Resolutions for 2011...

Make this blog cooler :D

Send birthday wishes to extended family

Move to cash system to reduce spending

Live well, eat well, sweat daily

Hone my home making skills

Organize Organize ORGANIZE

Improve on the cool things I began last year

*haha... piece of cake NO?

Date a Cougar??? ..... Really?...

So there I was, minding my own business and enjoying my free two weeks of Sirius Satellite Radio and happened upon the "Date a Cougar" dating site commercial...

REALLY????

So, now Match and E-Harmony and Indian Matrimonial... none of these are enough? We need a site that makes a Cougar available to the general date-able populous?

Interesting... very interesting.

And What exactly makes one a Cougar anyhow?

Out East?

Last week, Aaliyah decided it was time to crank out the old "Dear Santa" letter. This was Aaliyah's explanation to Ilyaas and Grandpa Dan on how Santa gets the letters from kids:

Aaliyah: So, kids write the letters to Santa and we put Santa Claus and North Pole on the envelope, and then we let the birdies take it!
The Birdies take the letters in their beaks and fly it way high up in the sky and give the letters to Allah...
Then, Allah gives the letters to Santa!
Simple!

Grandpa: What kinds of birdies take the letters?

Aaliyah: Ummm... eagles and owls and chickens and every kind of bird.

Grandpa: Turkeys?

Aaliyah: Yes. Every kind of bird.

Grandpa: Sparrows?

Aaliyah: Yes Grampy! Every kind of bird.

Grandpa: Great Blue Herons?

Aaliyah: Grampy! I said, EVERY kind of bird.

Grandpa: Okay, so Allah gets the letters from ALL kinds of birds and then He gives them to Santa?

Aaliyah: Yes. The North Pole.

Grandpa: Which direction does Allah need to go to get to the North Pole?

Aaliyah: Ahhh... Nnnnnortthhhh... You tried to trick my Grampy!

Grandpa: Hahaha! Yes, I tried to trick you! So, where does Allah live?

Aaliyah: ...

Grandpa: Do you know where Allah lives?

Aaliyah: ummm...

Grandpa: Does He live in...

Aaliyah: I think he lives... out East???

________________________________________________

Hmm.... not exactly where I would have guessed!

Social Experiment #642

TO Homeschool or NOT to Homeschool... that is the question.

One month ago today, Aaliyah went to her last day of 4k until mid-April. I, being the impulsive and experimental parent that I am, YANKED her out of school (No, nothing bad happened..) to see if I could indeed homeschool my child without going totally bonkers.

Today we began day 1 week 4 and my mind changes every day. Some days I think I can do it. Some days I know I can. Some days I fear I cannot and some days I want to put her little tushie back in her 4k classroom so fast my head would spin. Mostly though, its been a neat experience... nice... wholesome... like last week when we took a nature walk and picked up everything green we could and pasted it on our green shamrock shaped collage. Or two weeks ago when we spent an hour each day at least reading together while little babu Ilyaas slept his morning nap away. Or like three weeks ago, we made bread together and I taught Aaliyah to knead prayers and well wishes into the dough... We have really spent better time as a family together in this adventure. I am more proud of my parenting these last 4 weeks too.

But the fear of keeping Aaliyah home is paralyzing at times. What if I make her into a social out-cast. What if I take my beautiful little social butterfly and turn her into an awkward quiet mouse? As a dear friend pointed out (and I'd thought about this already, so she isn't being mean to articulate it...) We already have a few points against us living in small town USA... we are Muslim... so its going to be hard on Aaliyah as it is! Now?! Am I actively making it worse on her by making her not just Muslim but a home schooled Muslim?!

So, I've decided not to outwardly think about it. Well, until Mid-May. By then I'll have put Aaliyah back in school, she'll have had her kindergarten screening and we'll be back on an even keel... I think. THEN and only then will I come down in my official ruling.

MYTH BUSTED: Homeschooling your child will keep them healthier.
FALSE! Aaliyah and I both got quite sick in this last month. We both ended up with the flu- like the fever, body aches, sore throat and cough kind! I haven't been this sick in years! It didn't matter that she was home with me or not in school with her peers... we still got hit.

Resolution #001

This year I will read at least 12 great books. Here is a beginning list of what I intend to read this year: The Help

The Corner of Bitter and Sweet

South of Broad- Pat Conroy

Holding up Half the Sky

Book Thief

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

What I wish: That I had a book club to meet and discuss these books with. How I long for a group of ladies to meet with each month, eat fancy foods, talk and laugh with as we discuss the book in question. ANY TAKERS??

Motto for 2010

Live your best life today. Worry about tomorrow...Tomorrow.

Today doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be better than yesterday...

*Blog posts are back but often typed one handed while cuddling a little boy. They will be short until further notice*