Thank God I'm Just an Aunt

You know you're tired when you take clothes out of the dryer and put them back in the washer. It has been quite a day! Omar has been screaming like it's the end of the world! We changed his diaper, clothes, tried to feed him, but nothing would stop his crying. I wanted to rip my hair out! This is a gentle reminder that it is NOT time for me to have a baby of my own. I am perfectly fine being an aunt. I do not have the determination and patience to be a mother just yet. I'm glad I'm still a child myself and can stay immature for a while longer. Being an aunt is awesome though! It's the fun part of having a baby in the family. Making funny faces, holding him tight, listening to his cute little Simba-like sneezes. I can't wait for him to declare me as his totally awesome auntie. For now, I'm good with the minimal responsibilty I have. I want to throw this laptop on my head just to have something else to focus on than his screams and cries. But I love the kid...Sometimes. He's quieted down a bit, but he's having a fussy day. Hopefully he eats and falls asleep soon!

%PEACE

AWESOME REASONS I LOVE HIJAB/ABAYA

HIJAB: Head covering worn by Muslim women. Similar to a hood
ABAYA: Long, loose cloak-type cover worn by Muslim women. 

9) I never have to worry about rain ruining my hair. 
 
8) It's comfortable and simple to dress each day.  I never have to worry about bending over and revealing my back or anything.  

7) People approach me with ridiculously interesting, border-line offensive, questions.  "You know you don't have to wear that here?" "Do you eat camel for Thanksgiving?" "Do you have hair?" etc.

6) I look like I go to Hogwarts.  Or I look like a dementor.  Or I look like a ninja.  Regardless, it's awesome.

5) I'm unique amongst my friends, and I love that.  It's a representation of who I am. It's a part of me that I love so much!

4) My ears are never cold in the winter. :)

3)I can hide my earbuds and stay entertained during a boring lecture, and no one would ever know. I told this to someone once, and he replied, "That's cool! I wish I was Jewish!"  ...
2) No bluetooth headset? No problem! With any lightweight phone, my hijab allows me to have a handsfree device when I have  other things to carry while chatting.

1) I can "dye my hair" everyday.  I have over 100 hijabs of many different colors and styles that look fancy on any regular old day.  I like looking fancy. 


%PEACE




PS: I got my first payment for writing!!!! I wrote a web article about the merger proposal between LSUS and LA Tech.  I am an official writer which is totally AWESOME!  I will be posting a link as soon as it is up on the web! 

Hot Dog! It's Sizzling Outside!

Shreveport is warming up! Aside from a few showers this week, the weather has been really pleasant! The sun is shining bright, sending warm rays to heat the city. I love it! I am a heat lover by nature.  Being bundled up in the winter is not nearly as comfy as dressing light and rolling down the windows in my car.  I LOVE WARM WEATHER!!!! The summer does get pretty unbearable sometimes, but as  long as the is air conditioning nearby, it's totally worth it.  Plus, the countless opportunities for frozen treats are SUH-WEET! This weather really lifts my spirit.  It gives me more chances to stay outdoors and play ultimate frisbee (great game!).  Plus, I love taking walks along the river trail.

Earlier this week, a cat that wanders around our house had five kittens in our storage room. She is gray and black, and 3 of the kittens are orange, 2 are gray.  They are so adorable! Everytime I get close to try and get a picture of the cuteness, but she always hisses at me.  I could not get a good picture of them though :/.  Now they are hiding under a couch away from plain sight.  I love kittens so much. Anyways, those are my musing for the week.

%PEACE

P.S.: Omar pulled his own hair and started crying.  The crying made him tense up and pull more, therefore, cry even more.  He is too cute.  :)

Omar :)

I have no idea what I did with my spare time 3 weeks ago.  Ever since my nephew was born, I spend every moment unrelated to school or work with him.  I know people say this a bunch and some probably are full of BS, but I can literally sit and watch him sleep for an hour.  He makes the cutest faces when he moves around!  From pursing his lips when he lifts his arms to sucking in his bottom lip to stretch out his tiny legs and toes, I just can't get enough of him.  He also has a "Poopy Face." Furrowed eyebrows, tight lips, strained expression: this baby is doing his smelly business. Unfortunately, he saves the pee until right when the diaper is removed.  So far he has peed on the ottoman, his clothes, his face and, most satisfyingly, my sister.

He does other things, too.  He eats and cries!...other than that, he doesn't really do much of anything.  I still love him, nonetheless! I am so excited to be an aunt, and I can't imagine how great it is to be a mother.  My sister is so cute as a mother! She can soothe Omar in an instant. It seems compulsory to get gooey and lovey dovey around a baby, and I love every moment of watching my super mature sister coo over her son.  And the father is no less entertaining! He knows how to soothe his son, also.  They make a great team taking care of Omar.  Hopefully I have a supportive husband like him to raise my child in the future.  I can't wait to be a mom!!!

%PEACE

Tie Your Camel! (BONUS POST AT THE END!!)

While reading a fellow blogger's post on being a realist, I was reminded of an old Islamic anecdote about Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him).  He was walking to a market and encountered a man who had  gotten off his camel and began walking away.  The prophet (PBUH) approached him and asked, "Aren't you going to tie your camel?" The man said, "I put my trust in Allah (God)." The prophet (PBUH) responded, "Put your trust in Allah and tie your camel."

"Work like it depends on you, pray like it depends on Allah"

Basically, if you want something in life, pray for it AND work for it!! Do you think you will get a degree and get a  successful career without actively contributing some time and effort into it?! I think not!

You can't jump off a 20 story building and say, "I trust that God will keep me alive."

Running a marathon takes a whole heap of strength.  Waking up one morning and saying you will run a marathon that day is not really achievable.  "Oh I trust God; I can run it."  If you don't succeed, you are more likely to lose faith in God's ability to help you reach your full potential.

Trust that God will help you build your strength and endurance over time so that you can complete the goal you had in mind.

REASONS I LOVE CAMELS/COOL FACTS:
1) They are proud of their humps.

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/camel-info.htm

2) Their eyelashes are long and pretty.

http://bahraindc.com/blog/camel-eyelashes/

3) Camels are the color of hummus.  I love hummus.

4) Their legs are SO STRONG, yet so small

http://danielschereck.com/wp2/wp-whitedesert.htm

5) Llamas are classified as South American camels.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25891376@N00/686395126

%PEACE