Lots of photos: outside

Looking at the glowing yellow of the labernum down in the park.

and if you now look the other way we have the cherry blossom, currently shedding it's flowers and looking as delicious as candy floss. M and his young friends who live nearby made some 'soup' in a big red bucket of which I think blossom was one of the ingredients. That and a big spoon of gravel.

It really is Spring now as temperatures are above 10 C and we don't need jackets on any longer just to pop down to the sandpit for a digging session.



and Biryani has her twirly skirt on (which today gave rise to Hz trying to twirl as he imitated her (and me). H ended up doing a very peculiar dance which was quite funny. By the end of the day he could actually spin round and now has experienced self-induced dizziness.)



'What are these flowers?' I was asked.
How can I have not taught her the name of these? so we did the classic daisy chain making. However, to make a chain long enough to adorn oneself requires more than the patience of a 4 year old, and I probably was off chasing Hz before I could even complete a bracelet.






and here he is chasing after Biryani, playing duck, duck, goose. This was the only way I could think of to distract him from escaping through the 'child-proof' gate to the car-park. Maybe I should bring this up at the next Housing Association meeting?


'Got you!' It was finally sandals weather, so the everlasting sock-location problem is minimized.


The beautiful colours of the flowers in our flats grounds, mashaAllah. Biryani proceeded to inform me of the different colours and then how many different colours there are. So often she talks as if she's the voice from a pre-school concepts computer game.



and the other half of the allotment, which not to my surprise has gone to seed. It would have been ideal to get these out before, but I've been a bit ill. We did our best to remove them, but I never want to see another dandelion again. I did find a few plants among them, which I think were balm, a sage bush, some reeds, some more chives and different sorts of mint.

Notes from the trenches..

A few things the kids have said/ done recently that made me smile:

H - 'Why is it a rock, can't it just be called a big stone?'

M - 'How many more blessings do you get if you say prayers with 3 people. (Thinking if the 'jammah' (gathering) of 2 gives 27 times blessings then it will go up proportionally, rather than just being for any size jammah)

Biryani to me ' Be quiet!'
Me - 'Sorry, are you concentrating?'
B - 'No I'm not, I'm painting'

Biryani - ' C J G T (or some other random letters)
I look bemused, and then spot the non-slip 'TOTES' socks she's examining.

I am praying and trying not to be distracted- Biryani picks up a lego scuba mask and tries to put it on herself, so cute..
I am praying - Biryani lies in front of me and with her recent quirk of using the opposite preposition, announces 'I'm behind you!'

Children are a gift

I watched the programme about gifted children on Channel 4 on Thursday. It was interesting to note that 2 of the children had been home-educated, at least at some point, and it wasn't seen as particularly unusual, although one boy's parents were having a battle with a LEA. What amazes me is the lengths people go to to ensure their kids get in the 'right' school (moving house many times, forking out thousands of pounds, IQ testing of a 3 year old) when they may have the best way under their noses, for free. I'm saying this after an extended morning of a pregnant brain trying to write a home education application, in Swedish. Oh how it aches!
Besides that, my idea (which came from thinking more seriously about planning for next academic year) of sticking a piece of paper on the wall, so we can write down areas of interest when they pop up, gave me a little surprise. I was thinking more along the lines of the questions S particularly thinks of such as 'Can bees hear?', which I will forget if I don't write them down. Anyhow Suhayb came up with learning to throw the javelin, M also asked to read as well as play X box and H wants to learn to read!
So today H and I did a bit with the white board and rhyming words ending with 'at' and 'eet'. He was very good at blending the sounds which surprised me mashAllah. He also tried learning to write cursive 'a'.
Biryani did about 6 puzzles and got through reams of paper (as usual) The white board might help save the planet actually.(If only she's stop eating the pen tips).

Life is an adventure

Last week was one of adventures. Firstly to the hospital’s casualty department, which I thought was the domain of young boys. Biryani wondered into the living room while was clearing up the supper, and the boys were on their screens of various types. Then S called me to find her on her back crying but with no sound coming out and blood streaming from her eye. Reminiscent of H’s lip accident, both in location and time of day, I hardly hesitated to call the ambulance, esp. as it was her eye. To cut a long story short we were seen to relatively efficiently and although thankfully no damage done to the eyeball her lids would need stitches, under general anaesthetic. There was no anaesthetist available that time so we came back the next morning. The other doctor decided that in fact there was no need for an operation and Biryani’s sedative (which actually appeared to make no difference to her, she’s from the ‘who needs to sleep’ camp I think. It turned H into a different child when he had one) and you should have seen me in the disposable boiler suit thingy I had to wear in the theatre, which somehow managed to contain my jilbab!
So she’s had a swollen eye for a week or so but now doesn’t look so much like a rugby player.
The difference between this time and H’s injury, was my own relative sense of calm, it wasn’t like it was the first time (M had an accident with a hurled drinks can and his eyes rolled wildly with the shock and that really worried me seeing that for the fist time) and I knew that this was Qadr, and Biryani’s health was in Allah’s hands.

And so, as I once nearly had a truck crash into me on my way to an Islamic camp, and somehow Allah saved me from disaster, the previous emergency did not manage to get in our way of our little adventure to Denmark.
We missed the ferry by 10 minutes to the island we were staying at, so had to find somewhere else to stay, which turned out to be another near island, also requiring a small ferry ride. We had supper in the only restaurant on the island, where the friendly (slightly tipsy) Danish owner cooked for us as if we were her guests. S was in fact v uncomfortable being around people drinking mashaAllah, even if they were the other side of the restaurant, but it was that or buying chocolate from the campsite’s tuck shop I think. The following morning, we mad e it on the ferry by the skin of our teeth to get back to the docks to catch the original ferry. S asked how ferries could float, and Alhamdulillah my DH could give an answer involving Archimedes principle (?!)
At the port, we met our travelling companions (both for this journey and the journey of Islam). Were we like buses?, no headscarf-bearing Muslims to be seen, and then two come at once!
Nervous? A little, but that soon passed as the commonalities of our lives were reality. How is it best to do Islam? How can we nurture our children best? The island was very beautiful and the company a treat, the time passed so quickly.
During the trip I felt reassured about my skills as a mother, reminded of Allah’s creation (the stars seen from a non- light polluted sky were jaw-dropping).
I realised my GCSE in German was of little use in trying to communicate with neighbours. The certificates we can accumulate almost worthless. Swedish, I have no papers for but can get by because sometimes I need to.
We spent a pleasant morning fishing for , well whatever they could catch with their nets in the sea. This turned out to be mostly stones and shells, although S said he'd caught a crab but somebody knocked him and he lost it. I suspect it was a shrimp by the description.
To finish off the adventure we realised that I’d left the portable DVD player on the ferry on the way over. I wasn’t so keen on getting them in the first place and wondered if this was a sign, but when DH enquired it turned out they’d saved them at the island’s docks so would bring them back on the last ferry. So we had a couple of hours to kill, and managed to find a v nice fish restaurant and had my first proper smorgasbord since I’ve been in Scandinavia (we don’t go out for meals with the kids unless it’s to the Muslim restaurants (they understand the accompanying raucous more). It was the first time in a long time I ate my fill, normally I don’t have much of an appetite. I was trying to remember the hadith of leaving a third for water, a third for air, and hope there was some space leftover. The Danes around did seem less uptight about noisy kids than in Sweden and the addition of there being a huge fish tank for them to peer into helped. Outside, waiting for various members of the family to use the bathroom, S decided to ask me about nuclear bombs, and how they work, and whether one could destroy the whole of our city? I tried to calmly answer his queries, and silently hoping his enthusiasm for the subject would die down, as nearby Danish citizens could overhear us!
Then managed to zoom back to port, collect afore-mentioned DVD players and head off into the thick of the Danish traffic. Tired, but very happy and hoping for another time like this, but one that doesn’t pass so quickly inshaAllah.

More questions and progressions

Maybe I have noted these questions of S before, but I know I haven’t yet found the answers to all of them!
How are cucumbers pickled? (They have them for sale in a big tub in the fruit and veg section of the supermarket.)
What is ‘astromycin’?
How do they make butter, oil?
Why poisonous berries can be eaten by birds (I always wondered this as a child, but never thought to find out, it was pre internet though!)
What can eat ‘flotsvamp’ (the red toadstool)
What’s a rain shadow?
How do they make the special effects in films? e.g. cutting off hands, falling down a deep hole in Star Wars.
Can you live without saliva?
Which is the heaviest rock? Ayres?
Which is the highest voltage power plant in the world, actually now I remember we did check that one but I can’t exactly remember was it in Japan or Russia. Hope M15 doesn’t seize my computer anyway….
What’s the best conductor?
How is marmite made? Yes we did find out it is a bi product of the brewing process, assuming its still halal though.
He wants to learn more about Isa (as)
Have also been having lots of queries on dangerous insects – am thinking of starting ‘lap books’, I think M will especially like this. Any advice on websites, books willingly received. I think there was an article in the IHSAN newsletter I’ll have to look up inshaAllah.
Hmm I think we have a years worth of work here, who needs a government-concocted curriculum?

M said recently re his little sister: 'She doesn’t talk, I think she knows what we mean’ Very observant, as she is understanding a lot of words now mashAllah, esp. those that come up on a daily basis e.g. tissue, yoggi, TV (hmm)

H’s has been asking:
What’s zero not more than?
Why is zero nothing?
He’s managed somehow to pick up basic addition and likes to repeatedly ask ‘What’s 18 +1?' despite being told the answer many times!
He made up his own pen control game as he made a racing track and we had to race round drawing with our pens on the paper. Could have gone on for ages, if I’d had time, luckily big bro S joined in.


H also said ‘panpake’, then went to think in his room and came out and said ‘ pan-cake’
Yesterday it was French toast on the menu except it took me a while to workout this request as he called it ‘fresh bread’
Another touching expression ‘I’m just taking the water off me’ (as he was drying his tears)
And finally today he was asking ‘Why everything grows except crocs(those shoes) and toys?’ ok it’s a start on animate vs. inanimate objects!
He’s being showing me how to cover his mouth when you cough, and he asked why they do it with the hand in England. The Swedish way is to put arm up to mouth, assumedly because so often have to shake hands with people here. (Once I took it a bit too far and offered my hand to the nurse in the doctor’s and she had actually wanted to take my ‘nummerlapp’ queue position number instead. A bit of Swedish etiquette learnt there, no queue barging and wait for them to offer hand first!)
Biryani's walking getting quite confident now, yesterday we went to an indoor play centre *groan* where there was a lot of floor space and she picked up a bit of speed there. She also loves holding on to H’s shirt behind him while they walk very fast around the house, giggling away.
She tries to pray, missing the rukuh and salam, but does a sujood with knees still off the ground. We tried it and it’s not easy! She moves her index finger a bit for tashahud and did hold her hands up for dua and fold the prayer mat after, mashaAllah.
Recently she kept pointing at H’s milk in his anywayup cup (still using I’m afraid) She normally shows no interest in milk of the bovine form preferring mine but she really meant she wanted to give it to her brother, and so she promptly walked to the other room to deliver it mashaAllah.
Now I know my cooking’s not so great but felt my heart sink as she enthusiastically pointed towards the shelf with the baby food jars which I serve out when I haven’t made the meal in time for her schedule or if what we’re eating’s not suitable. She ate almost a whole big fat 15 month HIPP jar of vegi lasagne which is a lot for her.

Well it's school on Monday, a week later than I'd expected and I need to do some clothes shopping for the boys, if inshaAllah I can escape to the shops without kids..

Yes, I've calmed down..

Alhamdulillah, it was one of those days. We were all tired and I think this stops all of us having as much self-control as normal. Kids don't hold back on what they want to do, be it mum-pleasing or not, and I don't control my anger so well. Hoping social services don't read the blog, a man in Sweden didn't get a job after the company read his girlfriend's blog, which said she didn't want to relocate if he got the job! Anyhow, the way we disturb our neighbours, I'm surprised we haven't been visited yet.Managed to (just about) keep my cool in the supermarket today with all 4 kids, not normally a feat attempted by myself. Not quite becoming old mother Hubbard just yet, but the essentials being low meant I had to go. The Swedes were kind today and did not appear to comment on the pretend kick-boxing fights that progressed round the frozen section and I almost, but not quite, heard a tut as an apple was dropped on the floor.
Have had the kids home the past 5 days due to teacher-training and public holidays. Much to their (but not my) delight, one of the X box controllers has been resurrected and after many months they had a chance to play some mindless games.
S's friend stayed over and they didn't sleep until very late (as usual,excitement etc). Then as I was checking my pimples or whatever in the bathroom mirror, I heard banging on the door, and they were both quite worried there was a bomb in the house! It was in fact an alarm on an electronic diary that's got lost under the bed, and I haven't bothered, or fathomed out how to turn it off, poor dears, but they slept easy once I informed them of the true source of the beeping.
But have started the Jolly Phonics a bit with M, he seems to like it, and S has been reading his DK book on aeroplanes, plus now his horrible History book (some of the cartoons a bit too horrible, check them first b4 reading) we got free with Aquila magazine.
Just got the first issue today as part of a 3 month special trial offer. I'm not sure about it yet, I flicked through to the letters page, and to my horror read one from an 11 year old (I think) girl, saying she wouldn't want to be home-educated due to the usual socialisation rubbish arguments. Then she went on to complain about the sexism of boys in her school and how you can't talk to a boy without people thinking you fancy them! I ask you..Then to my relief there was a positive letter from a home educated girl to the side of it, so I suppose it was balanced.
Other things we have been doing, some might call it child labour, I mean M learnt how to clean the bathroom, loo and all and he actually said 'This is a little bit fun'.
They always like spraying the cleaner, I use this 'grön sopa' not sure exactly what it is, but it comes from pine trees I think and is fairly harmless and does the job. Smells like that green jelly stuff yo use to get oil off your hands.
S became 'Mr Omelette chef' as he turned 9, and cooked numerous omelettes throughout the day, and actually made a meal consisting of the above-mentioned plus cucumber slices and knäckerbröd (crispbread). Photo inshaAllah to come.(too tired now to upload photos etc)
H has been a bit jealous lately of Hafsah and has told me to take her back to the hospital, because Mama's back is hurting and then her back won't hurt! (it is true that picking up over 9kg of big, relatively floppy baby is wearing on the lower back area).
Hafsah has started climbing up everywhere, like her bro' at a similar age, cannot get down so safely. Up to the microwave, up to the draining board, all with the aid of the stool, oh, and down to floor with a bump and a resulting lump on the back of her head now, the silly sausage (all happening as I have called, in vain, to M to take hold of her, and I rush towards her, stupidly taking time to fling rubber gloves off my hands and getting to the accident scene too late).


QUESTIONS I NEED TO FIND ANSWERS TO (cue Wikepedia)
H: What's a mirror made out of?
S - What's an egg, if it's not fruit or meat?
Where were pancakes invented?
and just now read the Magic school bus volcanoes book and now have to find out how Australia was formed (I don't think it was from a volcano!)