How Cute!…
A conversation between me and my 3 year old nephew over the weekend went something like this:
The best Amto (aunti) on earth: Taita and seedo (grandma and grandpa) miss you so much and send these hugs and kisses for you, Ahmad!
Ahmad: Where are they Amto? I miss them!
The best Amto on earth: They’re in Palestine.
Ahmad: Where is Palestine? Is it far?
Ahmad’s father interrupts: Filisteen, Ahmad
The best amto on earth turns to Ahmad’s father and with a tone of condemnation says: 
Well, amto…your father will have to take you there so you can see it!
Ahmad: Is Filisteen, Palestine far? or is it close to my school?
The best Amto on earth: It’s very far… we have to get on a plane and cross the ocean to get to it.
Ahmad: I crossed the ocean and I saw sharks… (he’s referring to the time he went to Jordan last year)
The best Amto on earth: wow, I know you did…were you scared?
Ahmad: Nooo!
He then started running away…I think he lost interest in the conversation….
I seriously think every single child born and raised away from his ‘home’country needs not only be told about it, but to experience it first hand…live it…see it…feel it…
Anyway, every time I talk to my parents, they ask about the kids…they want to talk to all of them…trying to get all 7 of the 9 (the other 2 are too young to talk but if I manage to get them to breath/giggle over the phone, then my parents would be very thankful!) is a big challenge. Yesterday they stopped by at around 12 p.m. which is 8 p.m. Palestine time. Perfect time to call, my parents would most likely be home. Usually the younger ones, like Mona, Hanan, Ahmad, Hani and Omar are just not interested in talking on the phone, regardless of who it is… Jeneen and Iman are older so you can actually manage to have them talk for 3 minutes.
I knew how much my parents wanted to hear from the kids, so I decided to say: Kids?! who wants a big surprise? they all shouted: me, me, me, me! Allright, who ever wants a big surprise from taita and seedo has to talk to them right now…who wants to get in line first? At this moment, the kids were pushing their way to be first in line … it was so cute, I got them all, voluntarily, (which is mission impossible at times!) to line up in a single file line - some were pushing their way to be first in line to talk to taita and seedo. I dialed the number praying that my parents would -in fact- be home. My father answers the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi, how are you?”
“mnee7 il hamdillah. Keefik inti? o keef khawatik o akhooki? wil awlad? (good, Thanks to God. How are you. How are your sisters and brother? and the kids?)
“Everyone is fine. I have too many waiting in line to talk to you…Here you go! salam”
I had made plans with Lilian before everyone had come over…so Lilian and I left as the kids were talking to both taita and seedo and asking about their big surprise! 
:( 
