Off, for now

Assalamu alaykum sisters,

it's been a while since I posted but I am not back for good, just a quick visit.

I am sorry to disappoint you all, but I won't be blogging for a while, don't know yet for how long. It all depends how long it will take for my life to go back on track. And that maybe never as we know nothing is forever, things changed as much as we dislike it. Mash'Allah wa hamdulillah Allah has blessed me with big and small tests for a while now. It's a blessing as I feel much closer to my Creator and also I am learning a lot on the way. Mash'Allah. Things that I thought could never happened, did indeed happened. Things I was not happy about became a reality and as a result my health paid the price. But hamdulilah to be a Muslim as I find comfort in the Qur'an and reading duas.

So for now I'd like to say jazakallahu kheiran to all of you for your kind support and messages.

Please remember me and my kids in your duas,

wa alaykum assalam

x

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

Happy! :)

Assalamu alaykum,

I am just so happy about what's happening I decided to write it down straight away. Having this blog have made such a difference and it is such a great idea to keep track of my boys' progresses.

Now that A. and S. are in the same school I am more happy and calm. No more rushing around and I have more time to spend with them after school.Hamdulillah!

I have realized something really important today. I look at my kids and see their progress, they have come a loooong way, mash'Allah! Something really amazed me; they really do love reading!

I find that reading is not just picking up a book, for my kids reading is a total different experience, They read and ask questions, they want to know, they are thirsty to learn and discover. They read everyday and if it is not homework or sports activities is all about books! Mash'Allah!!

One more thing that amazed me, since they started school their confidence, speech, language and knowledge have boosted up big time. Specially S. who has never been at school and was just too shy, he is now a little confident young man and he can now talk about his day at school so proudly and happily. Mash'Allah!!!

The skills they are acquiring and the knowledge is something I could not have done it only by homeschooling them. What they are learning about the world around them is so amazing. They now have friends and they can see them everyday. Before it was always them two. Now they have that bit of independence that can benefit them now and insh'Allah in the future. Hamdulillah. I am also so happy about the school; hamdulillah because we live in a predominantly Muslim area and the school is a reflection of that:food is halal, on 'Eid day the kids are at home, school is aware of the fact that as Muslims we do not take part in singing or music lessons and won't make a fuss out of it. Hamdulillah.

Just some of my thoughts that I needed to share

Just an update

Assalamu alaykum sisters,

I cannot believe how long it took me to write an update. I have less time now that the boys are at school. In fact my energies all goes to keep little man busy. I am so happy that Baby S. can attend toddler groups, baby yoga, baby football and gym and so much more.

So here is the update, just a quickie. Sorry no pics.

Finally A. got a place in S.school hamdulillah, that mean an easier day for me because so far i had to rush around trying to arrive early for S. but ended up every time late for A. The school was too far!

Kids are happy settled in the new school. S. is now learning divisions and carried on with timetables. He can solve small problems involving divisions and additions. Everyday at school S. does lot of spellings and reading. In Science he is learning about the five senses. Also this week S.class had the opportunity to host some very important people in our community and learnt about their role. S. was impressed by the role of the fireman, the doctor and a road cleaner. They then had to write about why he chose a particular role model. He found the process really interesting.Mash'Allah.

A. has carried on the work about journalism. His teacher is really lovely and everyday I had a chance to speak to her about A.progress. She said is a very talkative and inquisitive child mash'Allah. She was impressed to learn that A. knows how to use different applications with the PC and knows how to assemble a movie with Movie Maker. Remember the movie he made?

In Maths they are learning division and multiplications up to x12.

Both kids are busy all week long with free activities after school organized by the school, mash'Allah such as football, multi-skills, karate, computing and so much more.

Qur'an and Arabic is coming along really nicely and while S. is finishing off 30th Juz Amma, A. is well under way finishing 29th Juzz. Hamdulillah wa mash'Allah.

And for now that's all.

May you have all a happy week.

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

Homeschooling while schooling! :)

Assalamu alaykum,

now that my kids are at school and I feel fully supported, hamdulillah, I can now look into integrate some more work at home and help my boys with their homework insh'Allah.

In the last week, I have made sure that homework was done on time and I also integrate some more at home specially English and Maths.

I have registered with Teacher File Box and I can now look the homeschooling experience in a different light. I don't feel guilty if one day I cannot teach the kids because I am not well. But I still have the possibility to teach when I can and enjoy seeing them learning.

A. teacher is really impressed with him. She said: 'The child is very communicative and loves taking part in every activity. He asks lots of questions and he wants to know more about what we do'. Mash'Allah tabarak'Allah!! Those are the effects of homeschooling and I am so happy for my boys.Hamdulillah.

I have also realized that schools can't never and I mean never replace in any way the hard work that parents should do at home!! Homeschooling still the very best option no doubt about that.

So dear homeschoolers out there, all I am going to say is KEEP IT UP!!! You are doing a great work and your kids will indeed benefit immensely from homeschooling.

Just a brief update and thoughts I needed to share.

Wa alaykum assalam

x