Another explosion in the suburbs..

Today was a day at home for M as another musically-orientated trip had been organised.
It was amazing how easy it is with just one school-age child and Biryani just to attend to now and again. He managed to do his maths, Swedish reading and we used his pattern he made the other day to make a mini heart pillow with the sewing machine and some old pyjama material.
Would have some photos but the camera is still lost and I’m a little worried as MIL (and me a little) has tidied up quite a lot and haven’t come across it. There are a few ‘hotspots’ as Flylady would call them, namely around the microwave and my bedroom. The latter being full of duvets and pillows as the 2 elder ones want to sleep in my room nowadays. Or maybe Biryani has wondered off with it somewhere and left in one of the overfilled cupboards/ wardrobes?
Anyway back to the sewing, am not the best at this, I blame on my school days, where sewing projects took what seemed like forever, with a sewing teacher who had a funny thing about discipline and a wooden ruler. In my secondary school it took me a whole year to finish a simple skirt wheras my Mum whizzes one up in an afternoon. So my question is how do you sew up the hole where you have stuffed in the stuffing so it looks OK rather than my rather unkempt hand-sewing attempt?
Then I had to have a nap which has kind of stopped the flow of things and I hope we can do his Swedish spellings soon.
S also has English spellings to learn which I feel a bit more pressure for him to get a good mark in ( as the other kids this is their 3rd language).
Well we just had a nappy explosion (she managed to gorge 2 satsumas yesterday as I had given her one and then MIL had granted her another, not realising she’d just had one).. The blast has involved S’s jacket which Biryani was sporting at the time as she thought it far more fetching than her T shirt. Alhamdulillah I have the washing machine (which was actually emptied of clothes) and some hot radiators so the jacket should be restored by the morning inshaAllah. I wonder what people with kids do when they have to use the oft-fully-booked communal machines and they’ve had a situation like this. Hand wash I suppose, or maybe they’re the ones that nick my turn that I’ve so diligently booked with my little ‘plopp’ key?

OK, I’ve just taken: paracetemol, iron tabs, folic acid tabs, and my nasal spray and hoping it clears the fog that is my brain right now. I don’t understand while I feel this way as I managed to grab over an hour’s nap this afternoon (maybe it was not the soundest of sleep as had recurring dream of trying to find a clean toilet, but all I could find were ones reminding me of school bogs).
M and H are happily occupying themselves with the alphabet biscuits I ummed and erred over buying yesterday. Alhamdulillah it wasn’t a waste of money as they are actually trying to make word with them rather than just scoffing them. M is teaching H and I find that the most satisfying thing as both are learning a lot without me doing anything (i.e. they want to learn)
H was actually able to sound out and spell a few simple words this morning as we were on google talk with his Dad. He (H) was finding the last letters a bit tricky, which I recall rightly from my training are often slightly unvoiced, so I assume have potential to be confusion, .e.g. dog, the 'g' is more like a 'k'.
Biryani is now fiddling with the phone as opposed to the monitor, and is dancing to the engaged type tone she’s getting for dialling an unknown number. Reminds me of M, who used to ‘sing’ the microwave signal (the beeps it makes when it’s finished).
Biryani’s vocab ever expanding. Star wars, being the main subject in the house, means she says words like ‘Dee two’ (R2D2)
‘Bacca’ Chewbacca
and ‘ky-walker’ Luke Skywalker.

She also calls her brothers: ‘Ayb’ (unfortunately means something not so good in Arabic), ‘Ahmond’ (like a northern ‘almond’)
and ‘naam’.
It sometimes feels like I have another little mum in the house as she calls out ‘Boys!’ often when I’m trying to beckon them to eat their supper.
M was v proud today as he was awarded ’veckans elev’ this week’s best student. And that was after this morning’s palaver over getting to school late as the week’s student wanted to take his time getting dressed. Well I assume the teacher blames the parents for latecomers, but however early I get up it doesn’t seem to make much difference when we arrive. Maybe making the clocks fast is necessary, it did help before, now the batteries in the clock are losing power we’re back to running a few minutes behind Swedish time.

Guilt city

Yesterday I finally made it to taking H to his ’gympa’ (gymnastics) session organised by nursery. He hadn’t been attending before, as he wasn’t so keen, and also the nursery were being stubborn about us having to meet at the nursery early in the morning. The hall they use for the session is actually in the school that I can practically see from my kitchen window so I thought it would be more sensible to meet them there. The special needs teacher and her supervisor seemed to think it was a useful session for H to attend, to help his Swedish comprehension, so pressed the nursery to be more flexible. However I doubt we’ll be attending again. I expected it to be forward rolls and jumping off things on to soft mats. However today was more the ‘musical movement type thing’ Biryani started screaming as loud Swedish children’s’ songs came on (including Pippi Longstocking) and I had to take her out. I was thinking to take H too but he looked quite happy running round with his hands on his ears! Well thankfully it didn’t go on too long and they did a running around ‘port starboard’ type game for the 2nd part. Although H did seem to willingly take part he came to me at the end with tearful eyes, and even the prospect of vegi sausages could not persuade him to go back to nursery with them. Anyhow to top it off many of the kids had the almost obligatory shower, absolutely no qualms running around starkers. There does seem to be a certain obsession with schools getting kids to shower after P.E. even if no sweat has been produced. Do they think we don’t teach personal hygiene at home? Or is it the lack of use of anti perspirants that make it necessary, I’m getting flippant here, but I can’t remember it being an issue at the schools I attended in the UK. I don’t think my primary school even had showers.
Teaching modesty is important for kids, although it’s been suggested to me (by a non Muslim of course) that maybe it could cause future hang-ups! When I read the Swedish news, so often it’s full of shocking stories, often involving kids. My kids are very reluctant to undress even for the doctor, when I was present, but I’d rather it be that way as I expect they’d scream blue murder if anyone else tried to get them to remove clothes.
H was typing a word document yesterday, with a great look of concentration in his eyes. O f course it was all gobbledy goop but once I showed him how to get the ‘=’ sign he made some sums, except they contained both letters and numbers! But I told him that when he gets bigger there will be sums like that. He also asked me why , if 4 plus 4 is 8 why 5 plus 5 is 10 and not 9 (he’s thinking 5 is only one more than 4?)
S and I had a bit of a row yesterday. He’s fed up with me not taking him anywhere as I’m ‘ill al the time’. This was one reason that I actually wasn’t in a hurry to have more kids as I do feel I’ve unable to give anything like 100% for a long time as either pregnant or breastfeeding since 2002. The other difficulty is that his best friend lives in a different town and we live a way from the school friends he might want to see as well. It is a fact I’ll have to accept, but finding interesting things to do gets harder with age. Biryani was fascinated by the water in her bath at around 6 months old. The wonder in her eyes made me think of how an adult might feel if they were suddenly in a bath full of flubber, or some other substance we’d never experienced. H is still highly entertained by just pottering in the playground. M was v excited last night about the prospect of making a weekly menu chart. But as we experience more it takes more to get us enthusiastic, I suppose that’s what drives us humans to discover more and more about the world Allah has benefited us with, and to make progress. It’s summoning up the energy to do activities that stretch and inspire a 9 year old’s imagination that’s difficult right now, esp without a dad to participate.
The worst bit was H was hiding in his bed and came to me, tearful again, saying in a croaky voice ‘I can’t speak’ I asked why, and it turned out my raised voice had scared him. I suppose it’s good in that it shows that I don’t do it too often so it was a shock for him, but those big brown watery eyes are the biggest guilt-inducers.
I had the first ultrasound scan yesterday too. I was hoping for a nice, kindly midwife, but as I heard my surname being called, no effort made to say my first name although it’s a common Swedish name, I realised I’d got the stern one. Another expectant Mum was called at the same time and was called by her whole name. I thought, well maybe this one is better technically at her job. I think I’d actually had her for a previous pregnancy scan. Once she realised I speak English she warmed up a little. So many countries in the world have this inferiority complex about their own language as if English is so ‘cool’. Nowadays I try to speak Swedish in order to practice but it gets so frustrating when they insist on speaking English with me and it limits my progress. There are times when I am grateful for others to be able to speak my language, e.g. when having to ring emergency services in a panic, my Swedish doesn’t come out so well then.
The other mother to be came out at the same time, with, I noticed, a 3-d picture as well as 2-d one, huh!
Anyway, Alhamdulilah everything’s ok and there’s only 1 in there as far as the midwife could tell. On the way back we happened to have run out of some vegetables. I was carrying them home I realised that the weight of them was 4kg, approximately what us pregnant ladies have to carry round in the last month or so. Wow, we have great stomach muscles, us mums, even if they don’t look like it!!

Three of us not at our best..

Alhamdulilllah.
I have finally got round to posting about the egg and chips game with H (and M). I did take some photos but the camera has disappeared in the mess somewhere. Anyhow they were much the same as on UmmRashid’s blog. At first H carefully arranged the eggs and chips, as if he was giving them out for supper (i.e. more chips than eggs), although each with 6 items. Then I reminded him of them each having to be different. For a minute or so he seemed baffled, but then it was just like seeing the light bulb above the head in cartoons, he realised what to do. He did just copy out the plates for his recording and thought just lines were a good way of showing chips (which certainly was).
Apart from that I have been mostly ferrying kids hither and thither and sleeping in between. I’m feeling like baby is having a growth spurt. I feel full v quickly when eating my meals, I suppose the room inside is reducing.
Spent most of Tuesday trying to find out why M’s leg had suddenly seized up and he couldn’t straighten it and thus could not walk. Poor boy, he was hopping everywhere. 3 departments later and no conclusion. Now he’s almost better, alhamdulillah so I guess it was just some sort of muscle spasm.
S’s been off 2 days with a stomach ache which seems to exist during school hours.
As well as the baby growing I think my exhaustion now is due to the early starts every morning for the school run. I’ve managed not to moan about it so far, but here it is. Yesterday I was looking in the bathroom mirror at my tired face and thinking if anything this is one reason to home educate. Even if we got up around the same time, the lack of pressure to be somewhere at a certain time and drive the car through the traffic (admittedly v calm compared to the UK) would not tire me out so much I think. People might say, 'But you have to learn to get somewhere on time, early in the morning when you get a job'. Well I did that for quite a while when I was working as well as in my school years and it’s still hard. When you have to do it , you do it, If your plane leaves at 6 am invariably you’ll make it. But until the sun gets up before 7 am I’m going to feel crud getting up in the dark.
And for what? The amount of work I’ve been given for them to complete when they've been off sick has only taken them about 15 minutes to complete. What do they do the rest of the time? Learn how to queue in an orderly line and how to put other people down maybe. S was called ‘Harry Potter’ on the bus last week. Not a particularly insulting comment, but S didn’t like it. It was apparently because he has dark hair and pale skin?? (he doesn’t wear glasses). Anyhow, I’ve been given official permission to keep M at home one morning next month when the class is going on a trip to the dance theatre which I thought was inappropriate.

and guess what H just said

'I wish the house could be more clean so we could find things'

Never a truer word said,I was contemplating tackling the bathroom today, but that went out the window,as my body's been shouting 'Lie down and sleeeep'

Managed to write a fair bit, despite having done v little (apart from lying in bed)

Have been on and off the paracetemol for a semi permanent headache, but alhamdulillah it’s not been flu, it’s been v commonplace recently.
Biryanis chattering away and sometimes using 2 words together. She was lying in bed the other night, gone 11pm, saying Mummy, Daddy to herself for a good ten minutes or so. I was puzzled as she either refers to me as Mama or Mimi, and her Dad is called Ba or Baba. Her grandmother who is staying wit us is called Dadi, from the Punjabi. So I thought, now she thinks her parents are me and her grandmother, her Dads been away that long. But the next day I remembered, she was just regurgitating a phrase from a Dora DVD, huh, not thinking about me at sleep time, but the bane of my life, Dora the Explorer.
Biryani also tries to count but manages to remember up to two, so it goes, one, two, two, two, two, a bit like in the Little Wombat story. M used to count by pointing at things and saying 2 2 2. But their minds are so absorbent, mashaAllah, I just told her the name of a circle, and a few minutes later she found the shape again and told me its name.
I watched the Make your child brilliant programme on Channel 5. I was a bit disappointed, but made me think of trying the kinaesthetic stuff more with S. He hates, well let’s say has a touch of enthusiasm once in a while, spelling, writing etc I can tell he just wants to get it over with asap, and the spelling does come unstuck if you go too fast. Also getting them to think things through more when writing stories is something he needs. If he writes a sentence I’m pleased. Lately it’s been speech bubbles for his cartoons, but it’s kind of limited. Now Biryani is imitating me saying Stop it! As she turn ff the monitor repeatedly, gotta go.

Ice, and treasure..

Kids have been spending most of these chilly, grey days ’treasure hunting’ and re-constructing their Lego star wars mini figures. The parts have been hidden in various toy boxes and this morning there were oohs as I decided to check what was lurking under our sofa cushions. ‘Hold our breath, we’re going in…’
Missing arms and heads were quickly whisked away I was tempted to get the hoover out and remove all the remaining dust/ biscuit crumbs etc, but no, in my condition, the cushions were hastily replaced. None of my guests would ever check under there would they?! Last night I did start the mammoth task of trying to sort the ‘sets’ of toys back from the random combinations that occupy most of the plastic toy boxes we have. Yes, there is certain element of imagination and spontaneity in making up a game involving a plastic ring and a teddy bear. But being able to play the bingo game, for example, does require all the parts to avoid disappointment.
I had to go out today as had run out of milk. Nearly toppled over on the black ice. V surprised as normally Sweden v good at preparing for winter, In fact a homeowner is actually liable if someone falls over and breaks their neck on the pavement outside their house! The man with his mini tractor has just made an appearance and so should be a bit safer tomorrow. It was weird today in that it was minus something but raining, shouldn’t it be snow then?
On a different tack, it’s always been like this but have been particularly noticing it since Biryani has started saying small phrases, e.g. ‘Are you?’ for ‘Where are you?’
What I’m talking about is the inability to do anything without interruption if it takes more than a few minutes. So if I need the toilet, one of the two smaller ones will be pounding on the door, or saying the above phrase.
Trying to complete my daily aim of reading 3 pages of Quran went down to 3 verses yesterday. I know I should get up early and do such things (the latter) when I can concentrate but the hormones mean sleep is usually overwhelming.
But hey, this is life with children and these small irritations are easy to bear when you think of the joy they bring the majority of the time. Gosh that was a bit positive, alhamdulillah.

I've got bad at thinking of titles nowadays...

Lots of raised voices and arguments seem to be happening nowadays. Had friends over and had to try to control myself from chastising them too much in front of others. Muslim children, I idealise: respectful, obedient and rushing to find the prayer mat. Maybe I should get real and realise the child side is still dominant and that complete submission (to Allah) comes with age and guidance. How best to guide is where I'm stumbling..
Didn't bother trying to sleep to near on 1 a.m due to usual fireworks. As I was feeding Biryani to sleep I was wondering if I'd have a slightly smaller one to attend to this time next year, if I'd still be alive. These thoughts continued whilst I was in the bathroom and then remembering we should first be hoping that we can live till the morning. Then I noticed something.. see 10 months blog. That shook me a bit. I know we don't celebrate these New Year things etc, but living amongst it, it makes me realise how time passes over the course of 365 days, and that appreciating this time given is so necessary.

Hurray, it rained , it was windy, and the the sun came out (a bit)

It’s been 13 days of grey, silent skies (bar a 5 minute appearance of the sun a couple of days ago). I’m like a prisoner scratching lines on the bare walls of my cell, of how many days I’ve spent inside!. So grabbed kids plus S’s friend and took them to a park nearby that had a little bit of woodland and a field. They took their light sabres and walkie talkies and for the first time in ages ran around in the freedom of the outdoors, no neighbours complaining of the noise to worry about, oxygen in their lungs. Biryani was like a little Red Riding Hood in her red snow gear running after someone's remote control car they’d probably got for Christmas, and looking earnestly for help as she got stuck in the tangles of branches and thorns that cover the small child-made paths in the bushes that would probably not affect a child with a height above a metre.
I’m still feeling a bit weak and wobbly, but MIL is here bolstering me up with chicken soup and telling me off for touching anything resembling a dirty plate in the sink.
Bedtime routines completely out the window, and has got a bit ridiculous as they don’t want to sleep till after midnight. I do get a chance for a lie in but it’s then all waking hours with kids around, which I feel maybe too high a price to pay. I’m secretly looking forward to the school term starting, so we can get a reasonable routine back. Check this space in a week and a half, I’ll probably be moaning about the 6.30 am starts!

Camera cable lost, and again found

M's worksheets he made for H.

M is very good on presentation, roll over Gordon Ramsey.

Biryani's favourite food, butter (or should I say margarine) some bread might also accompany it, on occasion.

H's self-teaching of the alphabet, part of his 'homework' (not that he knows the true sense of the word, but it's work he does, at home.)

Some may put it down to schooling, others to our limited outdoor activity due to my 'condition' but is it an age thing? Yesterday, unless S had some sort of flickering screen entertainment, he would complain endlessly of being bored. I don't know why he bothers telling me as I'll only think of something more boring (according to him) to do. Or maybe it's this addiction that was talked about on Channel 4 news today?!

But although today too much time was again spent on the Xbox, they did spend quite a lot of time reenacting the game with their Lego, enough to complete 36 levels in the living room and hall, apparently. Let's hope some team building/ co-operative skills (if I shout loudest we'll call the Lego man 'Anakin' OK?) were learnt as well as imagination (The Ikea sofa back pillows have been used to make a great canyon).

Must go out tomorrow, if I catch a glimpse of the sun that'll be a plus, but it's like it doesn't exist right now. Anyhow there should be enough light from all the electric powered stars in the curtainless windows, and noise from the fireworks that will probably start tomorrow (Christmas Eve, which I only just realised is the big deal here rather than the 25 th- 5 years here and I just realised, that's why shops are shut or are open only half a day or so), leading up to big climax on New Year where you'd be forgiven for thinking a minor war had broken out (people round here have money to burn it appears).

Eid Mubarak

may Allah except all our good deeds and make it possible to go for Hajj asap Amin.
The day as usual on Eid, started early, for the kids at least. I had left one of their presents out so they could be occupied while I could get some sleep. In fact the presents for the most part were going to be a surprise for me rather than them as I had sent DH out to the toy shop with the kids for them to pick out what they wanted. I had got a few things in advance that were to be a surprise, but the kids, unlike me, know what they like! In the end everybody seems happy and the surprise presents and gifts from friends turn out to be enjoyed if not always by the child intended. We didn’t go to the Eid prayers as I felt it would be too much for me plus S and M seem a little too old to go in the sister’s section and too young to go in the bro’s alone.
We then had our lunch, or should I say, the kids had crisps and sweets etc. Unfortunately it’s only Biryani who actually likes the vitamin tablets I have (she thinks they’re like sweets so have to make sure they’re well out of reach) as I would have felt a lot better if one of those could have gone down the hatch. But the feasting continued as we had surprisingly had 2 invitations, as actually a few other sisters’ hubs were away on Eid too. The latter gathering involved a bit too much musical chairs and coke for S, and I ended up having to wipe off sick from my friends Persian rug. Alhamdulillah she has 4 kids too so understands…
I didn’t eat much myself and felt generally too tired for so much socialising, but I forced myself out for the kids’ sake and I did want to see the other sisters of course.
Still my duvet is much to comforting nowadays and I didn’t even get up until 9.30 a.m. today, astounding.

I’m sitting her in the murky twilight of what is about 10 am, typing this, trying to get some light from other sources and maybe reflect on positive things to bring this feeling of, well, ‘lowness’ is the only word of I can conjure up right now.
Watching the live coverage of Hajj perks me up when I get a chance. Those million supplicating on the plains of Arafat today, begging for forgiveness is what I’m regularly thinking about.
We’ve been bunking school for a few days (ssh!) but to be honest, I’m too wacked to take them so early in the morning, when all they’ll be doing is Christmas-linked activities. (I’ve grown tired with debating with the teachers about the legitimacy of my children participating in this stuff, and to be told that it’s just tradition, nothing religious.) But I’m not happy with it and it’s all around us so they know what’s going on without having to make a Christmas cracker. S’s teacher rang me yesterday to persuade me to bring him as they were going to meet some pen-pals they’d been writing to. (First I’d heard of this). S wasn’t keen and with my ailing voice, I said it wasn’t likely he could come. Biryani has a bad cold, S’s asthma is back (mildly)H had false croup again, and M has a mouth ulcer, alhamdulillah.
So where was I, oh things that have happened in the relatively recent post, DH is in Singapore but alhamdulillah MIL should be arriving this weekend, some welcome adult company., and support. We had visitors yesterday, which gave a slight morale boost, although I felt inadequate as a host. Hang on didn’t I say something about positivity.

Kids quotes:
S ‘what’s’ impat-eee-ent’ (reads from book, impatient). You tell me!

‘How did they choose the first king?’

H ‘Why do you say everything is beautiful?’ Do I really, well it’s a better word than ‘good’ or ‘nice’. Must think of more adjectives to describe your artwork.

He has also worked out that if you have a ‘forehead’ then also one must have a ‘backhead’

H was trying to do some ‘homework’ the other day. I wrote out some sums which he did with some help. Then he did the alphabet stencil, which also contained a comma. That was tricky explaining what a comma is to a 4 year old.

M: ‘Maybe I might’ I can’t remember what he was talking about exactly, maybe having been asked ‘Are you going to pray now?’
The response anyhow may as well have been ‘No’
He also requested a ‘Staplizer’ to staple one of his numerous home-made books together.

Biryani is turning out a little Tom-boyish (unsurprisingly), bangs duplo men together and making fighting ‘Oooh, ooh’ noises. Her word for Star Wars at the moment is ‘Die’ I’m not sure if it’s a way-off pronunciation, or she just hears the boys saying ‘I’m going to die you’ as they race round the house with their improvised light sabres. (‘kill’ is the practically the same word as ‘die’ in Swedish so I assume that’s why they say this, it doesn’t sound so bad anyway somehow!’ )
She also enjoys picture matching the Curious George bingo pictures we have which I was surprised she could do.
She does use some of the baby-signs I taught her earlier on alongside speech, and she showed this by thinking I’d said ‘fish’ instead of ‘finish’. She also uses the sign for ‘pig’ ‘duck’ quite regularly.

Oh and one from DH ‘When did I say I was ignoring you?’. Yeah, I had to think about that one too.

Nausea and potties don't mix

Finally got round to writing something, my brain’s been pretty foggy the last 2 months, because I’m now about 12 weeks pregnant. Just rang the midwife and she was surprised I hadn’t yet contacted them. TBH I haven’t felt p to going out much, and they make you do this awful diabetes test, involving an early start, no breakfast and a sickly sweet drink. I don’t think I can go through with this until the nausea goes.
Anyway back to the kids, Biryani’s making leaps and bounds with her speech, finishing the ends of words a bit better now, using verbs such as ‘look’ ‘run’ and ‘move’!. She also managed to use the potty properly for the first time yesterday, all credit to her. Every time I change her nappy she runs off to the bathroom saying ‘potty potty’. I don’t want to start potty training until the floors are relatively clear of toys etc so that accidents don’t cause a real mess, but this will require me to have some consistent energy to keep on top of the mess (which is often caused by dear Biryani herself as she searches for the ultimate toy in the toy cupboards.) Weaning still proving difficult, though we’re down to max 2 feeds a day.
H home with a cough and now diarrhoea. S has a swimming test today at school. He has to do it if he can move to the next class apparently. My writing energy is all used up I think although there’s lots more I’m sure.

Not good, this does not feel good

but alhamdulillah, despite my limited parenting abilities at the moment, Biryani's language skills are taking off and so communication is a little easier = slightly less frustration on her part. So for example, words like 'bowl' 'spoon' 'milk' tell me she wants some cereal and she can nod or shake head as to which one.
H continues his interest in numbers, now almost mastering counting to 100, which took a bit of patience on my part to have to listen to repetition of this task on numerous occasions. He is today starting to learn it in Swedish, hopefully I haven't taught him too wrong pronunciation. He also finds big numbers such as thousands and millions interesting. He starting himself up on minus, but tends to ask backwards so 'whats 2 take away 9?' really means 7. He's talking a lot now in Swedish to most people including kids outside nursery. He also initiated a conversation with a little girl at nursery today which surprised me. His greeting to his friend in the morning is the equivalent of 'poo sausage' but hey at least he's communicating!
That's all I can write just now, looking forward to Spring for various reasons. Had first snow today although didn't settle.

Nearly didn't post

Do not feel at all like sitting at the computer, all I want to do is curl up under my duvet for the next 6 months or so. But I have an electricity bill to pay online. Actually I was just lying down for a nap yesterday and heard a big explosion in the distance. I thought about it as it reminded me of the news clip of a visiting Japanese (?) dignitary being totally shocked by a bomb blast while the Iraqi President (?) not even flinching. Then in the papers today it was actually a house fairly near us that blew up to smithereens due to a gas explosion. The occupants had managed to get out beforehand and the fire brigade arrived 2 mins after the blast so no one was killed. SubhanAllah it shows how qadr is, a few minutes delay can make a big difference.
Back to education, well S's Swedish homework for the rest of the term is to watch a Swedish kids programme once a week(!) and write a synopsis and note a new piece of vocabulary. Normally S does not want to watch any Swedish programmes, which I was never too concerned about but in fact it was quite an interesting programme, science and technology, just up his street. Shame about the garish music. M got some more craft sets for Eid, but what does one do with a felting needle?. It looks quite lethal and I have put it safely away for the time being.

...not a leaf falls, but He knows it.

Surah 6;59

A trip to the beech forest, and the park whilst feeling slightly better, the autumnal colours are irresistible.

Some photos now the cable has turned up

Dates like I'd never seen before, they were quite nice.
While I was sleeping.....
So guess what I was doing once I'd got up!

Happy half-term - not

From 6 am this morning I was awoken at approximately 10 min intervals as it was S's turn to throw up, from 6 ft up bunk bed to clothes/ toy ridden floor. Miracuously only one shirt and some plastic, washable toys were affected, but mental note, thereis another reason to keep floors clear of stuff, apart from the obvious tripping risk, general stress that mess causes plus remembering what colour the floor is. Plus H decided to announce he had a bogey which I should be grateful for as others might have just smeared it on the wall (how do you get dried- on snot off textured wallpaper?sorry, I've been house-bound with 4 sick kids all week, cabin fever, lala lala).
We are now down to last toilet roll and out of kitchen roll, and DH has decided to stay one more day away. Now I have been contemplating having to get everyone ready to go to the corner shop including myself, but feel faint thinking about it, so have managed to find a muslin square (I do not mean a niqab;)) as a hanky and some 'tvättlappar' which are unknown in the UK I think, but are special paper that don't disintegrate when made wet and are used for all manner of things from cleaning kids faces to bums. So can use them as kitchen roll and for the other bathroom. We are down to the basics here and I am sometimes living from hour to hour, oh there's a coup in Pakistan, this should be much more concerning right now...

Affliction eased, a bit

Many thanks for well wishes, may Allah reward you. Feeling relatively better, enough to let DH go off to Norway for a couple of days. All of kids have had their turns at sickness/ diarrhoea, plus colds. So half term has been a bit of a 'vegetate in front of screens session,while Mummy snores away in bed' type thing. Yesterday they found some whiteboard pens and did some spelling and hangman games. H still into his addition. Biryani on her way to being a parrot as will now imitate words as best she can, in any language. She usually leaves off the last sound so 'map' and 'man' are the same. 'Cat' is still a v cute 'meeow'.
We did make it out to the forest last weekend when felt a little bit OK and saw the beautiful colours of the beech leaves, gotta find the cable first to upload the photos. We're back on the old computer due to last weeks mishap and its amazing how many bits and bobs are required to get the computer fully functioning.