Ramadan Mubarak!

Second day.

Saturday, H played a very good soccer game. However, we let him break his fast soon after since he was running up and down the field in both quarters that he played.

I suffered the first day, but mostly the suffering occurred post Iftar. Today, I didn't fast. Tomorrow, I'm going to try again insyaallah.

The kids, all fasted today, albeit with some,

"How many more minutes?"

Yesterday, I was the one asking N to ask hubby,

"How many more minutes?"

Today, H asked me at 1:22 pm, "How many more minutes?"

"Seven hours," I said.

At 3 pm he asked again.

He and S napped and at around 6:30 pm he played soccer with hubby. They all survived the day alhamdulillah.

I was so tired and incapacitated that I didn't do what we usually do every Ramadan : Ramadan chain, giant crossword puzzle and fasting chart. I asked hubby to do the chain for me. We have yet to put it up at the top of the stairs. We have yet to print the charts too. I need to make them again. I feel bad for the kids. This Ramadan, I abandoned them because I myself am too sick. Last year, S fasted a full Ramadan. N fasted all but a few days because she was sick and H fasted 10 full days. This year, the days are longer than last year. I wonder how they will fare. The hours this years are the same with the hours of fasting in Malaysia, though, so it should be good training for when we go back home insyaallah.

Hubby was eating white rice, Somali beef, A's salad and eggplant sauce. I sat next to him, and asked for a few finger scoops.

"Only beef and rice," I said.

After while I realized that my food inclination is more towards the simple ones.

"Wow, this baby is only going for simple food. White rice, bread, boiled eggs," I said.

"A soldier insyaallah," said hubby.

"Yeah, Abdullah Ibn Zubair, insyaallah," I said, more to myself than a reply to him.

I never thought of that. Subhanallah! I do want a son like Abdullah Ibn Zubair. He was all over History of the Khulafa, and he was the one I kept telling the kids about.

As N passed by, I noticed her right pocket bulging.

"What is that?" I asked as I grabbed her pocket.

Candies. I felt candies. She escaped my grip and ran into the kitchen.

Hubby smiled. I giggled.

"N, did you break your fast before you broke your fast?" I asked.

"No!"

After some feet stomping in the kitchen, S came to N's aid and said,

"She just put them in her pockets, but she didn't eat them."

I remembered a piece of candy next to H on the couch, when I was waking him up for Asr.

"Did you eat it?" I asked him.

"N put it there," he replied.

Apparently, N, with her generous spirit, had taken some candy that was supposed to be my 'cure' from nausea, stuffed her pocket, and gave some to H. She meant to eat them after Iftar.

"Ummi, you're gonna be fat," she said as she looked at the candies.

I tried sucking on the candy, but I've come to the conclusion that whatever I take that is supposed to alleviate the nausea, only masks it. If it's coming, it's coming, baby!

This is only the second day. This Ramadan, I'm struggling to fast more than the kids. It's not a good feeling, because I feel like hubby has to bear everything. May this not be my last Ramadan, for I miss encouraging the kids and making Ramadan a big deal for them. But if it is, may my children grow up to be righteous insyaallah. Ameen.