The MotherVerse Blog: mothering out loud

As the month of September comes to a close, so does the holy month of Ramadan, and with that comes the big day, Eid Al Fitr (The Day of Breaking of the Fast), on which Muslims will flock to designated praying halls to perform the Eid prayer on the morning of the first day of […]

Today is the fourth day of September and Ramadan. This year, the months of the lunar calendar seem to somewhat coincide with the months of the Gregorian calendar, particularly Ramadan. As usual, every year, I hatch up a Ramadan activity for the kids, in an effort to make Ramadan special for them, especially considering that […]

“Give it to him!”
“But it’s made in China!”
That was the exchange between my eleven and eight year old in the backseat yesterday. I chuckled.
With a baby in the house, we have been more vigilant with things ‘Made in China’. I didn’t buy any toys for Baby except for one, because all the ones we saw […]

Ever since MIL got here last week, I’ve pretty much had the mornings all to myself. Obsessed with Wimbledon, she would go to our community recreational center to watch the match on the big screen TV, and lug the kids with her, even Baby. That served me rather well, as I got to catch up […]

” I have to be honest with you, he doesn’t look like over a year old.”
My children have always been quite low on the weight percentile, and somewhat average and above average on the height percentile. The pediatrician has always told us,
“It’s fine. You’re not that big.”
One other pediatrician said,
“He can’t eat more even if […]

Here I am, perched on the four legged stool by the kitchen table, multitasking (writing up this post while feeding my 13 months-old) yet again. The surprisingly cool summer breeze invites itself in through our back door, held ajar so Baby won’t be bored.
Today started out bad. You could probably say I got out the […]

A high-pitched shriek pierces the calm breezy afternoon. I clutch the papers and gather my hands across my chest. Utter panic floods me as I try to make the impossible escape.
“Indigo! Here! Indigo!”
“They won’t hurt you,” assures the owner.
My husband stands calmly watching me, while I whimper for him to help me.
“Don’t run, or they’ll […]

“Eat your vegetables. They’ll make you look young longer,” was what my grandmother used to say to me every time I hesitate to eat my greens.
I grew up eating yam leaves, cooked in yellow creamy coconut milk-based gravy to mask its bitterness, raw fresh herbs like pennywort leaves and four angled bean, wild fern shoots […]

I’ve never had to put my forehead on the ground or parking lot before I set foot in the United States. Growing up, my five daily prayers have always taken place in a room reserved for prayer. In Malaysia, where a little over 50% of the population are Muslim, masjids (mosques) are scattered generously everywhere, […]

Baby turned one last Sunday. Instead of rejoicing, my apprehension about his upcoming immunization intensified. I had all my three children vaccinated. With Baby, I had him go through the vaccinations too, up till the ninth months immunizations. However, with each visit, my heart felt heavy. I had read about the vaccination controversy here and […]