Maybe English isn't so hard..

Here's some swedish long long words, I hope S doesn't get them in his tests! If you manage to make it to the last one it's quite amusing how the Swedish speaker can't even read it!

Finally got online..

Recently life seems to be one blur of sorting kids out, half-hearted attempts at stopping night feeds, and carrying on with the daily grind of feeding, washing, cleaning (not the feather duster type but the the sort which has to be done. Otherwise it will be more difficult to remove later or just downright unhygenic: e.g. splattered Weetabix, pee puddles, mud brought in on the soles of shoes).
I was thinking of writing something intelligent about bilingualism as little things I'm noticing have brought the subject to my mind. S has now twice had to ask me what an English word is for a Swedish word he does know. M has always mixed the two languages and quite happily talks to me in Swedish, but only now and again. He often comes out with things the teachers say in what sounds like an accurate impersonation of their accent and tone! Some of the things they say when pushed to limits by the behaviour of the kids are quite funny to hear! They won't be able to get away with anything, M has got it in his memory.
H has been going less often to nursery recently. He's always reluctant and the time to pick him up is often when I feel like lying down, so I let him stay at home. So his use of Swedish at home is limited.
Biryani speaks English all the time, although the odd word picked up from M has been used:e.g.'snälla' which means something like 'please' when begging for something like a biscuit. Otherwise she speaks English with a slight American tone, saying the 'r' in car, and a short 'a' in for example 'class'. Too many cartoons methinks.
Most of the other children we know are from bilingual families, but I rarely hear them speaking their mother/ other tongue, it's usually Swedish. Mine are the only ones who openly use their mother tongue between siblings in public, it appears. Is it the apparent status English has as a language here? Is it because both parents are quite poor at Swedish so they hardly use it at home? Does having TV from the UK rather than Swedish on a larger proportion of the time have an effect? (S groaned when he used to have TV homework where he had to watch something on the Swedish kids TV). It's all quite fascinating to me, but I shall have to stop typing now as Hz is proceeding to find out how electricity works (i.e. attack the computer wires and plugs)!

Finally, some photos from half-term

The boys went on a trip to Copenhagen to somewhere that actually had more lego than our house, LegoWorld!

It was quite expensive but they did enjoy it and S and his friend won a building competition which got them 2 free tickets to Legoland (only thing is it'll cost us a lot to get there plus accomodation, and other kids tickets...)

I would have posted a few more pics but DH has done something to the computer as it was working very slowly. Now I'm not sure where all my saved stuff is, maybe on a memory stick Biryani was playing with earlier ?!. So there may be some more pictures later, maybe not.

Other activities they managed to do as DH is home: squash, bowling, indoor play place, visit to a friend's grandfather's big house in a village, crafty things with wool. Finally we got the snow most UK residents will be sick of, and so they were able to do quite a bit of sledging. It's almost completely gone now, and I was puzzled to find random pieces of carrot throughout our locality, then,*lightbulb*, snowmen noses!

A few recent photos

Biryani on her little bed, with one of her favourite toys (long since deceased)

Examples of Biryani's drawings

and a painting H did at nursery, it's Sonic and Shadow the hedgehog by the way.

It’s amazing that anything has been done

Alhamdulillah, things have been a bit slow round here recently, with everyone having their turn at being ill. First was H, then M had a day off school (first time this academic year I think), Hz, us adults, Biryani (who had a fever the other night) and finally S has had a day off today with a sore throat. Most of us are still in the final snuffles, but combined with Hz's frequent night waking my brain is again imitating cotton wool and temper is hard to control, Alhamdulillah. The health food shop had run out of vitamin syrup and I am trying not to worry about Biryani's unusual and miniscule diet. So far today it has been 1 Weetabix, crisps(it's Jummah!), a small amount of pomegranate, a spoon of another cereal, one bite of some toast dipped in an egg..

A little bit of recent Home Education:

S does ask me to test him on his current Surah for school.

Talked about the difference between Great Britain, UK, England, Scotland etc as it had come up on an English test. Admittedly I had only thought about it fairly recently, I can't recall learning this at school.

M has started to like reading before sleeping, a tactic I tried when they just wouldn't settle for bed (as all kids share a room). I think he could stretch himself more but he tends to choose the easier books.

H now and again enthusiastic to read his Peter and Jane books, and has surprised them by reading some Swedish at nursery.

Biryani - today everything equalled '2', but when I said 'What's 10 take away 8?' it was 'equals 5'. She knows that when a number question is asked the answer is 'equals' another number.

Loves drawing people (including fingers and hair) and I keep coming across them at about a 2 foot level on the walls of the flat.

Hz- can now 'crawl' although not so efficiently as does not lift stomach off the ground. Particularly enjoys playing with sky remote, lamps, computer wires and computer chair- aargh.

Eating A star, but biting me a bit too much. Sleep F

I might try and catch a nap soon (or lie down with my eyes closed).

Thoughts, if rather incoherent at times..

Taking the car or walking? There’s not much competition in my book. Walking gets the blood circulating, saves petrol money, helps environment, you get to notice small things along the way e.g. a blackbird deciding how close it’ll let me come to it before flying off. It also gives me time to think. I was thinking about the irony of authorities wanting us to stick kids in school. If all the home educated children in the UK were suddenly turning up at their local schools to be ‘schooled’ could the authorities cope? This led me on to thinking that whether schools could be seen as being more ‘efficient’ as one teacher is teaching maybe 30 kids. If home educating that could be potentially 30 adults out of ‘gainful employment’. The recent snow has shown the reliance of parents on schools as child-care providers. But is it efficient? From my experience not at all, the amount of studies they do a day could be achieved in a fraction of the time at home.
Then I see H at nursery doing activities I might not have thought of/ had energy to do/ equipment/ resources to carry out. I think I’m happy with the situation at the moment, S still moans, and I still find it hard to believe that nearly all the boys his age or thereabouts are so poorly behaved that he doesn’t want to hang around with them, but it is true. Social skills being learnt? Well maybe more like sabr and putting up boredom at break time, and being hassled in class.
Note, since I initially scribbled the above, S has had quite a bad experience at school involving the perennial shower after P.E: problem. So I am not so happy actually.

Finally, some photos...

I've got out of the habit of taking snaps since I am now without my own camera. Anyway, above is a rare, quiet, almost studious moment as H constructs something out of nuts and bolts and Biryani draws.

and here is the result of M and Biryani raiding one of the craft boxes. One of those situations when there is a strange peace in the house, the children are being quiet (and you know something untoward is going on).

and today, after a hard night again with Hz I managed to persuade Biryani to do some more 'water' painting, rather than get the paints out and have to clear them up. When I was looking after an autistic boy while I was a student, he used to spend hours painting the outside walls of his house with just water. At the time I couldn't understand why his Mum needed to employ me as she was a stay at home mum with just one other child. Now I understand..

I felt a bit of a coward at the time expecting Biryani to be happy with no colours (as I scoff at the lack of creativity needed for 'Aqua draw'). In the end although she was happy, as was I if papered walls were avoided, I caved in. All but M ended up having some messy fun (M requested to get them out after supper after everything had been cleaned, twice).

(By me after younger ones, by MIL after S's artwork)

Why we learn..

The effects of the Gaza war have been closer to home. One of M's teachers lost two relatives,and over the last weeks Janaza prayers continue to be held after the Jummah prayer.

But our somewhat mundane but safe life goes on, alhamdulillah, and a post on Always Learning, encouraged me to write a bit about motivation and learning, something I may have touched on before. Don't expect an in-depth analysis, my sleep pattern's still a bit strange at the moment as I deliberate over sleep training versus attachment parenting. Invariably Hz's cuddly body ends up close to mine for much of the night, seeking a bit of comfort.

Anyway, the other day H surprisingly got a certificate for maths from nursery. He'd been away on the day they had a 'Nobelfest' party for the Nobel Prize, and every child was given a certificate for something. M also got a 3^rd prize for dictation (a home made mini certificate). My MIL once realising what they were, gave a small monetary award. In H's case he was v pleased especially as he was increasing his savings for having done something he enjoys. M also was motivated to be top of his class, although I hadn't noticed any particular increase in practice before the weekly tests. I remember friends of mine receiving a set amount for each A they got at GCSE. I can't remember being particularly resentful that I didn't get such rewards. Somehow I knew that doing less than your best was not an option. Maybe it was having an older sister setting the example, or the not always overt message that you had to go to University to get anywhere in life.

Ideally all learning should be self-motivating. S checks his spellings quiet carefully when typing stuff on his You-Tube channel, or in the RPG games, maybe knowing the readers are likely to have a negative attitude to any mistakes?

I myself quickly try to find out why Biryani has got cracked lips and read that it could be due to a Vitamin B deficiency (which doesn't surprise me as her range and amount of food intake is v limited at the moment) I make sure she gets her vitamins. Looking something up for a reason, and it's likely I'll remember it too..

The bigger picture, the end goals, are things that are hard for children to always comprehend. That's why we end up dressing some work up with certificates and stickers, with material rewards.

It is frustrating that the brain being like a sponge at a young age have owners who want to use it for seemingly trivial things, like RPG. And this is where I try to relax about how they're doing educationally. S has managed to learn to read and spell in English with a minimal amount of input from my part, why shouldn't the others do the same?

Having said that, I've still managed to order the next lot of Peter and Jane books for H (but only because he seems to like them!).

Missed the action, again..

Apparently a meteor could be seen from our neck of the woods the night before last, but we were totally unaware. S's classmate saw it as he was out in the car. S had heard it was a once in a million years event, so guess we'll have to be satisfied with the video footage!

History, a pack of lies?

We've had a week back at school, and my own routine has gone rather strange. Hz sleeps v late and then may wake in the early hours or I can manage to pray Fajr before he wakes, then he sleeps again until late morning. So DH , on parental leave has kindly been sorting out the morning school run, and so I manage to get some extra sleep once the morning rush has finished. So I'm living in a different time zone nowadays, strange!

Boys have come back from school reporting mixed messages they are getting from teachers re the current Gaza situation. S's teacher (a self-confessed atheist) informed them that the Jews came to Israel 2000 years ago, so it is their land. Their Islamic studies lecturer advised them not to buy Coca Cola nor shop at Lidl. I am glad my kids do reveal what goes on at school so we can give both sides of the story. In a way it's good to get other people's opinions so that answers to these can be thought through, rather than to be caught unawares. However I can imagine some kids just take every one of their teachers' words as true, and don't discuss it with their parents. S had discussed his teachers comments with his classmates at break time and they had agreed on the unfair bias. Just to add, Lidl has denied supporting Israel. Please double check for yourselves, I rarely shop there anyway.
I can never remember current affairs being discussed when I was at primary school, just in 'history' that the Crusaders went to free the Holy Lands. At least this current massacre has been recorded for posterity and only those with hearts as hard as stone can try and justify it. Here is the Israeli spokesman being put in his place for once .(I remember Channel 4 news was the only mainstream News programme that doesn't have an Israeli bias).

A bit of spontaneity

With an unfamiliar spring in my step, unencumbered by buggies, bags containing nappies and spare gloves, S and I set out for the library. We were out for only about an hour, but with only one child a request like ‘I wish I could throw a stone to see if there’s ice in that pond’ gave no reason to be denied.
Hz ‘s sleep pattern continues to worsen. It was gone 12.20 a.m by the time he slept the other night and then he woke again after only an hour. The miracles of thumb sucking have lost their appeal to him as I think his 2 bottom teeth make it uncomfortable to suck. So what sleep-inducing replacement? Moi! I shall probablyhave to do a bit of leaving him to cry, but shall wait till MIL is not here as I expect she would find it hard to leave him to cry.

Woo Hoo, some photos!

I am now sharing DH's camera as the battery in mine packed up. It's the end of the holidays and nothing amazing is happening. Hz is almost better, lots of pomegranates are being consumed. My MIL has shown me a technique which is a lot quicker to remove the fruit, you just cut it up in to quarters, hold it downwards in a cupped hand and bang the skin with a spoon. Needless to say, when she does it this does work, when I try I still end up having to pick out many of the pieces.

The picture with the phone is an example of how this short lifespan can be wasted so much. Being on hold to the Social Insurance office in order to tell them we will pay back some money is so frustrating. Especially as Hz has only 2 fairly short naps a day, in which I have to decide whether to:

sleep,

give some one to one attention to the kids with their work,

things I can't do holding a baby e.g. clean bathroom,

go on computer,

make important phone calls.

DH trying to be kind when I mentioned this one day said I should always choose the first option, but things just have to be done.

Anyhow if you want to learn Swedish numbers then being on hold for 20 minutes may be a good way as you are told how many minutes you will have to wait, your position in the queue and how many assistants are apparently trying to help you. I need one, only one! The local office closed down recently and there had been a lovely Portuguese girl who helped me out with all the Parental benefit applications etc but she went on sick leave. So I have to phone them up, the Internet site is limited when it comes to queries.

Anyhow, the cheesecake recipe I've been drooling over has become reality, and is sitting in the kitchen, cooling down. I managed to make it while Hz was awake, although I almost added some of his baby porridge as he was hungry half way through and needed a meal. Talking of drool, Hz is very into blowing raspberries at the moment. he can sit a while now before toppling and is a proficient roller.

Something educationally-related that I have been noticing about M's reading of Arabic; It's following a similar pattern to the English, and Swedish. He has started by having a lot of trouble blending the sounds into words. Now with the Arabic, it's OK as long as the words are short (max 3 letters with vowels), otherwise it just seems too much for his working memory. I remember before the summer it was the same for the Swedish and sometime last year (maybe the year before)it was similar for the English. That's why I'm hoping it will eventually click as it did with the other languages. On the other hand his spoken Arabic sentences sound almost identical to the Rosetta Stone pronunciations, and he does seem to remember the meanings, and aural learner I think.

The boys in the photo are having a rare, prolonged break from the computer to play with the 'Monster cards'. This game went on for ages, well after bedtime (whatever that is at the moment), but I was happy for them to be playing quietly in their room, and I was actually able to hear the reporters giving us continuing horrific news on Jazeera and Press TV.

Oppression

A few minutes into 2009, the rockets flew through the air, making, as on every New Year's Eve, sleep before 1.30 a.m., almost impossible. A few minutes into the annual firework extravaganza and I thought how ironic this was as real, deadly rockets are landing on the trapped inhabitant of Gaza.

Hz has been quite ill this past week, although I expect it would be termed only as a cold by the doctors so I didn't take him in. He's had a wheezy chest, cough and very runny nose, so not wanting to feed so much, and needing a lot of holding. But I cannot complain, he can have clean milk, have his nappy changed regularly and a mother who is not in fear of her and her family's lives.

The fear and desperation on those sisters' faces, the ultimate disappointment in humankind reflected in her words.

But what to do? This situation is one of the peaks in the continuing oppression of a people, a Palestinian sister here in Sweden recounted similar atrocious conditions about 5 years ago and I asked her then what could be done. Oppression is still going on throughout the world even if it's not currently on Sky news; Zimbabwe, China, Afghanistan...

The best I can say is as I concluded then, du'a,

and a frown came over my face as saw the label where our current pack of avocadoes came from, Israel....

Please go to bed!!

It's almost ten to eleven and Hz managed to sleep relatively early alhamdulillah, but the others have started some complicated lego game, Biryani is on I don't know what but has her 2nd wind despite having had no nap and less than 9 hours sleep yesterday. DH is in Germany doing some pilot training, so it's often down to him to get them in the bed direction. I really have no energy for conflict right now, so am hoping they'll flake out and put themselves to bed.
Yesterday we visited friends and today some others came to ours so it was nice to see them, it seems a while since I've met any sisters and the kids miss their friends although it's really not been so long apart. M is always very keen to sleep over but this hasn't materialised.
I was actually able to send S off to read some (basic) Arabic by himself today, and he actually said it was too easy. I am looking forward to when they can study their Arabic reading and memorisation of Quran independently of me. At the moment it still requires me to break things down and give a lot of individual attention which is often hard with Hz also requiring it!
Right I've announced they must go to bed 'Wait' is M's reply.

Also today I've been in thrifty mood, and made another fruit cake based on my mother's all bran cake recipe. It's good for using up the bits of cereal that really aren't appetising, and requires no eggs nor margarine.
mix together in a big bowl:
1 cup cereal (bran flakes etc)
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

and leave for one hour. Then add 1 cup self-raising flour and mix and then put in a lined baking tin for about 1 and a half hours at 180 C.
It tastes best sliced and spread with butter.
Also made some buckwheat pancakes although this required a bit of improvisation, and there really isn't a proper recipe to give out!
I still have plans for a cheesecake as for some reason DH bought a tin of apricots and I looove cheesecake, just never have enough cream cheese in the house for this!
Can you tell I've been browsing cookbooks? I thought this is a good idea to get my appetite back inshaAllah.
I can still hear the game going on, they rarely think of these during the day, and feel bored/ 'request' computer time etc.

A bit of a ramble..

You would think with three adults around the house I'd have enough time to get online. Hz has been keeping up the family tradition of not being so good with his sleep patterns of late. Adding to this he seems to be awake an awful lot in the day, and is at the stage where he wants to be up and about, causing trails of destruction, but physically he can't. He can just about sit up for a minute or so followed by a tumble. He likes to do swimming movements when lying on his front, but again goes nowhere fast. So we are talking over-tired, frustrated baby at the moment. However I know this is only a phase and it won't be long before he'll be off exploring, maybe to discover the delights of the recycling box, and the angry tones of 'No! Not in your mouth'.

Well it's now the holidays, after an extremely long term. Reflecting back, it has been (and continues to be) hard, trying to keep up things like Quran, English work. I remember my Mum getting me to do extra work so I would have a better chance of passing my 11plus. I really wasn't interested and didn't realise it's significance. I did quite a lot of work at school plus homework and more work seemed unnecessary. I feel it's a similar situation with my kids. However many times I explain the rewards of learning Quran it's usually hard (though not impossible) to get them to spend time on it.

I remember going back to work, part-time, after I'd had S, and it was harder than doing the job, full-time. I imagine if you're full-time home educating, then it's just what you do, and get on with it. Similarly to the way they now go most days fairly willingly to school, although still get the moans of how boring it is.

And boredom, this is still a usual complaint, but I'm used to it now I basically ignore it. S's friend was over for a couple of nights, and too much screen viewing was enjoyed. But when I suggested they do some drawing they actually did so and made some cartoon strips (in English). It's a bit of some extra training for S's friend's English, and he carefully corrected the word 'Characters' when I pointed it out to them, not the easiest word especially as it would be his 3^rd language.

DH took them out and played a game he remembered from his childhood, involving lots of running and throwing, and he's also been getting them to run around the block with him quite a few times. Some really rosy cheeks filled the flat, it was quite chilly out today.

Christmas day is almost over, and thousands of Muslims throughout Sweden are no doubt satisfied to have got all their washing done without having to book the slot for the communal washing machines ages in advance (as of course doing washing on the 24^th/ 25^th is not on the mind of most traditional Swedes). We have started using the communal machines again as it saves a bit of money and the towels do come out all fluffy from the tumble drier.

Managed to sleep through this..

There was an earthquake nearly 5 on the Richter scale in the South of Sweden early this morning. I was actually awake around 4.30 a.m. (to feed Hz) and then again around 5 my neighbours start making a bit of noise when they get up for the day. I must have gone back to a deep sleep by the time it happened (6.20 a.m.). Or maybe it wasn't so strong where we are, S noted none of his lego had toppled off his shelves and it's quite delicately stored there. He was quite annoyed we'd missed it as all his classfellows and our friends in the other town were woken by it.
'Nothing interesting ever happens here', he said.
Well, true, if having earthquakes, people jumping off balconies to their death, mosques being raided and cars set on fire, is interesting.
I suppose it would have been something to witness the biggest earthquake Sweden's had in a long time

quick, Hz calling

Hz has two teeth now, much earlier than the others. They were all mobile before gettung their teeth. They are tiny and sharp and don't I know it, you really want a bottle then mister?!
But I carry on with breast-feeding, much because of it's convenience and cost effectiveness as well as health benefits.
Today went out despite the grey, cold weather. Vitamin syrup for Biryani has run out, and her lack of proper eating cannot fail to worry me, despite her energy and apparent growth. How she grows I don't know, she even continues to go to bed atthe same time as me despite having no nap. However today she had one, so sneaking in a few mm I suppose.
School finishes this week,and it has been a long term. Hz is whinging and I think posts arestil likely to be short for the moment.
DH has been offered voluntary redundancy with pay till the end of 2009, so I now have a househusband, let's hope this is helpful!( and gets a new source of income asal , inshaAllah)

I am still here, just..

I have been feeling a bit rough the last few weeks, but during the night after Eid as I woke feeling quite awful and I knew it was time to visit the doc's. So I have been on some antibiotics and now I am managing to feel a bit better alhamdulillah. When any type of negative feelings come in my head I remember how blessed I am to be have been to have been born in an era with pretty good medical treatment., and live in a place where it is actually available along with more than the basic necessuties for life.
Shukr and Alhamdulillah

It's nearly Eid!

This is what I managed to put together for H's nursery to explain Eid. I wasn't sure whether to include the details of the Prophet Ibrahim(as) story as they are only aged 3-5 years old and the idea of 'sacrifice' would be scary.But his teacher said they have used a Bible stories book which has the story in, only of course with Prophet Ishaq (as) rather than Ismail (as). I lent them my 'The fire that saved book' given to us by a kind sister.

I would have liked to give the talk myself, but my Swedish still isn't good enough I think. H did say the Takbeer etc to show them, I thought he would be too reluctant in front of his friends!

One question, how would I make this document below so that it could be in a list of resources in the side bar of the blog. I'm imagining PDF files are needed and uploading, but someone give me some step by step instructions. (I'm inspired by Talibideen Jr website which has so many fine resources).

Eid ul Adha

In Islam there are two festivals every year called Eid (Id). The next one is called ‘Eid ul Adha’ in Arabic and in Pakistan they sometimes call it ‘Bakara Eid’(Goat Eid because people often eat goat on this day)
There are 12 months in the Muslim calendar, and each one starts when the new moon is seen. There is an Eid coming soon which is on the 10th day of the month of ‘dhu al hijr’. (On Saturday it was the 1st day of the month, so today is day ..., how many days left until Eid? )
For these first ten days it is extra special to do good things e.g. help your parents. Then on the 10th day is the festival of Eid. So this year it is on Monday!
At the moment many Muslims from all over the world will be getting ready to go to Makkah in Saudi Arabia to visit the Kabah and pray to Allah (our Creator) (Day 8 and 9).
It is one of the 5 pillars, or main things, all Muslims, who have enough money, have to do at least once in their life.
On the 10th day it is Eid, and people who hardly ever get to eat meat or other proper food because they are too poor, are given it and have a feast. (The meat links to the story of Abraham)
It is good to go to a big park where the whole town can pray together to say an extra prayer and meet your friends. On the way you can say these words : H knows this nicely!

Allahu Akbar.
Allahu Akbar.
Laa ilaaaha illallah.
Wa Allahu akbar.
Allahu akbar.
Walillaahil Hamd.

(Allah is the Greatest.
Allah is the Greatest.
There is noone who has the right to be worshipped except Allah.
Allah is the Greatest.
Allah is the Greatest
and to Allah belongs all praise.)

In Sweden we pray in a mosque or hall as it is too cold. When Eid is in the Summer we say outside too. (Lunar months mean Eid is 10 days or so earlier every year) So when H is in Gymnasium it should be outside!
Everyone is very happy, having special food, sweets, new clothes and presents, and visiting their friends and family. They great each other with ‘Eid Mubarak’ Eid blessings, or ‘Taqabbala Allahu minnaa wa minkum’
May Allah accept it from you and us (the good deeds)

Take my money, just take it

But there are many who I think are much more deserving of it..

Car tax bill didn't arrive in the post, so had to pay reminder charge. 'It's the law' they say..

I forget to pay my elec bill, so pay it plus reminder charge, and finally get round to posting direct debit form. Then a week later the debt collector company sends a bill for the outstanding elec bill, what? I must have forgotten to press confirm on my internet bank when paying it, another charge. And I now await the interest charges (8%??!).

Just writing it down to let off steam as phoning up the companies here will just get you a 'It' s the law' response, rather than 'OK it's a first offence we'll waive it'

Alhamdulillah, what we have or have not is written already in our Qadr. I am too easily annoyed and doesn't my keyboard know it..

Right off to phone and find out if the direct debit form arrived, I lost trust in the Post Office a long time ago.