Boys!

If you told me five years ago that Id be a mom to two boys, two years apart, I would have probably been scared. When I was pregnant with Yusuf I wanted a girl. But Allah blessed me with a son, and two years later, another one! Life with two boys is crazy.. stinky.. messy.. loud.. but amazing. Im still a girly girl at heart. I dont think Ill ever love basketball, but at least now I can name more than two NBA players off the top of my head. I still am not totally familiar with all the terminology, but Im slowly getting there. As someone who never enjoyed sports, I think Ive come a long way.. I did, after all, google how exactly the lines are drawn on a basketball court and tried to replicate a kid-sized version on our carpet with masking tape.

Before having Yusuf, Id always gravitate towards the pink and purple section of the clothing stores, oo-ing and aww-ing over the frills and flowers. But now, my eyes go straight to the blues and greens and I get excited to see a shirt with a ball or bike on it.

I doubt Ill ever fully get used to the humor of bathroom words or bodily functions. But at least I dont cringe as much as I used to. [ However when Ibby ate his poop, yes, you read that right, ate his poop, I did almost barf!]

I grew up with an uncle not too much older than me and was like a big brother. Everyone knows big brothers must teach the art of wrestling, so thanks to him, I did have some prior experience in this field. I was a little surprised though when I learned just how instinctive wrestling is for boys! Having two boys so close in age, I knew to expect my living to transform into a wresling ring now and then. But... nothing could prepare me for the shock of watching my little preemie second-born muster up the courage to fully through him self at and tackle his brother who almost doubles him in height and weight! He throws punches probably better than me and sometimes I'm more worried for my eldest than I am for my baby!

I wanted a daughter so I could braid her hair and put on cute dresses. But I having just as much fun with hair gel, kufis and thobes.

Tea Parties and playing with dolls would have been fun... but I would have never thought how exciting it could be to construct a complex train track complete with bridges and loops!

Sitting to colour, doodle, draw and do crafts was also part of my little girl dream, but putting blobs of paint on a paper and driving toy cars through it is totally cool too!

We can go anywhere, Walmart, a restaurant, the park or a lecture... and only two simple things are required to keep them happy: a car and a ball.

I wanted a daughter so we could cuddle n chat n giggle. Little did I know just how loving and loyal sons can be to their Mommas. Yusuf can no doubt carry a conversation longer than I can. And of course little girl giggles are adorable, but so are boy giggles once you find their ticklish tickle spot! [ I could make them laugh with bathroom talk and fart noises, but Im not there... yet].

I know my future will be filled of countless google searches and library books about topics I would have never paid attention to. Im still working on learning the names of all those construction machines. Planes, trains and automobiles are not exactly my specialty, but I'm excited to learn about them along with my boys.

Not only do my boys have a huge appetite to learn, they have a huge appetite for food! At meal times, I feel like I have to prepare food for three men, mashaAllah! Lots of eating of course leads to lots of poop, but also, the inevitable of them growing... growing out of their clothes faster than I can keep their closets organized.. growing until one day Im sure they'll be towering over me! Until then, I'm gonna chase them, grab them n pick them up to squeeze, kiss and hug them as much as I possibly can!

When Yusuf begs me to allow him to lead me in prayer and Ibby excitedly grabs a prayer mat so he can copy... or when Yusuf stands on our sofa and starts giving lectures and Ibby climbs up right there beside him imitating his voice and hand gestures... my heart skips a beat to think what the future holds for them.

May Allah SWT always keep them passionate towards Islam... increase them in beneficial knowledge and benefit them with the knowledge they gain...May He grant them pious wives and and children who make them as happy as they've made us... May He grant them health, happiness and success in this life and the life to come... May He keep them on the straight path, enable them to do that which pleases their Lord, and always shower His Mercy and Light onto them....May He grant them kindness, wisdom and compassion to always be good sons and make us, their parents, a means of Jannah for them, Ameen.