Anisa and Me

Being the middle child Anisa has had the least one on one time with wither Mehran or myself. She puts up with a lot and doesn't seem to realize it. For what may be the first time since she was born, I had the chance to spend the day just with her. Bayan went to Mehran's parents, we dropped Ruhi at school and she and I headed to the hospital for her appointment. The appointment. This is the one that we needed to wait six months for to see if the size of her artery had changed. It has not. While the doctors can still offer no explanation for it they believe this is normal for her. They are still monitoring things and will routinely check but they have said there is no cause to worry. Exhale. Thank you God!

We finished the appointment in record time and decided to go and get something to eat. Anisa chose MacDonald's and we had a delightful lunch featuring fish, potatoes and orange juice or some semblance thereof. She played on the playground and I watched, mindful and so very grateful for this time that we have together. We still had awhile before we needed to go and pick up Ruhi so I asked what she would like to do next. The sky was the limit. Do you know what she said? Out of all the choices that she had, out of everything that we could do together, what she wanted most of all was to go home and paint with me. And you know what? That is exactly what we did. For the rest of the afternoon. Life is so very sweet.

Eleven things I am loving just now...

1). The love of family and the home made apple pies that we make together. Not to mention finding sweet notes like this spontaneously constructed and left by Ruhi in the most appropriate places. How lovely was this?2). Whispered conversations between siblings and the tender compassion and advice they provide.

3). Watching my children develop a love for reading. Notice that luscious piece of Chocolate cake? It was left untouched for over two hours. She had to finish the book before she could bring herself to eat it. I wish I had that kind of self control. 4). These trees and the glorious autumnal display happening in the hills right now. It's not New England, but it is as good as it's going get around here. And I'm loving every moment.5). Finding rainbow laurikeets in our fig tree.
6). Watching Ruhi construct a treasure hunt for Anisa and the neighbours' children. Complete with clues and healthy treat at the end. 7). Watching this little guy drive his trucks around outside and enjoying the sheer delight he takes in zipping along, digging small patches in the garden and filling them back in ever so carefully.

8). Playing trains and constructing high rise towers with a very delightful boy.

9). Watching this sweet one devise a plan to replace the lid for the sugar bowl that she accidentally shattered across the kitchen floor.

10). Her expressiveness.

11). These eyes.

Sunday with Dad

For the last week Mehran has been working quintuple time. He has hardly seen the children this week. I think he may have said good morning to them on three occasions before dashing out the door and he arrived home every evening long after they had gone to bed. So, it was with much excitement that Ruhi answered the phone this afternoon and told us about Baba's big plan to take us all to the beach, for a hike along a boardwalk and some playtime in the sand. For a moment Bayan was speechless. So, we hurriedly finished our jobs and jumped in the car. We were in such a rush that I even forgot to take the camera, to capture some of the precious moments on film - you know the extra fun ones like Mehran schlepping up the hill with Bayan on his shoulders who alternated between strangling him from behind and grabbing fistfuls of hair and scalp in an effort to feel secure at such unfathomable heights and Mehran having to jump over safety railings and scurry along a precipice, while jagged rocks jutted out of a raging sea below, to rescue Anisa's shoe which was accidentally dropped over the side, while she howled a wailing symphony of despair at the apparent loss of her precious footwear- you know the fun stuff. Is it horrible that I find impish delight in Mehran's exasperation with parenthood? I just enjoy seeing someone else copping some of the thrills of parenting, especially as I am usually the one being strangled by loving arms while I attempt to vacuum the floor, although I have never had scramble along the side of a cliff to retrieve a shoe, that was a first... but have no fear, I am sure my time will come.