The news of the unrest and violence in Egypt is inescapable. Much of the it has unfolded in full view of video cameras. I have seen bodies piled in the mosques, I have seen a woman in niqab shot to death by a sniper, I have seen grown men weeping over the bodies of their fallen sons. It is a tragedy on every level and it seems to be something that will not be resolved soon. A friend of mine... Read more
Motherhood has been bogging me down lately. Now that I’ve said it, I can hopefully move on. How can I work on elevating my role as a mother when I am dealing with a 4 year old who now qualifies everything as boring? What a boring home! You’re the boring-est mom. Playing with you is so boring! A big THANK YOU to whoever taught her that word. In the low points, I wonder where I went wrong in her upbringing.... Read more
I have a well sustained reputation of being all thumbs in my garden and unfortunately, none of them are green! Despite this fact, we decided to invest in a backyard garden and give ourselves and our children the invaluable experience of growing our own food. Perhaps it was because of my husband, who recently turned vegetarian or perhaps it was the beautiful spring weather in Northern California, or maybe even Michelle Obama’s White House garden that everyone is talking about,... Read more
Growing up, I was a part of a big North Jersey Muslim community. There were Quran classes, sunday school, iftar parties, Ramadan and Eid prayers, and gatherings of all sorts at the masjid. On occasion, I would attended funeral prayers at our mosque. Sometimes it was for an older auntie or uncle I knew, but not too well. Sometimes it was for a stranger. In my carefree, unaffected, and apathetic youth, these funeral prayers were just another gathering. That all... Read more
Last night was movie night in our house. We were camped out on the bed, hubby on one side, me on the other, baby in between, with my oldest son teetering on the far edge while his brothers and sister came and went. They were more interested in fighting space battles with plastic light sabers than watching a shoot-em-up bang-bang movie on TV. The movie was pure action adventure, with an unlikely hero pitted against a stereotypically evil bad guy.... Read more
I’ve never been to the masjid during Ramadan. It might sound unbelievable, but it’s true. Mother’s with small children might know what I am going through- with the fasts being so long these past few years I find it almost impossible to get out of the house to go pray taraweeh. My daughter is six-years-old and while it may be arguable that she’s ready to be attending the masjid, I just don’t see how it’s possible. And that is what gives... Read more
I love a good sale. When I had my second daughter I started what has become a close and personal relationship with online shopping. I was able to try things on in the privacy of my own home and when things didn’t work out I simply returned them. But most of all the deals were great. I reassured my husband on more than one occasion that I was saving money, not spending it. But I’ve stopped online shopping now. I’ve... Read more
Everyone knows that Ramadan is full of blessings and benefits for our minds, bodies, and souls. Even the little ones are aware of how special this month is. They eagerly want to get involved in the planning and preparing for all the festivities, participate in fasting, and join in the prayers and gatherings in the mosque. If we make it exciting and welcoming for them now, they will grow with beautiful memories of Ramadan being full of happiness, blessings, and... Read more
The other day a friend of mine was lamenting the fact that she was unable to fast this Ramadan because she is nursing her three-month-old baby. She remarked that because of that and her other demands as a mother of five she was finding it difficult to catch the Ramadan spirit. It reminded me of the first Ramadan I was unable to fast. I had a two-month-old son and was breastfeeding. As the blessed month approached I felt a little... Read more
It’s that time of year. One can sense the adrenalin rushing in to get things in place, to buy gifts and groceries, to stuff freezers with samosas and kababs, to get the house in order, all so that we can focus on getting our spirits ready for Ramadan. In the focused frenzy to prepare our homes, our families and ourselves, I’ve noticed a lot of folks decide to put education on the shelf for the whole month. Yes, this blessed... Read more
Grow Mama Grow
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In