It's a Puzzling World Out There...

You know what I like about puzzles? They force you to think. I'm not generally one for thinking, but at least puzzles are fun. A lot of people give up on puzzles when they can't get the first piece. That's probably because they haven't started out with easy ones, and then moved up.
I've been doing puzzles since I was a baby. I did those little ones where you take four pieces and put them in the right place. Now I'm doing 1000 piece ones. This one looks to be a 350 piece, but I'm not sure. I haven't really checked.
See, my family has a puzzle tradition. It's not really a tradition, but there are two specific rules we have to follow in order to say that we have actually done the puzzle: first, we CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT look at the box cover. I've seen a lot of people do that. It is CHEATING! What's the fun of a puzzle if you already know what it looks like? Isn't it all together more fun to find out what the picture is yourself? Oh, and then there's the fact that everyone who looks at the box ends up using it as a guideline. You know why the box is there? It's so you know what puzzle you're getting when you buy it at the store.
Second, you must assemble the edge first. I know this sounds crazy, but trust me, it makes everything a whole lot easier. I see a few people starting out by just shoving pieces together, and, sure, it works, but you don't really know what goes where. In the above picture, the outside is assembled, and the green is in place because the edge had some green in it.
I remember when I was in second grade, I was doing an easy puzzle with my friends in class, and they broke both of those rules, so obviously, being the insecure kid that I was, I got mad at them and refused to do it. I don't think they understood why I was so mad.
The summer before that, when I was 7, I went to the Outer Banks with my dad's side of the family. It was a reunion. At our house, we set up this lighthouse puzzle, and whenever anyone came in to visit, they'd put in a couple pieces. This ended up in the whole 1000 piece puzzle being put together in less than a week.
So if you're up for a challenge, try putting a puzzle together. If you want to get good, start putting together small puzzles and then move onto big ones. My grandma bought me a 3D puzzle on eBay, and I'll get it sometime this week. Those are really hard, and I never finished the last one she gave me.

Our Finished "Classroom"

Well, this is it. Our classroom. Finally finished. Remember that picture I put up of a very messy room stuffed with bags, toys, and what-not? This is that same room. I swear. And it's clean. For the first time in two years.
I was in Virginia this weekend, and my mom must've worked magic or something, cause when I got back, it was totally clean, when the day I left, it was a horrible mess. Thank you, Mom.
The only problem is that now I want to sleep down here because my room is a MESS!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate it! My sisters trash it, thinking nothing whatsoever about how I'd feel. I left for Virginia, and when I came back, there was stuff EVERYWHERE!!!! I just want to throw it out the window, for goodness sake! And then Maryam goes and makes it even messier by throwing her backpack on the floor when she gets home. How annoying is that?! Sometimes I wish I could sleep anywhere but in my room. You probably would to.
At least one part of the house is clean. Oh, and the library and grown-up area (legendary name). So now I do have a place to sleep once I refuse to enter my room. It's been messy ever since Africa, and neither of the doors work. Argh!!!
Will I ever live in a clean house? Probably not, although it might help if maybe, just maybe I didn't have little brothers and sisters everywhere. By the time they grow out of toys, I'll be in and out of college. Mark my words.

Our Other Freezer

No, it's not a washing machine. It's another freezer. A better one. Oh, except for the fact that it takes a good deal of effort to close and stay closed. But other than that, it's as good as freezers get.
We've had several unfortunate incidents with it, most of them involving melting ice cream and my little brother. See, YaSeen is trying to be a big boy now, from stoking the fire, to putting cat food in the bowls, he wants to let the world know that he's not a baby anymore. Of course, he'll always be my baby brother.
So awhile ago, he decided to go into the freezer, all by his 'big boy' self, and get out some ice cream or Gogurts, or whatever it was that he wanted. So he gets it, and then just slams the door shut, which, for this freezer, does no good. The door stays open and nobody knows. So the next day my mom says to go get her some ice cream, and I look in and see that all the stuff is melted. That sets my mom off, all right. She yells and finds my brother and punishes him. Need I say more?
And yet it happens again, but this time, there's an even bigger mess, because the day after someone left the freezer open, my brother wants a frostie or something, so he goes and looks. Now he's not smart enough to know when stuff is melted, so I tell him to shut the freezer because he's not supposed to be in it. (After the latest incident, he was banned from even touching the freezer). So he starts slamming the freezer door shut, which is, unfortunately, where some of the melted stuff is, including a frostie without a cap. So now, along with it not closing, there's chocolate frostie on the carpet. He does it again and again because it still isn't closing, and no matter how much I tell him to stop slamming it, he still does.
You can probably imagine where we are now. A big mess. When he finally gets why I told him to stop, I have to run up to my mom and tell her what a mess we're in. So she spends the rest of the day cleaning out the freezer, and now she's REALLY mad at YaSeen.
So this freezer has some background history. It also overfreezes things, so whenever we want ice cream, we have to let it thaw before eating it, or scooping it for that matter. I think I kind of like the other freezer better. I mean, after all the crazy things that have happened with this one, wouldn't you?

My Brother's Video Game Controller

You know how some people say that video games are bad for the mind? Maybe they are, but those same people wouldn't be saying that if they knew how addicting the games are. Especially when you can sit on a couch and play them. Now, don't get me wrong, I think video games are fun and all, but I think there is a point of restraint that you have to apply or you will end up with a bunch of boneheads. Everything is good just so long as you don't use too much of it.
This is a brand new video game controller that my brother got at Radio Shack for twenty dollars. Can you believe that Playstation controllers are only ten?! We don't have a game system so, unfortunately, we have to clog up our computers with games and installations.
I think that the controls are all wrong, although my brother says that he knows which way they go. I'm right handed, so it's easier for my if the controls to move around are on the right hand. They are the opposite. On the left hand. I don't like that. I suppose I'll get used to it, but seeing as most of the people in the world are right handed, don't you think it'd be switched around a bit? Apparently not.
I'm not fond of controllers, mostly because I can never get the hang of them, but the urge to sit back on the couch instead of up at a computer is too large and powerful. Everything would be perfect if only we could figure out how to put the guy in a ship. There's an option for exiting the ship, but not entering. LAME!
I only play two video games anyway, maybe three. All Star Wars based. I know, I'm a geek. But they games are really good.

My Beautiful Bed

Ahhh... what could be better than coming home from a long day wherever, running up to your room, and collapsing on your bed? That's what I'd like to know. My bed is, with all modesty, the best one I've ever been in. But, then again, don't we all say that about our beds? Mine is clean, tidy, layered, and blanketed. I like to sleep on top of blankets. Not sheets. Most people think I'm weird for that, but sheets are scratchy and uncomfortable. I only like hotel sheets because those sheets are nice. Okay, so let's throughly describe everything in the picture...
The big fat snowman I got from my grandpa after my grandma died. Then there's the American Girl Doll from when I was 8, the Build-A-Bear I got from my friend's birthday party, the dog and cat in the blue box are other American Girl things, and then there's a whole pile of stuffed animals that I've collected from various people and places. I also have a dream catcher hanging. I got it about 5 years ago, and I swear, I haven't had a bad dream since.
I'm supposed to have another pillow with the same pillowcase on it, but I brought it with me to a hotel on a skiing trip and I forgot it. I was 7. The blanket on the bed is the best blanket in the world. The softest and the bluest. There's also another blue blanket at the end of the bed, folded up like the maids in Senegal used to do.
I really like my bed, but I didn't always have it. When I was smaller I had the top bunk, and I loved it until my sister complained: "When do I get the top bunk?" So now I'm attached to this one, and I probably wouldn't fit up top anymore, anyway. I've had two other beds besides those, and this used to be MY room until my sister grew out of the cradle by my mom's bedside and moved into a crib. Grrr...
So now I'm stuck with two sisters in a room chock full of junk. Clothes and trash on the floor. My littlest sister's bed is a laundry basket. Literally. And I'm not even going to go near the subject of our closet...

My Awesome New Shoes

Most people would think I'm crazy, but truthfully, I've never owned an actual pair of shoes in my life. Until now. I went to Concord Mills with my mom, grandpa, and brother, and my mom took me to buy some shoes so that I'll stop wearing flip-flops everytime we leave the house. These are name-brand shoes, and guess where I got them. Burlington Coat Factory.
I spent two hours looking for shoes. Literally. It started at Bass, where I was going to get some clogs, but I wear a size nine, and the size nine clogs were big, thick, and clunky. I can't even name all the stores we went into after that. TJ Maxx, Rack Room Shoes, some other funky store with numbers in it's name, Liz Claiborne, and we were about to go into another store until we reached BCF. I FINALLY found my shoes there. None of the stores we'd gone into had any good shoes whatsoever. My mom likes shoes with designs and patterns. Me, I'm picky. I like shoes that are plain and simple, and one small bow isn't too bad. Not like my mom.
These shoes were 40 bucks, but I'm totally satisfied. They're comfortable, soft, and slip-ons. I like shoes that I can put on without touching them, and that don't always need socks. I finally got what I wanted.
When we were at the mall, my brother got a RC car with 8 wheels. The guy demonstrating was doing all sorts of tricks and such. Show-off.

An Educational Book That Everyone Should Read

Say "I" if you watch more than two hours of TV a week. I'll guess out of 10 people who read this, 9 out of 10 do watch over 2 hours a week. Now, say "I" if you use the computer over 2 hours a week, for non-educational purposes. I'd say that also, 9 out of 10 people do that too, including me. But I'm starting to cut back, so don't worry.
This book I'm showing you is not a book about television. It's a book about television's effects on families, children, and pretty much everybody. It provides information about the studies, projects, and opinions of groups and certain individuals. By the way, the author's children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews don't own a TV.
If you really thought about it, maybe you'd realize that TV isn't all it's cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong now, there are some good shows out there. It's just that most of the shows are junk. You know why most kids have no free time? It's not because the teacher's give a lot of homework, or because the school hours are too long, (although I agree with both of those), it's mainly because kids spend all the hours in between watching television. The reason? Because the parents have hooked them onto it since they were little teeny babies watching Sesame Street.Am I a parent? No. But I know that when I become one, I will severely limit my children's TV watching time.
We don't have cable, which, I think, has played the biggest part in our television avoiding habits. I don't honestly want to sit down and watch stupid shows on ABC that I've never even heard of. Funny thing is, that's exactly what some kids do when their shows aren't on. They just watch shows that they hate or shows that they don't know anything about. WHY???
I wish TV had never been invented. Computers, fine. They aren't as addicting and they are a whole lot more helpful than TV shows. Maybe one day Americans will see that television really isn't all it's cracked up to be.

My American Girl Doll

This is my beautiful, treasured, collectible American Girl Doll. Okay, so maybe it isn't collectible, but I don't really play with her anymore, so what else should I say?
I've owned Josefina, (Ho-se-fi-na), since I was eight, so about five years. I got her for a present after I fasted my first Ramadan, which is the Muslim holiday in which we fast from daybreak to sunset. I remember how thrilled I was when I opened the box, and I remember how my brother thought the box had his present in it. He was six at the time and our grandmother got him a Stanley tape measure, which my dad thought was the coolest present in the world: "Moby, even I don't have a Stanley tape measure!"
So there the legacy of my doll was born. Getting older, I was jealous of so many people because they always had so much more than I did, but I know that this shows how wealthy we really are. My friend totally collects these dolls. I think she has one of each kind. Eventually, my two sisters got the picture and started fasting whole Ramadan's too, but only in the past two years. Maryam got her's the year we were in Senegal, Kaya, and Iman got her's just this past Ramadan, Elizabeth. Funnily, none of us even have the look alike dolls.
I would say I have at least 15 different outfits for my doll. I don't use them anymore, but I sure did then. I'm thinking that when I grow up I'll pass the doll onto my daughter when she fasts her first Ramadan.
The good thing about these historical dolls is that they come with a series of six books about their life between the ages of nine and ten. Each one has a facts section in the back that tells you how life went back then. My doll supposedly lived in 1824 in Mexico, before it split.
These dolls are beautiful, even if they are expensive. I treasure mine still, and I know perfectly well that any girl would be happy with just one of them.

An Inspiring Book

Did you ever feel like there was no way that anyone in the world could possibly know how you feel about anything? I know I have. Sometimes I have felt like locking myself up into my room and throwing away the key. Then I found these books.
Chicken Soup books are about every subject imaginable. Death, relationships, suicide, drugs, growing up, learning lessons, friendship, you name it. For anyone who hasn't read even one, I suggest you hurry up and do it. The books aren't only for teenagers. There are at least thirty different kinds. Preteen's, teenager's, parent's, cat lover's, dog lover's, pet lover's, American's, and so many more. There is at least one for everybody, if not more.
The books are filled with stories about things other people went through. From amazing survivals to becoming disabled, there are many varieties. Sometimes you find a story that just makes you want to start crying.
I've felt depressed so many times, and I always wanted to find comfort. So sure, I'm not talking to people, but words on paper have a way of acting like a person. You can just hear what the person is saying.
I absolutely love this book and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially those who are struggling through life. Try to remember that there are people out there that feel the same way you do, and sometimes they feel worse. Don't give up, and try to overcome. Who knows, maybe you'll end up as the next Chicken Soup author...

Our Newly Renovated Stairs

Okay, so maybe our house isn't all nice and fancy, but parts of it are. Okay, maybe only two or three parts, but parts of it are, all the same. This is one of them.
So my dad picked up this hitchhiker about three and a half weeks ago. Turns out he's a builder, and my mom always wanted the carpet off of the stairs. So he rips up the carpet and pulls down the banister. Then, after measuring, my dad spends about four hours at all the hardware stores trying to find suitable wood. When he finally does, he brings it back, and while we're in Virginia for Thanksgiving, the guy watching our house nails them in.
So we come back and find the stairs nailed in, but we still can't use them because they have to be polished. For about a week, my dad didn't do anything about it. Then he finally went to the store and bought the oil. I was at the mall last weekend with my friends, and he FINALLY finished it. Even after that he still wouldn't let us use it until YESTERDAY!!!!!!! So it's all done now. Happily. Nicely.
For three whole weeks I had to go up and down the front stairs. It was really annoying. Agh! Too much exercise! Okay, it wasn't a whole lot more, but it was so hard to do it. Even now, with the stairs done, instinct just tells me to go the other way. Ouch.
Our next renovation project will be the toy area... again. We have to get rid of the octagonal table and move the couch over by the windows. I'm sitting there right now, and it feels so crowded. Just like my bedroom closet, only worse. That's saying something.

A Big Box of Big Lego Bricks

Okay, so maybe a lot of people are more interested in the teeny Lego Bricks. But I'm sure that all the fanatics started out the same way I did: MegaBlocks. I call them Big Legos. I remember when I was little, probably in about second grade, I would spend time building houses with these. We have these really great green boards that you can just build on. There were three things I had so much fun building: a house, the beach, or a jungle with a river.
When, I built the house, everything had to be perfect, because I was probably more of a perfectionist then than I am now. Oh boy, what a perfectionist I was. All the bricks had to be the exact same kind. They all had to be 2x4s. None of the mixing and switching between 2x4s and 2x2s. The bottom row of bricks had to be blue, the next row, green, then yellow, then red. After I was done I filled the house with people, animals, plants, magic carpets, beds, chairs, you name it. I even put bathrooms in there; that's how accurate I wanted it to be. The only problem was that the house wasn't very big, so it kind of got a bit crowded in there.
When I built a beach, I made half of the board blue for the sea, and the other half yellow for the sand. Then I put "Porto-potties," chairs, cars, food, and anything else you'd need at a beach. I put some people there too, but there were no characters with swimsuits.
When I made a jungle, all my needs were satisfied because we have so many unique Lego pieces. There's a cloth leaf you can hang from a tree. The leaf had a hole in it so that you can hide a person in it. The tree was hollow so it could be used for a house. We had a teapot and some wood logs that it could be put upon. On the very edge of the board, I put about three rows of blue bricks for a river. We had a Lego canoe, so I pretended that my person was riding it. We even had little cloth backpacks, the perfect size to hold a block of food, and it even fit on the figure's back! There were gigantic bumblebees and butterflies that you could ride, and so much more.
I think my dad got the set at a garage sale down the street. For an 8 year old kid, that was magic. I probably never would've gotten hooked on Legos unless my dad bought it. I brought out my creativity more than I ever had done, and probably ever will again. If you need something that will help you express yourself, or that you can just have fun with, I highly recommend any type of Lego bricks.