Eid Kabeer

We had a lovely time going to our first Eid Kabeer. The people here are so hospitable that they invited our visiting American group…so if you're feeling up for a good old fashioned sheep slaughtering and BBQ, keep your calendars clear for October next year, and come see us!
Felicity and I opted out of the slaughtering day in favor of the BBQ day so this post only has pictures from day two of the celebration…

The kids had their own little grills…so cute:

Felicity loving her some grilled sheep:

 It was really good. I forgot to mention it was 9 a.m. Protein for breakfast is always a good thing!

If they can, every family within a family buys their very own sheep. It is a lot of work for the women to clean and prepare all of the meat. Our friends had four sheep, one for each nuclear family. Here our neighbor is using the sheep heads to show us the difference between a 300 dinar sheep and a 500 dinar sheep. 1 dinar is about $0.60. Families will be eating from these sheep for months to come…from the freezer of course.

I was so relieved when she told me they do not eat anything from the heads or the horns! They just keep them for fun ;)...

We were so grateful for the opportunity to share in this celebration and hope we can return the hospitality and generosity ten fold in days to come…Although I'm not sure we can compete with lamb for breakfast!

Fluent Fliss

Today Felicity's teachers sent us this...

We are so proud of our little Arabic speaker. Keep up the good work Fliss so at least one of us in this family will really know this language :)
Ok, ok...maybe two...

And a shout out to all of our teachers...we could not be learning this crazy language without you! You are Tie-ar-ra!

My Husband the Birder...

Bird Man Dan on the lookout for his new found ObSeSsIoN...

He BeCKoNs them...Come forth ye birds or the AiR...

Delving into to the DePtHs of many DuPage County Forest Preserves....

Taking note of the ExQuIsIte songs, colors, size, flight patterns, and markings of these MaRvEloUs winged creatures...

Satisfied with his findings for the day, this BiRd MaN leaves with a smile having enjoyed a delightful afternoon with his wife and new found FeAthErEd friends...

The End

Ready...Set...Sew!

Today's the day...I can hardly contain myself! I kind of can't believe it's true, and I don't think I'll really believe it until it's over...I'm learning to sew!

Hopefully by the end of the day...

I won't be so intimidated by this,


this bag of notions (?) won't seem so mysterious,

and something wonderful will be made from all of this!

I have a feeling I'm being a bit ambitious, but we shall see...

The other day Dan and I were at the StUpE having ice cream. For those of you who didn't go to WhEaToN, the Stupe is ThE place to go for IcE CrEaM. We decided to stop there and reminisce for a bit after ringing the tower bell (more on that later)...

We forgot that when you say one scoop at the Stupe, it's really the equivalent of three. Neither of us could finish our mound of ice cream, but as our cups were sitting there, Dan decided to use them as an IlLuStRaTiOn of us.

He grabbed the camera and started taking pictures of the cups. I thought he was documenting the ridiculous amount of ice cream left after we had eaten a good amount but, I was wrong. He remarked that looking at our ice cream cups said a lot about us and our differences. I then took a closer look at this:

I've marveled recently at how much easier it seems for Dan to lose weight than it is for myself. So naturally at first glance, I thought he was pointing out that I had ScARFfeD down more ice cream than him. Thus proving the point that I have far less WiLl PoWeR. All of this is true, but it wasn't his point. He directed me to look closer still...

HiS cup...

My cup...

I still can't figure out how this stuff seems to happen to me or better yet how I'm completely OblIvIouS to it, but I'm so grateful I have a perfectly CiViLiseD husband to point out that I'm a ComPleTe SloB!

It's a good thing he also shares in my ApPreCiaTioN for SiTuAtioNaL CoMeDy...Otherwise I don't know how he'd put up with his DiSaStEr of a wife!

Nice to See

Tonight as Dan and I walked into the Bloomingdale Library, I was blessed by five words from a middle-aged woman I don't even know. As she walked past us she smiled and said, " A GeNtLeMaN. Nice to see."

All at once I realized my hands were securely in my pockets and Dan had just opened the door for me without skipping a beat. I was struck by the CaRe and LoVe shown to me by my husband through this simple gesture. I was struck by my presumption that this is the way it should be as my hands were firmly in my pockets...I never even thought of removing them because I have just come to subconsciously ExPeCt this gesture from Dan.

Isn't it ReFrEsHiNg that a few simple words from a stranger can open our eyes? In the business of our lives, I so often don't stop to ApPrEcIaTe the little things that show great LoVe.

I want to be the stranger that NoTicES and AcKnOwLeDgEs the little things. I want to be the friend and wife that others/Dan expect these little acts of kindness and love from.
I am GrAtEfuL for Dan who does so many little things that I know I take for granted and to this stranger who used her words to help me NoTicE.

The Present

Some truths that have been staring me in the face this week:

Life on Earth is short.

Life is unpredictable.

I count it a privilege to share in others' stories. My job allows me to share in so many, and my community at Bloomingdale Church affords even more opportunities. I hear bits and pieces of stories from the lives of family and college and high school friends through facebook, phone conversations, blogs, emails, etc. Stories are all around me...

Some heartbreaking quotes from this week include:

"S won't be at school tomorrow. Her step-brother committed suicide over the weekend"
~Our School Social Worker

"I just got called down to sign my pink slip."
~ Friends and Co-workers who lost their jobs this week

"I feel guilty that my parents spend so much money on karate for me. I'm terrified of foreclosure."
~Journal Entry from a Fifth Grade Student

"My lunch mom's husband died last night"
~Colleague and Friend

"The cancer spread to my lungs. Chemo starts tomorrow."
~ Women's Bible Study

I could go on, but I'll stop there. I think you get the idea.

I mention pieces of these stories not to depress you or stir up fear . I mention them because I am being changed by them. These are stories from everyday people. People like me, and most likely, people like you. They remind me of my frailty and lack of control in life. They scream REALITY to one who thinks she (me) is in control and pretends to have a PLAN. They teach me to be content and grateful. They teach me to be generous with time. They teach me to take myself less seriously. They teach me to take myself more seriously. They teach me to care deeply, to weep, and mourn. They teach me to LOVE...

My heart is overwhelmed. As I write this, I wonder if there is any way I can possibly express the awakening happening inside of me. I am moved.

Not knowing what lies ahead in this world gives me a FREEDOM in the PRESENT. Thoughts and worries that so often fill my mind vanish when I consider my lack of control. Instead I am filled with the desire to make the most of each moment...to be fully PRESENT.

I am one who has dwelt upon the past on a regular basis. Sometimes I dwell on the past because hurtful things myself or others have done continue to mess with my heart today. Other times I want to go back because I was so much happier, prettier, skinnier, more peaceful, confident, fun...back then.

I've also been one to dwell on the future i.e. what will we do with our lives, when can we have kids, will we have enough, will we get to do this or that...? What if something happens to _____, _______, _______, or _______?

I foolishly dwell on these things. All the while, I miss out on fully experiencing the PRESENT...the time that, ironically, was once my FUTURE and will soon become my PAST.

I cannot know what my life on Earth has in store for tomorrow, the next day, or any day after that for that matter. The stories I have heard from this week alone give me no choice to deny this fact. All I know is what my life on Earth holds at this moment so I pray that this recent movement in my heart and mind will continue to change me and that I will be given humility and strength to love deeply in all things big and small....to love deeply NoW because I do not know what quotes my story will hold tomorrow.
Whatever may come to pass, it is my HoPe that this quote will AlwayS be the central theme of my story:

Above all, LoVe each other DeePly...there is no FeAr in LoVe.
~ The Author of EvErY story

I Love Me Some ELLs

For those of you who are not in the education world, ELL stands for English Language Learner. I have the privilege of spending some extra time with a few of my students who fall under this umbrella or who have been a member of this category in the recent past. I truly cherish my time with my after school crew.

There are few things so satisfying to a teacher as when a child has a "light bulb" moment. These are the moments that make me say, "I LOVE my job".

Some of my favorite teaching moments occur in the after school hour with my little groupies. BeLieVe Me, my room becomes especially BRIGHT during this time.

Here's an example from this week that I think will shed a bit of light on what I'm talking about...

Mrs. Bailey: So remember whenever you see any variable x, y, z, n...whatever, all you have to do is plug in the number given to you for the variable....so if they say x=10, just plug in 10 wherever you see an x.

Narrator: This mini-lesson goes on for five or so minutes. Mrs. Bailey and the students complete several examples on the board...plugging in numbers for various variables to solve the equations. At the end of the interaction, Mrs. Bailey, thinking that everyone has gained full understanding of this type of problem, but wanting to quadruple check CoNfiDentlY asks...

Mrs. Bailey: Any questions?

Narrator: One student with a bit of a PuZZleD look on his face looks up at her and says...

Puzzled Student on the Verge of a Light Bulb Moment: I think I get how to do it, but I'm just wondering what exactly do you mean by PLuGGinNg iN?

Narrator: A now PuZzLeD Mrs. Bailey pauses for a moment with wide eyes as she realizes that she is in the midst of her own PeRsoNaL light bulb moment...

She wonders how these students pick up as much as they do in her fast-paced classroom of 27. She wonders how many expressions she uses on a daily/minute basis that keep them from understanding. She wonders how many times she doesn't stop and ask, "Any questions?" to clarify and how many times they don't stop to ask "what exactly do you mean by...?"

Recovering from her moment, she SmiLes gingerly and attempts to shed light on the plug analogy...

outlet:three-pronged metal thingie as variable:number

After a small bit of clarification, all five students, seemingly in one accord, let out an "Ahhhh"! Looks of puzzlement are replaced by looks of CLaRitY and CoNfiDeNcE.

As the students pack up their things Mrs. Bailey watches them in AmaZeMenT. She ponders anew how it is that these students who NEED so much manage to TeAcH her more than they could ever know. She smiles and waves goodbye, grateful for yet another personal LiGht BulB moment brought to her by her most HuMbLe students.