Supper at the Saadi's
The following day we had supper at the Saadi's house - friends of ours from Abqaiq ARAMCO. Mariam had a BLAST there - it was great because I (mama) finally got to relax and not worry about her because she was entertaining herself with the Saadi kids. She loved them.
In this picture we're still at home - she's just finishing up a crayon masterpiece before she leaves the house:
Here she is with Randa and Noor - she really liked Randa a lot - kind of the same feelings she has for her aunt Randa ;)
Here are a couple of pictures with the rest of the Saadi's except for Ahmed who had already fallen asleep. We had a great evening.
The zoo makes me HAPPY!!
Here's Mariooma taking a picture beside the little statue of the elephant near the elephants at the zoo. Last time she wouldn't stand here alone. This time she had a blast.
I can't quite remember why she's cracking up here :)
She also watched the elephants doing 'poo poo' and cheered them on shouting 'yey..poo...poo' since when she does poo poo mama cheers her on - it was pretty cute.
A trip to the Zoo
We went to the zoo on Saturday June 10th with Sarah and Isaac. Mariam is never to thrilled on the way there because she doesn't like the early trip in the car and being confined to her carseat. You can tell how unhappy she is in this picture:
When we get there it's a different story. She loves the giraffes - here she is pointing to the daddy giraffe while sitting in her stroller.
She can only sit for so long. After a little bit she requests to be picked up by saying 'up' or 'sheel' (lift me up in Arabic) so she can get a better view. Here is the giraffe she was pointing at:
Mariam and mama after the giraffes cheered her up a bit:
Our zoo buddies: Sarah and Isaac:
June 8 2006
Sorry, not much of a picture but the only picture I took that day. She was kind of out of it and not willing to pose :)
outside again - this time singing and dancing
Mariam loves her Winnie the Pooh book - she sits and sings along with the songs and then also dances, twirls around, or moves her hands in dancing motion. She loves it when we sing along too, but never wants to stop :). Sometimes we'll just sing and sing...
and sing and sing....
and sing and dance... :)
'Hey mama, put that camera down and sing and dance with me...'
she looks kinda tired huh? Probably because she wouldn't go down for a nap :)
Her work station on the patio
Mariam loves to sit outside on her little picnic table and draw in her book.
She likes to show off her colors as she is coloring. She especially likes being quizzed on all the colors and their names :) Here she's showing me the green crayon after I asked her where the green is...
Here she's telling me that this crayon is booo (blue)...
Mama seeet (sit)...she likes me to sit with her as she colors.
Back to the drawing board :)
Sunday June 4 - nap time
Mariam was tired and was getting grouchy before we went out and didn't want to get dressed...
but Muhammad insisted and finally got her dressed.
She was a happy girl after that.
In the car she finally fell asleep.
Lazy Saturday
Last Saturday was our lazy Saturday - we just hung out at home. Here are a couple of pictures of Mariooma on our bed after her bath.
'I have nothing in my hands...see'
Leaving for NY
Last Friday we got ready to go to NY - although we never actually got there, Mariam had a lot of fun getting ready for the trip and at the airport.
Here she is helping us close the suitcase after we'd finished packing. She helped us by sitting in the suitcase during the packing process.
Here she is in the airport running around. She had a blast just running around and talking to other waiting passengers. Couldn't get a still shot of her.
Wondering off to find another passenger to talk to while at the same time checking to make sure her wallet's in her pocket :)
A moment of stillness - as she stands in deep thought...
Off again to show other passengers what she discovered in mama's purse...
Keeeam
Mariooma loves body cream or lotion. She sees the tube of lotion and says 'keeam' (cream) 'peeeaz'. Then she sits and asks you to squeeze some in her hands and she puts it all over her face. Here she is lotioning her face prior to bed.
Salah...Prayer
Yesterday Mariam decided she was going to show Muhammad how to pray. She says 'buba...akbar' and tries to make him go into sojood. The following are a step by step approach to her teaching method :)
"Ok buba...I'll make this fun but you gotta listen...I want you to go ahead and place your forhead on the ground..."
"I said...
placccce your
heaaad on the ground...I'm gonna get you to do this if it's the last thing I do...I know I'm strong enough...just...got-ta pull hard..."
"Good...good...you're getting there..."
"Buba...This is how it's done..."(not really how it's done for those unfamiliar with the Muslim prayer ritual...it's just how Mariam
thinks it's done :)...)
"I suppose I'll give you a pass since you love me so much :)"
Molokhiya - May 31, 2006
I made molokhiya for the first time yesterday. Mariam seemed to like it at first and here she is helping herself to some. She only ate a few spoonfuls, but I think it's because it was a new dish.
First she puts the rice on the spoon with her fingers:
Then, she brings it to her mouth:
....very messy indeed....
That was ok mama...but where's the MEAT??
After a while she decided that chicken was for her not molokhiya so here she is eating the drumstick. She's a meat lover like her father.
As you can tell it was overall a very messy meal and she went straight into the bath after it.
Sha3 - May 31, 2006
Mariam loves to pick flowers and put them in her hair. When she sees a flower she points to her head and says 'sha3' (Arabic for hair). She even says this if she sees the flower on TV. Here she is trying to pick a flower:
Proud of her flower.
Putting it in her hair...(sha3)
May 30th, 2006 - Mama's Birthday
Mariam playing '..side' again. She was playing with the little monkey Hana gave her. Offering me a leaf as a present :).
We went to our friends' (Rania and Mohamed's) house for dinner. Their son Saif was infatuated with Mariam, but she was not very amused with him.
"Mama tell him to leeeave me alone..."
FOUNDERS FAVORITE
Afterwards we went to coldstones and had some yummy founders favorite - I think it's a favorite of Mariam's too.
Butter, no bread peease...ta..tu
Mariam has just discovered butter. The morning of the barbecue I buttered some bread for her and she loved the butter - she started licking it off and when she was done she'd want me to re-butter the same slice of bread. It was amusing to watch. She had just woken up so excuse the hair :).
YUMMY!!!
