Mio Giving Christmas 2010

So the time has come again we started this two years ago every year we find kids or a family to donate gifts for we do in titi Mio's name she was so good giving to others and specially children so is a way to honor her and to teach the children that Christmas is about giving.

I know the economy is hard but our children are getting gifts there is no reason why others should not. This year we found a family of 9 children ranging from all ages 1 to 16... We tend to increase the number every year. This year it was touching one of the girls has thyroid cancer and it meant so much more for us.

Samia and Gamila what a difference it makes last year you guys wanted every toy as well this year you guys were so happy and picking what goes for every each and the Christmas tags.

I am so happy I can tell the teaching has helped and now you guys understand is not just about you guys getting gifts.

The wrapping is always done by the whole family. However this year baba could not help us he is working allot so we took it upon ourselves the girls Mami wrapped, Samia and GAmila put the bows and pick the cards for each gift. Amir next year you will have a task as well.

Nenes Inshallah we would keep on doing this every year however there are a few rules:

-NEW toys NO DOLLAR store toys that would be Haram or unfair.

-NO receipt for the donation (that would be cheating here we are giving and then get something monetary in return NONO remember we give without expecting anything in return)

-The greeting cards have to say From: AMIRA or titi Mio

Here is the pictures of the last two years WOW! have we change in so many ways

Now that we have done our two traditions now is time for the food prepping and let the music roll. I love to listen to my Colombia music 

Mio Giving Christmas 2009

So the time has come again we started this last year every year we find kids or a family to donate gifts for we do in titi Mio's name she was so good giving to others and specially children so is a way to honor her and to teach the children that christmas is about giving.  

I know the economy is hard but our children are getting gifts there is no reason why others should not.  This year we found a  family of 7 children ranging from all ages 1 to 16... Samia helped us pick the toys but since she is a little girl she wanted one for her for every toy we pick I guess that is how we teach her is not just about us but others in Christmas.

The wrapping is always done by the whole family.  Mami wrapped, baba did tags and bows, Samia pick the bows and help us putting the bows with Milo's help.

Nenas Inshallah we would do this every year however there are a few rules:

-NEW toys NO DOLLAR store toys that would be Haram or unfair.

-NO receipt for the donation (that would be cheating here we are giving and then get something monetary in return NONO remembe we give without expecting anything in return)

-The greeting cards have to say From: AMIRA or titi Mio

Dogs and flowers!

Today was a fun day we got to do something with baba he is being working so much but he made sure to give us a few hours this morning...


We went to the park and to our surprise there was a a dog show it was very nice dogs everywhere Samia and baba were in heaven...mami and Gamila were just enjoying seeing baba and Samia so happy. We even came across two of Samia's teachers. She was so excited to see them.

I always wonder how Samia can go from this smile to this.

I know Samia you will kill me if you knew I am putting a picture of you in this conditions, but I just want to you that you are not all smiles and sometimes mami had to deal with moments like this, while Milo the clown is goofing off clueless about what is going on with her older sisters drama.

Now to my crafts or creations....after yesterday's walk and no luck collecting leaves to make a garland...this morning while I was reading my magazines I decided I will make them out of the paper just in the fall colors. Samia help me pick the colors and I cut the shapes, she also help me glue it to the ribbon and even hang it. Gracias chuchi.

Sometime this week I finally came around to putting up Mio's picture in their room. I did not want to do it when Guido and Zetu were here, since I know is not easy for them. But baba and me want to keep her memory around las nenas so I have always kept a picture of her and put flowers around it. That was one of the reason why when I was doing the landscape I pick roses this way we could go out and cut them and decorate her picture. Today Samia and I decided to do it.

Samia lately you being asking a lot about Mio your latest things is what language she speak, English, Spanish or Arabic..when I told you English and Arabic you got all excited. The other day when it was one of our rough days after you came out of your time out you brought her up again..it baffles me that you ask so much about her...I know she loved you dearly and wish so badly to see you..so this makes me wonder what is going on in that little head of yours.

Let's go to the sky!

Dialogs of a 3 year old.

Yesterday while we were in Lowes getting some stuff Samia said she needed some flowers but they had to be pink for a princess like her.

However today we had a small conversation that made me cry. I finally got around to hanging an embroidery Titi Mio made and she gave it to me when she teach me how to embroidery. I love that picture frame it reminds me of her and I love seeing it in my room.

When Samia came across it
Samia "Mami thank you for this beautiful frame"

Mami "Titi Mio made it"

Samia "Mami when is she coming?"

Mami "She is not coming she is in the sky with God"

Samia places her hands in her waist and then proceeds to tell me "Mami how we are going to get there?"

Mami "Not sure we can go there"

Samia "I know the pilot in the plane can take us to see titi Mio"

By now I had tears coming down my cheeks...these are the moments it hits me that she is not here and las nenas never got to meet her. I will love to have a boy but having another girl and naming her Amira would be so beautiful. She was a such an special girl.

The remodeling continue today we are actually working in a big project that is going to take us a couple of days but after finishing it we would be like having a new dinner room.
We also created a little Mediterranean corner. I have to admit I am in love with it and so are the girls.

Start of a tough week!

Here is mami playing with her camera and photoshop...I know I must be driving everybody crazy with photos.

How to preserve tomatoes no need of canning. Every time I see tomatoes for a good price I usually buy a couple of pounds and freeze them for future use.

Wash the tomatoes
Boil water and in another container fill it with cold water I usually put ice.
Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for about a minute then take them out and put them in the ice water.
Do this about 3 times then peel the tomatoes and put them in zip lock bags and make sure to take out the air.
I usually put dates on my bags, you could also keep the skin but it gets very hard for when you going to use it.

Chamomile ~ or sheaia like baba calls it he loves this stuff any time we have an upset stomach that is what we drink, and while I was in Egypt the girls and I will have a drink of these every morning.

However I also used it for the hair, nenas when I was growing up Abuela would always boiled the chamomile and put it in a spray bottle and she would always spray my hair before going out, specially if I was going to be in the sun the whole day. It never made my hair blonde, but I always had highlights in my hair I guess it was the chamomile that was till I decided to put a whole bottle of peroxide in my hair and ruin it.




And this is Amira with the rose for this week.....exactly a year today was the last time I spoke to titi Mio like Samia calls her...I still remember her voice that day, she actually sounded much better than before, we all though it was over, she would be getting her surgery and then on her way home to recuperate and come and stay with us. Little did we know!

Today I made sure I bought her a beautiful rose to put next to her picture like I always do. This picture was taken in Hurghada a couple of years back, I only remember how much fun we had together. It was a great trip from the beginning to the end...what can I say everything Amira did was just perfect.
Salam habibi and wahashtiny aktar. !!!!

Enty fein Mistika? ~ Pickle Lemons & Saving lemons

So I love the little key limes the smalls ones they are full of juice, but for some reason they only sell them in bags of almost 20, and although I love lemons almost in everything they still go bad so I finally decided to put them to some use and not throw away all the ones that go bad. I found this way of saving the lemons so we could use them at a future time.

Esprimir (not sure how to say that in English)the lemons
Then put the juice ice cube holders
Put them in the fridge
The next day put them in a bag and every time you need lemon just take one of your cubes out and you have the lemon juice with no preservatives.

I put some bags in top of the ice cube holder so they would not get the smells from the freezer. I being putting a cube of lemon in my water bottle.

ThenI decided to make some Pickle Lemons Egyptian style for this we call our Suzzu, baba and Samia like them I am not too fond of them but I think that after making them I will eat them.

You take the lemons and boil them till they get a yellowish color.
Then take kosher salt and black seeds (these you can get in any international store they also go by the name of Black cumin, Kalonji) and mix that in the glass jar with some water, you can also put some hot pepper but I don't do spices so they are not in my jar.
Put the lemons in the jar and put in your kitchen cabinet for about 10 days.
After the 10 days they are ready to be eaten, you can even use them to cook.


Here is my Milo being a silly girl, she is trying to learn how to flip so every time I turn around I see her nalgas and her face between her legs. Samia I remember you used to love to this when you were about the same age.

Nenas this coming week would be a year Titi Mio left us, truely I have not really want to think about it because I know the only thing I will do is cry, is amazing how eventhough she did not get to visit us here in Baton Rouge there are 100 things that remind me of her. Today while I was taking out an old purse I found a note she once send me...I just can not believe she is not here, Why >>>>>>she was an angel sent from heaven I guess that is why she was only with us for 3 decades, but why take her back.

I miss her she is the sister I never had. I know Allah you took her and gave me 2 beautiful girls but she is the person I always though was going to take care of my children something would happen to us. I know we have Abuela and Zetu but she was young and I know she loved you nenas like you were her own children.

Mio you teach me so many things I will let the nenas know all of the stuff you teach me, all the funny things we did, and all the times we spoke in Yahoo for hours. Mio since you left I never use it anymore, you were the only person I wanted to chat with.

Wahashtiny habibi, enty fein...I can hear you know saying "Ahlan Mistika, Fein habibi????? I being waiting for you here!!! Sorry for all of those times I made you wait and wait for me...if I would had only know I would had make it everyday at 12 o'clock on the dot.

Fly fly my kite and my mind

The other night while I was putting Samia's pajama I did something I hated when I was growing up, I remember being small and Abuela putting my shirt and every time she was trying to pull it up the arms part she would pinch me, I know she did not mean to do it but it just happen. Is those small pinches that hurt ( I am not sure if I am explaining myself well, but I know nenas you will remember those most dreaded pinches)

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Also while I was bathing Gamila I realize how long her hair is, when those curls dry up her hair looks so short, Gamila, Abuela teach me a few techniques in fixing your hair so is being looking better lately.

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Today we went to a kite festival away from having so much fun it surely brought back many memories of when I was growing up, Abuelo used to take us to fly our kites.

Nenas the two of you flied the kite Samia you did very well and Gamila you were awesome, it was funny seeing this little person flying the kite I have to be sincere mami is silly and at times I was thinking you were going to fly away with the kite. I know nenas mami is always worrying.

Nenas always remember simple things can be be very fulfilling also remember you don't have to spend allot of money to have fun, remember nenas we are the ones that make things fun is always our attitude that can make the difference.

Baba could not go with us since he is working so much but he was so glad we were going to have fun with the Azadan's. They are just great people, I thank God that they were put in our lives.Today we played soccer, we race in Samantha's little car, Bonnie and I played like little girls flying our kites as well, and we had a nice picnic it was just great the weather to be outside.

Milo you still throwing your temper tantrums however after your last fall now you throw yourself to the front, when Abuela was here she told me to grab you by the arms and make you stand up and talk very strong and seriously and it has being working but today you had to prove me wrong. Here you are throwing one and Alexandra is trying to help you.

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I am sorry readers if I change from one subject to another but for one that is how my mind is, I never stop thinking even in my sleep. With that subject last night I dream with Titi Mio, I being having her allot in my mind lately this upcoming Friday would be a year that she enter the hospital and never left I just can not believe it, today while I was driving to the festival I was thinking that we see faces and smiles but we never know what the person or persons are feeling nobody could had tell that today I was sad inside thinking of Mio, I guess when you have children life goes on and we can not pass our pain to them. I dream that Mio was getting marry. She was going to get marry a couple of years back but the engagement was cancel all of a sudden, but in my dream we were planning her wedding I was in Alexandria with her and Zetu planning the big day. I will stop with Amira now if not I will be cleaning tears of my keyboard.

Don't be scared -- She has powers!

I always talk about a cat that we had and I had to give away some months back. That cat was the first pet baba and I had as a couple...well I should clarify I did have Gully my gold fish that baba murder. So I remember like today we drove all the way from Queens to Seaside New Jersey and for those that are familiar with the Tri-state area is a long drive specially on a Sunday afternoon when you have everybody commuting back to the city.

We got our cat with only a few weeks old. The following Monday I call my Mio and ask her what to name her since she absolutely adore cats and she named her "Karamella". I had never owned a cat in my life, while growing up for some reason Abuela always told me they were dirty and I also had an uneasy fear of cats, I always though they were going to jump at my throat.

So that first Monday at home alone with Karamella while baba worked I was thinking the moment this cat pipi's outside the litter box, she is out of the house since I had heard that cat's pipi is the worst, and is full of ammonia almost impossible to get out. So I made a bunch of excuses in my mind in case I had to get rid of her what I will tell baba. Needless to say there was no need for any of those stories I learned cats are the cleanest animals on earth.

In August of 2003 Mio came and stayed with us in New York for 2 moths it was the first time of me meeting her in person, but thanks to messenger I felt like I knew her forever, well she even had a pictures of Karamella. From the moment Mio enter that door Karamella forgot me and Mio was her owner, she was with her day and night. Karamella's menu change from cat food to yogurt, boiled eggs and cheese for those two months she spoil that cat like crazy.

So Karamella became part of the family even after she went back she would ask about her, and I have to admit I did see Karamella a little weird after she left I figure she was missing her. Then we moved to SC there we got Morena, also a puppy so Karamella in a weird way became her mom, she would lick her and play together.

I have to clarify while all of these was going on the moves, the long hours of us at work that cat never had an accident outside her littler box, and she never wanted to go outside, I could leave the door open and she was not interested at all in being outside.

So here we are in Baton Rouge August of 2007 all of a sudden Karamella starts to spray/pipi (don't know really what is the difference between the two) and she starts doing it in the couch..at the beginning I though they were accidents but the situation got worse. I was getting worry for many reasons my mom was coming to visit us, I was pregnant. So I started doing 100 crazy things, I put pepper all over the couch to keep her off, I put packing tape in the couch so when she would jump in the couch her paws would get stuck --- you name it I did it, but it continue.

The day Abuela arrived I told baba if this continues she has to go. The sad news she did not go, Morena die a couple of weeks latter all of a sudden. After Morena's dead the couch was clean, first Morena never slept on it again and secondly Karamella never climb the couch again.

At this time I did not relate the two.

March, April and May of 2008 Karamella starts pipi again in top of controls anywhere she could, I was going crazy cleaning up with a baby in the house and a toddler. Poor baba had to listing to my nagging with a Clorox rag in his hand. While all of these was going on Amira was getting sick and more sick in Egypt -- at all of these I did not relate the two. All of a sudden Karamella stops the pipi, not sure when it was however I do recall that in early June of 2008 I got fed up and I went upstairs and gave her away to the neighbors.

Amira enter the hospital in April. From April to July we though she was in the hospital, however she had passed away on May 9th, Guido and Zetu never had the courage to tell us for many reasons, is hard to understand, but who am I to blame. To this day I cry for her almost everyday so regardless of when we found out the pain would be the same.

After all of these I came to the conclusion that Karamella could sense when somebody was going to die. One more reason I am happy she is gone, I would be scared every time she acted in some weird way. I did some research and also found a story about a cat in a nursing home that could sense when someone was going to past away.

Nenas in no way I am discouraging you to get a cat one day, I just wanted to shared this story with the two of you.

Mio Happy Dolls

So the time has come....For the last couple of weeks I being working on an idea to help others it all started when I finish reading Three Cups of Tea the story is very good, however the best part was the end. I think it was maybe midnight when I finally finish the book I recall that it read something like "How can you help?""" In my mind I figure they want money...NO NO they came up with certain ways to help one is blogging about the book, telling others about the book, going to your public library and asking them to carry the book.

I though it was wonderful, so the book is about education, but then I though but education and no toys...and mami started to think and think and then Carmelita came to my head (is a doll I made for Samia and she loves her) so I figure I can make dolls and have Samia help me. Then I started to think okey I make dolls for other children in need but then where should I send them to. Here in the USA they are so many problems with toys that is impossible. Also I want for Samia to know that there are millions of children that don't even have a Carmelita...Thank God here in the States even if you are in poverty level you can go to a dollar store and get a doll in many other countries that is impossible.

Then Amira also known as Mio came to my mind when she was alive she used to always help children in need in Alexandria with dental services so I figure we would make these dolls in her name and give them to those that she took care off so much...that is when Mamamona came into action I remember she lives in Hurghada in Egypt and I remember that when I went there I saw many children in need. I contact her and ask her is she would be kind enough to distribute the dolls for me to children in need...right away she said yes. Thank you so much! Then my other blogger friend came to mind Stylomom in Singapore after I contact her she immediately said yes.

Samia has being helping me to do the dolls also my friend Bonnie is helping me make them and she would also help me come up with an idea for a boy...is only fair that if you giving little girls dolls boys should get something. I am hoping I can make about 20 dolls per month mainly with the scraps I have left from the cloths I sew for the girls...I know postage would be a little bit costly but we are more than happy in cutting two meals at McDonald's per month. Is for a good cause.

I just want for Samia and Gamila to appreciate things...I remember Abuelo telling me how he had to walk 2 hours to go to school when he was a young boy sometimes with shoes that had holes in them. Although I had my hard times growing up it was never as hard as him, but the fact that I did not go thru his hardships does not allows me to forget or not teach my daughters how much need is out there. I want Samia and Gamila to know that we have privileges that many other children don't have. I am hoping I can keep on doing these for many years to come along with my Christmas toy drive we started last year. Inshallah!!!!

Once again Thanks Mamamona - Stylemom - Bonnie without you three this would not be possible. I am hoping this coming week I will mail my first batch...hopefully soon we would be making 10 kids have a smile in their face...I know is not allot but it helps, if all of us would help and not be so self absorb with ourselves we would certainly leave a better place for our kids.

If any of you know of any missionaries that are leaving anytime soon I would love to send some dolls with them...as you can imagine this would help shipping cost down and would allow me to make more and more dolls and make many more children happy, or if any of you are overseas and want to help me distribute the dolls please let me know.

About the dolls they are simple made of cotton scraps, I don't make them very bulky mainly for the shipping reasons, they are about 5" and I paint their face features. Just something a little girl can hold, carry with her, sleep with her and play with like my Samia does with Carmelita.

Doing what Mio knew best GIVING

So last night I could not fall sleep and here I am searching the web and I read like 3 articles all saying how there are not enough toys being donated, or enough food being donated. So how can we help I start thinking. Then I think that maybe donating to an orphanage would be a good idea.

When baba wakes up I tell him and right away his answer was "YES and we are doing it today in Amira's name" When we were in Egypt we heard many stories from the people that would come to the house to say Sorry, how Mio would always be giving toys for the poor children or checking their teeth, donating children tooth brushes, tooth paste etc. Keep on mind many of these items are expensive in Egypt and a family in need can not afford them.

So I call several places and finally I found a shelter for woman and children I spoke to the person in charge and she was so happy and excited she even took the time to tell me every child age and gender, and I could tell by her voice she wanted them today. So on we went to buy the toys and then we come home to wrap them.

Through the whole process Samia help us pick the toys up, she help us wrap the toys. She wanted some for her but mami and baba explained to her that we were helping Santa and we were going to give them to other children. By the end of the process she was saying "All these toys for my new friends" Allhomdulilallah! she understood the best she could.

After everything was finish we drove to the place and left them there so the children can have some toys in Christmas.

Nenas Inshallah we would do this every year however there are a few rules:

-NEW toys NO DOLLAR store toys that would be Haram or unfair.

-NO receipt for the donation (that would be cheating here we are giving and then get something monetary in return NONO remembe we give without expecting anything in return)

-The greeting cards have to say From: AMIRA

Samia I was very proud of you today! Baba was very happy doing all of these however I could tell at times his eyes water and was overwhelmed with emotions. Me what can I say I miss her everyday!