Combination I:

MY amazing combination: Jamil, Ghadi

& Beirut's Beach: The White Sand!
(why one single sand? and among the trash, sands don't look really white...
but still, "El Ramleh el Bayda" will always remain one of Beirut's unique features i adore, and about which i have utopian urban dreams!)

the first "First"!

I hope that you will be hearing a lot about those "First" posts.

These will include things I do/taste/smell/see for the first time in my life...interesting heh?
My goal is to try to do a "First" once a week........ Ok, once a month...

so this week it was:

(1) Entering a stadium!

Yes, it is the national stadium of Beirut. I went there with a dear friend and my boy.
It was soooo funny, especially that there was NO game to watch!


and you can imagine the rest:
running, running and more running after Ghadi who was overwhelmed by the vast green field, the hundreds of chairs and kept on yelling: football!!!!!!!! Football!!!!!!!!!

watching delighfully an imaginary match

taking a break/drinking some m&ms

and then i could not resist taking some photos of this

and this

and that

Thank you Barney!

Today,

At this very special moment,

I would like to send my sincere greetings, my appreciation and my gratitude to the creators of Barney...

Yes, this creature I always hated (this is past ok?) and to which now I owe the most wonderful feeling...

No, I didn't fall in love with him, but due to him,
My unemotional, inexpressive, no-hugging-no-kissing boy, has leaned toward me yesterday, opening his arms for a warm looo00oong hug, then raising his head, he had given me the greatest kiss I have ever experienced from this lil boy...

Of course all this happened while watching Barney's song: I LOVE YOUUUUU
Then we did all this again as trio, after jamil came in and even without Barney…

it was amaaaaaaaaazing.

Since he was tiny baby, ghadi was never passionate about trading kisses-hugs-showing any emotions or sympathy… he smiles when I fake crying, he runs away when I stretch my hands for a hug, and of course, he wipes with the back of his lovely hands every kiss I leave on his delicious cheeks.

 but to be fair, he doesn't mind hugging his lovable cousin/mate/neighbour YB!

 so after all, he DOES have feelings okey?

So you would understand me if I say,

again,

Thank you Barney 

Too Much Time with boys!

On the way to nursery today, my son and I were watching the surrounding cars and talking about vehicles (the usual: this is a car –this is a bus – this is a tractor, etc… conversation) then talking enthusiastically about buses, ghadi was thrilled to see a red bus…so I told him that I’ll ask his grandma to bring him a bus when she comes back from Abu Dhabi

Then he mumbled something about “no, I want her to bring me a car-bush”
I said: mommy it’s either a car or a bus, she can’t bring u a car-bus”
He corrected me: “ no ghadi wanna car-pash”
I got confused, what’s he talking about
Then came his last shot, his successful attempt to clarify what he's trying to say: car – Porsche!

then he repeated it (so that i get sure i didn't heard that wrong): ghadi wants a car: PORSCHE

First reaction: I laughed!
Second reaction: I felt panic
Third reaction: 6 images of 6 boys clicked to my mind:

This is what you get when your 2.5 boy spends so much time with the boys who happen to be his lovely cousins: D

Spring Festival Byblos

**start of Mother's Day 2010**

we deicided to visit Byblos Town on Mother's Day
we heard about the spring festival and i imagined it is a good opportunity to show my 2 1/2 years old boy the joy and colors of the upcoming spring.

result: it was a disastrous plan

though weather was fine, sunny and the sea breeze emerged our lungs and filled us with all the piece in the world, Ghadi was fussy, sleepy, refused to stay in stroller, refused to hold my hand while walking, refused to eat, to drink water or even to pose for a photo.

he just wanted to turn every single wind whirl he saw, and smell every single flowersaying: Allaaaaaaaah!

 then Jamil had to deal with the situation.

and here he is...

Hero of the Day :D

and of course all the agony and disappointment disappeared afetr a funny afternnon with my other hero, trying to make us laugh and finally posing for a "proper" photo....

**End of Mother's Day 2010**

Hamra Street

Yesterday Ghadi slept at his aunt.
so Jamil and I decided to indulge ourselves in a nice evening...We went to my favorite street in Beirut: Hamra!
it was amazing, so many people walking around, students, tourist...
mayeb the fact that i lived near this street for more than 8 years is what keeps attracting me to come by, and smell the air... cuz i'm quite convinced that every single street in the world has its own smell, this should be proven scientifically. The smell of stone, green, curbs mixed with the smell of hundreds of kitchens along this street, mixed with layers and layers of street ingredients... Every single store celebrates the air adding its own contribution of odors, scents and flavors.
talking about flavors, we stopped by our favorite resto, the "Crepes Away". it alway sreminds us of that summer night 5 years ago when we first met. we shared the same crepes, the same strawberry and the same flair...

It's Spring!


انه الربيع

نعم

اكاد اشعر به في كل ما حولي

لعله طعم الهواء الذي يغمرنا في الصباح الباكر

الممزوج بعبق جميل

بلون الحميضة الاصفر

والشقائق الحمراء

والسيدو الليلكي

الذي يطل من كل زاوية

فقط ليذكرنا ان نسينا

انه الربيع