Our holidays in pics!

Assalamu alaykum,
the almost 3 weeks out of school are now over. Kids are back to school and I am back to my normal routine. During the past 3 weeks we have been busy catching up visiting places we love such as the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Transport Museum and of course more local to us, Discover!
Kids had the opportunity for the first time to ice-skate and to my surprise the younger one was the best at it! Mash'Allah :)
Days have passed by so quickly and I didn't have any time to stop and sit. There has been a constant use of the Internet. Kids have discovered new websites such as Education City and E-Learning.
Qur'an and Arabic has been on as usual and S. is almost at the end of Juzz Amma with recitation as well as tajweed. Mash'Allah tabarkallah!

Now I have been having big issue with my eldest to get him pray and sincerely this time I don't know what to do. I have tried them all but every time it is the same answer 'No'. I really need some help here. When I call him to pray he seems always too busy and too careless to think about praying. I have explained to him how important it is to pray and how much rewards he will have if he keeps up with his prayers. I haven't asked him yet to pray 5 times a day. Although when he used to be 7 he used to pray all his prayers no problem. In a way i knew things would change with years passing and I see others sisters struggling with their kids too. But what to do? I fear that by next year when he will be 10 he won;t be ready to pray his 5 prayers and that would make my life harder and bitter.
I need some tips to help him and help me to understand what I should do. Insh'Allah.
Please do make duas for my child.

for now
wa alaykum assalam
x

fajr time mash'Allah!

Chicken pie. Kids helped with the pastry. Comfort food for cold days.

Making an ice cave at Discover.

One of the many activities for the kids during the holidays.

Baby's making his very own ice cave using loads of glue! :)

The spoon activity. S. loves this one every time we go to Discover.

Baby dressed as a chick so cute mash'Allah!

My three boys, all dressed up to impress :))

'Suburbia' a new area at the Transport Museum

Some well-deserved rest after a day at the Museum

Ummi, I got lost! Where to now?

Beautiful coach, old style. Imagine it used to run in Oxford Street!!

So cute!

Baby gangster with his favourite drink...:)

Pure fun and sweating at the ice rink.

I enjoyed the most sitting warmly at the cafe' just above

the ice rink with a hot cup of choc.Yum!

S.pet, Hammy!So sweet and a very intelligent pet.

It's snowed!

Assalamu alaykum
for the past few days it has been snowing, mash'Allah. We mainly stayed indoors, drinking hot chocolate and keeping warm.
We have been spending time together, like the 'old days' when I used to homeschool the boys. We played board games and watched documentaries, A.'s favourite past-time is to learn about wild life, mainly wild cats and all that Allah created, Mash'Allah. I am wondering if he will grow into a zoologist, biologist or maybe a vet? Insh'Allah. Whatever he will choose I pray it will be an halal job full of rewards.Amin.
Here are some pictures of our past days. Just as I didn't post any for such a looong time.
Enjoy.
wa alaykum assalam
x

A new member in the family

Assalamu alaykum all,

this past few days have been really rewarding for me. The kids have been very good in sticking with our new routine: fajr-school-after school clubs-homework-Qur'an and Arabic.

I would have preferred Qur'an and Arabic early in the morning, and we do so on Saturdays and Sundays but because of the school and other commitments of the teacher, we have to wait for it until late afternoon.

Hamdulillah so far the boys are happy with this new routine and kept busy with worksheets at home. Mash'Allah wa hamdulillah.

Qur'an have been the most rewarding of all, mash'Allah. A. is well on the way to finish a new Juz and I am so proud of him mash'Allah, may Allah always keep him and us in the straight Path.Amin. May Allah increase us in knowledge.Amin.

So what have we worked on?

A. finished his lapbook about slavery for the Black Month History. He also has been working on division and multiplication, verbs and contractions. In Science he completed a research about a reptile, Komodo dragon.

S. is learning timetables x2,x5,x10 and at school they do always lots of reading and text comprehension. In Science he is learning about natural things (Allah's creation) and man-made things.

We have also been talking about Hajj and the importance of the first 10 days of Dhul Hijah.

I am looking again for a valid Islamic Curriculum. I might buy the one from Ad-Duha institute insh'Allah. In the past years I resorted to use books from Islamic shops specially from Darussalam.

Swimming and wrestling has been on as usual. We are almost at the end of the last term for this year and I am so looking forward to know if A. will make to the advanced level in swimming. Insh'Allah.

And now for our new little member:

my love for the animals have brought me to choose for my kids, and for me lol, a dwarf Russian hamster.

And here it is!!! I love the idea that the kids will take on a bit of the responsibility of looking after such a tiny pet making sure he gets all he needs during the day. Mash'Allah.

Looking after a pet and prior to that researching about the pet ones wants to look after is really very educational not just for the kids! :)

Also this week...

Kids decorated their bedroom with this wall stickers,

a super road for the rally cars

inside the lapbbok about slavery

playing snap in a 'healthy' way!!

some more on Lego world! I don't think my boys will never grow out

of this one.

S. is doing his school work

Our little Hammy

So much to learn!!

Assalamu alaykum

mash'Allah there is so much I can still do at home with my boys and I am enjoying benefiting fully from the school experience. It is a great support for me now that i cannot educate my kids 100% as I used to. It's a little bit like I 'rely' on school for implement concepts and study activities. Also socialization and free sport activities. But the best part of the day when my kids are at home, after school and learn with me.

We try to sit down everyday if possible, some days is difficult due to other commitments such as swimming, Qur'an classes, wrestling, after school clubs ...mash'Allah wa hamdulillah.

So what have I been teaching my kids?

S. is currently learning timetables and I am starting him off with division. Insh'Allah. In English he is learning contractions, looking again at the phonics, lots of reading and parts of a sentence.Mash'Allah. In Science we are working about 'Autumn' theme and all related to it such as acorns, apples, falling leaves...

We have started little French as he is already doing it in school. Just learning the colours and numbers. Mash'Allah.

A. has been busy with the 'Black history Month' and as part of the curriculum the class visited the Docklands Museum. I am integrating the teaching done at school and at the Museum with various reading about Slavery, Martin Luther King and history in general from the Caribbean.

In Math A. is doing division and revising timetables up to by 12.

In Science we started to learn about reptiles and mainly crocodiles and and alligators.

In English I need to work harder with A. because he doesn't really like grammar and find it hard to understand the verbs and parts of a sentence. I am also thinking to revise phonics. Phonics area vital part of a child speech and writing.

So far we have stick to our routine and trying to get the best out of the school.

Insh'Allah all will work for the best.

for now

wa alaykum assalam

x

School days

Assalamu alaykum all my dearest readers!

another update about the school experience so far.

Kids have started. S. has been at school now for about 2 weeks while A. just started last Monday.

So far we have no encounter major issues a part from A. being fussy over the school dinner!

They are enjoying so far the school experience and learning a lot on the way. In fact learning is coming tick and fast! S. is progressing in Maths really fast and only in the past 3 days has been coming home telling me all about capacity, measure, and weight! Mash'Allah!

I had my first parent evening in S.'school. The teacher, a caring Muslim sister, said she is really impressed with S. reading skills and phonics! Mash'Allah. She said he is enjoying the socialization aspects and he likes to take part in all the activities except music!! Ya Allah! She said it is not a major problem if he doesn't want to take part in music. Hamdulillah.

A. is enjoying the socialization side too and finding working with his friends really fun and rewarding. He said he can now have friends of his age, mash'Allah. He used to work with his little brother at home.

On the downside now :( Boys are attending two different schools and it makes it so hard for me to drop them and pick them up as I have to be in both places at the same time. A. couldn't get a place in S. school because it is overcrowded! A. didn't enjoy the school dinners and I will have to make pack lunches. S. had a problem in the playground with a child and was accused by one of the dinner's lady to be naughty! Astafirullah!! I spoke to them straight away and put the record right. My child is not naughty and I feel that jumping to conclusion without asking to the child what happened is really not on!! But then again this is real life experience and my kids will have to get on with it and be strong. Life's full of tests!

Missing my kids terribly...

Kids are so busy now with school, after school clubs, swimming, Qur'an and Arabic everyday, wrestling on weekend that I don't get a chance to sit with them and do work. Just couple of hours a week and I was hoping to carry on some work at home...what was i thinking???

Still some days we sit and do worksheets and lots of reading every evening. We talk a lot about things related to school and non. My boys are growing into young man and I am so worry now, really I am.

While I am writing, I am looking out the window, From here I can see S. playing in the school playground. Mash'Allah kids looks so happy and a bit wild!!! :)

for now

wa alaykum assalam

x

There is the time for this and the time for...

that!
Assalamu alaykum to all my readers,
we had the most beautiful past 3 days for a loooooong time!!!!
These past three days have brought so much joy, peace and I feel recharge and full of energy! Hamdulillah!
We have had a very busy year and I have been pondering over our progresses. What have we learnt? It all looked grey and gloomy until few days ago. It is now crystal clear and I am happy I had time to go out, see other sisters, reflecting over important decisions and gathering all my thoughts together!
I feel that the decision to put the kids to school for now it is indeed the right one. I see myself with too much on my plate and wanted to do too much it has always been a very bad habit of mine!
I am extremely organized mash'Allah but that in itself could be a good or a bad thing! Good when you have 3 very active boys and husband to look after! Bad when you have to stick to the schedule and leave no time to rest because you have it all timed! Hamdulillah!
My kitchen cupboards are organized, my wardrobes are organised and the kids' bookcase and files are but...I now feel the need to break the rules and get a back seat and just relax. I have a whole year to do that! I feel I need to 'schedule' my pleasure and free time, 'organize' my breaks and rest.
-I have my University to finish, not that a degree is something I desperately seek, just the pleasure of life! :) ;
-I desperately and I repeat DESPERATELY want to go back to study my deen inside out!!!;
-I want to learn some Tafseer and go back to tajweed;
-I want to go back to knitting and felting!!!
And so much more...
I see my kids had 6 years of great fun at home, tears and joy! They learnt a whole lot more that I could ever imagined them to! My eldest just turned 9 years on August and I see the changes in my little growing man!
He wants a bit of Independence, of course he is still too small for that...but where I was born and brought up we enjoyed the fresh air 365 days a year no matter what age! I was brought in a small village, we played with raw materials: stones and mud, leaves and flowers! I know ho to milk a sheep and a cow, I can ride a horse and collect the eggs from the chicken. Hamdulillah for those small pleasure in life! I see my kids stuck in 4 walls everyday. Homeschooling brought so much happiness in our home but at the same time I feel my kids need to see and relate with a different environment. So for this year, school will be! Insh'Allah! A big change that will open different doors...insh'Allah.

Back on our great past 3 days! We had a wonderful 'eid. Prayed at one of the biggest Mosque in London and enjoyed the company of a dear sister and her family mash'Allah. We had a meal out and the kids for the first time in years received no just sweets and books as usual, but toys! Mash'Allah! Uncles and aunties have been pretty generous, hamdulillah!
The day after we were invited over to a really nice party. Kids played all afternoon, jumping on and off the bouncy castle while mums were having the most delicious BBQ and cakes! Yummy! Of course kids ate too :)
Today, we were at another party and guess what? More bouncy castle, cakes, BBQ, and great company!Hamdulillah! Chatted with a really nice sister. I relate so much to what she was telling me about homeschooling and having no support, help or appreciation. She felt lonely and needed not just encouragement and support but financial help. Her husband was of the idea that school was the best and never thought of given her money to buy books and materials for her kids. After all homeschooling is expensive! She left homeschooling as she had too much stress and pressure. Now her kids are at state school and she feel happier as she knows her husband is the responsible in front of Allah for the education of the family.
I myself took a great responsibility for my kids; i tried to do my best for the past 6 years and hamdulillah I see the results in my kids but I am also too aware that if my health is no good for a while my kids are all alone! And Allah knows best.

This year 'eid have been a real time for me and family to spend some good quality time together, for the kids to celebrate with their friends, and for me specially to lighten up the heavy weight I had on top of myself for too long! And hamdulillah!
There is a time for everything, for me and for my family, for homeschooling and for school...a time for this and a time for that.

wa alaykum assalam
x

Back online, summer is finishing and Ramadan is going fast...away :(

Assalamu alaykum,

only today i was able to go back online. It took so long to get connected in this part of the world! hamdulillah it's all over now and I can go back to my usual routine and of course studies.

I have lots to write but I will try to keep it short and sweet as I prefer to use my free time for acts of ibadah specially now in these very last few days of Ramadan.

Ramadan has come and almost gone...subhan'Allah! This year it has been extra special because of the new place and also because it so unusual, for me at least, to fast in summer. It's 10 years I am a Muslimah hamdulillah and never I fasted in the summer months. I must say it's easier than I thought and it is all going mash'Allah.

A. managed to complete 1 day of fasting and 2 days half way through (until about 6.30pm). He got very tired, very quickly. In itself the fact that he was tired and hungry taught him a lesson and a very important one too!

Both boys had a nice summer, very quite except for the move which took longer than we thought.

The boys will be starting school soon and this blog will be stay up and running but I won't be recording our homeschooling days any longer for obvious reasons. It will be fun to record our school days. So for this year is school and Allah knows best! We haven't actually received the confirmation letter from school yet, just waiting in their list.

The decision came about when I realized that my health was getting worse. And because of my health, my dh felt it was time to relieve me from all the duties I was accustomed since the boys were born. I just feel I could have wait one more year, then again it's not by my hands and Allah knows best my position. Hamdulillah for His Mercy towards us.

I am currently looking for a good evening madrassa. The boys will be still attending Qur'an lessons privately but I'd like for them to restart a madrassa. Just need to keep them busy for now as I know I need time to recover and go back in my usual self.

Please do make duas for me.

I am leaving you with some pics from the past month or so.

May Allah accept our fasting and duas, amin.

Fi amanillah

wa alaykum assalam