Ice Cream Makes Me Happy

Ice cream has potent magical effects within the Zombiedaddy household. The twins may be at war with one another.. screaming, crying, trying to pull each other’s hair out, total chaos. The moment you mention ice cream, peace suddenly reigns. They’re best buddies again. Sitting on their little chairs. Wearing their little bibs. Raina is kissing Raisa on the cheek. Raisa is hugging Raina warmly. No screaming, no yelling. Only rainbows and butterflies and chocolate made in heaven. Wish I could give them ice cream all day everyday, but Supermama probably wouldn’t be too happy about it.

People say a picture paints a thousand words but the photo below only has five words in it.. “Ice cream makes me happy”.

Superheroes Vs. Monster

Raina and Raisa are playing in their room. They’re playing with the blocks. They are building something with the blocks. They are talking.. sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly. They are giggling too. From the living room, you can hear bits and pieces of their conversation in between the giggling. It sounds like they are planning to do something soon and it’s suppose to be funny.. hence the excessive giggling.

They are out from the room now. Ambling towards where I’m sitting. They are both holding something in their hands. Something that looks like some alien guns made from the colourful blocks.

Raina & Raisa : Abah jadi monster! Abah jadi monster!

Abah (Monster): waaarrgghhh!!

Raina & Raisa : peng! peng! <screaming at the top of their lungs>

Monster : uwekk!! <monster appears dead due to gunshot wounds from the colourful alien guns>

Raina & Raisa : yeay! yeay! yeay! Monster mati! <also at the top of their lungs>

Monster : waaaarrghhhh!! <monster arises from the dead>

Raina & Raisa : peng! peng! peng! peng!

Monster : waaarrghhhh!! <monster appears to be immune from the shooting this time around>

Monster : waaargghh! <monster gets hold of Raina’s leg>

Raisa : Eeeeeeeeeee!! Run Raina run Raina!

Raina : Haii Yarrrkkk! Whackk! <gun now turns into something else and used quite effectively to whack the monster’s left ear>

Monster : adoii laa! <while letting go Raina’s leg and checking the block marks on his ear>

Raina & Raisa : yeay! yeay! yeay! monster mati.

Raina & Raisa : Abah jadi monster! Abah!! jadi monster la!

Monster : Takmo la. Go do it to Mama.

All monsters can relax now. The superheroes are taking their sandwich break.

Prayer For A Little Fighter

As a parent, nothing concerns me more than the health of my children. I pray to God everyday for them to be healthy. And when they are not, when they are down with fever, when I have to take them see the pediatrician, I get scared.

Today I heard that a friend’s child’s illness is confirmed to be leukemia, and he will have to undergo chemotherapy. He’s not even two years old yet. The news just rocked me to my core. This child arises each day facing a mountain of challenges I have heretofore been unable or unwilling to comprehend. Every day is grueling. For his parents, too. Not hopeless, not devoid of joy or happiness, but excruciating.

When our Nuha was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia when she was 2, it occurred to me that there can be no greater pain than the diagnosis that your child is unwell. I have never known fear like I did at that moment. I have never been so close to the idea that perfection is so fragile, that my love, no matter how fierce, isn’t enough to protect her entirely. Every time she coughed, every time she had difficulty breathing, I was wrecked. My love for my daughter defies definition. And during those moments, that love heaved and strained as if it were reaching out of my chest all the way past the doctor, the nurses, the nebulizer machine, to hug and heal her tiny lungs.

But what I went through is nothing compared to what the parents of this little boy are going through right this very moment.

My mind and heart are with Ali and his parents today.

Ya Allah, Give this little boy strength. Remove from him that which troubles him, And cure him of his illness. There is no power, nor strength save Allah, the highest, the great.