Journey to the Teleferique!

Last Sunday we made a nice trip to the Teleferique at Jounieh bay north of Beirut

The weather was so nice and the company was great!

A vos marques, prêt, partez !

Achievements!

Some people learn

And keep on learning

And simply never stop

And jump from one wave to another, from one coast to another

Some people are simply satisfied with what they have learned…

And they stop

And they get stuck in a tornado

In the same tornado

I cannot be like this

And I cannot even explain my nonstop thirst to learn

Anything, and everything

And my new well of knowledge is something I have never expected!

The little boy

Who is just about to start discovering the real world around him

A three-year-old boy

Who was extremely happy today because he knew how to unbutton his shirt!

I was amazed

How such an evident action meant to him

And I have learned

That we should never take anything for granted

Even the smallest happenings

Could bring us immense happiness

And I started my day much better then yesterday

Having decided to enjoy it

To enjoy evident daily things

Like this new song of Feiruz

And the warm sunlight cooled by October morning breeze

and the simple fact that my son is able to unbutton his shirt!

 trying

 trying really hard  

determination

 and...

Victory!

when dads try to help!

Ghadi: mommy come play with me

Me (laying on the sofa in the living room after a really-long-day- and –just- preparing myself for a mini-nap): go ask daddy to play with you honey

Ghadi: No, I want You to play with me

Daddy (in an attempt to rescue me): leave mommy alone, she has pain in her back and has to lay down

Ghadi’s ears caught the word pain, his eyes are filled with tears in milli-seconds, now tears falling on his cheeks, tending his arms to me, shaking his head in denial and saying with the most sweet begging tone: “ no mommy, you don’t have pain in your back, do you??????”

And as if the whole universe will be reduced to the words I’m gonna say, as if his whole world depends on my reply, I  smile, get up, hold him in my arms saying: not anymore baby! Not anymore!!!!!

That’s what happens when dads try to help!

It ends up by mommy playing football in the corridor while daddy is watching football in the living room (with a wild smile and a spark of light on the upper  tooth----does it sound evil enough????)

"Ghazl el Banet" in the Mall morphed into "Tasteless Cotton Candy"!

After his first experience with Ice Cream, I was so happy to see him tasting another delight: the first Cotton Candy! or "Ghazl el Banet" as we call it!

In fact, it was also MY first "fresh" cotton candy at a mall...Yes, when I was young we used to buy it from pass by vendors at Manara Corniche, and to be honest, that had a much better taste!!! this one has almost no taste at all!

Along with what we called "karabij", "grilled corn" , " ka3ket 3assriyyeh" & "Foul w 7amod", we Always bought them from street vendors and it used to be SO good!

But the weird thing is that I can not imagine my boy eating those things... from that street!

Though it was normal for us, now all this seems "Unhealthy, harmful or even risky!!!" when it comes to my boy!

Am I being unfair? should he go through same experiences I enjoyed when I was little, am I being too protective? over- protective?

I'm not sure, but what I am certain of is one thing: I still remember the taste of those yummy grilled corns!!!!

Happy Birthday Ghadi!

Three years ago, exactly at this time, 16:20, I was giving birth to the boy who became the center of my world, the source of my joy and the inspiration of my whole life…

Eight months before that date, I discovered I was pregnant. We spent two nights with our eyes wide open, the idea of having a baby was as beautiful as frightening!

The world will not be the same, our life will not be the same…

The days went smooth and delicately we saw the baby grow from an alien-looking fetus to a complete baby inside my belly, and at the end of the eighth month he decided it was time to kick it and see the world we used to describe while he was inside…

Yes, he wasn’t patient enough to wait for another four weeks, and so it did happen when we didn’t expect it…

And he was born, on Friday, Ramadan 16^th, September 28^th, a healthy tiny 2.6 kg baby…

My dear Ghadi…

I held you in my arms and you were so tiny I couldn’t kiss you, or hug you, but you opened your eyes and you looked at us…

Then after all family members and friends left, your dad and I asked for you, and the nurse brought you, and we starred at you for long moments, celebrating every wink, every breath and even that little smile we thought we saw!

These were our first moments as a family together!

The dialogue u should never have with a 3 years old!

**Ghadi in the sitting room, holding his cup upside down, waiting impatiently for my reaction...   **
- Behave like a good boy and stop spilling water from your cup on the floor
-  I’m a naughty boy… look (spilling more water!)
- Are you? Fine, so today you will be punished no more TV, or Jello, and you will stay in your room
- But I’m a good boy!!! (tears beginning to appear, whining tone, and holding the cup well)…
- (sigh) ok, now you admit you are such a good boy, it is ok… I will see if dad will let you watch TV…
- (in a low voice) I’m a nauuuughty boy…..
-  (sigh…pretending not to hear)
- Mommy, look… I’m a nauuughty boy, I’m spilling water!!!! (with a spark in the eyes, and a wide smile!!!)
- (breathing deeply)… that was your last chance…now u will have time out

**time out** sitting on the chair, crying, yelling, hitting his hands, then screaming… then I hear something like: I won’t do naughty things again (ma ra7 3azzib!!!)

I go and ask him to repeat what he said cuz I couldn’t ge it through the flood of tears…

He looks at me

Then he says:   I’m naughty boy!

I call for jamil to handle the situation before i get a break down...

same scene, repeated...

result: two frustrated parents, spoiled Sunday morning, and one angry 3 years old!

(2 weeks later):

 - Look mommy, I’m naughty boy (I’m spitting on the floor, licking my hand,drawing on the table, etc…)
- Noooo, I’m sure you are Not like that so stop doing this
- No no, I’m naughty, I should be punished
- I said I know you are my lovely boy, so STOP doing this and act like you should, I will not punish you
- Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m doing bad stuff (3am 3azzib)
-  It’s ok, now I will play with you because you are so nice, go get your cars
- Really? We will play together?
-  Sure… **hug**  you know how much I love you???

      no answer, he runs to get his cars, and get involved in some other play at his room....!
           Much better ending
           Everyone’s happy!!

First Day at Preschool!

Ghadi started preschool yesterday

Yes, we finished the nursery stage and began a new one

A stage that will shape his life for the next 15 year. Therefore choosing the school was not easy at all.

It all started in December 2008! Yes, we made a list of schools we found suitable, sent registration forms and did interviews… it sounds so absurd and so surreal now, I know, for a barely 2 years old!

But here we are

Last week we went for two days, 2 hours adaptation

As expected Ghadi went along well, played and enjoyed his time.

Happy Birthday Jamil!

What a special day!

It is September!

Yes… my favorite month of the year…

And today I remembered why I love it…

I woke up, feeling a fresh breeze, then I heard it… the fine drizzle…  falling, washing the air, wiping away the dust and the heat accumulated since the start of this cruel summer!

Yes, it was raining, a light thin rain, but still, the roads were wet, the trees were dancing and I could smell the earth, breathing again and manifesting its joy…

It is amazing…

I love September…

Though it was always a sign of going back to school, “La rentrée !” J but I did enjoy the fact of going back to school… best part was reading my school books before even covering them with protecting layer!

In September I met Jamil for the first time.

In September Ghadi came to this world!

And today,

Is indeed a special day.

It is Jamil’s birthday

I didn’t plan anything special, but I have the feeling every moment is special!

my favorite 2 of 3 boys!

Fitr Mobarak - 2010

This will be one of my favorite Eid mornings... I know that because it was so special.
It was special because deep inside I was happy, peaceful and relaxed.
I woke up at 6:30 hearing "takbirat al eid" from the nearby mosques...
Jamil went to pray. Ghadi was still asleep.
It was time for me, just for me... I watched the prayers on TV, I prepared the table, putting the "maamoul", chocolate, bonbons, and many kinds of sweets...
I was proud of the result, and I started to imagine Ghadi's reaction...
then he woke up, smiling, as sweet as ever, as if he felt the joy and the happiness inside me, as if it was contagious... He jumped out of his bed and we had the best morning ever, playing, jiggling, and having fun...
Then I dressed him up, surely with all new clothes, shoes, and he was just so cooperative while taking photos!
we went out, visited relatives and then to my in laws, we had the traditional Eid meal (couscous, mlukhiyeh, and other stuff)
Ghadi was overwhelmed and didn't make any fuss... He refused to take the money offered by his aunts and uncle "3idiyyeh", I smiled and said to the disappointed faces: "don't worry, next year, when he realizes what that means, he'll run to you and ask for it!"
By the sunset, he was exhausted and fell asleep, while we continued our visits and too bad he wasn't able to see the children gathered at my uncle's house, my cousins' kids, and my relatives.
The next day we took him to games park, he enjoyed and he played until he said: I wanna go home!

First daddy and mommy's Portraits by Ghadi!

Since Ghadi was a little boy, I have tried my best to pass some quality time with from time to time.

And for me, the ultimate would be introducing him to the world of Arts

So he began really early to hold a brush and to deal with water colors…

                                                                  

Apr 2009**

Sep 2009**

Dec 2009 (Guggenheim Exhibition- Abu Dhabi)**

Feb 2010** (Ceramics n' more- Beirut)

Apr 2010**

Last month he had to stay 2 weeks at home, because he had some infection (which we first thought it was chickenpox, then his pediatrician confirmed it’s a kind of bacteria causing chickenpox-similar symptoms, and which turned out to be just an allergic reaction to a microscopic insect that bit his skin- after a check-up by a specialized dermatologist yesterday!)

So during these weeks, I decided to make it up for him since that he was not allowed to go out ( due to abnormal hot weather, and to avoid infecting other kids)

And we did many activities, from collage, to stickers posters, to painting…

Then I bought him the washable coloring pens (which are NOT washable at all btw!)

And he was so delighted, so excited and he didn’t stop asking for them.

And to my surprise I found out that he was able to draw something like a full circle…

Then 2 days ago, he surprised me – again- and his father by pointing at his copy book, saying: look, I have drawn mama & baba!!!!!

Ok, we were like: aaaah!

And I am sure my words my sound so silly for a non-parent, but it was really a great excitement!

These words will sound much more silly when you actually SEE those sketches…

They are scary, monstrous, but come’on, it’s done by Ghadi and without ANY kind of help! we just starred at him while he delightfully drew a series of portraits of BIG dad and mom!

Photo session by Ghadi!

Ghadi has been obsessed by this toy since couple days now.
He's considering it as a Camera and keeps shooting everything, while this is an old apparatus he found at his grandparent's house, one can look through a small cube at the bottom and closing one eye a bigger slide show of Winnie and his friends is visible... I think we used to call such toys "sandouk al firjeh"
So today he insisted on taking it with him to his nursery, and he took couple photos of his favorite bus ever!
Still two weeks till he starts school... My hearts pounds for the thought. I'm between happy and scared...
My little boy is about to leave nursery and become a school boy!
Waw...Isn't scary?