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.

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

Holidays!!!!

Assalamu alaykum,

yes, we are totally relax, doing no much a part from Qur'an and Arabic!!

We sent back the last test to Calvert and so it's goodbye for now...maybe on September we will get the 3rd grade? We'll see. For now I need rest, my boys need rest and we all need time to get ready for Ramadan, insh'Allah. Hamdulillah.

Kids had busy two weeks with far more that I was expected! They tried out a new sport: fencing and attended so far 4 lessons. They really liked it and asked to go again next week, insh'Allah.

We attended the annual Al-Noor funday and it was mash'Allah! We try to go every year as it is the only occasion we can enjoy in an halal environment, and kids get to go on the fun rides with their Muslim friends, hamdulillah.

No much more to say but the pictures will make the talk...sorry just tired from a day out at the farm!

So for now jazakallahu kheiran to all of you, dear readers! I was overwhelmed by all the lovely emails I received. I was not aware that I had so many readers, mash'Allah wa hamdulillah.


Wa alaykum assalam

x

Just pics...

Assalamu alaykum


I have been not too well lately and decided to stop homeschooling and start our holidays. I thought to homeschool the boys throughout the summer but I had to stop 'cause of my health. I would have to slow down anyway as the boys will be busy with the free courses I registered them to. Hamdulillah and certainly Allah is the best Planner, la hawla wa la quwwata illah billah!!

So here are some pics of our past week or so. Hope you like them.

And for now happy summer holidays to you all.


Wa alaykum assalam

Last on the right. S art work

Canary Wharf Building
Watching a hockey game

Trying out a new sport

A. 99 names of Allah rocket

S. rocket

A. wrote a book for kids ages 3-4 about Tawheed

Leaflet about Tawheed for non Muslims made by A.

S. poster about Tawheed 'Who created us?' 'Who created everything?'

A new visit down the sea

Finally a sandy beach