The Search is Over

The search is over and I found the bike I wanted...

Well not exactly but close enough,

now I'm searching for a basket to go with it

I can't wait for the weather to get cooler

 so I can go cycling with the boys.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Young Chef's Academy

Last Friday we spent the whole day at Discovery Mall with the boys. After lunch the boys wanted to play at Goal. However the game wasn't to Ahmed's liking. He thought it was like his birthday, he gets the ball to himself. So what does cranky Ahmed does? Yep he throws one of his "Super Tantrums" which I ignored until it passed. People passed by looking at him wondering why this kids was speaking to himself. "Te7el6em"!

So after he calmed down I suggested to him to try "Young Chef Academy" since he liked to cook. I know it has been opened for a while but I haven't taken the kids to it. I convinced my cranky "Petit Gourmand" to check it out. So after going through their mini menu from making pizza to decorating cupcakes and other yummy items, we decided to try out the Oreo Truffles.

Ahmed was shown into an open kitchen after washing his hands and given a very cute apron. Chef Jake, a very sweet man, assisted him and guided him through the recipe. I can see he was enjoying the experience and his bad mood evaporating. Oh yes!!! The boy is finally smiling!

It was a simple recipe and after he was done the chef told him he had to wait at least 15min for the chocolate to cool off in the freezer. Ahmed didn't want to go anywhere fearing someone might take his truffles ;p

When he got his truffles, Chef Jake gave us a paper with the recipe. Of course "Petit Gourmand" didn't want to share. I had to trick him to get one truffle!

It was a very enjoyable experience, and I'm really contemplating of inviting some of his friends and take them there.

 Is Mr. Cranky smiling?

Look at that cute apron!

 Cracking the cookies

and venting his temper...

wallah a very good tantrum management

therapy ;p

 Mixing and Mushing the ingredients together...

another very good type of therapy!

 He wouldn't let me take a pic of his mixture!

 Moulding the truffles into little balls.

 Et voila!

 Covering the Oreos in chocolate

 Yummy!

I wanted to have one 'cause I felt it will be goowey

and extra sweet because Ahmedan made 

them with his own hands!

 Putting extra crushed cookies on the truffles.

AlNathafa min AlEman!

 Mercy! 

A really smile!!!!

And he didn't want to share his truffles!

Addicted to Instagram

I've recently joined instagram and I'm an addict!

I find myself snapping more pics

on my Iphone instead of my camera and I edit them and post them right away on instagram. It is so fun!

Enjoy the pics and tell me what you think?

You want more? Follow me @Um3azoz ;)

Toys

Ahmed is one of those little kids who tell you in detail how he passed his day in school and what he did in class. (yebared algalb!)

"Madame J. est toujours fachee." So I know his teacher yells a lot.

One day he came back looking sullen and I knew something happened in school.

"What's wrong?"

"Je n'aime pas les puzzles!" He pout and you know how Ahmed pout if you follow my blog and seen pics of him.

"Puzzles are easy."

"I don't want to!"

Ok…no sense in persisting with him until I speak with his teacher. Then next day he came back in a better humor.

"J'ai fait un puzzle avec Reine."

"Bravo!" So I guessed his teacher has put him with one of his classmates to encourage him. The next day when I went to pick him up and talked with his teacher, it was as I suspected. Although a very bright child, he wasn't confident enough to do the puzzle by himself. The teacher suggested I get him a couple of puzzles to practice on at home and boost his confidence.

Of course when I do something for my kids, I go to the extreme. We headed to Early Learning Center and found few puzzles there. I also found cute toys which enhance your child's imagination.  I love ELC.

 Then I went to Fantasy World just to check what they had. I found a cardboard book with erasable surface for Ahmed to practice his letters and numbers.

Now, every day while Abdulaziz is sitting on one end doing his homework, Ahmed is on the other end practicing on his puzzles and writing the letters of his name.

                                                  

 I got this scketch book for Abdulaziz

who loves to draw cartoons.

 I found this for little fashionstas! Cute!

 The boys should learn the family business...don't you think? :p

Remeber those stickers? My sister

and I used to collect them

 and trade them with our friends :)



New Bike

Before New Year's eve I took Ahmed to get him a new bike. He out grew his old one.

While browsing through the many many many bikes in Sharg. I found this collection of animal print bikes. Hey! What d'ya know!!! Even bikes are a step behind fashion! But honestly…there is nothing fashionable about them. I find them ugly! Finally Ahmed chose a three wheel Ferrari, yeah..as if! He was so happy my darling baby wanted to sit at the back of the car with his bike!

No! He was so sure he wanted this bike.

We have to nurture his patriotism! Adding a Kuwaiti flag to his bike.

To Flex or Not To Flex? P. 2

Do you remember my complaint about Flex? Well, I'm not sure if they read the post or whether I'm calling them and driving them crazy with my complaints, in the end they contacted me and sent me a survey to fill and write down my suggestions of my making the club a better place. I didn't have time last week, and whatever time I did have, I just wanted to sit and do nothing. Now the sheets are in front of me and I'm brainstorming.

This is what I came up with: Yoga for children (my boys love yoga). Squash (they have squash courts but they don't use it). More instructors (think they have 2-3 instructors in the whole club). An after school sports program; 2 hours of classes in squash, yoga, basketball, swimming, Karate, dancing and many more, which they will alternate through the week. So what do you think? Can you suggest anything so I can add it to the list?

To Flex or Not To Flex?

My kids membership at Flex family is almost ending, although they are enjoying themselves just because they are out of the house, but honestly I'm not sure if I should renew it or not. I am not pleased with their services. Kids have a half hour class and a half hour nothing to do until the next class. They don't have a variety of classes to interest kids. There is no one around to guide them. They are kids, they need someone to tell them what to do. There are what they call at the club child minder (not trainers) who are suppose to encourage the kids to participate in games and be active and to guide. But those so called child minders, from what I saw on the many occasions I went to check on my boys, they are clustered into groups gossiping or just sitting there waiting for their shift to be over, and they have their private black market going on with the other nannies, and I saw it with my own eyes. Their swimming schedule is constantly changing and they give priority to the women members, although the fee for the Childs membership is more than the women. Isn't it a club for mother and child or children in particular? Half the women who are there don't have any kids in the club. They are there 'cause the membership is cheaper than Flex Women. Yet they get the priority! I wanted to be with my kids, just to make sure that they benefit from their time there, unfortunately I'm having a very crazy schedule and it's getting crazier in Ramadan. To be fair, the administration at Flex has responded to my complaints, and I do complain a lot. Yet there is still not much change. It is really frustrating for me to find my kids time wasted without doing anything fruitive. I checked out Champions few weeks ago. Yes they have a program and a variety of classes, but I had several issues with them. First, it is very crowded, half the kids there don't have a chance to play and exercise enough. Second, the trainers are all men. Third, nannies are not allowed (Cranky Ahmed will never go anywhere without me or his nanny). I don't know how it's going to be during Ramadan. I still don't want my boys to mop around doing nothing.

Tidbits Here & There

I haven't posted much because nothing has been happening. Now the boyos are off school my whole life revolves around them. I'm spending most of my time at home, unless I have to go out for a meeting or errands. So yeah... I'm going to post about them a lot! and bore you with the adventures of my boyos ;p

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Oh! I have become an Aunt! 3amma!!! There was a conflict on the name, my brother always wanted Yazeed, and it was Yazeed this and Yazeed that, but at the last minute he changed his mind and named him Ahmed. So we have another Ahmed in the family. My Ahmed is protesting. He says "Ana Ahmed! hatha baby!"

Baby Ahmed is 3asal...and it was love at first sight with him!

As of next week my boyos are starting at their health club… I finally managed to brave the sun and heat outside and go to renew their membership. I might also join them, still thinking about it. We spend our mornings studying and working on a special project or cooking. Or sometimes when they are bored and restless and ready to start a war in my living room, I take them out. Their new addiction, Bowling! We've been spending a lot of time at Cozmos. Ahmed has become a pro at it.

The ball is bigger than his head!

Abdulaziz trying his hand at Billiards... Still needs practice.

I love the Winchester Brothers!

Afternoons, after lunch, I'd lock myself in my room the drapes drawn and its dark and cool, and I catch up on TV Shows I've missed. I think I've mentioned it before, I love paranormal and fantasy shows, always fascinated me. I watched Supernatural season 5, I found it better than season 4, but my favorite were the first two seasons which I watch from time to time, and I love the music! I also watched Blood Ties, based on Tanya Huffs books. I never read them, I'm still not that interested. The show is so and so… Nothing beats True Blood!!! I wish they make something for Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, even if crazy Lurell K. Hamilton doesn't want to sign anything with Hollywood. I loved her first 9 books, but then everything went down hill. The problem she is still being published even with all the negative reviews.

I'm reading Osman's Dream: The Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923 by Caroline Finkel. It is a fun way to brush up on my history. I just love anything related to the Ottoman Empire. It is a 500+ pages book, with lots of references and notes. Very very interesting. If you like History then you will like this book.

Can I say I'm leaving the best for last??

Get ready for Gelato Italiano's Ramadan Flavors!!! Your favorites will be back! And I'm working on two new flavors to add to the list if they work out. So wish me luck!!! ;)

This pic I took last yearof my favorite flavors from

the Ramadan collection.

From right to left : Rangina, Chocolate Rahash, Kanafa

Art Project - First Try

We Started on our first project. Spinning art with

my kids names and phrases... Unfortunately I was surprised

by the size of the paper, I thought it would be bigger.

The papers are as big as my plams. If you plan to buy

it make sure to check out the papers.

So We got it started I made the boys choose to colors

for their names and glitter. Ahmed.

Abdulaziz

3ain AlSai7 عين السيح

More spinning...

AlZain Kilah الزين كله My plan is to make a large frame, with the boys names

and Kuwaiti phrases...but the papers are small and we ran out of them.

I have to go looking for new cards or see a different

brand of art spinner, because in the end this one just stopped working. :s