. According to Bilaal this is in fact a space ship that crashed on that piece of land and is now stuck in the ground. Apparently an alien from the spaceship then took the place of our real baby (I don't know what supposedly happened to our real baby). This, in Bilaal's mind is the only explaination for her being the way she is!

So the other day Bilaal comes to me and asks me if I would mind a boy baby. 'Uh, huh? What do you mean?' was my initial response. So he says to me, 'I mean do you mind having a boy baby, can I ask Allah for a baby boy, 'cos Sumayah is just too strange...'. I was very amused and simply replied, 'my boy what you ask Allah is between you and Allah. It is up to Allah to decide to grant you your duahs (prayers)'.

About three days later and I find him sulking and sighing. When I asked him what the problem was he asks me, 'why's it taking so long? I've been asking Allah every night and every day and still nothing!'. Now how does one respond to that? So I say to him, 'well what do you expect... A baby to suddenly appear at our door in a basket?'. To which he replies, 'well maybe if one night you feel like a cramp in your stomach then it means there's a baby 'cos I think it will be painful when you get the baby'.

No comment.

What an eye-sore!

All has not been well in the Abrahams household. We have unfortunately had a bout of conjunctivits a.k.a pink-eye doing the rounds in our house. It started with Bilaal 2 weeks ago. It starts with a little discharge from the inner corner of the eye, then slowly progresses to itchy, dry red eyes that constantly feels like you have a hair or a tiny stone in your eye. But the worst is when you wake up, because the eyes cleans itself best when you sleep so you wake up all crusty-eyed. The good news is that it clears within about 4 to 5 days and you can get over the counter drops or ointment for it. It becomes a problem when you have to put the ointment in your 2 year old toddler's eye! Bilaal was totally cool, he's old enough to 'be brave', but madame Sumayah! Let me describe what I had to do to get the ointment in her eyes. I literally had to pin her down. At first I held her on my lap, but soon realised it was pretty much impossible to hold her hands down as well as her legs while simultaneously hold her head still enough to get a tiny amount of the stuff in the inner corner of her eye. But I became an expert and soon figured out the best method to pursue mission eye ointment 3 times a day nogal! I lay her on the bed sitting lightly across her chest with her arms tucked securely under my legs, this way I had both hands free to hold her head with one and expertly apply the ointment within seconds. Sounds like torture right? Well actually this method proved to be far less traumatic for her that when I was fighting with her for 5 minutes only to get ointment all over her forhead instead of where it was meant to go. Needless to say I am glad that ordeal is now behind us, only to be the next victim of the virus. With me it started in one eye first so the first day I was driving around winking at everyone. Then when it was full blown pink-eye in both eyes I just looked like I had been bawling my eyes out, quite embarrassing. Today my eyes are feeling much better although still very red. Only Yaasier managed to remain untouched so let's hope it remains that way!

Not a wordless wednesday

I realise that today is supposed to be picture day, but I have been neglecting my blog for a while now so I thought I'd make an exception. I have been very busy lately but mostly I just haven't had the creative energy to express my self verbally so blogging has taken a back seat. In the mean time the kids have grown so much in such a short time. Sumayah has had her 2nd birthday and we recently had to put in our application for Bilaal for Grade 1 next year! I just cannot believe how quickly this year is going!

Sumayah continues to be a whirlwind of energy and Bilaal's calm and charming nature just seems to provide the perfect balance. He said to us the other day, "when I asked Allah for a sister, I didn't think she would be like this!"

They are at that age now where they actually play well together so it gives us a chance to have a bit of a lie in on weekends. They will happily entertain each other in their rooms while we catch a few extra winks. Of course they have their moments where you hear crying or screaming as they fight like all siblings do, but we don't get up and intervene unless they come complaining that someone got hurt. I have learned a while ago that as a parent you sometimes you just have to chill and let them figure it out by themselves. And believe me after less than a minute we hear them laughing again. Another thing I am totally chilled about compared to when Bilaal was a toddler is the morning routine. On weekends I have no guilt letting them wait till 10.30 sometimes 11 for their brekkie, because guess what?... They survive! If they are busy having fun and haven't come to tell me they're hungry yet (and I assure you Sumayah Will come and tell me), why should I stress? I have far fonder memories of my sister and I playing in our pjs till late on a sunday morning and my dad having a good chill in bed, reading the sunday paper than remembering having breakfast before a certain time. So here's to happy childhood memories.

Wordless wednesday 53

Playing dress up early in the morning...

Foody friday: yummy coconut filled pancakes

Since it is Ramadaan I thought it only fitting that the recipe for todays foody friday is pancakes; traditional cape malay style coconut filled pancakes which we break fast with almost every single night of Ramadaan.

Ingredients:
11/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1egg
1cup milk
1/2 cup water

For the coconut:
3 cups coconut
1 cup sugar
3 stick cinnamon or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup sugar
5 cardomon pods

Method:
Whisk egg in milk/water mixture, add flour, baking powder and salt and whisk till well blended and smooth. To fry, melt a little butter and mix with some oil and heat the pan to medium high. The butter/oil mixture should sizzle and when the pan is ready. Pour batter in and swirl to cover the base of the pan and fry on both sides till golden. I must stress that this recipe is pretty flop-proof ONLY if you use a non-stick pan. I have used old battered pans where the non-stick was all worn off from years of use before and have usually managed to adjust the batter (after the first few pancakes broke) so that it would flip nicely. So if don't want to go through all that DO use a non-stick pan! The amount of batter you pour in also just depends on how thick you like it, and then of course to get a nice smooth even pancake...its all in the wrist ;-). If you're brave you can even try flipping in in the air.
For the coconut add all ingredients to a pan and heat till the mixture boils, then simmer to form a slightly sticky, moist consistency.
Spread generous amounts of coconut onto each pancake and roll up. Enjoy!

Wordless wednesday 52

Wordless wednesday 51

Movie Clip Monday 15

Wordless Wednesday 50

Movie Clip Monday 14

Bilaal is really growing at lightning speed, not only in height (and shoe size!) but in terms of his maturity and acquisition of skills. In this last 6 months he has learned to read completely on his own, do simple arithmetic, tell time and ride his 'big boy bike'. In the beginning of the year his teacher was concerned about his ability to listen and follow instructions, but recently she told me that he has really improved tremendously and this was reflected in his June report. It was a really funny feeling bursting with such pride reading a Grade 0 report! This clip is of him riding his bike. It only took him 2 lessons with his dad to be fully confident to ride on his own. Yaasier says needs to get running shoes to keep up with him when he takes Bilaal out on the roads because he goes so fast now lol! Bilaal always laughs at me when I tell him that I can't ride a bike... no i am not joking, I really can't ride a bike! Well to be fair I can ride in a straight line, but just don't expect me to change direction.

Cuter by the Day

Sumayah just gets cuter, more adorable by the day. She drives me nuts sometimes, but I love her to bits! And now we are approaching her 2nd birthday and while I can't believe how quickly the time has passed and how fast she is blossoming into the beautiful, animated full-of-life character that she is; at the same time it feels as though she has been part of our lives for much longer than 2 years. She's been singing Happy Birthday all week and when you ask her how old she's going to be she she's '4'! I find I'm actually looking forward to her party because I can't wait to see her excitement when we give her presents and she sees her cake and all her little friends. Especially because she is such an expressive little girl, yes it means she can be quite the drama queen, but its also what makes her special.

Wordless Wednesday 49

Foody Friday: Quick and Easy Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is one of those delicious dishes that is so quick and easy to make, yet good enough to serve for a special occasion. It's a great emergency dish. I got this recipe from my mom when just before I got married and have used it many times. It is meant to be served with rice, roti or naan bread, but when I make it just for us at home, my kids love eating it with spaghetti! Talk about East meets West!

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts cut into cubes
1 onion chopped
1 teaspoon salt (1/2 if using salted butter)
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon koljana (fine coriander)
1 teaspoon jeera (fine cumin)
1 or 2 teaspoons chilli powder (depending how hot you like it)
1 small tin or 1 sachet of tamatoe paste (I think tis is 4 tablespoons or 50g)
250 ml fresh cream (you can also substitute this with orley whip, I usually use half orley whip and half buttermilk, but cream is best)
Butter

Method:
Braise onion in a good amount of butter, I usually use about 3 or 4 tablespoons of butter, it just depends how creamy you want it. Salted butter is best, but since you are adding salt unsalted works too. When the onions are transparent, add the chicken cubes, garlic and ginger and all the spices and braise for about 5 minutes or till chicken is nicely coated. Add tomatoe paste and a little water and cook on medium heat till well blended (about 10 mins). Add half the cream and leave to simmer on low heat. And you're done! The other half of the cream you add just before serving when you heat up the food. Serve with rice, roti, or naan bread. For roti I usually just buy the plain parathas at Pick 'n Pay. It's in a yellow packet and you find it in the fridge aisle, usually by the Today's pastries. When serving guests it's nice to garnish with some freshly chopped coriander.
ENJOY!

Wordless wednesday 48

movie clip monday 13

The kids found a frog in the garden which they found very fascinating.

Foody Friday: Super Easy Mayonnaise Bread

If anybody had to browse through my phones camera album they'd think I was obsessed with food. Since I started the foody friday post I have been taking so many pictures of the recipes I want to share, but haven't always had time to post on a Friday.

The recipe I want to share today is Mayonnaise bread. I found this recipe in a magazine, it was a sort of an advert for Nola Mayonnaise. I tried it because it was so simple and have made it many times since then. It is especially useful when you forget to buy bread and if, like us you always have mayo and flour in the house.

The recipe makes a very small bread, so I usually triple or quadruple the recipe depending on the size you want to make. The recipe in this post is already tripled as this is suitable for your regular small loaf baking tin.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 cups self raising flour
1.5 cups milk
Pinch of salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius
1. Sift flour
2. Add mayo, milk and salt
3. Pour into greased baking tin
Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden brown

And that's it! Quick, simple, and delicious B-)

'Mommy, are you in love?'

This was a question Bilaal asked me a few months back already and since then the topic has come up a few times. On this occasion, while driving home from school, the conversation went something like this:
B: Mommy, are you in love?

Me: Why do you ask? What do think it means to be in love?

B: No mommy, I asked you first.

Me: I know, but I just want to know what you think it means...

B: Mommy! First answer my question.

Me: ok, but then you must answer my question too okay?... Yes I am in love, I'm in love with your daddy... Now answer my question, what do you think it means to be in love?

B: It means when you think about a person all the time, and want to be with them all the time...

Me: Ok (in an impressed tone). So what made you ask me that?

Long pause, followed by giggly, shy body language and the finally,

B: it's a secret, I'm too shy to say...

Me: Don't be shy, just tell me...

B: (in a shy quiet voice) because I think I'm in love...

This time the silence is from me, half amused, half taken aback that this conversation was already happening at age 6!

Me: Oh ok... So who do you think you're in love with?

B: you know!

And I did know and to understand why I need to provide some background. In December last year my sister-in-law got married and Bilaal was pageboy. He took this role very seriously as did the 2 flower girls. He also spent some time with his second cousins and got along famously. If you know Bilaal or have been following this blog, you will know that he inherently is a real gentleman. This makes hime very popular with the girls, and his flower girls were no exception. So I had a suspicion it might be one of them.

Me: is it someone in Cape Town?

B: yes

Me: is it... Nafisa?

B: Yes... But actually... It's 2...

Me: 2?!

B: It's 2 that I'm in love with

Me: you mean Imaan also?

B: yes... Mommy can you love more than 1 person at the same time?

Me: well... First I think you need to know that there's a difference between being in-love and loving someone.

So I go into a whole explanation about the difference as best I can, using the example of how I love him and Sumayah and his grandparents, but that I am in-love with his dad. And then if I thought the conversation wasn't complex enough, he asks me 'so you can't marry more than 1 person at a time?'

Hmmm.. How to answer this question... Considering we are muslim where it is permissable (under very specific circumstances only) and given that our dear president has what 4 wives?

I decided to give him an honest answer, which ended up being a whole discussion about different beliefs and cultures and how the rules and laws that 'allows' us to do certain things like have more than one partner is affected by these.

In the end, I hope, he came away with the message that it is best to try to find that one special you want to have a life with and build a family with... Just like ours ;-)!

Wordless Wednesday 47

Schools out

When children start school they are exposed to a whole new world. School is not only a place where academic learning takes place, it is also a place where a child is introduced to the wider world, free from 'parental guidance'. I have been reminded of this more and more as Bilaal gets older, especially now that he is at 'big' school. It is amazing how much he has matured this past 6 months since he's been in grade R. But the funny questions and insights keep on coming.

The other day Bilaal wagged his middle finger the way you would gesture someone to come toward you with your index finger, and asked me, ''mommy, why is this a rude sign? What does it mean?'' I was a bit stumped by the question because I didn't particularly want to tell him what it means. I ended up telling him that all he needed to know was that its a rude sign that he shouldn't use and theres no reason its rude, it just is!

Then the other day he told me that one of the boys in his class kissed a girl in his class on the cheek. I asked him why and he said that the girl told him to or she would tell on him to the teacher. Apparently another classmate saw and told everyone and thats how they all knew.

There are many other tidbits that evades my memory now, but hopefully I will get back to regular blogging so that I don't lose any more of those precious gems.

Wordless Wednesday 46

Misery loves company

The season of sickness is upon us! Everywhere you turn there's someone coughing or sniffing and our house has been no exception! This is the reason I haven't blogged in some time. We have just had an endless cycle of misery doing the rounds. It started with Bilaal, then to me, then back to Bilaal, then Sumayah, me again and now finally, Yaasier. Now I realise getting sick is inevitable, but I usually don't get affected as badly as I did this time. All I wanted to do was crawl deep under the covers for a few days and sleep. But of course there is no sick leave when your job description is 'mommy'. There's still kids to feed and bath and fetch from school and all the rest. I was in Dischem the other day buying a humidifier for the kids' rooms when a complete stranger came up to me and asked me 'are you sick, you look very sick?'. I was taken aback but I answered yes to which she replied, 'shame you shouldn't be out.' When this happens you know you look terrible! I am happy to report though that I am feeling much better and so are the kids. But I have learned from this experience that Sumayah has the worst sick personality ever! Bilaal is crabby yes and just wants his mommy to hold him and comfort him a little, but Sumayah! Wow I have to say I had absolutely no patience with her when she was sick... She turned into a little monster! Now I know I'm not supposed to say that and feel all tender and loving toward my sick little baby girl... Fek that! I am only expressing the truth. And the truth is that I do not like her very much when she is sick and I am soooo glad she is better or I swear I would've gone potty. Here's to everyones health this winter!

Wordless Wednesday 45

Foody Friday: Garlic Mushroom Risoni

This is my first foody friday post, so I must make something very clear. I do not claim in anyway or anyhow to be some masterchef, gourmet kitchen goddess. So the point is not to amaze and delight with my cooking wonder or to reveal some self discovered culinary secrets. In fact I may just find myself sharing some of my mishaps too...to share...and to learn. The whole point of foody friday is that I am a regular mum with regular cooking abilities and I like to cook for my family food they will enjoy. But sometimes, in fact often the mumdrum of the kitchen just annoys me and I find myself feeling like I want to reach out to the culinary creativity in me and maybe learn something new. So here is where I will share my favourite good 'ol faithful regular dishes as well as any adventures I may embark on in the kitchen (even the failed ones!).
The first recipe is one such adventure. Yaasier once told me about this risotto dish he had at a Primi that he really enjoyed and it sounded so tasty that I decided to try tom make it. So i did what any good cook does in need of a recipe and I Googled it. I came across many recipes and settled on the simplest method. The first time I made this was ages ago, could even be over a year ago and what I didn't realise then was that Risotto is not the same as Risoni. Even Bilaal could've told that Mommy! They only sound SIMILAR not the SAME! But as far as I recall it tasted quite good. But typically I didn't write down the recipe. So the other day I wanted to make it again and this time I actually Googled both Risotto and Risoni and discovered that while Risotto was made with arborio rice and Risoni with pasta rice, you could actually make it in exactly the same way and the only difference will be in the texture. So I once again combined all the simplest recipes and ingredients and tried making it and it was really nice. So here it is:
Ingredients:
Fresh mushrooms
1tsp garlic
Butter
1 Chicken stock cube
Risoni rice
Parsley (optional)
Parmesan (but i didn't have so I used regular cheddar and it was till delish)
Ok so you may notice there aren't really any quantities it's because it depends how much mushrooms you like and how amny people you making for so you just have to judge. And its not like baking, the risoni want flop, its all about the method.
Method:
Make the chicken stock mixture on according to the packet instructions. The one I used was dissolved in 2 cups boiling water. Then set aside.
Sautee the mushrooms on med high heat till dry and set aside.
Melt some butter and garlic in a pot then add risoni
Stir-fry the risoni briefly till covered in butter.
Now add the chickenstock mixture little at a time, ensuring the risoni is always just covered in liquid. Stir continuously (never allowing the risoni to cook dry) until it is cooked al dente, approx 15mins. If you run out of stock before cooking is complete you can use boiling water. The risoni must have a creamy texture.
Remove from heat and stir in mushrooms, some chopped parsley, a little butter and some cheese. Then serve with a sprinkling of cheese. And that's it! Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday Mishap!

Yesterday my most faithful reader, my brother Rameez commented on my facebook profile about my wordless wednesday post asking, 'a bit too early?' To give you a clue as to how slow motion my brain has been operating this past 2 days let me tell you I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he meant by that. It was only now when I wanted to catch up on some blog reading and I noticed my fellow blogger Karen posted her Wordless Wednesday picture today that I realised that I was a day early! This I tell you is the effect being sick has on a mother's mind. On Monday morning I went to see my students at their fieldwork placement and I was feeling fine. And then, when I got home at about 11.30am, it was like a wave of flu just suddenly crashed over my head. I started to feel cold even though the sun was shining outside and I was dressed like an eskimo; my body was aching and paining from head to toe, and my throat was all warm and sore. Thank goodness Abigail was there so I could take a 20minute power nap before getting ready to fetch Bilaal. because even when you are feeling like the dog's breakfast, the 'mumdrum' of life must go on.

It was only when Yaasier cam home and the kids had supper that I could get into bed and bury myself under the covers. By 7pm I was lights out still wearing my eskimo clothes with a fleece gown and wooly slippers added on top of that and my brand new Mothers Day beanie a couple of good friends gave me, all bundled under the blankets and duvet! The next day I felt much better, off to see my students again, even managing to mark their work and give them feedback I think they understood? But that little bit of thinking took so much energy out of me that by the afternoon when Bilaal was home I needed another sleep. Thank goodness for playstation and t.v! I know, a very un-OT like comment to make. But when you are in serious need of some shut-eye recovery time. these evils of our technological age are fantastic babysitters! I locked us upstairs with Bilaal at the playstation and cbeebies on the tele and slept away. So I think I can be forgiven for thinking it was Wednesday already when I finally came to my senses right?

So anyway, I am far less of a porridge brain today, although my throat still feels very inflamed, but I am back to my usual functional self!

Wordless wednesday 44

Foody Friday

So a few people have been reminding me that I have been neglecting my blog yet again! But I think we all can be forgiven for falling off the earth only slightly over these many holiday breaks. I must say we had a fabulous time over Easter. Yaasier's folks flew up from CT and the we all drove down to Durbs for a few days. It was awesome! The kids had a blast with the doting grandparents and the grandparents got some much needed rest. And Yaasier and I could baljaar in the deliciously warm and wild waves of the Umhlanga coast like we were kids again. Bilaal and I even built a sand castle. And what do you know Sumayah actually enjoyed the beach! In Cape Town she hates the wind and the cold sea water, but in Durbs she was right in the water along with us, still holding on for dear life, but loving it!

So this week it was back to the daily grind. But I must say it's been a quiet start for me, which is good, 'cos Yaasier started his new job this week, so it helped that I wasn't too hectic too. Its also given me time to focus on my website project, but details about that is for another post.

So what has all this got to do with the title of my post? Well 2 Fridays ago already I had this idea to do a foody post every friday. Seeing as how food is such a big part of the 'mum drum' of my life I may as well share some of it here. So evertime I make something I wish to share on my blog I will take a photo of the completed dish and post it with the recipe on Foody Fridays! Any other bloggers out there are free to join in ;-) Hopefully next week will be my first installment so watch this space!

Wordless wednesday 43

Wordless wednesday 42

movie clip monday 12

Wordless Wednesday 41

Locked in the bathroom...by my toddler!

In a previous post I described an incident where we caught Sumayah in the nick of time, getting ready to dish 'juice' from the toilet! I ended sarcastically saying that while we are being very diligent about keeping the toilet doors locked at all times now, she has been practicing and will soon figure out how to turn the key. Well she did... unfortunately, it was when I was in the bathroom, and she was not! Well it was nearly a disaster I tell you.

The holder in the shower that holds all the shampoo and stuff had fallen off and I had just stepped into the shower for a minute to put it back up when Sumayah as usual closed the bathroom door behind me. I opened the door and reprimanded her that she should not play with the doors (especially after out last episode with the bedroom door - see earlier post!), but of course, Sumayah chooses not to listen. I say chooses because believe me she knows when she's doing something she's not supposed to! So anyway, I go back to my very serious task of putting the thingy back in the shower, and again I hear the door close and just as I go to open it again I hear the key turn! And then Silence! So now Sumayah is standing outside the bathroom with the key, and I am inside the bathroom in my pjs (thank goodness!) and obviously no phone to call for help. Can you imagine that phone call... 'Yaasier I need you to drop all your very important work and excuse yourself from any meeting you may be in so you can come home and unlock the bathroom which your 1-year-old has locked me in. Please.'

Fortunately, Abegail had arrived just minutes before I went upstairs, but she was downstairs in the kitchen with taps running and water boiling and I was behind a closed door upstairs and a crying toddler on the other side. And of course the louder I tried calling for Abegail, the louder Sumayah cried (probably out of fear) calling 'mommy, mommy, cake (take) her!'

I realised very quickly that calling for Abegail was going to be fruitless, and while I knew she would eventually come upstairs to discover my little predicament, I needed to figure out a plan to get out NOW! So I calmed down, calmed my voice and tried to comfort Sumayah through the door. So not only am I Supermom who can break down doors, I am also hostage negotiator! I said to Sumayah, 'Sumayah, mommy can't take her 'cos Mayah locked mommy in the bathroom, you need to turn the key my girl... turn the key please Sumayah. Sumayah please can you turn the key then mommy can come out.' There was a moment's silence and then... she turned the key... just like that! I opened the door and there was a very joyous union indeed!

Movie Clip Monday 11

wordless wednesday 40!

Almost another Accident and Emergency

On thursday we almost had another accident and emergency experience...and yes, it involved Sumayah. Fortunately she is quite a tough little cookie and A&E was avoided. If you are a regular follower of this blog, by now you will have deduced that Sumayah is quite a little wild child. She is also very stubborn. No matter how many times I tell her not to do something complete with a variation in disciplining techniques, she will continue to do it. And she knows when she's being naughty, 'cos she will tell me, 'mayah's naughty' and then proceed to do it anyway. So on thursday she kept standing on the dining room chairs, leaning against the chair back. I kept telling her, then reprimanding her, then warning her and then finally distracting her with something to play with. But of course later she came back and did it again. Only this time she leaned on the back of the chair just enough to sending the chair tipping over onto the tiled floor. She cried of course and was given much comfort, but reprimanded at the same time that this is what happens when you don't listen. After a few minutes of hugs and affection, the crying subsided to a moan and when I looked at her I saw a huge bump had popped out of the side of her head. I put some ice and vaseline on it and by this time Yaasier came home. So we were left with the decision - bump to the head = A&E? She seemd fine, but was a bit reserved for her usual self. So I phoned the dr who told me to look out for vomitting, loss of apetite and unusual drowsiness. She soon started playing again, but wasn't as responsive to stimuli as she usually is. But then Yaasier offered her ice-cream and all was back to normal. Here are some pics of the bump. By this time the bump had gone down quite alot already. The next day it was completely gone, but a little blue bruise appeared in the corner of the eye. And not surprisingly after 2 days, Sumayah was back on the diningroom chairs!

supermom to the rescue picture

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

This is the picture of the part of the door mechanism that had to be broken off in order to free the kids (see previous post). 

Supermom to the rescue!

I don't normally do a written post if I've already posted a movie clip monday, but today I make an exception. I have just seconds ago had to literally embody what it means to be supermom. My lovely little wild child of a daughter was slamming her bedroom door with much vigour and amusement. I reprimanded her once, then twice, then used the distraction technique. This worked, but only momentarily. While grabbing a very rare chance of doing-nothingness between packing away laundry and cooking supper, Sumayah's bedroom door suddenly slammed and I heard Bilaal calling out, 'mommy! The door can't open! Moommmyyy!'
So mommy strolls over to see what the problem is, only to discover that Bilaal is quite correct! Now bear in mind that the door has no key, so the simple explanation that it was locked was not possible. Bilaal was actually very calm consoidering he was trapped in a room with a toddler who likes to shout for fun and gets pleasure out of pinching her brother for no apparent reason. So I assess the situation, ask Bilaal a few questions about what happened and whether there was perhaps anything stuck in the door that could have jammed it, and I quickly realise the problem. Sumayah had slammed the door so hard (and believe me I am not surprised, we have seen how strong she is when she picks up her bike and carries across the room!) that she broke the spring mechanism of the door handle (says Mcgyver). What was I to do? Break the door down of course. Bilaal was amazing, I could hear him on the other side completely calm trying to distract Sumayah who was now hysterical that the door was closed and mummy-a (as she calls me in distress) was on the other side. He kept her away from the door just long enough for supermom to replicate the police-kicking-down-the-door manoevre I've seen in so many action movies, to the best of my ability. Well I'm not one half samson for nothing, because I kicked twice and it was just what was needed to reveal the part of the door handle that keeps it closed (see picture). All that was needed was a flathead screwdriver, a little wiggle and voila! The door is open and now unable to close, but at least the kids are free... On second thought perhaps I shoulda left them in there just a little longer... As we speak Bilaal is calling to me that Sumayah is switching his desk lamp on and off and its starting to smoke!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

movie clip monday 10

My Blonde Moment

Due to the rain and thunder, we find ourselves lying in the dark, music playing from the phone, waiting for the electricity to come back on. I may as well use thid opportunity to blog about my blonde moment. No offense to some of the smartest peeps I know that happen to be blondes of course!

At school Bilaal's class does a different letter theme every 2 weeks or so. Last week they did the letter 'N' so he was trying to think of things with the letter to take to school for the interest table. Most of the things he thought of were not things he could put on the table, like 'nose' for instance. We were running out of ideas when Yaasier chirped in with his usual dry teasing humour... 'why don't you take a knife to school'... Knowing of course that Bilaal would be shocked and horrified at the suggestion not knowing that it doesn't actually start with a 'n'. Little did he know that mom would have the very same reaction... 'How can he take a knife to school! That's dangerous!... Unless you take a plastic knife'. Its only when Yaasier started laughing that I realised my little error heehee.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

What happened with the ink...

A few days ago I updated my facebook status about the kids driving me potty and blue ink coming out in the bath. In hindsight I do realise that the update makes the incident sound far more dramatic than it actually was. With Bilaal growing up, he no longer watches 'baby' programmes on cbeebies, he's more into Ben 10 and Bakugon. But on the occasion, when Sumayah is watching cbeebies ( yes my kids watch tv ooo! Naughty OT mommy) Bilaal really gets into a show called 'Mr Maker'. The great thing is that it encourages him to explore his creative side (he's more of a numbers and logic guy). Without fail, he would scrammble around for art supplies to copy what Mr Maker is making. Of course the down side is that sometimes these activities involve messy supplies such as paint or glue and in this instance, ink! We do happen to have a bottle of blue calligraphy ink that we used for Yaasier's birthday project we made last year so I agreed to help him with his activity. I made I t very clear that he should do it outside, with his plastic cloth on the table, he should wear an apron and WAIT FOR ME TO OPEN THE INK. Of course between helping him set up his art station I was also trying to cook and answer the phone at the same time... And then there's also that small consideration of a little monkey named Sumayah. She was of course all around her boetie interested in what he was doing, all very exciting for her I can imagine. So anyway I stepped inside for a minute to get some newspaper for the patio floor and when I came back out, phone to my ear and newspaper in my hands, I find Bilaal just as he had opened the ink bottle, blue ink all over his hands, some on the table and Sumayah with a huge excited grin on her face rubbing her hands in it. Now those of you in the know, know that ink stains do not wash out easily, and the longer you wait the more they soak into the skin. When wet, they also transfer very easily. I was on the phone with Yaasier at the time and I had to cut him off mid sentence to tend to the situation before it became alot worse. Once the ink bottle was closed again and safely out of reach from little hands, I was left with T sets of hands that needed to be transported up the stairs and into the bath without touching anything on the way up, remembering of course to turn the stove off first. In the end the situation was contained, the ink came out after quite a bit of scrubbing and the supper was still ready on time. Beat that Martha Stewart :-P

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

A blogging break

I've been neglecting my blog somewhat, partly due to being very busy with work and partly because, like everything in life, sometimes its good to take a time out. Of course as Murphy would have it, this is when some very blogworthy incidents occur that I just don't get to etch into the blogistory pages. So I find myself playing catch up. I'll start with the most recent incident involving Sumayah, the toilet bowl, and an istinja bottle. Now for those of you who are not familiar with the istinja bottle, this is something you will find in every muslim household. And for those of you who hav never been into a muslim household, but have muslim work colleagues, you will recognise it as that label'less empty energade bottle that has the word 'do not remove' in black permanent marker, found in the toilet cubicles (i speak of course from a female perspective, I hav no idea what goes on in the male loos). As muslims we are required to rinse with water after using the loo and this is known as istinja. So anyway, now that Sumayah is able to open doors on her own, she has developed a new found love for the bathroom. If you just turn your back for second you hear the bathroom door open, and the sound of the hand basin tap opening to full blast promptly follows. This is when you find her diligently brushing her teeth and washing her hands. So now we have to lock all the bathroom doors. But a couple of days ago... I heard Yaasier exclaim, 'no Sumayah!', a common phrase in our house, so I wasn't exactly running to see what happened... And then I heard what she did! Apparently Sumayah had gotten hold of the istinja bottle, and was dipping it into the toilet bowl with its blue cistern block water and saying, 'mmm, juice, mm!' can you imagine?! If Yaasier had caught her just a second later?! So now the locking of bathroom doors are more vigorously enforced... that is of course until she figures out how to turn the key...she's already been practicing!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

wordless wednesday 39

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Movie Clip Monday 9

I am starting to lose track of which videos I've posted already, so I do hope that someone will let me know if they notice a repeat ;-)

wordless wednesday 38

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

movie clip monday 8

You haven't met my sister

The other day ADT came round to the complex due to a false security issue. Bilaal was with Yaasier when he was chatting to the security officer, while Sumayah was asleep in the house. Bilaal heard the guy tell Yaasier that it was nice and peaceful in the complex because it was so quiet. Of course Bilaal just had to set the guy straight and responded in earnest, "well you haven't met my sister... just wait until my sister wakes up, then it won't be so peaceful anymore!"
Well I can't say I disagree with him on that on :-P

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

wordless wednesday 37

Movie Clip Monday 7

Tooth fairy update

Bilaal eventually fell asleep, but I left my tooth fairy mission till much later lest he catches me in the act! I made sure he put it in a position that 'would be easy for the tooth fairy to get to'. I scratched out a coin somewhere... Shew! Then just before I going to bed the tooth fairy gracefully (well if you don't count tripping over a shoe on the way to the bed) scratched around under Bilaal's pillow, who just happened to now be lying on that very spot! I, I mean the tooth fairy, had to carefully feel around under the sleepy head to get to the tooth fairy bag with the note in (see previous post) to replace it with a coin. Result :-D!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

The lost tooth

About a week ago Bilaal asked me to look in his mouth because he could feel something strange in behind his teeth. Well it turned out it was a permanent tooth that had emerged from his gum. However it was rising behind his milk teeth so was quite a way ou already, yet his milk tooth was only slightly wobbly. Nevertheless we all got very excited at the prospect that the tooth fairy would be visiting us soon.

Well this evening Bilaal started to complain that his loose tooth was paining even if he didn't bite with it. When I checked I realised that his permanent tooth was more than halfway out already and the milky was just hanging on to the gum. I was very surprised at Bilaal's reaction when I told him the tooth needed to be pulled out. He was totally fine with it, not one bit scared or nervous about the pain. We tried tugging at it a bit, but it was hard to get a good grip. So we decide just like in Charlie and Lola he should bite with the tooth into an apple. And what do you know it worked like a charm!

So he lost his first tooth from his mouth, and then his marvelous mom did something so awful! I went to rinse the tooth in preparation for the tooth fairy, but I opened the tap too wide... And there went the tiny tooth... Down the bloody drain!
"oh no! Oh no!" I shouted from the bathroom.
"what, what?!" shouted Bilaal from the lounge.
"oh no! I'm so sorry Bilaal, your tooth fell down the drain!"
And then of course his expression...well I took that as my punishment for being so careless with such precious commodity. But immediately I saved the situation with some creative licence afforde all parents. I told him not to worry because the minute your tooth comes out, the fairy knows about it and that would still be coming. So we wrote the tooth fairy a little apology note explaining what happened. I told Bilaal that if we put it under his pillow in the special tooth bag (I have a little organza bag) then she will be able to use her special fairy magic to find it in the drain and if she does she will still leave him a coin. He was very satisfied with this arrangement and went to bed a happy boy.

As we speak he is trying his very best to fall asleep despite the excitement. My next challenge: shit I just realised I don't have any money on me!

To be continued...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Glossary of Words

Sumayah's vocabulary has been increasing exponentially over the past month. In fact, not merely her vocabulary, but her general understanding and use of the english language. For example, the other day, greatgranny Mama Gaya called out, "I'm going downstairs for porridge now, who's coming with me?, to which Sumayah called back, "Me!"

Now some may think "and?" because well it's a pretty easy word to say. But it's not the word itself, but the correct use indicates that she has developed a sense of herself as a separate identity and how that translates into language.

But amidst all this rapid development, it is so pleasurable for me to hear her gruff little voice communicating in her own feisty little way. She has her own little Sumayah language, so I thought it would be fun to do a little glossary of Sumayah language, so here goes:

Apper:       Apple or any other fruit which is not a banana or naartjie

Biekie:        Biscuit

Bumbie:      Barney

Goggie:       Doggie

Gonky:        Donkey

Hawow:     Hello

Hunday:     Oneday (referring to a story)

Huff-huff:    The 3 little pigs story

Kank you:  Thank you

Narna:        Banana or naartjie

Or-ee:        Ee-or (as in the donkey from winnie the pooh)

Punky:        Poncho (the name of the goggie next door)

Pees:          Please

Unker:        Uncle

I'm sure I must be forgetting some, but these are the most commonly used ones :)

Wordless Wednesday 37

movie clip monday 6 - Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Nuts about Bilaal

There are some things Bilaal says that I am not sure I should post, if only for the reason that I know somewhere down the line his older self may cringe with embarrassment. Just the other day is an example of one such incident. The other day Bilaal said to his dad, "Oh now I know what this is for!", referring to his sack of boy nuts... "when I squeeze it, I get a pain in my side, so it must be for giving you a pain in your side?"

Other things he asks me are not cringe-worthy, but usually puts a smile on my face. The other day he asked me, "Mommy, when a mommy and daddy get married, must the daddy be older than the mommy?" So I explain to him that there are no rules about age, except that both people must be adults to marry, but that you don't choose a partner based on age. "Oh, because I was wondering how do you find someone that is the right age..."

And then today, while driving home he asked what is a 'female'. The more I'm telling him it's a girl or a woman, the more he's saying to me, "No! but what is a female that eats meat?!". And it goes back and forth like that with him describing a female and what it eats till he said, "... dinosaurs..." and I realised what he meant. "Oh! you mean like carnivore and herbivore, not female!" He wouldn't be the first male species to refer to the female as carnivorous beasts!

Of course the one that always make me giggle is when he asked me when he will grow spiderwebs under his arms! SO I explain to him that you don't get spiderwebs under your arms, but that when he gets older he will grow hairs on different parts of his body, using facial hair as an example. But he just kept insisting, "so there don't come spiderwebs?... but the hair does it only look like spiderwebs?..."

"Yes Bilaal"... that's seems to be my line these days.

Little bit of this, little bit of that

It's been a while since I've posted on some of the generally funny and amusing things the kids do and say. Mostly it's been hard to keep posting because the awesome Jo'burg lightning fried our modem so internet access has been limited... what's new?! But now that I am connected again I just have to share some of the priceless moments we've had over the past few days. I am of course well aware that it may just be a case of 'you had to be there to find it funny', but hey, it's my blog right :)

So anyway the first and most recent thing that comes to mind happened just this afternoon. I had to make a quick trip to the shop and had Sumayah in the car. I don't know if I've mentioned 'The Dummy' yet, but it's safe to say that this is Sumayah's favourite possession. A while back when she lost her dummy for the third time and it was late at night, Yaasier popped off to the 24 hour pharmacy and came back with an old school honey dummy. Sumayah loves her honey dummy and has it hanging on a pink ribbon around her neck, making her look a tad like Maggie from the Simpsons. So anyways there we were driving to the shop, and Sumayah starts asking for her dummy as she usually does and as usual I tell her, "it's hanging around your neck!". But when I look back I see that the ribbon is leading behind her and under her arm, with the dummy just sticking out of the front of her armpit. Now you need to picture Sumayah sitting there strapped up in her car seat, dummy stuck under her armpit not able to stretch any closer to her mouth and she's looking at me with big brown eyes as if to say, 'how now?' The next thing I know she tilts her head forward and starts to suck the dummy right there in her armpit! I started laughing so much at the sight of her trying to look up at me while trying keep the dummy in her mouth at the same time! Like I said you had to be there!

Sumayah amuses us everyday, especially now that she's becoming more verbal. She has discovered the 'magic' word so when she really wants something and I've said no, she starts begging, "mommy pleeease!" and then of course proceeds to throw a tantrum. One thing we definately don't have to worry about is her standing up for herself. Bilaal tends to tease her continuously and she will start off shouting at him, eventually hitting him and when he still doesn't stop she uses her foot!

But she's also so incredibly cute. Every evening when her daddy gets home she makes him sit on the couch and shouts "tea! tea!", then I know I have to open her bag with her tea set so she can make her daddy some tea. Its so cute how she lays everything out on the coffee table then 'makes the tea' and serves it to him :)

Then there's Bilaal... a real chatterbox! From the moment I pick him up at school, all the way to the car, in the car, in the shop till finally we get into the house, Bilaal is talking NON-STOP! Even if I walk ahead of him into the house and he's still in the garage, he doesn't stop to wait till he's in hearing distance, he just keeps talking whether I can hear him or not! Yep talking he does well, listening... not so much. As with all little boys in this age group, they hear but do not listen. The other day I asked him to fetch me a peg outside, so he marched off and came back almost 5 minutes later with nothing in his hands. So I asked him, "where's the peg?" to which he replied, "Oh! you asked for a peg?!"
I looked at him in dismay and asked him what had he been looking for outside all this time, didn't he then know where the pegs were? And you'll never believe what he replied, "I thought you said 'pig' not 'peg' so I was looking for a pig." Yaasier just burst out laughing, and I just stood there speechless. He was seriously looking for a pig?!

wordless wednesday 36

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

no more excuses!

I always used sumayah as an excuse for not going to gym. But no more! This morning Yaasier suggested we all go to gym and just try her out at the childcare. So off we went and I was fully prepared to start 5 minutes of my workout only to be called out to console a crying child. But what do you know, while signing them in, Sumayah waltzed into the play area when she saw the other kids there and I didn't even have to sneak off! I just waved at her and said I'd be back soon and off I went. For about 15 minutes I kept expecting someone to call me, but I soon realised I had nothing to worry about.
Though I should give credit where credit is due. I don't think we would've tried this and I would even say part of the reason she was fine is because of this tuesday past. Yaasier was graduating after a long and stressful year of studying and assignments and I desperately wanted to be there. So our very dear friends, nay, rather I should call them family agreed to look after the kids. And this despite having a toddler of her own and being in her third trimester. And Sumayah had a marvelous time! Sure just about the time we were returning she started getting crabby, but that was to be expected. So thanks again to the Joulays, u are awesome friends! And here's to many more family visits to the gym.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

An awesome gift

My brother gave me an awesome gift for my birthday. He is one of my most avid blog followers, that he even gets annoyed with me when I lapse in keeping up the posts. So he had this mug specially made, carefulle designing the graphic to match my blog template... pretty cool don't you think? Love you Rameez :)