So anyway, I go to drop off Maalik from school, and the teachers ask me, with a smirk, did Maalik tell you what happened yesterday.

No, of course he didn’t

So, the proceed to tell me that he was eating lunch with a cute little girl, and as she got up to get a cup of water, she came back to find her sandwich was all gone.

He ate it…

Me:  “Maalik, why would you do that habeebi?”

Maalik: “I was hungry.”

Me: “But I gave you a big lunch.”

Maalik: “But I like tuna!”

So we proceed to explain to him why he can’t do that, and to ask the teachers if he’s still hungry or doesn’t like his lunch, etc. 

So then the teachers were like, “We tried to get him to share his lunch, but he was like, no…that’s mine” hehe.  So finally he offered the little girl a banana he had, and she refused it, so he’s like, “I tried, she didn’t want it.”

So the next day, we prepare a special snack with lots of goodies for the little girl, and we draw a big smiley face on the bag and write, “Sorry, from Maalik.”

In the morning, as I drop him off, I have him give it to her.  RIGHT after he gives it to her and apologizes, he literally turns around, and says, “Mama, I’m SO hungry!”  I’m like, “Whatever you do, don’t touch her food!”

My son doesn’t respond.  So…me being embarassed, I tell him to say salam, and then turn to her and apologize and say “Sorry my son is shy.”

At which point he says (in a loud voice of course) , “No I’m not!  I’m not shy at all!”…ugh…hehe

Not shy…but rude maybe…we’re working on it

So I get to the Post Office…and I’m 30 minutes early.  They don’t open till 10 – I thought they open at 9.  Super.  10 rolls around – doors are still locked.  No one opens the doors till about 10:15/10:20.  This is the point where I was like, “Oh great, it’s going to be one of those days!”.  But I was fortunate enough to find that there was a new lady behind the counter, who was super nice.  The gentleman who helped us yesterday was nice…but really did every little thing by the book.  Super Stickler .  But this lady seemed so pleasant alhamdu lillah.  No giving me a hassle about losing an important document, didn’t make me re-do the whole passport application, etc.  I was expecting the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised.

So I run off to the Social Security Office…only for them to tell me, his birth certificate and his insurance card aren’t enough proof of identity.  I’m like he’s 5 months, he isn’t going to have a license, and I’m doing all this to GET a passport!  So basically they say, get a letter from your doctor with his name, DOB, and that he’s under this doctors care.   His doctor is over half hour away from the Social Security Office.  Great.  So I call the doctor, and the super nice nurse was like, no problem, I’ll do it for you right now.  Yay!

So at that point, I go home for a break.  Suf is hungry/tired, as am I, and it’s lunchtime at social security, which the guard warned me is the worst time of the day to be there.  So 12:30 hits and I make my way out again.  I get there, and it’s not too bad alhamdu lillah.  Suf is surprisingly great and cute and funny and I honestly feel so blessed at that very moment because I was dreading crying and screaming and fussing at the worst possible time.   I get a nice older gentleman to help me with the whole filing issue.  Little slow…little too talkative, but very very nice.  Kept telling me I have a nice smile on all my ID’s.   And showed me his arabic language phrasebook, along with his chinese (forget which dialect) phrasebook in his bag.  Apparently – we were friends and I need to know all his hobbies :).   He asked me about Egypt and Tahrir, and had a field day playing with Suf.  So at this point, it’s about 3 PM.  I’ve been running around since 9 AM with a short break at home in between.  Make my way back to the postoffice that does passports and the line is huuuuuuuuuuuuge.  So I’m standing for 5 minutes, and then the lady behind the counter recognizes me, and she’s like hey, you came in earlier – you just need to trop off the birth certificate and social right? I was like yes, and she’s like, no sense in you waiting, it’s going to take 2 seconds, and she took me right away.   Alhamdu lillah.

Anyway I ran a few errands after that since suf finally fell asleep. 

I guess because I had so much to do today, I just assumed it would all be hard and awful, and was really just bracing myself for the worst.  No lie, it was long, but it was surprisingly better than I could ever have imagined alhamdu lillah.  And I have a new-found love for my Sufian.  mA he was so good, and smily and playing with him while I waited was just so nice.  I don’t really get much alone time with him.  In fact, outside of taking him to the doctor, I don’t think I ever go out with him alone.  It’s always him and Jibs, or all the boys.  So in a weird way, I got to have some quality time, and he was thankfully very cooperative, so it ended up being really nice and made the time go by much quicker.

So alhamdu lillah for a good day.  I guess sometimes even while navigating through generally rocky waters, sometimes you get lucky (bi barakat illah) and the path is easy.

Anyway I just needed to share.  I guess, we can find some good in almost anything, even trips to government offices .

Preconception?… I Cried that Night.

Also reminds me of another post I read:

Top 5 Reasons You Should Never Piss Off An Autism Mom

http://laughingthroughtears.com/2011/10/21/top-five-reasons-you-should-never-piss-off-an-autism-mom/

There’s just an underlying rawness, and hurt, and loneliness to these emotions.  It puts a lot into perspective and should make us think twice before judging others, particularly those who may be in desperate need of our support, our mercy, and our kindness…

Food for thought.  I’ve heard a lot of people say high fructose corn syrup is bad, and I’ve also heard the opposite argument that all sugars are created equal.  The evidence is proving otherwise…

https://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/index.xml?…

“A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same. 

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.”

http://muslimmomnetwork.com

I started a googlegroup back in 2006 and we’re now at about 375 members, and I figured it was time to offer more to our growing community – and so this site came to be   Good news is, I might have more time to get back to my blog…well maybe once everything gets settled .  Anyway, here is some information below for any women interested in checking us out insha Allah.

______________________________________________________________________________

Muslim Mom Network (MMN) is an online community where mothers and future mothers can go to find empathy and support while they share experiences and advice about pregnancy, childbirth, post delivery life, discipline and raising children.  In addition, we see each mother as a whole person and hope to fostor a safe and secure environment for mothers to network with other women, meet new people, explore their interests and help them realize their goals.  Here are some of the features we offer:

• Connect, Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Members!
• Create Your Own Discussions and Blogs!
• Publicize Your Events Using Our Events Calendar Feature!
• Create Your Own Groups, and Meet Members with Similar Interests or Use the Groups Feature to Create Your Own Halaqas!
• Get Instant Answers and Meet Other Members in the Main Chatroom!
• Post Your Questions in the Main Forum and Get Answers and Support from Other Moms 24/7!
• Add Photos, Videos and More!  You can even import photos from Flickr!
• Put Names with Faces!
• The MMN Website is Integrated with Facebook and Twitter so all the accounts can be updated at once! 

Due to a handful or requests, the Deadline will be extended for 1 week iA. 

Logos are Due.  January 7th, 11:59 PM.  Decision will be made by January 14th iA

Thank you to those who have already submitted entries.  Jazak Allah Khayr   Look forward to seeing your designs!!

All blankets/coats will go to the homeless in Passaic County, NJ.  Any excess items will be donated to shelters in Northern NJ. 

Attached is the instruction sheet for individuals coordinating the collection at the drop off locations :  Blanket_Drive_-_Instructions

Share the Warmth: Blanket/Coat Drive
On behalf of the Smile Organization, we would like to invite you to participate in the Smile Blanket/Coat drive this winter.

How Can You Help?

Donate a blanket or winter coat (see below for drop off locations)
 
Share a picture of your blanket/coat on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/smileforcharity) or Twitter (@Smileforcharity)
 
Tag 10 friends  
                    
Drop-off locations:
                          Masjid Omar ibn al-Khattab
                          501 Getty Avenue
                          Paterson, NJ 07053

                          Islamic Society of Central Jersey
                          4145 Route 1 South
                          Monmouth Junction, NJ 08552

                          Jam-e-Masjid Islamic Center
                          110 Harrison Street
                          Boonton, NJ 07005

                          New Brunswick Islamic Center
                          1330 Livingston Avenue
                          North Brunswick, NJ 08902

Why is this important?

Over 12,000 residents in New Jersey will brave a harsh winter on the streets
That number keeps increasing and counties like Morris have seen their homeless population double recently
We hope that with your assistance this campaign can grow and help our fellow men and women in need!

The drive is co-sponsored by:

Muslim Mom Network
Islamic Society of Central Jersey
Masjid Omar ibn al-Khattab
Jam-e-Masjid Islamic Center
MYCC

_____________________________________________

So, I know it’s not easy for everyone to be involved, so here are my suggestions to make it easier for everyone:
 
1.  If possible, each person can donate a used/clean blanket or buy a new one (Some places sell them for $15/$20 sometimes)…a throw size or twin size is generally good enough
2.  If you cannot buy or donate a blanket, but would like to participate, you can donate money (even as little as $5) and I will collect the money and buy whatever number of blankets the money collected will get.  You can send checks via mail or money via Paypal
 
Email me at muslimmomnetwork@gmail.com and I will give you my address or paypal information.
 
3.  You can drop them off at the designated masajid, or if there is not a masjid by you on the list, if you are interested in getting your masjid involved, you can volunteer to contact that masjid and set up a drop off point with them
4.  If you have the space, you can designate your home as a drop off spot.
5.  I will create a googledoc so that you can sign up and state what you are donating (new/used blanket, coat, or money)  If you want to go through the Muslim Mom Network, you can sign up on our spreadsheet:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Al3I99TDh0NKdDF6LVhnMXFobWpZcVdrckk1OG1NbUE&hl=en_US#gid=0
6.  Please try to get just ONE extra person (not on this list) to donate an item.  Families, siblings, co-workers, etc.
 
iA if we all participate in some capacity, it will be a great success iA.
 
Email me at muslimmomnetwork@gmail.com if you have any questions or are interested in being more involved in the coordinating iA
 
Salam
Hala

How cool is this! Someone  nominated me.    Even though I’m completely undeserving to be on a list with some of the other nominees, I think it’s worth checking out and voting for your favorites.  (You don’t have to vote for me, I promise I won’t be mad)   But there are some really inspirational people listed on there mA.  Yasmin Mogahed from Suhaibwebb.com, Suzy Ismail,  Dr. Islam Elfayoumi, Usama Cannon, and Khalid Latif to name a few.

May Allah increase them in their good works iA, and have them continue to inspire others, as they have inspired me.  And  I just wanted to give a shout-out (do people still do that anymore??? haha I’m so old ) to all the amazing inspiring Muslims out there who tirelessly (and often times thanklessly) work towards bettering their communities, raising their children, and putting forth the true image of Islam iA.