Flavour Of The Day With Noora

Running Against Time

I have lately realised that I seem to be running a race against time, and I cannot find the finish line. My life has become so hectic and different that I barely recognise it. I am running to be an excellent stepmom, mom, wife, house maker, daughter, and sister, but yet feel so off balance. In this new life, I lost sight of what is really important, peace of mind and body. I forgot what it is like to just slow down.

Life can put up quite a fight when you are trying to figure it out, which is what I have been trying to do for the past three years since I got married. I am trying to make sense of motherhood and the changes it has thrust upon me. I am trying to understand relationships that are new and fragile, and I am trying to accept shifting priorities.

When it's just you, its pretty basic; when there are a husband and kids, it gets messy. I feel messy now! I don't know what is going on or why, I just feel like I am making mistakes with the pace of life I have chosen, I need to slow down and enjoy my life. But, I don't know how and what to let go of. 

Flavour Of The Day With Noora

"I Scared"

Yousef is afraid of just about anything. Cats, flies, ants, masks, people dressed in costumes, children with face painting and even balloons, blown or not. Almost anything he sees makes him say, "I scared!"

Whatever triggered it did a really good job in making him feel really miserable in such situations. At preschool he is just the same, we had to miss out on costume day to avoid a meltdown. His teachers gave me a few tips to try to make things better. So, when Yousef sees his father's face covered with shaving cream (usually a terrifying experience for him), it should be treated as a normal situation where we act casually and continue whatever we are doing; not pushing him to accept it is key.

I hope he gets over it soon, it's saddening to see a child his age missing out on so many activities.  

Flavour Of The Day With Noora

Sleepless Mama

I can't remember the last time I had deep, uninterrupted sleep. The kind of sleep you get when you are a teenager and your biggest concern is getting through high school! Your parents keep coming to wake you up and you just refuse to get out of bed.

I think it's safe to say that the level of my intelligence has significantly decreased with my recent two pregnancies and the continuous sleep deprivation. I thought preschool would help Yousef (2 years) sleep better but he is still waking up in the middle of the night crying for no reason. Mona (5 months) wakes up and starts yelling, not crying, but actually yelling at me, until I give her the bottle which she literally takes two sips of and then refuses to continue. By the time they are both asleep and I start to dose off, it's time for preschool and I am just about ready to shout.

I really can't wait until my kids grow up!

Flavour Of The Day With Noora

Play Date 1: Successful

Yousef had his first play date yesterday and it was adorable. With a friend from preschool we went to a kids' play area and it was the first time I see him in a social setting with people other than family or friends he has known since he was born.

He was amazing, said thank you when he should have, shared toys, took turns playing, obeyed every instruction and left happily when I said it was time to go. I couldn't believe it! I felt so bad that I don't take him to such places often but I was always either pregnant and exhausted or with a new born baby. After yesterday, that will definitely change.  And believe it or not, at the end of the day, he gave me a hug and said "I miss you".

What a day :)

Flavour Of The Day With Noora

Sleep Deprived


I don't know how much of this sleep deprivation I can handle. For the past two weeks, the minimum number of "wake up" calls I got from my two kids is 2-3 times a night. Yousef got ill and so kept me up for about two hours the other day and an hour later, I had to wake up with Mona.

I am so tired and frustrated all the time, it's ridiculous. To top it all off, Mona wants to be carried ALL DAY. She is a blessing when she is held and the moment I put her down, she is a tiny monster.

I need a night of uninterrupted sleep!

Flavour Of The Day With Noora

Nael, my husband, jokes that I like things done the hard way. I make Yousef sleep in his own bed even though it makes him whine a bit every night. I want Mona to fall asleep on her own rather than getting used to being rocked to sleep, and I want a certain level of discipline for my kids even though it might annoy them at the beginning. 

Nael, is easy going, has extreme patience and gives a million warnings before taking action. I would be annoyed and rushing the kids into the car, while he would be whistling and singing to them. I don't mind sleep-training my baby for 3 weeks if it means he will learn to sleep on his own, while he would rather spend 45 minutes every night trying to put him to sleep beside him.

While none of us plays these roles on purpose, Nael is always pushing for my approach (as long as he isn't the one doing it) because he likes the outcome of having well-behaved, disciplined kids who follow a routine.

While our parents say that the good cop bad cop is a good balance, nowadays a united front in more important. Which is it?

How much should a parent stick to the rules and how many times should a parent give in? I hate it when children negotiate every single thing and I think that when a child sees you not sticking to the rules, he will negotiate every single time. And then comes the "but last time you said yes" whine. 

Flavour Of The Day With Noora

I visited my uncle for Eid yesterday. This uncle is especially special to me because he is the symbol of a good-hearted person who dedicated his life for his children.

During the first 12 years of his marriage to my aunt, doctors told them that they could not have kids. And with some miracle, they had 2 boys 12 years later. He was a teacher, so was my aunt, he worked overtime, while she raised their boys. And after 49 years of work, they finally retired and moved back to Jordan. However, they had to leave my cousins, who are now married and have their own lives.

Yesterday, my uncle was saying that this is their first Eid in 34 years away from their children. I sat there, looking at this man, who to me was a symbol of strength and perseverance, and was shocked by the tears in his eyes.

You would think that after working so hard for so long, he needed a break; but what he really needed was his kids. Then my aunt said something that hit me: "Noora, one day you will look back and say, I wish they were still my babies. I wish I could go back to the days when I KNOW my son is in bed right now sleeping in the room next to me."

I guess once you cross the road into parent-hood, nothing will mean as much as being next to your child!