How to cornrow

My MIL and I made this video about 1,5 years ago and it has now over 80 000 views! I had been browsing for days trying to find a good tutorial on cornrows but was rather disappointed. So when we traveled to Myrtle Beach and were killing time at our hotel, I suggested to make a video. None of us had ever thought it would become so popular!
Go check it out and leave us a comment!

Wow!

I cannot believe it's been almost a year since I last wrote in my blog!
I've never been very good at keeping up with diaries and blogs, even though it is always nice to go back in time and read what was going on in your life months or years ago.

I should be studying right now but I have so many things to write in here. Many things have changed in the past year. BUT I'm going to be wise and study for a bit first, I'll be back in a couple of hours to share some updates in my life.

Don't you...

hate it when someone gets you sooooooo excited about something, you start to plan and dream and imagine certain situations. And then a little later you find out, that something happened and the plans are changed.

Well anyways, good news is that we paid the deposit for our apartment and she assigned an apartment to us. We went to look at it, and of course I had to take some photos.
My beautiful -brand new- kitchen:



My living room:

Hopefully I will enjoy living in this apartment. I am very excited, but I was excited to move in here and I was excited to move into our first apartment. But hopefully this is it :). It has the best of both of my previous apartments and more!

I finally have my college books! Well I am still waiting on one, but I have everything else! Now I need to make sure I buy the beautiful armoire I found online, some school supplies and I still need to get a file organizer and I'm ready to go!

We cut his hair...

Yes, we did it. It was a spur of the moment thing. Well we've been talking about it for months now, but I could never get it over my heart. I mean, my son, who will be 2 in 10 days, has never had a haircut. This was his very first one, and we shaved it all off. I can't believe it's gone, it really is all gone. He looks like a big boy now, but I try not too think too much of it, before I get depressed. It's just hair, and before I know it will grow back. But to be honest, he looks so handsome with his new cut, so fresh, and I'm going to enjoy a nice break with no combing or braiding hair. And hopefully by the time that I really start missing it, my daughter's hair will be long enough.


Btw, my husband gave him the cut, and he did so good, no tears at all! By the time my husband was ready to edge it, he was ready to get out of the chair, but he did pretty good, I must say. Probably, months of braiding his hair that taught him to have patience and sit still when someone is messing with your hair.


I'm still doing pretty good, even though, when I look at the bag of hair that we shaved, I start to feel emotional. I try my best to block those feelings. "It's JUST hair".

4th of July

It is 8 pm right now and it is quiet. I have the doors and windows open and am hearing sounds from the far distance; kids playing outside, an airplane that flies over our house, firecrackers, birds singing. I thought I would enjoy this silence. Instead I am feeling lonely. A mist of boredom is taking over. This house seems unreal without the screams, whines and laughter of an active toddler, the coos and cries of an infant and a husband that keeps asking me a hundred things to do.

It's not that I don't have anything to do, there's always something to do in this house. I should jump in gear and clean up and prepare for tomorrow while they are asleep and noone is needing me. But instead, I chose to be lazy, sip on an ice cream Push-Up and write some in my blog.

This week I hope to fill out our first rental application somewhere. We still have 2-3 months before our lease is up, but I am expecting a couple of rejections, before and IF we get approved somewhere, so it's safer to start early. I so hope we find a nice apartment or house this time around inshAllah.
I don't want to get my hopes up because last time I did we never ended moving and I was quite disappointed.

Yesterday was the Fourth of July. We had made some plans, but my husband got called into work the day before and so it was just me and the kids. In the morning, I was busy cleaning and cooking, because there was going to be another studygroup. One, by one I took Eshan's braids out, divided the part in 2 and made 2 new braids instead. So now his braids look alot thinner. It looks so much better, but it did take double the time as usual. And after a while, even candy gets old...
After the sisters came over for the studygroup, my SIL called and asked if we wanted to come over for a little BBQ and fireworks. So at around 5 pm we went to her father's house and chilled over there. But before we could actually enjoy the bbq or fireworks it was 7.30 pm and I had to go pick up the husband. On our way home we stopped by Blockbuster and got Gran Torino.
It was such a good movie. I never really looked into it, but I always thought it was about the war. But it's about a saddened veteran who had just lost his wife. His kids and grandkids are all spoiled brats who don't want to have anything to do with him, except for when it comes to money. Then he creates a friendship with his teenage Vietname neighbor and becomes enemies with a local Asian gang. I thought it was a very good movie, except for some amateur acting here and there.

Anyway, I fell asleep during the middle of the movie and watched the sequel this morning.
Since it was raining yesterday night, they postponed the fireworks to tonight. But, unfortunately my husband had to be at work at 8 and took the car, so I won't be able to see the fireworks. Which, is actually not too bad since we're all tired anyways.

The whole neighborhood is cracking fireworks right now. I look thru the window and it looks like there's a big fire outside. Now I wish my son was still up to witness the beautiful fireworks. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he would wake up pretty soon, because they are so loud!!!!

Reminiscing...

It is 12.30 AM as I am going through memory lane. I know, for many, Michael Jackson's death is getting old. However, I'm just now getting out of the shock and starting to realize what has happened. Plus, I'm extremely tired, therefore sensitive and emotional.

I was born in 1984. Most of his best songs had already been released. Nevertheless, they were still extremely popular while I was growing up. This was before he was being accused of child molestation. When I was in elementary school, I wasn't into music yet. I wasn't trying to stay up to date of the newest songs. I just liked whatever was presented to me.

Around that time I was taking jazzdance classes. I think my instructor must have been a fan of M.J., because every Saturday we would do our warm-up on the same song, "Remember the Time". I eventually bought his Double album "History". I loved it!
My favorite songs were Beat it, Thriller, Earth Song, Remember the Time, History, Black or White, Heal The World and Scream.


I had some very lonely moments, growing up. But at that time, music and dance was still able to fill the empty spots I had in my life. I remember listening to "Scream", turning the music up to the maximum, and when the glass would break I would start dancing like crazy. Or, on the days I was sad, I would listen to "Earth Song", and sing along with him. By the end of the song I had tears dripping over my cheeks. His music was so intense. It never became old. New songs came and went, but from time to time, I just had to pop his CD in my stereo system and go crazy on his music. Let myself go.

When Michael Jackson came to Belgium, I was still very young, but I knew I wanted to go to his concert. My cousin and her Mom or Dad went. I was jealous. I wished her the best, but I wanted to be there with her. I begged and begged my father, but they wouldn't let me go. Somehow I had it set in my head that I was going to go anyways. I had packed my bag, and had everything ready. But I spent the night crying and fussing in my bed, because like I already knew I couldn't go.

I never met him.

Then the accusations started, but I've never been much of a fan of gossip. I kind of stayed away from it. Because, who knows what really happened. I wasn't interested in his personal life. Honestly, I didn't know much of him. All I knew was his music, the only (double) CD I had. I had read the CD-book several times. I liked his poetry, I cared about him, because of his childhood. And that was about it. I wasn't obsessed by him, I wasn't his number 1 fan. I will never be. His death doesn't change that. But I have always loved his music and dance performances.

I think it's sad, that he died and people still think of him as a pedophile. Even though I believe he never harmed those boys. He's been very misunderstood. And people are always so easy to judge, even though they have never met him or witnessed any of the accusations. Yet, he IS a pedophile. I wish people could just let it all go. Let him rest in peace. God knows what happened.

Eshan's braids.

As you all know I've been learning to braid for the past year. And I'm finally seeing results! I am becoming a pretty good braider, I must say! Ha, I'm so proud! And honestly, I really enjoy doing hair, well that is, when he's cooperating. When he's acting up and trying to run away, it definitely is a chore. But I can't wait till he (or she) gets bigger so I can push myself to try new styles. I would love to learn how to do zigzag and shapes.

This is what he looks like, after our braiding session.... hey I had to bribe him with something...


After a good bath, I took him out to our neighborhood's park...

And one more...