The Intrigue of Snow

For newcomers to old man winter's areas, snow is indeed new, and for the kids, its also intriguing and an opportunity to have a blast... so this winter is their first one in the Northeast, and they are savoring every moment. Forget that dad has to shovel the driveway. Forget that the dreary winter seems to be dragging on almost forever, bringing with it not only bitter cold on the outside, but also affecting internal human systems (is it only me or does winter depress moods a bit??).

Forget all that! Aboodi and Reemo have a snowman to keep up with... Check it out for yourself, he looks pretty cool!

My Family's all Blogged Up!

So, today my wife Umm Reem officially joined the bandwagon. I guess she got sick of seeing me on the computer, so might as well do something beneficial at that time :) Other than my 10 mths old daughter, the whole family's blogging now (including the 6 and 9 yr olds). So, have a visit and sisters, pls introduce yourself if you will, and welcome another sister in Islam to the blogosphere. The address is: ummreem.wordpress.com

Introducing...

Here are two blogs to keep an eye on, well may be in a few years... might as well get them starting early!
Reemo's World , and Abdullah's (aboodi) Galaxy... They would love to get a few comments, so stop by, if you can, and say "salam". Ignore that Aboodi is copying everything (almost everything) from his sister, and that "co-incidentally" they both have "dens"... Aboodi's only 6, and Reemo is not much older! Btw, they are Jana's siblings.

We're Going Skiing!

Maybe I should correct that... we are going to try to ski again tomorrow! Last time I went skiing in Colorado, it took me a few days to get over the aches and pains. I am not fat, but I ain't fit either. So, I expect to be quite sore for a few days, hopefully inshallah, without any injuries. I am more excited about the kids... Since we just moved up NE some months ago, they are going to the slopes for the first time!

The nearest ski resort is Blue Mountains, about 2 hours from home. Any ski-tips anyone? Anyone want to share good, bad or ugly experiences?

Here are some pics of Blue Mountain... you can see a live webcam here

Talking about babies...

Its tough to go to work sometimes when this little one wants to stay in your lap... Dear readers, meet Jana.

Why Do Babies Smell Soooo Good?

I love to smell my baby. I love to smell her baby-breath, her "bad" breath, her after-bath J&J shampoo smell, even her morning wake-up "awful" breath. The only smell I don't like of course is her "change my diaper now" smell. With my other two "grown" kids ... 6 and 9... the smell-factor is no longer the same. I mean their bad breath in the morning, for example, is not something I enjoy anymore.

So, what is it about little babies that make them smell SOOOO good? Why is it that I find myself taking deep whiffs with my little girl's face next to mine? SubhanAllah, Allah plants the love of these children right from the bat. In their BIG cheeks, in their cuddling, in their smiles, in their laughter, in their little fingers holding your thumb, in their super-fast crawling motions, and their stumbling all over the place. Those moments are so special, that when these little babies, who added so much to your work, and took away from your sleep, when they grow up... you miss it, you want it all over again! Of course fathers can't really compete with the mothers. Ever wonder why the mother wakes up to the crying sounds of the baby only to plant a big kiss on her, not that she didn't just wake her up for the tenth time in the night. And God forbid, if I wake up my wife one time in the night, I probably will be hearing about it for many days! (wife: if you read this, I am just kidding!). Well, lets not go into the mother-child lovey dovey stuff... let's stick to this fatherly instincts. Yes, REAL fathers also love their children... REAL fathers especially love their little girls... and REAL fathers usually love to smell their children. Did you know that the Prophet (S) used to smell and kiss Hussein (RD), his grand-child?

Forget about the Eternity for Men perfume, can't I bottle up that baby-smell and take it with me to work??? Any inventors out there???

Well, there is something special indeed about odors. Here is a nice article from Islamonline. Allah has indeed made our noses and our sense of smell quite a forensic tool! Interestingly, mothers find their own kid's poop less revolting than other kid's, no kidding, see for yourself here. And babies too can locate their food-source with their smell, read here.

Am I alone in this????

Aboodi's Eid Mania

Here's a video of my son clowning around outside Synott Masjid for Eid in Houston... the two victims are his cousins. Thanks to my b-i-l for making the recording, while I had gone into the packed mosque for Yasir Q's Eid Khutbah. Next time you need a clown for your party, please call me, Aboodi's rates are still low!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f7kodnbo0s

Appreciation of Health

The Prophet (S) urged us to take advantage of 5 before 5: your youth before you grow old; your health before you fall sick; your money before you become poor; your leisure before you become busy; and your life before you die.

A few days ago, I contracted flu. No big deal, everyone gets it. But this little bacteria/virus or combination completely wrecks you, and you realize how vulnerable you really are. I mean you can't even see this enemy, isn't it? Yet, it creates havoc inside you, making your whole body surrender to its will, which of course is subservient to the will of the Creator. So, I resisted antibiotic for a few day but then gave in, when I was too cold and too hot, both in the same night under the same ambient temperatures.

Its one thing to be sick at home, yet quite another to be sick away from home, in your beloved hometown, which you were to leave the next day! So, I had to travel yesterday, and leave Houston. Perhaps, it will be another year before I go back inshallah. Sickness, combined with sadness, contributed to a wonderfully dull and unpleasant trip back to the coldness (pun intended) of Delaware. Well, at least the weather isn't that cold here. Which is actually not a good thing when you work in the oil industry. Quick industry primer: Warm weather in winter = low demand for heating oil = low profit. So, even a nice winter isn't helping the mood here in the Shaikh household.

Am I done whining? Not really. Our youngest, Jana, 10 mths old, fell really sick as well, with temperatures hovering in the 103-104F range. Talk about misery coming altogether. She is better today alhamdulillah.

In any and all cases, Alhamdulillah ala' kuley haal (Praise and thanks to Allah in all conditions). If He gives health, He sure can take it away. And for a little while when you are sick, you can appreciate what you really had going for you when you weren't (sick). So, dear brothers and sisters, take advantage of your health before you get sick. Get up and contribute, don't wait for the whining to start! Contribute to yourself (read and listen to Islamic knowledge, it is also fine to read non-Islamic stuff if the purpose is to help contribute Islamically :)); Contribute to the Society; and finally Contribute to my Blog!! Hey, at least I can put a plug in for myself??

JunJun live!

My cutie is on youtube now!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lLHG2gyixBo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lCU1ZDOOapk