regarding skin color

November 2009
"at school i went under the light and armando checked me. i have light skin"

ibu: "homeless people usually have dark skin."
ima: 'then you are homeless'
ibu: no, kids are not homeless

i don't want to say any potty words because i want to go to heaven. in heaven there is going to be a big party like at bubbles academy, the girl in the pink shirt. she is like god. i want to go to the party so i'm not going to say any potty words
Imraan, nov 09

ramadan 2009

One week of Ramadan has passed and thankfully, all is well. Fasting has been relatively easy this year, especially after tweaking some eating habits. What has been great is having the kids more involved in celebratory moments, such as breaking fast, and even fasting in the afternoons. Community iftars have also strengthened their understanding of extended family. We talk about how we feel slightly hungry and listless and begin to thank God we are fortunate not to have that feeling on a daily basis. The kids have real insightful comments. Ibu said that if homeless people were Muslim, they wouldn't feel bad b/c they would be used to fasting. He talks about selling lemonade and giving his profits to the needy. I've taught them tasbeeh and put up a poster in the family room and I find them singing or counting tasbeeh throughout the day. We've gone to dhikr and continue to work on surahs. It's been a great Ramadan thus far alhamdulilah!

no head

imraan is blunt. says what's on his mind, loud and clear.

we are perusing the aisles in Jewel when he sees the back of an elderly man walking away from us. clearly the man has osteoporosis and his head is completely slumped forward. from the vantage point of imraan, it looked like he had well, no head.

so that's what imraan says to ibu.

'look! ibu! no head!'
i look.
'look ibu, no head!' now he's laughing
they look together and start chuckling.

so we ran out of the aisle before the old man could turn..

i instantly gave him a lesson in calcium and the virtues of drinking milk. he was noticeably scared since he has given up milk, but has now thought he had best drink a glass a day!

Being 6 and being defiant

Techniques:
- Praise
- Counting
- Time periods until a task is done
- Sidestep defiance
- Give as few direct commands as possible
- Give in… “Well, OK, I guess it really doesn’t make that much difference.”
- Isolation, removing child from scene, or separating two of you from each other.
- Ignoring. It’s “best not to notice every naughty thing [your:] child does. Some really dangerous behaviors must be checked. But there are other things you really don’t like which probably do not actually do major harm. .. Since punishment, though often deserved, does not do much to improve behavior at Six, perhaps the less of it the better.”

swiss chard + zucchini tart

1 recipe whole wheat yeasted olive oil pie pastry

1 pound Swiss chard

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 pounds zucchini, cut in small dice (1/4 to 1/3 inch)

2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)

3 large eggs, beaten

Freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens, and wash them thoroughly in several rinses of water. If the ribs are wide, wash and dice them, then set aside. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and the chard leaves. Blanch for one minute, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer, transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and add the onion and diced chard stems, if using. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the zucchini. Season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until just tender and still bright green, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary, and cook with the zucchini and onion until the garlic is fragrant, about one or two minutes. Stir in the greens, toss everything together, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), the zucchini mixture, and the Gruyère. Mix everything together, add pepper, taste once more and adjust seasoning.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the pan, with the edges of the dough overhanging. Freeze the remaining dough. Fill the lined pan with the zucchini mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough along the rim of the pan. Place in the oven and bake 50 minutes, until set and beginning to color. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (preferably longer). This can also be served at room temperature.

Yield: One 10-inch tart, serving eight to ten.

Advance preparation: The blanched greens will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator in a covered bowl. The finished tart keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently at 275 degrees to re-crisp the crust.

Zucchini

Zucchini

take a spoon and scoop out the center seed strip of the zucchini to create a boat.
Steam for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.

• In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the flour baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.

What plants need

"Plants need water, sunlight and talkness" Imraan 05/09

death and sickness......

Me: coughing, (with an exaggeration and desperation) I say, yuck I feel like I'm going to die! (in hindsight, probably not the *best* thing to say to your children.

Both boys: what? that's terrible! please don't die! i will give you medicine. if you die i will be so sad.

Glossing over the fact that I may die from coughing, he thinks otherwise..

Imraan: Actually, what if Ibu dies? Then I won't know what to do? Because no one will tell me what to do? I'll just play watch tv all day and play computer..

Ibu: No Imraan, don't do that, that's bad for your eyes.