Just the news.....

Alhamdulillah.

Alhamdulillah....say it.

Alhamdulillah........say it out loud so that someone can hear you.

Did u say it? Did you say it and get the thawab for saying it? I hope you did, because then I get thawab for telling you to do it as well.......

Here's why.....

It started on Wednesday with me. I took the kids to the club and they went swimming. It's the time for women only....they hang curtains around the pool and then for 3 glorious hours...the pool is ours. JOY!! Unfortunately....I didn't get to go, considering that Precious Baby is still too small.....but can I share with you the excitement and joy of seeing the girls so happy? It's wonderful!!

And somehow....getting out of the house and leaving behind all the raw feelings, thoughts and whatever else lurks in the dark shadows.........I began to breathe again. Alhamdulillah.

Thursday.....we took off and went to Cairo. (got stuck in traffic as you can see!) I felt that it was very important to go. Important to my health, my sanity....and again....to the kids! We spent 4 days there and just relaxed. We ate too much food, laughed alot, cried a little......and just enjoyed the company of others. I think at times I got that snow stare on my face. You know what I'm talking about? When everyone is talking, and you sort of veg out and go off into your own world of thoughts? Well, ya.....that's what I mean.

Sometimes I found myself deep in thought and others trying to get my attention....... I heard my SIL's sister ask...."Safa sarhaan kidda lay?" Oops!! That'll wake you up fast! But I guess I was thinking about how all of us suffer our own problems and difficulties, and how by just getting together with others we seem to get this second wind. Well, I enjoyed the second wind.

We had some great laughs. My SIL has 5 girls...masha Allah. And with the craziness that inadvertantly comes with having 5 small kids.......you tend to get tongue tied sometimes. So this SIL is well known for messing up her words. This weekend she said...

"kasarrholic al bab? (Can I break the door for you?) When she meant to say, Can I close the door for you

"Iqfil al tableeya wa sheel al bab" (close the small table and carry the door) She meant, close the door and carry the small table.

"Al ascensour bit sheel 350 naffar" (the elevator carries 350 ppl) She meant that the elevator carries 350 KG

"Lamma ittissal bil bayt, ring alayya" (when you call the house, ring on me) She meant....when you reach home, ring on me

"giblik sucre?" (would you like sugar?) ....oh this one was precious....she said this as we started having dinner and we were all confused. She corrected herself and asked if we wanted salt.

.......LOL....there were a lot more, but those are the ones that come to mind.

Alhamdulillah again. There was much laughter around us. I got up early on Saturday and went to the souq to buy 3 chickens. I managed NOT to get lost......but got found out for a foreignor wherever I went. I suppose that as good as I speak arabic, that I do have some difficulty with the letter AYN and ALIF. I don't seem to make the sound when I should.......oh well!!

The girls had TONS of fun...... so many girls around us! The four days was more about hair, clothing and dancing than it was about anything else! (except of course prayer... masha Allah.... ALL 9 of the girls prayed fajr together EVERY day....even the two four yr olds!)

What else? Oh.... the hubby? Well... since I asked him for a divorce, he hasn't talked to me. He's called and talked to the girls only. While I was in Cairo, he called twice. Both times he didn't talk to me as well. He told his 12 yr old daughter that he should be here in 30 days or less. I pray that it's the truth, because he's losing his kids by never keeping his word. BTW, none of the kids believe he'll be here before September. And neither do they believe that he's coming to stay for good. Allah knows!

Anyways.....I'm back home now. It's horribly hot and sticky today......and I have so much I want to write........another time.......