Jamad-Hayawan-Nabat

Click on photo to ENLARGE!

We had a really fun evening of the famous jamad-hayawan-nabat game last night. Allaedin, Seraj, Ahmad and I played and khala Asmaa was the judge -- she wouldn't play because she apparently doesn't like to loose:)

The game got tense at some points --yeah, i don't know how a game like this can get tense, but i guess that's what happens when three Ezzedin's play against each other:)


Oh, i guess i should say that Allaedin won--although i'm not sure how since i was in the lead for the first few rounds:) I came in second place, then Seraj and according to Ahmad he was the first from the other end!

Shoreline

Last Saturday we spent the day at a local park that has different boats you can rent


First we just walked around the park

and then...

We rented a paddle boat and the guys took turns paddling and half way into the lake they were too tired to bring the boat back to shore :)

The girls at home...

say cheese

coloring with rock crayons...they're actually pretty cool:)

painting

We usually only get to play with the felt board or other cool activities only when Asmaa's napping (nusayba has pretty much stopped her naps!) otherwise Asmaa will take apart anything we try to assemble!

Just for 'amu Abdallah :)

so sorry for the delay 'amu Abdallah...i know you're anxiously waiting to see what the family is up to since there are now more of you here than in Libya. i promise to update more regularly insha'a Allah. Enjoy!

Allaedin made dinner for us on the Sunday after khala Asmaa and Seraj arrived. BBQ chicken and vegetables!

A box just arrived from orientaltrading(an online store i buy some arts and crafts from) and the girls attacked it!



A visit to San Francisco and Pier 39
I wasn't there so not many pictures got taken :)

khala Asma and Seraj joined us at the children's discovery museum and although i was there, i didn't get a chance to take many photos!

Making Cards
Nusayba and Asmaa making cards for their sisters in Houston (Iman and Noor)
Nusayba and I then went to the post office and mailed them, although she really wanted to got to Houston and hand deliver them!

Fishing anyone?

A little activity that Nusayba really enjoyed except i have to invest in some hooks or better magnets to get it to work. It was great seeing her so focused and working on those motor skills.

(btw, she's supposed to be in a boat :) )

Trying to keep busy

He's discovered his voice!

Abdurrahman's been swinging four times already and falls asleep everytime :)

I'm kinda starting to feel sorry for Abdurrahman already--doesn't look like he's going to have much of a say around here!


I found all these wipes in the recycling bin and when I asked Nusayba what happened she said she was changing the doll's diaper. I told her she didn't need to use all of this and she said the doll did a BIG one:)

like my outfit?


Memory game



Nusayba's really enjoying this game--probably because I made it with Dora stickers. My next batch is going to be with the alphabets and numbers insha'a Allah.



We were in LA for a weekend attending a friend's wedding and here Asmaa's waking a very sleep and tired Nusayba--she went to bed at 1:00am the night before.

This fort kept them busy (and out of my hair) for quite some time--cardboard boxes are wonderful!

A tent from Ikea that they don't really play in as often as I'd like them too--maybe that would be too often:)



This is the end of each of our painting sessions


I thought having them paint their traced bodies would keep them busy for a while--it didn't last 10 minutes!


say cheese!



The weather has been absolutely amazing this past week and a half and we've been trying to spend as much time in the outdoors as possible. Nusayba climbed up this hill (or mountain -jabal- according to her) all by herself-- just like Dora! :)

This is our new dining table from Ikea:) I really love it--it's solid wood and so durable (and heavy!).

Abdurrahman's a month old!

A few days ago
(He definitely has baba's (Saleh) nose! :) )

sandwiched!

I was telling Allaedin last night that I have a strong feeling that soon enough these two are going to gang-up against Nusayba.




Masha'a Allah Nusayba is really good at memorizing and I feel bad that I haven't really been putting enough time into teaching her Qur'an. She gets so excited about learning a new surah because she associates it with getting to hear a new story (she memorizes Qur'an by learning the story behind the surah first and I try to plug-in some actions that will remind her of the verses--you'll notice when she recites surat-ul-'asr :) )



A nasheed she recently learned

Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to our dear family and friends!

Nusayba: Making dua'a that we all go to Jannah
Abdurrahman: Happily dreaming
Asmaa: Planning her next attack! :)

'Ami Ahmad spent the entire Eid with us!



And got us Eid gifts too!


Allaedin and Ahmad went and slaughtered our Eid qurbani:) But when they got home Nusayba kept asking "ayna-alkharoof?" (where's the sheep?). Asmaa on the other hand was just saying "baaaaaa" over and over again:)


No 'usban, but Allaedin made glayah (that he was very proud of!) :)

Abdurrahman

At the hospital

7lbs and 19 inches long

Nusayba had decided here that his name was Abdurrahman before we actually named him
(we decided on the name the next day!)