Mostly Biryani

Biryani has a pink spoon she calls her own. She’d retrieves it off the floor, takes it to the bathroom and washes it herself (v. impressive mashAllah). It drops on the floor again. I pick it up and wash it. Tantrum – she wipes it on the floor so it’s dirty and she can wash it HERSELF again.
She’s been annoying brothers by remembering a sentence in a Ladybird storybook before he could read it. M has been reading her some bedtime stories (piles of them) a few nights a go. He looked up from the penultimate one and saw she was asleep as was everyone in the house except me and him.
She also likes the Ladybirds ‘Knights’ book. She insists the first page says ‘fight for their country’ another memorised bit of text! I wonder if it’s not too confusing, considering the books mostly about Knights (not nights) and pages (not the ones we’re reading).
She’s also being playing far too much computer. Admittedly most of the games are pretty educational. She pointed out an octagon the other day (a stop sign)I can’t think where else she learnt it from but the internet games.
And today I finally got around to recording myself reading ‘The Billy goats gruff’ All my children and now especially Biryani, love this story. I have read this story so many times, and hence tend to read it ever so fast. I had heard ages ago about Dads who’d be sent to jail being advised to record themselves reading bedtime stories. Then they could contribute something positive to their children‘s lives even while inside. So I borrowed S’s phone and made a recording, only making one error I think ‘Billy boat gruff’. I was still reading too fast even though tried my best to slow down. Since I recorded it (around 7.30 pm) its been listened to 2 times, Biryani turning the pages at(mostly) the right spot herself, and then I was able to get on and pray maghrib. It felt like I had a babysitter in the house for 5 minutes, something better than a TV or computer! Of course it’s not as good as the real thing having a story read to you, you can’t pause and answer queries or discuss points in the story. But as most have already been discussed (the troll needs to cut his long nails Biryani thinks) on the previous numerous readings I don’t think it mattered. I’m thinking of recording some more and wondering if it’s possible to make an MP3 for the car?

Ups and downs

I often wonder why it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. Even the smallest of plans seem hard to fit in to the everyday drudgery which necessarily repeats itself. Washing clothes, preparing food, it just has to be done. Only by doing these tasks more efficiently can there be a bit more time spare. I laugh to myself as I read advice for parents of young children to do only the bare basics so you have time to rest. What less can I do?, the house looks like burglars came and turned the place over. I can just ignore it and I am doing so as I write and otherwise not much would be written. But cluttered house= cluttered mind and I need to have some clarity in thinking to progress right now. I was discussing with S about how others in the neighbourhood have new cars etc, and this led to discussing double incomes. He perked up when I said if I worked we could have a lot more money. I even looked up mother-tongue teacher job posts. I thought this is me being pro-active in trying to get us out of this stress-inducing situation, that being the flat bursting at the seams with people, their stuff, need for personal space..

This is me writing after a weekend indoors, with poor little Hz with a sore throat and me fighting every type of microorganism. This is Winter in Sweden (again),

Alhamdulillah,

and I am waiting for the broadcast from Makkah to lift my spirits.

On a lighter note, my prayers were answered as yesterday the 'no satellite signal received' came up on the TV. You'd think I could just say 'No' to the TV, but with a concrete reason behind me, it's much easier as there's no point in debates. We even played Top Trumps with each other, and today I thought I should spend some more time with Biryani as I feel I'm expecting her to occupy herself too much. So we made Top trumps cards out of a toy catalogue. She was quite good with the sticking, and I wrote the headings: Price, Batteries, and Fun. I'd actually suggested to S he make some, but got no response. But as often is the case in order to get kids interested in something, I have to start doing it first. Once I'd done the cards myself, and they'd enjoyed playing them, they ( M& S) went on to make some more themselves, adding the category 'strength' (i.e. ability to stay intact at hands of siblings). A stretchy Scooby Doo was top at that.

Other things I've noticed to get reluctant participants to participate

• Make quizzes to test parents on knowledge (e.g. on Arabic word meanings!)
  
• Posh pens (calligraphy) to encourage writing.
  
• Use of percentage or number goals
  

  e.g Rosetta Stone gives you the percentage correct of each section, M goes back and does it again until he gets 100%,
  

  Arabic reading practice, at the end of each page a word total is given and it accumulates so that after a few pages it shows a high number of read.
  

• Use of a timer, good for getting tasks done (e.g. ready for bed)
  

  Hz is rolling front to back and back to front now, likes to stand being held and even stood a few seconds balanced against the coffee table the other day. Solids are going down well and sleep is generally OK, just last night he woke a lot due to his illness.
  

  Now I should sleep, tomorrow I have to rethink the monthly task sheet, redo the menu plan, and I want to finish an information sheet about Eid for nursery so they can talk about something other than Christmas (yes advent started today I think, well there were some very loud fireworks and the tree lights are on).

Some of the many reasons..

why I haven't blogged much lately, or done much more than the really necessary:



1.Kids using computer: S's youtube channel (many sequels there).



2.Tiredness (Hz is sleeping pretty well again alhamdulillah, but neighbours alarm clocks going off at 5 a.m., and getting them ready for school mean rarely I can get up when my body feels ready). As Biryani often sleeps when I do (due to late afternoon naps which are almost impossible to avoid as she is also woken early by the morning rush.) So there is no 'kid-free time in the evenings to be online (she is still a tad adverse to me using the computer)



3.When Hz is awake he likes to be held much of the time, I'm not strong enough to use the sling much, so typing one handed is hard.



Did I day dream about putting them all in day-care? well yes for a second, but only for a second or so.
If I do get time I'm trying to be more regular with things like Quran and Arabic, trying being the operative word...
We have started having tick charts on the wall for the 2 older ones plus myself, and it really does help to focus and keep going with things (or show how we haven't and to try to buck up!). I keep remembering the essence of this hadith (Bukhari and Muslim) Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The best loved deeds to Allah are the ones that are continuous even if they are not very many."

Equipment purchasing or should I stick to pebbles and sticks in the park?

I've been considering buying a laminator, on and off, but would it really be used? Or is it one of those pieces of equipment that get put in the cupboard to gather dust?

Also sticker making machines, has anyone tried, and before I go on a shopping spree(?!) how is it with 'Moon sand', how easy is it to control in terms of mess, and colours getting mixed up. Is like lego, that it's worth the mess for the play value it brings?

Any other equipment, activities (for any age really) that you could really not do without?

Biryani's been happy with her salt dough these past weeks, and it doesn't stay in the mouth for long!