The Kids

So I was really right about the kids driving me crazy eventually. This I see as only the inevitable. They are kids, there are a lot of them, the house is small, and I am a shiny new toy. All of this adds up to occasionally having to go to bed earlier than normal. I am a moving jungle gym and a source of endless hilarity. This is as frustrating as it is wonderfully rewarding, which I can only assume is what parenthood is like. As I write, the oldest boy who has climbed onto my back asks me what ‘frustrating’ is (I kid you not), and I say uhhhh….. The oldest boy is Salam or something that sounds like that. He is extremely curious, I still fight back laughter when I picture him reaching into my purse and coming out with a feminine pad. ‘This is to eat?” he says. “Uh no” I say, and then I stuff it back in the depths of my bag, mumble something and stifle the giggle in my throat. The oldest girl is Ashwag, she is a big fan of my cell phone. The younger boy is Atnan, who is my favorite so far. He is always breaking out these Bollywood dance moves and singing silly wordless songs. He also falls asleep on my bed every night at 8, like clockwork. The youngest is a girl named Fatima, she is three, and in saying this I must admit this little girl terrifies me somewhat. She is sweet, and tiny and hits harder than if her little arms were crowbars. Really those tiny punches are just brutal, and boy can she scream. When I got sunburn yesterday I had to hide from her, I know that sounds crazy but she punches really hard. I like her most when she is half asleep. Pictures to follow.…