Yesterday was my second father’s day and after spending a great day with Jenin and her mom, I decided to start publishing a new blog: Tuesdays with Jenin.

Twenty years from now I want to remember the early days Jenin and I formed our bond. Whenever she becomes curious about these details, if I’m not around she’ll be able to look up what I wrote and get her father’s unfiltered thoughts about some of our time alone together.

A few weeks before Ramadan started, Jenin’s mom started a virtual real estate class that took place Tuesday nights. The first class was a disaster. Jenin did not want anything to do with me, as long as she knew her mother was a few feet away in the other room trying to concentrate on class.

The next week Adeeba decided me and Jenin needed more alone time. Tuesdays after work would be the perfect time for me to spend one on one time with my daughter.

One of those Tuesdays we spontaneously ended up at a Cubs game (the first week they allowed fans back at Wrigley Field).

Nader Ihmoud and his daughter Jenin take a selfie in front of Wrigley Field before they attended a limited capacity game at the friendly confines. April 6, 2021

Below you will read my unfiltered thoughts that I jotted down in my iPhone Notes App about a few of those nights:

03-23-2021

Adeeba started her real estate class a week ago and Jenin barely let her mother retain any information her instructor was dishing out.

My daughter, simply put, has attachment issues. If her mother is within earshot of her, she’ll do everything within her power to reach her.

So starting today at 5pm every Tuesday for the rest of the duration of Adeeba’s class, I will get some 1 on 1 time with my daughter.

Me and Jenin are rarely out and about alone (Adeeba has attachment issues too), so this class was a perfect excuse for some daddy daughter time.

When we got to my parents house, she was met by her excited cousins.

Hamooda’s response was the funniest:

“Why didn’t you come earlier.”

Poor kid was already imaging he’d have to go upstairs and get ready for bed soon. He wanted more time with his cousin Jenin.

3-30-21

Jenin is always excited to go out and about. The weather was cloudy and windy with a chance of rain, so we skipped the park and went to my parent’s house. Jenin was surprised to see her cousins Amer, Abdufattah and Ahmad watching March Madness at her grandma’s house.

Jenin got to hang out with her great grandmother Miriam and great uncle Osama.

Hamuda and Layla were geeked to see their cousin and high off sugar.

After a few hours Jenin got crabby and I headed to uncle Moe’s La Estrella Mini Mart for some private shopping and hooping. After over an hour of fun, she was ready to reunite with her mother who got out of real estate school early and Adeeba able to squeeze in a peloton ride before we got home.

April 6, 2021

Today I really wanted to take Jenin to her first Cubs games...the weather was perfect—80 degrees with a nice warm breeze.

Every app that was selling tickets, were only selling in bundles of 2 or 4 and Jenin doesn’t need a ticket because she’s younger than 2 years old. All my friends couldn’t make it or didn’t want to attend the night game. So, I picked up Jenin and decided on taking her to my old stomping grounds—Lane Tech High School— and let her play in the field.

As we were driving I pulled over to check ticket prices one last time. To my surprise, as I sat on the side of the road on Belmont and California, there was one individual ticket for sale at a reasonable price! I called Adeeba and told her/asked her to give me permission to take our daughter to the game alone. (Remember Tuesdays Adeeba has real estate class otherwise she’d be our plus 1)

We got our ticket in the bleachers but we were denied entry at the game because we bought our tickets from a third party source and had to transfer the tickets to the MLB app. Sweating from carrying Jenin from our parking spot to the stadium, I was now at the box office figuring out our ticket situation with a fussy baby. I almost asked for a refund and cut our losses so we can try again another day.

Luckily, GameTime customer service fixed our situation and we were headed back to the Bleacher section gate.

Upon arrival at our seats, we made friends immediately. Everybody loves a baby making their first appearance at the friendly confines.

Jenin was given a ball from batting practice from fellow Cubs fans sitting next to us. However, I think her favorite part was when I bought her French fries, after she almost attacked another Cubs fan for his fries. (My daughter loves to eat...especially French fries)

The walk back to the car was exhausting, but when we got back to the car after singing the seventh inning stretch, she smoothly got in her car seat and and fell asleep.

I doubt she’ll remember her first trip to Wrigley, but I’ll have plenty of photos and stories to tell her about that day.