Happy Mother"s Day

Last Sunday March 21st was Mother's day in the Middle East. It is a very big holiday here. It is often celebrated with the mother making a big meal, usually grilled meat, salad, and extras. The family buys her a cake, flowers, gold, appliances, or just cash. Big gifts are expected and the norm if the children have any income at all. I may be living in the Middle East, but I am an American, and have given birth to an American, and am married to an American. What does this mean? It means no gold :( (Just kidding I was not wanting nor expecting gold) I slept in, Bill woke up with Zaky, the boys made me a nice card, and then after Zaky's nap and some playing in the dirt, we went to McDonald's for lunch (they have high chairs and guaranteed Zaky food). We then proceeded to Beirut where I left Zaky, and my friend Esther left her kids with her husband, and she and I went for coffee. Kind of sad that for Mother's Day I left my son, but it was nice to have an hour conversation in English during the day, and (as I like to say) "It gave me a chance to miss them." Good time was had by all, including Zaky who played with the kids the whole time and didn't notice I wasn't there. Happy Mother's Day to me, and thank you Mommy for all the work you did growing us up, and all the mothers and aunts that have had an input into me becoming a mother myself.

Rebbecca, Esther's eldest, drew the 2nd card. Esther told her Zaky was to small to make me one, and I would be sad not to have one. She signed the inside "from Zaky". How cute!

How big!

July 09 - 5 1/2 months
October 09 - 9 months
March 10 - 14 months

He looks tall and lean. his face makes him look round, but when you shed the clothes he is a lean boy. I am feeding him, I promise. Any suggestions on how to get him to eat more, aside from feeding him cookies ) which he gets a couple of times a week) let me know.

He will have to get back with you

He is on another call

Sicky

Zaky has a cold, and now I have it as well, poor us. If there is anything less nice then a sick pregnant lady it is a 1 yr old with a cold. So what is a sick pregnant lady to do? What ever she has to! This includes letting him play in dirt for over an hour on the balcony, and taking him to the neighbors for them to play with him. I had a little pity party that I don't have my family near by to help when I am sick, but I have been blessed with young kids willing to play/ push/ hold him for an hour at a time. Then if all else fails i did let him eat a bag of chips!

Our field project

The field project is coming into frowishen. Monday the guy with the plow came, Monday and Tuesday night Bill and Ali raked and leveled out the ground to be planted (Zaky helped of course), then Wednesday mornig the guys from the nursery came planted the grass and two trees. The only trick now is it has to be watered 2x daily for the first week (we only get water 2x a week and ran out by Thursday, and there has to be power, which usually isn't a problem but for some reason we didn't have it for 12 hrs last night). But the power is back on and the water came yesterday, so all is well again. Another month and Zaky can play on it, but till now he is content in the dirt, until he has eaten to much and we pull him out. (then he cries)

Hooligans/ Friends

The picture is little Sarah teaching the others how to jump in their bed! We were laughing, and their mom Esther had to come around the corner and scold, party pooper!. The 5 of them were playing in the back bedroom when Rebecca (the eldest) came yelling the babies are lost. Esther and I sprinted down the hall, the bedroom door leading outside was open. Within a minute both boys had crawled around the balcony sticking their hands into each drain along the way! No picture of the filthy little guys.

Sweet things

Update of the last entry: Yes he peed, under the t.v. Bill and I were laughing so hard, Zaky was quite proud of himself.

Cute things he is doing: he holds everything up to his ear, but especially the phone, and says Ahh, Ahh.. He taught the little girl upstairs to wave. He is saying MaMa to me, unfortunately always whining or crying. When we go to our friends and I ask "where's Sarah" he immediately points to little Sarah age 2. This same Sarah has taught him how to jump in his bed.

I will save you the less charming things he is doing.

But his most favorite thing to do is still play in the dirt. We plowed out back and he has stayed out there for almost an hour and half just playing in the dirt.