a visit to remember.

today was a day to remember. when i arrived home, i fell into a chair and confessed to the room of people...i am one big "haram" which means one big shame.

it started with a winning combination: motivated momma, rested toddler, fed babe, free time, friend i have been wanting to visit...and the rain had stopped. the day was beautiful. So i wrapped sweet sophia onto my chest, packed a bag for two kiddos and grabbed claire's hand for a long walk to our good friends home. ( the walk is only about 12 minutes adult pace. but picture cars, broken side walks, scooters whizzing by...

we arrived in tact. and everything was going pretty smoothly until drew texted me after 1 1/2 hours and asked me if i would be back for a spontaneous prayer meeting he had thrown together. i had forgotten. so i looked at my friend and told her i had to go. her face dropped. claire refused. claire started saying " stay here. stay here. sit down, momma. sit down"

i waffled. i thought it over. i decided to go home. i strapped little boo back on me and got everything together just in time for the heavens to open and the rain to pour. wow. not leaving now. my friend insisted i stay, even when i told her i could take a taxi ( it costs a little over $1) she insisted that was way too expensive. i had to agree or i would look weird.

immediately claire started asking for "nummies" which ended in our dear friend ( whom we are now stranded at) to prepare a lunch for us. as she was preparing all her food, she had her huge tray on the ground. claire was so excited she somehow fell on top of it. you heard me. she fell on top of the tray of food. it was humiliating. claire was covered in potatoes and parsely and bulgar. o my goodness.

we moved on from there and being stranded i knew i needed to breastfeed little sophia. i opened up my shirt to breastfeed and turn bright red because i had gotten a hair cut this morning and my shirt is covered in hair, my tank top is covered in hair. so wierd. so embaressing.

finally after the visit had lasted over 3 hours...i took my leave. it seemed like the rain had let up for a bit. once again i strapped little sweet sophia on, this time determined to make headway on our walk home. i walked just enough ways for my friend to not see me and waited under a store front for the first taxi- all the while claire asked "mama umbrella?" noted. again.

when i finally hailed a taxi, i grabbed claire and kind of pushed her forward towards the car, she lost her footing and fell. rain. street. no umbrella. 2-year old falls. everyone around watching shouting "haraam!" and blanket covering baby's head falls off. rain on baby's head.

we get out as close as we can to our house and i tell claire "we have to run, layla bear!" so we get our and start running and claire is giggling the whole time- when i see a man bounding down the street - he is a mechanic on our street, covered in oil, he grabs claire from my arms and runs up the street to our apartment building. he sets claire down and says " um layla haraam. wayn shamsiyatik?" i am sure you dont need a translation. " mother of layla...shame...where is your umbrella?"

i know i know. i get it. at least claire was giggling and thought the whole thing was funny. sophia slept through most everything. why can't they put an umbrella app on your iphone?

note: i have not figured out how to totally live in the moment and take pictures. how do these blogger moms do it? felt like i could have been weird to 1) take a pic of my 2 year old on top of our arab friends tray of food 2) take a pic of layla fallen on the street.