clean slate

A clean slate.

This is the children's adventures and will continue to be the children's adventures.

their experiences
their adventures as was before.



Ibrahim is enjoying 6th grade.
Isa is enjoying his 3rd grade class.
They're both adjusted into their schools, classmates, and made a lot of friends.
Daliyah is peachy keen as a 3 1/2 year old girl soon to be 4...or in her mind she's soon to be a young girl.

Ibrahim still enjoys reading and writing
Isa is the sports player, and loves to sing..
Iby plays the tablah from time to time.
Daliyah does a mixture of everything.

and that's that.

kids

The kids are fine and enjoying their summer.

Muslimfest was great this past weekend, plus visiting with the cousins and relatives too.

I've taken them out go-karting these past few days ago, and that was quite enjoyable.

Daliyah got a real kick out of the basketball game, and as the kids play it out in the front I see how they're all getting good at the game, even Daliyah as she tries to throw it into the basket and gets it in, and even Isa gets it in almost every time.
Ibrahim is also good at playing basketball. I hope to enroll them into something, and I'll be trying to get them set up somewhere too.

my own site

Yeah. Tell me what you think.
I'll be adding more things to it very soon as I'm updating it yet that is the basic.

cutco: cuts your mind, with all the things u find. :)

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem.
In the name of Allah (God), Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Yes, a little bit helps 4 Cutco, as it cuts your mind, with all the things you need to find. I know it sounds cheesy, sorry. I apologize, I really, really apologize. I'm not really that type of person that does this, this is all new to me to go about doing this.

Even if no one is paying any attention or just are not interested. I know I may not be the greatest person at advertising, or socializing yet I'm trying my best at these communication skills, building skills of getting back into full swing.

You might be thinking, what is she talking about? What does she mean? What does her status mean, especially within the last few weeks when she's been talking about Cutco, and booking appointments, and contact me type of stuff? Well, I'll tell you.

I got a job, in where I sell Cutco. You ask what is cuto?

Well http://www.cutco.com To get a better idea, you'd have to go to that website to see.

To see the company I work for Vector Marketing, you'd have to go to http://www.vmcanada.ca/ Basically, I get paid to show Cutco presentations. Whether or not anyone buys anything or not, I still get paid.

If you get something, great...if you don't get anything, it's ok too because I still get a chance to visit you. And especially to my friends whom I haven't seen in the longest time, except at reunions, or passing on by through parties and etc, this gives us a chance to meet up, in person, at each other's houses for it.

Come on, tell me seriously, who wouldn't want to meet up for some old laughs over "Coconut College, Four Corners, and well all that stuff we went through all those years in school, you know the ones I mean"?

Or for people that don't remember, or want to remember cuz of our crazy adventures, talks, behaviors, attitudes, and hairdo's..ha ha....

Now, I don't want to sound like a pain in the rear end, or even a nuisance, or some of those real annoying telemarketing, salespeople, you know the ones I mean.

Like the ones that pester you, and you're like "No I'm sorry not interested," or you just hand the phone off to your children to talk, or do some rude gestures and motions into the phone, or something just as annoying that they don't call you back, or call you at that exact moment when they want to talk to you.

I don't want to be like that, and I really pray I don't come off as that, especially in my status updates, and especially, especially if I happen to facebook mail you, or send you a chat message.

I know some of you will try to be nice and curteous as possible by telling me you're just NOT interested, even if you're not going to buy anything you don't even want to take a quick peek, or quick glance because you don't want to get tempted and buy something on impulse, which I know can happen sometimes.

And I don't mind if you guys tell me off either, well..actually to be honest with you, I do mind..but please be kind and just tell me no way hosay and that's not your thing, and I'll try to back off and try to remember not to contact you

and even if I forget which I happen to do sometimes because with the list of my contacts I'm starting to lose track of whose who and where people live to see who I can contact, which I really, really apologize because I seem to have an excellent memory like an elephant yet resemble the mouse, :) or a skinny elephant with a super sharp memory of remembering ppl even if it's been 10-20 years..some even way back to 30 yrs ago...yikes! So, I don't want you to do that.



Yet, if you can, and don't mind sparing a few minutes of your time, to let me know which day works for you, which time, I can give you a day I'm free and timings, yet sometimes it'll work for you, and sometimes it won't work. I don't want to pressure you or force you, because I'm not one of those aggressive, pushy types of people.

Seriously guys! I'm a considerate, compassionate, caring person that just needs some people, leads, referrals, whatever you can throw at me just as long as it's not something hurtful like objects and spam junk emails and applications for poker games and such..like blinko, plinko win money on facebook, as if..ha ha. Even if you want to tell me to drop dead, and get a life, and get another job. That's great advice, I really appreciate that.

Even if you say, "Hina, you know, with the great skills you have, you can do so, so much more, and you have a lot in you." Great, that's great. I really appreciate it. Whether your comments are positive, or negative nature. You know nothing can really bring me down anymore really as I've been there, done that and I tell you...

I'm one of those types of people that refuse, refuse...refuse to give up...surrender...and give in.... I like to be motivated, determined, inspired, committed to really getting things done. So, please. I ask you...even if you can tell me of some of your friends that would be interested, all they have to do..or all you would have to do is just give me your name, #, and a day and time that would be good for you..or even your name and # in my private mail and I'll call you. Even if you can refer your friends, family...anyone....even if you want to get a good laugh at my own expense, fine..cool...I'm up for that too. So, I'm booking appointments this week, next week or within the next few weeks.

Let me know and I really, really appreciate your time, effort, patience, understanding, careth, yes, did I mention patience? and I'm sure, I'll be adding more things to this note, like a part 2, and part 3, for things I can think of to do, and plan and I really hope someone can squeeze in something..anything...you know.

And I'm doing this because I'm putting myself through school, going back to college after many many years away of staying at home with the kids, so it takes a lot, and need to pay the bills and such. Especially with the economy we're living in, recessions and such, need to do whatever I can as we all do. So, :)

I'll leave it at this end and say, it's all up to you. Thank you for listening, reading, and I apologize again for this mega long babble of a talk. And I wouldn't blame you if you happen to put me on your limited profile contact list, or cut me off completely like blocking me off, deleting me off, and removing me and even finding you from the facebook world to avoid me.

Hey, I know....sorry..... but....i don't want to be one of those dishonest ppl. I like my friends, i love them...i love to be upfront, respectful, and honest..sincere, compassionate, considerate, committed, trustworthy, sincere, patient, understanding, caring, sharing, oh I can list you a hundred other qualities, yet for all those that know me, personally from meeting me at conferences, and school, and parties you know the kind of "lively" person I am, and how friendly I am with everyone, doesn't matter if you're black, white, polka dotted, small, big, this country, that country, this background, that background, that religion, this religion, doesn't matter to me.

Each person matters, each person is unique and each person has their own style and method of doing things and I just want to say I know and I'm here. Whether you're having a real, really crappy day. I'm here to inspire you, to boost you..to tell you to hang in there and you'll get through it, I believe in you. I really do. I'm not just saying that to get you to contact me, but I do. I really care about my friends.

I was really distraught when I found out a couple of years ago, when one of our friends from high school passed away, it was really hard on me, especially since I saw her in the summer that year in 2007 and she was fine one day.......and as I returned overseas, I was talking to her one day and she was there fine...and I told her I'd talk to her soon as I was in the middle of something, and she too told me she had to meet up with ppl....that was the last time. And it hurts me that I never really got to say goodbye.

Which is why I made a promise to myself to talk to many of my friends as much as possible, keep in touch with them, visit them, even if we talk for a few mins on facebook, mail each other, talk to each o ther on the phone, see each other in person for a bit. Just a little bit helps. Esp the friends that say they're feeling crappy because of their crappy day and crappy life.

I want to say...pls... I like you, love you..you guys are great ppl. and not to give up. We all have those days, and I know...hey I really know...so I want to say..pls don't ever feel like that. and if you do...contact me and I really hope I'm there to help you out as much as I can possibly can. I really don't know what I'd do if I found out another friend something would happen to them that I never got a chance to say goodbye... so pls... anyways dont want to really go off topic yet I put all of this into one long one, so I leave it at this. :)

A little bit helps for Cutco, as it cuts your mind, and gives you all that you can find. :)



and for those that are getting married you can register, get gift registry too http://www.cutcogiftregistry.ca

so contact me and I'll pass you my name and my rep # and depending on your friends, and family that buy stuff on there for you for your wedding/marriage etc, that I get commissions/points from them.

So for those whom I can't do presentations cuz of location, you guys all live far, far away so this is another way.

and I think to go through that method, and even if I have to show you the products through :D online I will.

so.. :)

Kids posted on their father's blog about how they did not believe him or his lies.

I guess apparently he did not like that.

I guess that is what you get for kicking them, pushing them, shaking them to a point in which they not only fear you, but dislike you because you mistreated them, abused your rights as a father to abuse them as your children, that's why. you lost their trust, and their faith, and their care.

It does not matter how much the counselors, the teachers, and we tell them otherwise.
It's still there the memories, vivid in their heads, as if it was yesterday, moments ago that it's still alive there, memory a fter memory, flashback after flashback.

You can move on with life and distracting yourself with your other work.
But, all it takes is just one word, one voice and all that intimidation that they felt, the fear comes rushing back to take a hold of them.
no one would want that, no one would want to be drowned in a water or the sea, they'd fight to live, to breathe, to taste the fresh air in their mouth and take it in, yet not take in all this mistreatment and abuse.
so yes.

as much as I ve had enough to stand up and say stop.
so have they.

They're children yes, not little children in where you think you can deny the abuse to say it was in their imagination.
to not admit your fault, no remorse, no apologies just makes it worse.

to play this as if you're still in kindergarten is teaching them you do this and it's fine.
it's not fine and they know that, we know that.
do you know that?

and if I could tape the convo of their voices to how they really feel, tears would come down, you'd be shaking because innocent children with such fear in their eyes, their hearts and minds.
they should not have had to experience that, but they have, something they won't forget.
no matter how many good memories comes to replace it, that will always remain there.
yet they won't let it drown them as much as you would like it to.
they will not surrender nor give in as they will not let you win, but win themselves to say it as it were.

iby and the alien

Iby's Alien talk

Ibrahim wanted to talk about the little alien pic beside his picture.

Yet he is too speechless to say anything or comment.

So, I asked him to blog about it, and write about it as he usually does.

But, he's too shy to say.

So, a picture is worth a thousand words they say. So I give you 2 pictures worth 2 thousand words.
which means we better get cracking at counting all the words to match up to the two thousand words to make up for the two pictures above.

well since those above were only 93. = 100 words.


I'd say to be continued.

iby's grad photos

These are exclusively for your viewing, yet cannot be copied, cut and pasted and used for your own personal use. You may view them, you may commensate on how much the children have grown. Yet, you cannot copy them and use them for your own purpose, whatever it is good or not without my permission.

These are the photos taken from Ibrahim's 5th grade graduation ceremony, in where he recieved his certificate.

Iby's Grad part 2

So, Ibrahim had his graduation ceremony yesterday.

As we, my mom, my daughter and I arrived at the school, we made our way into the gymnasium and taking our seats.

The introduction started with the teachers, and students from the 5th grade class walking into the gym down from the back to the front, and taking their seats.

It started off with the Principal welcoming the parents, and the students the Graduation ceremony. She introduced a few guest speakers, the former Principal of the school, and talked about the past year, and the progress that the students made.

As eager as all the parents wanted to take of their children, they set up something known as the "Photo Zone", as their child eagerly awaits to get the award presented to them by their teacher, and principal. You can take a photo of them there, then a video clip of them walking to get their award/certificate and then another photo of them with the principal and teacher, before they take their stand with their class.

As each of the names were called, and each of the students were called slowly one by one, and their parents standing up to take their picture, the minutes passed by quickly.

Soon, the ceremony kicked off to showing a slideshow of this past year, of all events, organizations, parties, trips, assignments that the children all worked on.

The children sang a song about their school, and the work they did and thus ended the ceremony, with students gathering with their friends, and hugging their families, and taking another picture with their teacher and principal.

As cake and refreshments is given out to the students, their parents, and the other guests.

I have to comment on when my son Ibrahim walked onto the stage to get his certificate and how proud I was of him. I thought about the progress he has made this past year, and how much confidence he has in himself and determination to do his best and saw it in him as he went to recieve his certificate, and saw it in his smile of the success he's done.

As he walked onto the stage, Daliyah his sister saw him and started waving her hands wildly, and shouting excitedly, "IBY! IBY! It's me Daliyah! Hey Iby! Yay!"

As he got his certificate and took a photo with his teacher, again, she clapped her hands and as he took a photo class with his classmates, she ran over to greet him, shake his hand, hug him, and give a huge hello to his friends, his teacher, and principal.

I remembered at the past events at his school, in which she would attend with me, on how eager, social, and friendly she was in greeting everyone and knowing them.

She recognizes this is their school, these are their teachers, and these are the rooms, and his friends and this is school.

She will not start until next year, yet I know she's looking forward to it, as she's use to the scheduled routine of these two, and how happy she is in par-taking in the meetings held at their school weekly with the other parents/ and their children to be actively involved in their children's lives as possible.

The ceremony ended, and everyone started gatheing their children, and belongings heading to their cars. We looked at the time, and it was only 30 minutes to spare before school lets out. Isa was in his class, with his teacher and classmates, outside flying a kite, in which he made from his art class and having fun. The weather was exceptionally warm, and they were all out enjoying the weather.

This was one of the first times in which Isa wanted to stay longer at the school, rather than returning home with us. So, we waited for him as he ran along with his friends flying the homemade kite he made, and then went back to his classroom to gather his bag to take home.

It was a good event and I'm really glad the children had a good day.

Iby's Grad

Ibrahim graduates today from 5th grade.
I shall be posting up a few pictures soon of the joyous event.

As he is excited he is graduating and starting junior high in the fall, he is also sad that he'll miss this school. Despite he was only there for a year, he has learned a lot and is grateful for the teachers for having patience, and faith in him to get through it.

So stay tuned!

Time warp to 2 yrs ago

Muslimfest is coming up this year.

I think I'll urge both, all 3 of them to do something other than just sit and watch and be a participant in the audience. I'll ask them if they want to do some arts/crafts and perhaps even join in on the sports/ and entertainment as they did so 2 years ago.

mac & cheese kd dinner

So.....

I come home from the grocery store, as my boys returned home from school. Putting away the groceries, was what we all pitched in to do.

Ibrahim and Isa sees the boxes of Kraft Dinner (no rennet or pepsin in the cheese mix so it's all halal), and wants to eat it.

I tell them I don't really have time to prepare it as I have to get ready to head out for my night class starting soon, that I need to pack up, pray, and eat something before I do.

Ibrahim offers, volunteers to cook as long as I tell him how by step by step instructions, I guess the one on the box wasn't clear enough.

So, I gave him a quick, easy, step by step version on how to prepare it.

And he followed the instructions carefully, and he was so happy that he was actually cooking, and carefully holding the pot and stirring the pasta often.

Then, carefully preparing the sauce and mixing it into the pasta.

These kids had a few bowl fuls of it. My mom was wondering what was up, as we wondered where the camera was to make it one of the most amazing, unbelievable things ever.
Not that he cooked the food, but that they had enough appetite to eat it.

I guess it's because he likes it, and he prepared it, so he took the time and effort to put the love in it. Which means he appreciated it more.
Which is good.
Saved me from cooking. Not that I would have to cook something as my mom decided to prepare some Sweet Daal and pita bread, which is really good.

Which reminds me, it's now 10:30pm est and I'm back from my class, and going to go eat myself some more, plus some baba ghanoush with some toasted garlic pita bread pockets.

YUM!

I have a video clip of this too, but it was taking way, way too long to upload. It's only 2 minutes long, yet it was taking over 2-3 hours to upload so even though it was my 3rd attempt.

I can't keep wasting 2-3 hours waiting for it to upload, then do some other work in the meantime on other windows hoping itll work.

but alas, memories in my head..... and for your own imagination.

june 3/09

Isa, now this is classic....same smile, same laugh, very cute story.

Ibrahim.......don't ask......ha ha......

Daliyah balancing some socks on her head..... again... don't ask. ha ha.

I have to honestly say it's hilarious, one of this cute moment of Daliyah's as she shoves food down at this moment as I type this, and insists I eat it.

Despite I tell her, "It's okay Daliyah. I'll eat it myself."

She'll still shove it and fast....lol.

She does the same to her brothers and drives them up the wall with her insistence and persistence of keeping after them, and keeping them apart from fighting as she is the one in the middle that sorts accordingly and fair, for a 3 year old you have to give her credit for that.

Tell me though, what 3 year old can open her own door with a key and it's locked?

Or take a plastic knife and cut her own strawberries into slices, despite I tell her I'll do it. She insists she'll do it, and she does.

Cracking an egg without putting the shells into the yolk.

Into no...scratch that. HEAVILY into cleaning and cooking...

she's going to be better than me. In fact, she's going to be better than my mom, me, and my grandmother put altogether.

updated may 2009

Here is a new update of the children.

Ibrahim is now 11 years old. He's in 5th grade, and he's currently doing really, really well in his public school. The class he's having trouble with is French, but he's doing really well on the other subjects.

Isa is now 7 1/2 years old. He's in 2nd grade. He's also doing a lot better than he was last year. Before while we were in Jordan, he was at an Arabic exclusive Montessori school, they put him back a year so he could learn Arabic.
By doing that, he was behind his peers, and behind in learning what he was expected to know.
When he came back and he had a hard time keeping up.

But, I'm happy to say after one year he has finally done it and caught up to his peers.
Not only is his exceptionally fast, and quick in his learning, he's also very organized and neat.
He can now read in English, and can read at a very well fast pace. Before, it took him a while to sound out the words, and he would stumble a lot.
But, now he's gotten a lot better and it's really amazing at how he went from where he couldn't read it, to now that he can read it.

They're both into Pokemon, and Naurato, and these Anime things. They're no longer interested in PBS, Treehouse, Nickjr unless it's Fairy Odd Parents, Sponge Bob, or one of those shows.

My daughter Daliyah whose 3 is into those things of Nickjr Dora and Diego, Barney and such.
She too is growing and talking a lot.

She's also a super neat freak. I'm telling you ,she's a mini version of my mom. It's like they skipped a generation and went to her. She's very precise and if she spills something she'll run quickly for a napkin, a paper towel, a rag, or a sponge and quickly wipe it up.

She'll take things and put it most of the time in the trash, and clean up her toys and things. She loves to help out in the house in house chores, and cooking and cleaning.

If we're cutting vegetables, she'll want to help by cutting. It doesn't work as well with a butter knife or one of those plastic knives yet she does it so carefully, and I look at her with such fascination that I wonder, and ask her, "Who are you?"

Very cutely, she says, "I'm Daliyah."

"Daliyah who?"

"Your girl. I love you Mommy this much." as she stretched her arms out wide and hugs me and I hug her back and she kisses me on the cheek and I kiss her back and we laugh about it.

I usually tell her that she doesnt need to help me with these things, go out and enjoy being 3.
She still insists she can help me and wants to help me.

I look back, and think back to when I was that age, and hard to imagine I was ever that young and yet there are little bits and memories of such incidents of when I was little to 3 years old, to the different stages of how my children are now.

There's just no way I would let Isa outside by himself to play in front of our house, or even ride his bike out alone, or go to his friends house or to the park alone. Even though he's 7, and even though his friends just live down the street, or the park is just minutes away. Just no way.
Why?
It's not that we live in a totally unsafe neighborhood, on the contrary we've been here or I've been here on and off for 20 years or so, so yeah it would be safe.

Yet, it has to do with different people living here, and not knowing everyone and because of that, you lose trust and you want to protect your children and keep them safe.

I do not want to overburden them though so I will take them to the park or take them to their friends house, yet I have to be there, even if that means to befriend his friends moms and we talk awhile I'll have to do that so he can have some play time with his friends.

I just don't believe it would be good to send him out alone until he has a better understanding, or maybe when the pervs stop being pervs I can feel safe and comfortable about sending them out alone to play.

But, we have a nice yard so they have plenty of space to keep them busy and occupied as well as their board games, and games.

I'll shall post more soon, yet this is the update of May 2009.

I do remember the funny little stories I would share often about my children and it has been so long since I have shared a good memory.

One thing I can remember is throughout this year, is their progress. There's been a lot going on, and all of us have been through, and are in counseling to discuss these issues.

I've found that they can easily relate to someone that's been in the same position as them, to say you know one day...maybe not today, or tomorrow or the next week or so...but one day.
you'll be better and fine.

we need closure, kids need closure...
only way is through bloggin.