Istakhara

Here is the dua... I have taken it from Masnoon Duaain (Supplications from Sunnah)

Pakistan, the people and the places...

No matter where we go, no matter what we do, there are some moments, that somethings pull at the strings of our heart and make us want to go back to our people, our place, and our past.
Being a muslim, boundaries dont matter, ethnicity doesnt matter, language doesnt matter, as Islam comes foremost. Still, we are taught to safeguard our house, our land from those who wish us ill.
This is where I hail from and this is what beckons me, time and time again... no matter where I go, no matter what I do.

Excess Baggage

I know I have a habit of collecting things, or buying things and then forgetting about them, but this scares me. Click the link below to see it for yourself.

One House full of junk

A serious case of looking down at people who ae worse.

I hope she gets some help and clears those things out. Isnt there a rule or something about all that being a fire hazzard.

This month in Reader's Digest, there was an article about a person who hoarded stuff also. She got help (taxpayer's money - couple of thousand dollars) from a professional to clear her house out. And after a few weeks, it was back again to the same place.

The problem is that when you go out to the market or whatever, there are so many things on sale, or on the internet, where somethings are seriously 95% off or more, you feel like you just HAVE to get that.

It is a blessing now to think that i like expensive things ( *wink* ), otherwise, no, I dont even want to think about it.

Last week only, I posted a thread about stuff from before marriage and after marriage and then stuff back home once you move out to another country. I have (had) my things in my room back at my parents place, but each time i go visit, some of it is missing, so I make up for it, by putting in another box or suitcase or bag filled with newer versions of leftover goods.
At my in-laws too, lots of stuff... but never of this magnitude, alhamdolillah.

I admit, I collect bags, and I have to go clean them up from behind the door :P and put them nicely all laid out flat in a big bag. And wrapping papers, new, used, unique, I have them all. When I was a kid, I collected stickers, and would ask my parents to bring me stickers from their trips abroad. I havent used them, and got them here recently... and started adding to it again.
I also collected stationary, but most of it is gone now, as if anyone needed a pen or pencil or eraser, they'd take away mine w/o my knowledge, and I dont like collecting the used stuff (for erasers atleast)... a big collection of pens and mechanical pencils (occassionally I throw out a couple which have dried out) and scissors... but then again, I need those for my craft. And I collect beads, and then forget about them, and if i remember, then i use them on my cards.

So, I have also stopped collecting chocolate foil wrappers... i stopped eating Quality Street because someone told me that something in that is not Halal. Now I have to find that out again... I have stopped collecting hair bands and clips and all, as I dont use them anymore, I have a permanent bun anyways, and pins and clips kept falling out anyhow.

Lets see, I do collect my kids' clothes, that I think will get re-used, some do, some dont... like recently I opened up a stash of my son's things after my daughter was born and I used only like 5% of those things and 50% was given away, and 50% kept back (like for when there is another boy in the family?) now I have tons of my daughter's stuff and she is under a year! Last time I was packing her stuff, my sister-in-law commented, she has more clothes/shoes than me!

Clothes and shoes [:)], a recent pledge to make the 5-yr or older scarce... a good thing, my mom used the good ones recently (you know the wedding wear - expensive things, you hardly wear them a couple of times and then store them, as they are too expensive to give away) for a girl's shaadi after getting them new accessories and all. That was what motivated me to get some of my old ones out and put them to good use.

At a taleem some years ago, a lady mentioned that we will be asked about all Allah's naimat on us, like about everything we havent used in the last 40 days... I have a lot to be answerable for!!!! Excess baggage, indeed.

And, if you give someone something to wear, like a shoe or clothes, you will be rewarded for it, till they use it to the point of only a thread remaining of it.

Something to think about, ja?

:)

A finger painting maestro... 3 yr old.

And here is someone who made it into a joke...

Scoring points with your Wife!!!

One Single Rule

In the world, one single rule applies to the men: Make the Woman happy.

Do something she likes, and you get points. Do something she dislikes and points are subtracted. You don't get any points for doing something she expects. Sorry, that's the way the game is played.

Here is a guide to the point system:

SIMPLE DUTIES-- You make the bed (+1)
-- You make the bed, but forget the decorative pillow (0)
-- You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets (-1)
-- You go out to buy her what she wants (+5)
-- In the rain (+8)
-- But return with Beer (-5)
-- You check out a suspicious noise at night (0)
-- You check out a suspicious noise, and it is nothing (still 0)
-- You check out a suspicious noise and it is something (+5)
-- You pummel it with fireplace poker (+10)
-- It's her pet (-10)

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS-- You stay by her side the entire party (0)
-- You stay by her side for a while, then go chat with a friend (-2)
-- Named Tina (-4)
-- Tina is a dancer (-10)

HER BIRTHDAY
-- You take her out to dinner (0)
-- You take her out to dinner and it's not a sports bar (+1)
-- Okay, it's a sports bar (-2)
-- And it's all-you-can-eat night (-3)
-- It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted the colours of your favourite team (-10)

A NIGHT OUT-- You take her to a movie (+2)
-- You take her to a movie she likes (+4)
-- You take her to a movie you hate (+6)
-- You take her to a movie you like (-2)
-- It's called 'DeathCop' (-3)
-- You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans (-15)

YOUR PHYSIQUE
-- You develop a noticeable potbelly (-15)
-- You develop a potbelly and exercise to get rid of it (+10)
-- You develop a potbelly and resort to baggy jeans and Hawaiian shirts (-30)
-- You say, "It doesn't matter, you have one too." (-8000)

ENJOY THE 'BIG' QUESTION
-- She asks, "Do I look fat?" (-5) [That's right, you lose points no matter how you answer]
-- You hesitate in responding (-10)
-- You reply, "Where?" (-35)
-- Any other response (-20)

COMMUNICATION
-- When she wants to talk, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression (0)
-- You listen for over 30 minutes (+50)
-- You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV (+500)
-- She realises this is because you have fallen asleep (-10000)

Play a prank: Coke (Diet) and Mentos

Ever since we saw this video about coke fountains using mentos, mentos seemed to have vanished from the market, AND I finally (read for the upteenth time) decided to stop having coke. Inshallah!
Anyhow, so I got some Sprite instead and that was in the house and my husband and I were experimenting making different drinks... on a latest trip to the grocery store, there were a few mentos on the shelf and I got them all.
Now, we were sitting having mentos and watching some movie (I guess it was Flushed Away), when I went to bring Sprite from the fridge and remembered that this is not a combo. My husband was like it was all a joke, and I was like no it isnt.
Khair, we decided to find out for ourselves. Into the kitchen, I took a glass and put some sprite in it (it was warm and most of the gas was already gone from it) and put in a mint mentos, and guess what... It just sat at the bottom and a few bubbles came out of it! Very disappointing, if you ask me, and it gave a chance to my husband to give me a TOLD YOU SO look.
So here is one prank that can be played, and my unsuspecting brother is going to be my victim (GIVEN the availibility of mentons and diet coke and his willingness to get me a glass like this guy in the video)... watch it.

Evolution of Video Games

Adventure, ready set GO!

Matrimonial Ads....

Matrimonial Ads!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are actual ads on a matrimony site. Grammar and spell errors have no place in a profile description as everything is straight from the heart! Disclaimer : We are not responsible if you forget your basic grammar after reading this mail... It's a bit long but hilarious...

# - Hello To Viewvers My Name is Somesha, I am single i dont have Famale, If any one whant to marrie to me u can visite to my home. I am not a good education but i working all field in bangalroe.. if u like me u welcome to my heart... when ever u whant to meet pls viset my resident or send u letter.. Thanks yours Regards Somesha


# I want very simple girl. from brahmin educated family from orissa state he is also know about RAMAYAN, GEETA BHAGABATA, and other homework
(Homework?)

# Wants a woman who knows me better and can adjust with me forever. She may never create any difficulties in my life or her life by which the entire life can run smoothly. thank you
(The principle of running life smoothly was never so easy!)

# She should be good looking and should have a service. She Shoulsd have one brother and one sister. She should be educated.
(ain't it unique !! 1 brother 1 sister criteria !)

# I am simple boy.I have lot of problemin my life because ofmyl ucknow i amlooking onegirlshe caremeandloveme lot lot lot


# My wife should be as 'Parwati' as in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and as Tulsi as in KSBKBT......
(Ok I haven't seen these soaps but I am sure he must be demanding too much, ain't he?)

# I want a girl with no drinks if she wants she can wear jeans in house but while steping out of house she should give recpect to our cast
(by not wearing her jeans? ahem...)


# HYE I AM A GOOD LOKING GUY, WHO HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MAKE ANY BODY TOLOUGH.I BELIEVE IN GOD AND ACCORDING TO ME FRIENDS ARE THE REAL MESSENGER OF GOD. THE 3 THINGS I AM LOOKING FROM A GIRL ,THEY ARE 1.THEY MUST BELIEVE IN GOD.2. THEY HAVE TO LIKE MY PROFFESION AND THEY SHOULD NOT GET BORED WITH ME WHEN I WILL TRY TO MAKE THEM LOUGH.
(all of us are loughing)

# Whatever she may be but she should feel that she is going to be someone bride and she must think of the future life if she is toolike this she would bde called the lady of the lamp
(I am clueless, I feel so lost. Can anyone tell me what this guy wants)


# Iam pradip my family histoy my two brother two sister and fater&mother sister complity marred
(somebody please explain in comments section how to get married 'completely'?)

# my name is farhan and i am unmarried. pleaes you marrige me pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes
(height of desperation!)

# my colour is black,but my heart is white i like social service
(Zebra..???)

Best Quote Of 2006

"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy,the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named Bush, Dick, and Colon.
--Comedian Chris Rock

Draw the Pirate...

An Interesting Magic Trick

It took some cutting and pasting to get this video here from goo gle. Lets see how many more I can do, till this gets removed :P

I scream, you scream for ... ICE CREAM

Okay, here goes, I come from a family of Icecrem eaters. And boy, did we take our icecream seriously.
As far back as my memory goes, a walk at night meant a paan for the elders and an icecream cone or chocbar for the tots.
We lived in Banglore Town (Main Shahra-e-Faisal), and would walk to Mohammad Ali Totiety (I used to say Society like that when I was a tot) and have tikan tikka (thats chicken tikka) and then Ice-cream from KayBees.
The cone machine man would take a cone and drip oodles of icecream in six different flavors (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mango, blueberry, coffe) if you asked for a mix cone and then you'd have sticky hands and face and clothes in no time at all. It was never an issue as by the time we'd be home, we had to have a bath at night and change clothes anyways.
Then we moved away to another neighborhood and we'd have to sneak out in the afternoons to the local grocery store and have Jetsport (the orange Icelolly) from Polka. Somehow we'd always get caught with it, because of the orange toungue.
If we were lucky, we'd have the Kulfiwala coming once in a blue moon, and we'd have kulfi with khopra (desiccated coconut) or malai (cream) on top. I never ever believed that the kulfi wala would have cooked a lizard in the kulfi, as we were told so as to discourage us from buying kulfi that way. So many times, we'd hear the sound of "Kulfi walaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", only to rush out and find it was the Kabari asking for the unwanted junk or old newspapers.
And who can forget the gola gunda (the desi version of shaved ice with different flavor sherbet poured on it), again the water comes from a gunda nullah (dirty ditch) story never made me think twice before buying gola gunda and then asking for the sweetened milk topping on it. Dhoraji's gola is a must have. Now there are newer modern versions, claiming they use Mineral water to make their shaved ice, but who knows and who cares. I still prefer the gola over the shaved ices.
Then was faluda, which is the sweetened spaghetti shaped things eaten with kulfi or put in some milkshake and topped with fruit, jelly and nuts. Karachi's best Kulfi faluda is found in Liaquatabad. Or if you prefer the newer version, try the one at Sony Sweets.
Coming back to Icecream, I dont remember a time when we didnt have icecream. My brother and I would fight over the last one, and would always keep a tab on who ate how many cups or cones or lollies or scoops or sticks or whatever form the icecream took.
Being young, my mother also made kulfi at home and they were frozen in the moulds and then we could have them once they had frozen, but who could wait till they froze. My mother had metal moulds and sometimes in our hurry, the toungue would stick to the mould, oooooooooo that hurt, but kulfi inside the mould would soon take care of it.
The best time was when we had Eidi from relatives during Eid time, so much manna and only so much icecream to spend it on.
We didnt get regular pocket money to spend, so whatever or whenever we had money, we just had to spend some part of it on icecream.
During the summer vacations, we got to visit our grandparents, and there we'd get some money to spend. There was a local store there that sold imlee, chooran, and home made frozen lollies. I once bought all that store had and put it in the freezer, well hidden behind the stuff there. Alas, someone spotted the colorful ices and I only had one from the whole stash. I hated my cousins and brothers for that.
Whereever we went, I made it a point to sample the chocolate icecream. If I was lucky, Id find chocolate chip and coffee and if I was really lucky, Id stumble upon Mint Chocolate chip. My mother had triple chocolate ice-cream bar in Disney land while we went on the rollercoaster, and I think that was the best triple chocolate ever.
An icecream store opened up called Carvel 36, and that was my first discovery of an icecream parlor. It was pretty close to our house, so we'd drive by there sometimes and have our favorite flavors. I'd only have chocolate, coffee and mint. These were the flavors my family didnt like much, so I was always getting away with eating it all.
Then Movenpick came to town, and I remember having 6 flavors of Swizz Chocolate, White Chocolate, Apple, Caramel, Strawberry and Pistachew all in a tray, going from one relative to the other serving them ice-cream of their choice. That occassion was my father's birthday in the early 90s. A family event which is fondly remembered.
Even when I passed the admission test and got into FAST, I took ice-cream home for the family to celebrate.
After getting married, the icecream episodes werent as frequent, but I was happy to see that most of my in-laws shared my love of ice-cream, be it kulfi, gola, kaybees or chocolate fudge.
One Ice-cream that I have my reservations against is the locally made ice-cream, which tends to stick to the roof of the mouth. Im forgetting the name.
One place outside Karachi whose Ice-cream I would recommend is Hot Spot in Islamabad. I've had ice-cream there in sweltering heat(inside) and in freezing cold weather(outside).
there is always homemade icecream and sorbets.
In saudia, there was a shop Gelato, owned by a pakistani, it was a shame that he moved his shop someplace else. His ice-creams and sorbets were amazing.
There is one in Karachi by the name of Gelato Affair which serves unique flavors like Kiwi for instance.
I only started eating flavors other than chocolate after I got married, and I like blueberry also now, followed by Caramel Crush, raspberry cheesecake, and anything with Mocha in it.
Now Im glad, I got to taste so many varieties and flavors. I got an ice-cream maker maybe last year that I have yet to open.
Now that the summer is coming, Lets see what ice-cream or sorbets Im going to make.
I got 5 flavors of ice-cream choc bars yesterday, you know the mini ones, with one to two bites each... its a pity my husband doesnt like icecream, my children love ice-cream, but on the bright side, I get to eat his share too :D ... so much for small pleasures in life!

oooooooooooooooooooooh, the irony...

A Talking Parrot...

If you like this, see the full video here.

http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=o9d4yzob48

(the full video is really cute... I love the part where the parrot says its name einstien)

Sleeping for long stretches at a time

Dawn prayer best prevention against heart diseases: Study
Web posted at: 3/9/2007 3:50:31
Source ::: QNA
DOHA • Recent scientific researches reveal that performing Fajr prayer regularly in time daily, is the best preventive and remedial measure for heart diseases, congestion of blood vessels-arteriosclerosis- and cardiac infarction which causes brain stroke.

A research conducted by the Jordanian heart doctors society said the studies established that cardiac infarction disease which is one of the most dangerous diseases and congestion of blood vessels is mainly caused by long hours of sleep in the day or night.

The study showed if a person slept for long, rate of his heart beats drop to 50 beats per minute and when the rate of heart beats drop blood flows very slowly in vessels leading to accumulation of salts and fats on walls of blood vessels in wall of the coronary artery consequently causing a blockage.

The congestions of blood vessels weaken the heart muscle which pumps blood to and from the brain leading to heart attack and or deadly brain stroke in most cases.

The study stressed necessity of refrain from long periods of sleep and get a sleep not exceeding more than four hours after which it is important to get up and do an action effort for 15 minutes at the least.

The performance of -dawn prayer every day in the first hours of the day with congregation in the mosque provides that preventive and remedial measure against heart diseases.
*************************************************************************

(NOTE: I need to sleep for lesser hours, for sure. Inshallah!

Mocking a Punjabi Movie, in 50-50 style...

Battle of Genders...

I've been asked to comment upon feminism. Lets see...

While I was a kid, I thought that my brother could get away with a lot of things that I wasn't allowed to and it bothered me being a girl and not being able to do whatever I wanted all the time.

As a teenager, guys were the things to hate, do everything you can to hurt them in as many ways possible. Reason was the so many of my friends were crushed when their engagements didnt lead to marriage, or the guy who liked them dumped them for someone else. Faithfulness was something that dogs displayed only.

Then, I went to University and started working. Here is when i had to interact with guys everyday, and it was a rough time for me. My brother used to get a lot of attitude from me, see whenever, a guy would say or do something, Id come home and yell at my brother, and all this time, he didnt know why he was being yelled at. Once he had to pick me up from where my point dropped me off, and while I was waiting, this other guy shows up in a car and offered to give me a lift. Fumming, I waited and when my brother finally came, I gave him a piece of my mind.

Guys think it is so cool being a guy, they can get away with passing comments at passerbys, teachers, girls, whatever. It is lovely to talk (read brag) about the number of girlfriends that they have, and every guy thinks (or fantasizes) about being the Romeo for his (1, 2, 3, 4, or more) Juliet(s).

Its a male-dominated society, so when I was asked to comment about feminism back in University, I said I dont think Men and Women are equal, Women are far superior.

I was so naive.

Then started job, and thought, oh, men and women are equal. You get all this "equal opportunity employer" and all the loads of c*** when you enter the field. Hello, wait, then again, there were endless debates about the postings on the offical bulletin board regarding gender. IT happened so much, and so often and it got so nasty, that all such postings were banned. And we all know, what happens when something is banned. It gets talked about more and more and more.

My class fellows (some of them) also became my colleagues at work, and one day, one of them casually commented to my face, "all girls who work are immoral". Upon realizing that I was staring at him, he said, but its true.

We were asked never to discuss our pays with our colleagues, and i was the last to know what everyone's else pay was and was the first to protest against it. Guys were getting paid more, because they stayed at office longer. So we stayed back a bit and proved the survery that guys were staying back longer BECAUSE the office had airconditioning, uninterrupter internet for free, guys hanging around, someone or the other willing to pay for the sutta (cig), khaapaa (grub), network games, and a ride home. Some guys were living in the office, and getting termed at being the best employee as they were so DEDICATED to the office.

So the bubble burst, how could women be superior, when they were far far inferior.

Then I got married and saw the world in a different light, as there were much more expectations from me and I had gained a whole new collection of family/relatives/family friends, and at the same time, being with the man Allah had paired me with.

Then the idea became this, men and women are equal, but men are superior as they are providers. Conditional acceptance was hard to chew, but met with an ok, chalay ga.

Then a became a mom, and my mother commented, it is a wonderful thing that men dont get to give birth, otherwise, they'd sit home and do nothing after having a kid. This was in context of the maternity leave that (working) women get.

Then for the first time, it dawned on me that mothers are better than fathers, because they get thrice the reward fathers get, yet, they get the similar blame if their child does something wrong.

I've come to terms with it now, but this coming to terms came with a lot of acid influx, heart burn, and mental anguish. A lot of bad words, tons of useless blame games.

Go down this road if you want to, but Im at peace with the fact that men and women are different and it is not wise to try to compare apples and oranges. We just have to learn to deal with whatever life throws at us and not generalize what men are or what women are depending on who we know.

There are lots of wonderful men in this world and women make this world a wonderful place to live. Life has a purpose and so lets not waste it over who is better. Make yourself the best and the hope someone notices and tells others about it :)

Peace!

Memories of Saudia...

This picture was taken by my husband while I had gone shopping with my mom, and he was waiting in the car with the kids.
The place is the Suwaikat Street, Al-Khobar, Saudia and the time was some hot day in May, 2006.
We never took tourist pictures, so I dont have any of those to share.

I tried my best however to take a decent picture of the Kingdom Tower, Riyadh, but my mobile wasnt the best thing to take a great shot. It looks great at night (not the mobile, i mean the Tower)

Once we went to this city near Riyadh (near meaning about 200 km in the direction of Al Kharj), where a meteore fell once (two meteores actually) and created DEEP craters, almost a block in diameter. Water came out of there, and that was called two streams in arabic (I'll fill in this word, when i can recall what that word is :>). A pump of some sort was put in it later on, to supply water to the nearby houses.

This place is cordoned off but we went to see it anyways, as there is always a thrill in passing thru openings in fenced off areas :)

I couldnt see the bottom of the pit from the top, my husband went down some way and got a better look. There were birds living inside that crater, and one part of it was caving in, the water had almost dried up.

These are the pictures that i had left. Ist one shows the view as far below as i could see, 2nd shows the view from one of the edges, and you can spot my mamu in white. 3rd is of my husband who ventured some way down, but the bottom is still not visible in the picture. He had to crouch low there to get a glimpse of the bottom. You can see a metal thing in the last picture, that was an old rusted pulley that ppl put in earlier days to pull up water from the hole.
These are the pics of one of the craters, there is another one alongside it, but that one is smaller and the sides have already caved it.

Meteores Are Huge!

The poster mentioned earlier...

Well, surprise surprise... there comes a time when you gotta grit your teeth, find the IR device and get those pics out of the mobile or camera, into the computer.
Then as they were coming from my mobile, I had to sit and rename all of them, which had been pending for a long time now... see I delete the files from my mobile after some time, so the names were duplicate, hence, the mobile pictures kept being pushed into different folders... not very ideal... so i renamed the files, put them all in one folder... deleted duplicates (there was only one!!! aha)

Now let the sharing begin.

Here is the poster that was made for my son's class's unit of February - Seasons. He chose Summer... here it is.

Whip it up!

Beatbox Fame Game
I liked this Video so much that I just had to share it here

Lunar Lunacy...

So what is it with the moon? Oh no, it was the matter with the Earth that caused a dark shadow to appear on the face of the moon, as Earth dared to come in between the Sun and Moon... Come on let the Solar star and Lunar satellite do their work, what is with this Earth anyways?!



I saw the moon at night, it was full and shining and haunting hypnotizing... I was in my son's room letting him do his homework and egging him on from time to time and I couldnt help but steal a glance or two at the moon again and again... no wonder ppl love the full moon, it is amazing. And the wondeful thing was that it was so big.



Another new thing was that it was the first time that I saw the full moon this up close and personally, in this city. I didnt think of it then, but Im doing now...

hum to hain pardais main, des main, nikla ho ga chaand
(i'm abroad, but back home, the moon would be out)
apni raat ke chutt pay kitna tanha ho ga chand ...
(my chaand-dear would be so lonely on the roof there)

Anyways, there were telescopes set up in the science center here and everyone was invited to come and view the eclipse, which was supposed to take place at 2am.
Needless to say, I was up, but the rest of the family wasn't, so I couldn't go to the science center, but I forgot to go see the moon at the time of eclipse from the window :(
So I kept looking at the moon again and again, and was so happy to see that it was full and bright and indeed, time goes on...

Paey paey...

Okay, its been around a month now, since my daughter's first steps. I wasn't sure, as she wouldn't do it if we asked her to. It was only done when she knew I wasn't looking at first (when of course, I would from the corner of my eye), or for her brother only, and he would come running to me saying, she is walking and by the time, I'd turn to see her, she'd be happily crawling towards me... meaning, I played it cool, but she was being smug!

Then, she would take 4 to 5 steps and then plop down in my lap, and forget what all the fuss was about.

A week back, she got up in the middle of the night (one rare time, we all went to sleep early, as we were all supposed to leave the house at 6am), climble off the bed all on her own (her first time without freezing midway and crying her lungs out), crawled/walked (I dont know which) out of the room, messed up the entire shoe rack, and my son's books and toys and anything she could reach ... I had heard her crawl off and thought oh my husband put her down (and my husband thought the same thing), and slept waiting for her to come hold the bed and cry to be let up on the bed again.

After she had had her fun, and I think she was off practicing walking all on her own, and trying to see which shoe of mine was a better fit or tastes better (take your pick), also to see which storybook is worth tearing up or chewing... so after all this and more (which Im not aware of), she came back and cried to be pulled back up on the bed... and this was the time I told my husband, why did you put her off the bed and he said I though you did!

The second time she plopped down the bed, she plopped a bit too hard, but she was too proud to cry, as it was her own doing.

Now she is walking alhamdolillah, more than 10 steps at a time (we count each time) and talking at the same time... talking and walking at the same time makes her wobble a bit and she looks like a tot already... you know babies are more horizontal, tots are more vertical, so to say.

More updates on this later... be good!

TA!

My Body Clock needs new batteries...

so where was i? right a few weeks ago, thanks to WoW (World of Warcraft), I had sleepless nights, which led to sleeping thru the daytime. The only problem was that I wasnt even playing it. It was my husband.
some years ago, he started playing at night, and the first game was Myth. It was around the time I had my first kid, and he thought my hands are full already, so he picked up something he could while his time away with.
During that time, I remember having a fever fit, and calling him, and he was busy playing Myth.
Ever since, whenever I hear or read Myth... it brings back BAD memories.

Off the tangent here.... Earth calling....

... so now this time round, I have another kid, and the current game is WoW. Advanced as it is played online, and social as you play with others. Unsocial as it is a one-player game, and the REAL ppl around you arent playing it.

Why does it bother me? Let me count the ways...

1 - As I do most of my things online, like reading a newspaper, doing puzzles, posting notes, chatting with friends, once he is online, I cant do all those.

2 - We have a broadband connection, so we are paying more for it, so it is a good excuse for not getting the newspaper (with the puzzles) as whats the point of it (still i get to buy a newspaper every once in a while)

3 - he wants me to use his laptop during this time, so I can play games with it. The laptop touch pad mouse is BAD for games... after I complained abt it, he got me a BETTER mouse for it.
(so this point doesnt hold anymore)

4 - my daughter wakes up if neither of us are in bed, and then cries her lungs out. As I already hear enough of it during the day, I dont want to hear it at night also, and my husband gets the blame for it.

5 - As I already slept thru the day, so I need to have something to do at night, and now that the daughter is crying non-stop, I have to go play with her, and so that means, she will not be sleeping any time soon and that will make me cranky as when will I get to do MY THING?

6 - WOW, I can go on and on about this...

Seriously, Im so thankful to Allah, that while we were kids, there was no internet, and so we had our parents to ourselves, and our parents had each other all the time. There was no fighting a non-entity over who gets more time, the net or the family.
While talking abt it with some elders, one remarked, ab tum apnay bachon ke khair manaoo...
(meaning, now you better start worrying about your kids)

Come to think of it, most parents my age or younger or older, are spending a lot of time on the net, most singles are also doing it, whatever time we get after (and during) work, or school, we spend it on the web... we are so much into cyber space, that we get spaced out while being with real people and especially, people who matter, like our family, our spouse, our parents, our siblings and OUR kids.

I'll leave you with that, as my daughter just woke up and I have spent the entire night awake on the net, and its 8 am...

I need help!

adieu!

BECAUSE OF YOU

I WILL NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES THAT YOU DID

I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery
I will not break the way you did,
You fell so hard
I've learned the hard way
To never let it get that far

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I LEARNED TO PLAY ON THE SAFE SIDE SO I DONT GET HURT
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
BECAUSE OF YOU I AM AFRAID

I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes

IM FORCED TO FAKE A SMILE A LAUGH EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE,MY LIFE CANT POSSIBLY BREAK WHEN IT WASNT EVEN WHOLE TO START WITH

I watched you die
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known better than to lean on me
YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF ANYONE ELSE YOU JUST SAW YOUR PAIN
And now I cry in the middle of the night
For the same damn thing

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I try my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in

BECAUSE OF YOU IM ASHAMED OF MY LIFE BECAUSE ITS EMPTY

Because of you
I am afraid

Because of you
Because of you