A year ago I was a breastfeeding, diaper changing, sleep deprived mother. Our days mainly consisted of at home floor play, trips to the library, Watkins Park, and taking Zayd two and from his twice weekly preschool. I recall it being the most beautiful fall that I'd ever remembered. It was as if the leaves bore witness to the sheer glory of God through the colors in their leaves. We relished fall, and spent much time outdoors in anticipation of winter.
We celebrated Eid in our home with Grammy 7 G-Dad as our guest. We all agreed that the most exciting part of their visit was the cool luxury van that they rented for their stay. We enjoyed all riding together in style to all of our destinations. We had a Chinese food themed Eid dinner, cooked by yours truly, which was somewhat a flop-- though everyone was super polite.
We road tripped to New York for Thanksgiving, a trip that I dreaded and contemplated backing out of several times, which ended up being quite some fun. Well, as much fun as it could be with a non-sleeping toddler, but we managed and made some wonderful memories.
As per tradition, we spent a little over a month in Cali with your gracious grandparents, shortly before the new year. Unlike most years, this time we were accompanied by your father, happy to use his new work from home status, to check out the Bay Area. We eat a little bit of everything, road-tripped to LA to see your aunt, and discovered/rediscovered many Bay Area jewels. It was on this trip that you father and I made a firm resolve to move back to the Bay Area as soon as possible. We found ourselves much more connected, extremely happier, and much more at peace in the area. We felt the Muslim community, the diverse culture, and the scenic beauty made for a good place to call home. It was a scary decision, however it seemed pretty inevitable. The DC Metro never felt like home to either one of us, and it was becoming increasingly hard for me to "find my happy place" in the area.
Watching the friendship develop between you two has had to be one of the most prized experience of my life. Hearing you all joke and laugh in your bedroom, past your bedtime, watching the never ending excitement as you two visited the animals at Watkin's Park, oatmeal every single morning while listening to nasheeds. I am eternally grateful to have spent that time with you... even though you all literally drove me crazy about 75% of the time.
