Ramadhan 1432 Day 8 & 9

Ramadhan day 8 and 9 was a bit messy as lots of time our attention focus on the news of what happen around the country. Alhamdulillah over where we live, it was very quiet. This afternoon, I call all the kids to my room, we chat about the contingency plan just in case what happen get worst and spread around.

I can say that I almost had no secret with kids over what happen in our life, our journey, our decision and everything that involves our routine and day to day life as it effect kids as well. We talk and chat almost about everything. Kids watch news, read news even as my youngest one. But, they all know that not everything in the news they can accept and believe. Therefore we usually have a chat and talk about any issue that come before and after.

We didn't do much activities accept kids help in the kitchen and we do our Understanding quran lesson, read quran, read virtues or Ramadhan before iftar and doa as usual. We don't do much academic at the moment and that wasn't worry me much anyway. At the moment our routine is just stay on praying, reading quran, tahajud, doa and understanding quran lesson. Yesterday there are woman jamaat came to Sunderland and there are bayan in the evening. Therefore I went there with the girls. As soon as we came back , we did our lesson and than I just quickly cooking. I like my cooking to be fresh. Therefore usually I spend little time prepare for food and than ready to be cook later about an hour before iftar, depends on what I cook. Usually if not because of my hand, half and hour is enough to use for cooking or one hour if include preparing and tidy up. But, with my hand like this , not just it taken longer, but also I will need help. But, it wasn't all bad as serving, tidy up, washing up, Well washing up only small as like pots and pan or container used to prepare food as all plates and glasses goes into dishwasher. Something that I glad I bought it. Very useful especially in the month of ramadhan. It's really cut short time to wash and dry. Only need to put in and clear it out which usually to clear out can be done by AS or S. Mostly it's their job.

Ramadhan 1432 Day 7

Another simple day for us. I was quiet tired, therefore after fajr I went back to sleep but wasn't able to sleep properly for some reason. I was sleep but not feel like sleeping. Therefore I felt quiet tired and was in bed until nearly afternoon. When I wake up, I start to tidy up the bedroom and finish iron hub work cloth. As my burn incident, I still haven't been able to use my right hand as much. Not ironing of course, dish or any other heavy job using right hand. Therefore lots of my task is using only one hand, my left hand and I was right handed. So, the job will be slower than usual. I get MS to bring hover up stairs and I start hovering but han hub take over. May be felt guilty seeing me hovering with one hand. Usually kids the one who do the hovering. I was rarely doing hovering in the house now and again. But there are time I love to do it myself.

After zohr we went to car boot sale. Well, only me, hub, S and AS. S need to find hamster cage for her new hamster. Unfortunately it was rain and windy, the car boot wasn't as big and we didn't find any hamster cage at all.

After back from car boot kids read quran tidy up around the house. Alhamdulillah the house wasn't that mess during this ramadhan at all. Unless some place where we do our activity and study in the lounge. We had tidy up our library aka our study room and set up everything there, but than weather got cold again and the room is easily get cold. PS wanted to make 'popia goreng'. So before I left for car boot I made her cut carrot to use for the filling. I than get her to cook when I back from car boot together with some prawn and bean sprout. Than she start to fill into spring roll and made a roll. She work together with S on that.

Around 7.00 pm we all sit and start on the next lesson on study the quran. We talk about how quran is like a manual. I talk about how everything being created in this world come with the manual doesn't matter how small things are. People who really know about the things that being created to is only the creator. Same like us. Only Allah swt know about us and how for us to run our life as He the one who created us. Therefore He made us the manual. Example if we don't follow the manual, we might assemble something we bought wrong way round and ended up being a waste and get thrown into the bin. Therefore it is very important to follow the manual before we get thrown into hell. We spend a good one and half hour fill in the workbook and also their note book. I had assign kids one notebook each for this ramadhan which they will fill in whatever I want them to.

Yesterday night, we didn't go to masjeed for taraweeh as hub working in the morning. After taraweeh we all went to bed. Alhamdulillah I gave kids 5 star for sehri this morning, as they all wake up, wake up me up and by the time I went to the kitchen, they already warm food, serve everything and start eating happily. Alhamdulillah, I am so so happy....!! The sign of growing up and more and more towards independent and responsible. May Allah shower them with mercy and strengthen their imaan and amal. Amin.

Ramadhan 1432 Day 6

Kids did their quran reading after sehri for yesterday. A day before yesterday, MS, S and AS did their quran with hub. So I did with PS after sehri. But, yesterday I did with PS, MS and S as AS already did his quran reading with me earlier on the day and also he did his memorization. Alhamdulillah he manage get more surah done in Juz 30 all on his own actually with his MP3. It's just to get him start on before he going to madrasah when the time come.

Yesterday I did Ramadhan lapbooking with AS and S. I found out that missing on art and craft for learning is actually not so good. The worst part for me is the time involve in doing the learning involving too much activity. But, I reckon as AS now on top of the curriculum and not behind, I can now get him more into learning involving making things to put together from the theory session. Also as MS was also on track on his Maths which help a lots in term of critical thinking and sharpness of the brain, I find that i can now involve lots of this into their learning back again. Well, not much for MS in a way as he need more heavy load activity with his age. But, I can still involve hands on learning with S and AS. Also I can still combine the activity for S and AS together with slight differences, so that wasn't bad. MS learn a lots of hands on activity with his own project of making things and uploading video on you tube and he's actually got lots of follower who love how he make things and they all share the information.

What found out about less hand on activity is kids miss some sort of other part of holding on, patient while on mission, organise and planning in better way to reach target. I think I been holding up with basic needs in term of strengthen their education when they are in school. This of course not happen much with AS as he's only been to nursery, but a lots with MS especially and some with S. But, as we moved along, Alhamdulillah they had so much improved and with me struggling with my business before and always we had unexpected event as going back to Malaysia for emergency last October and guests after guests that we always had, had in some way disturb our homeschool progress. This ramadhan really help me a lots as I stop all my business activity plus with my burn incident , I had less guests as I had my incident as a reason not able to entertain. It has give me some space to breath and look back at kids education.

I was quiet happy as less pressure in some way but I can't afford to stop my business altogether but not thinking of reducing it down. UK seems to move towards second wave of recession whatever it mean. But, one things that everybody know and feels here in UK is things getting harder especially when we are homeschooling with big kids. Therefore, after ramadhan I will start to reduce order and concentrate back fully on kids education. Especially S will than officially be on Secondary school term. How time flies. When we first arrived in UK, I was 5 months pregnant to her.

Yesterday we went for taraweeh in masjeed again. As the other night, we had our iftar and meal, which took us about 15 minutes and pray magrib altogether and ready to the masjeed. It's nice to get to see the other sisters although we don't have much time to chat. Lots of them are originally from middle east. And it was nice to see all these sister stand shoulder to shoulder while praying as these sometimes cause problem when someone try to keeping their feet apart to reach other people feet and it cause problem to concentrate on prayer as strong hadith clearly state and most learned scholars already agree about shoulder to shoulder. Unfortunately some of the issue been brought up to cause argument among muslim. Nevertheless , that is different topic and issue from this post but still can be read here:

http://www.central-mosque.com/fiqh/detdisfeet.htm

We arrived home just before midnight. It was a bit tiring actually as in just below three hours we going to wake up for sehri. Therefore it was quiet hard for me to wake PS and MS just by phone call!! Can't blame them as I feel hard as well to wake up just as I felt that we just only went to sleep.

Alhamdulillah another day of ramadhan done.

Ramadhan 1432 Day 5

Yesterday was similar to another fasting day, Alhamdulillah. It was my first longest fasting time in my live and it goes really well, Alhamdulillah. PS and MS also getting used to the idea of them waking up and prepare for sehri. It was just warming up the food and put the dashtakhan or safra as we eat by sitting on the floor. So, although I wake up for sehri, when I came down the food is nearly ready to be eat. Alhamdulillah, I really want kids to slowly grow up to have some responsibility in their life towards family. I do hope that they will grow up to give me the sakina and blessing through out.

Yesterday we didn't do much activity. Hub had put the rat trap before as suddenly we had rat coming into the kitchen through broken vent outside. But, unfortunately the trap actually caught a hedgehog instead of rat. Therefore after hub , MS and AS back from Friday prayer, they we all in the back garden watching the hedgehog that been release back in the garden.

I than start to prepare the meal which at first we were thinking to break the fast in the masjeed as hub are not working during weekend. I made agar agar and murtabak which I wanted to bring as it was easy to bring and eat but do consume sometimes to make. But than we decided to just break our fast at home and go for insya prayer and taraweeh. The nearest masjeed which had woman space to pray is around 30 minutes the minimum drive time away from where we live. PS was helping in the kitchen, also the others except AS. Therefore I get him to go and read quran to hub.

Around 40 minutes before iftar, I sit with the kids and start some learning from understanding quran. I was always be very careful with learning the meaning the quran. I wanted something simple and not too complicated. It's important to learn and understand the quran, but it wasn't compulsory. But, it is obligatory upon us to learn to read and istiqamah in reading the quran throughout our whole life.

In the past year, we used to eat a dates and little tiny and simple food and quickly pray and than eat meal after magrib prayer. But, this year, hub insist for us to eat and than pray. I wasn't like it at first, but I think it's good as it keep our eating time short. We spend only 15 minutes for breaking fast and eat our meal. Than we left everything and cover only the food and go for prayer. Kids than will continue to eat a little bit or they will than tidy up. While I can spend time for doing my amal such as sunnah prayer and read quran. Especially I already spend time with them on the activity during the day. But last night as it was Friday and we be able to go for taraweeh at the masjeed, (because during weekday if we went for taraweeh at the masjeed even if hubby went to the masjeed where man only space to pray, he will be arriving home nearly 12 midnight and he has to wake up for sehri again at 3am. So, our only option is to pray at home as in our town got no masjeed and we always count our house as musalla place for our town.) kids than quickly tidy up after magrib prayer and get ready and off we went to the masjeed in South Sheild. Alhamdulillah it was about 20 + sisters there. It was nice and kids always love to be able to pray taraweeh together in the masjeed. As we not get that environment everyday, I think we appreciate a lots when we be able to do that. All of them always looking forward to go either breaking fast at the masjeed or for taraweeh prayer. Alhamdulillah. Sometimes I do wonder if we should moved to the town that got easy access to masjeed, but it wasn't necessary we got the islamic environment. I think we do appreciate a lots and more when we are far. Plus the manners in around non muslim area we live is much better for some reason. And of course it was the closest town to hub work place.

We arrived home just before 12 midnight and we all getting ready to bed and as usual, MS waking up first this morning for sehri and wake up others and start to go down first to prepare the food. Alhamdulillah for my little incident of hand burn, kids become more responsible that I can now depends on. A lesson which can never been learn even with hundreds thousands of advice or whine. How Allah make it easy for the kids to learn by practical, Alhamdulillah.

Day 4: Ramadhan 1432

Alhamdulillah it's day 4. This year ramadhan in UK for the longest ever for us and for many other muslims in UK as this only come once in many many years. Probably in 15 years or more. We wake up our sehri at 2.30am, Fajr at 3.32 am (day 5 this morning) and we had iftar on day 4 at 9.06 pm. On the first day it was 9.16 pm and sehri was 2.23 am. MS didn't went to sleep on first night of sehri. PS didn't went to sleep for first 2 nights after she able to fast. So, it was a long day for kids Masya Allah. First day is nearly 19 hours!!! But, Alhamdulillah everybody copin very well especially AS who is only 8 years old.

As for early sehri which we always wake up at around 2.30-2.40 am , after fajr we going back to sleep. Actually I haven't wake up much before as I didn't fast and just leave to PS to sort out everything. Alhamdulillah...I do felt guilty but I thought this is the way to teach her with more responsibility and to teach me to trust her and not always be on her tail. She manage, Alhamdulillah. Even this morning, (sehri day 5) as I be able to fast and wake up for sehri, I just call her on her phone to wake her up and get her to go down and start warming up food and serve. During sehri time we just ate in the kitchen. We don't have dining table at home for the whole 17 years marriage. We love sitting on the floor with sapra or dashtakhan. The only things now is a bit hard for me to sit the sunnah way because of me putting on weight! I could still do it with a bit difficulty. But, sitting on the floor enable us to sit the sunnah way and get the rewards of sunnah while sit on the floor. This is the greatest of following the sunnah. Every little things we do , we got rewards. Things that others also did and doing all the time such as eating, drinking, sleeping, going to toilet, if we do according to sunnah, we got rewards. And every single sunnah there are benefit behind especially towards our body and health. And doesn't matter in what age we are, sunnah way got many significant which we always forget and don't bother.

Back to the story: Alhamdulillah, I feel happy and satisfied with PS although I do need to remind her when she stop at MS bedroom to wake her up that she need to go down and prepare food rather than stop here and there! (once they start talking, time fly very quick!). She's 15 years old and I want her to start gaining more responsibility in her and take some of the role that I did. She need to learn this from now on.

Day 4 activity: Again we had to go out as library book is due. We stop by at the library and I just wait in the car while kids just change the book. Giving the old one back and just pick up the one they already reserve. Than we off to Staples in Sunderland which is about 15 minutes away driving as I need to get some more colour paper for activity to come. also S wanted to go to Pet At Home shop just next to it to grab some hamster. She had lost her hamster which need to be put down couple of weeks a go as happen because of infection of it's arm and cause the arm to fall out. We bring to Vet centre and nothing can be done, so they had to put it sleep forever. She was quiet upset. Therefore I owe her a new hamster which as it was 2 for £15 as when we bought before, PS wanted another one which she pay some part of the money herself. So, we got five hamster in the house now!! I should have put some picture actually!

We than stop by at Wilkinson in Sunderland which is bigger than the one in our small town. I need to get some black paper it was hard to find the good one with the good price. We had to go around for all this paper! I used to buy them from car boot sale from this one particular person. But, we haven't done much activity and project for ages. We had some left over but than now we need lots more and we haven't been to car boot for some time.

By the time we arrived home it was 5pm and hubby also just arrived from work. This is because as go to bed after taraweeh finish around 11.30pm, than wake up at around 2.30am, than back to sleep at around 4 am, we do need some good sleep in the morning. Some of us actually wake up at around 10.30am. I usually do but either I stay in bed until around 11-11.30am or I go down to tidy and get on internet for a while. Nevertheless, all of us will be ready around 12 and we usually wait until zohr at around 1.10pm before we start any activity or going out. Usually we manage to get out from the house nearly 2pm and I try to arrived back home just at 4.30pm or 5pm. I don't like being out site too long knowing that hubby already arrive home from work and at home alone.

Alhamdulillah although after tiring walking around shop, except PS who body still to settle down with fasting, take a rest, the others start on our next activity. MS and As get on lap top one each and start to make poster for good things to do in ramadhan, this time using paint. Just copy and paste picture and hadith or write down their using their own picture and writing. I just work with AS. Although he know how to work with paint, it was ages ago when he not using them any more. They used to making things in paint when we had desktop before but not anymore. May be I need to get a desktop for them to share.

This is AS poster. He just copy and paste and he choose the hadith himself and what he want to put in and where. I help him to make the moon as he wanted to have a moon on his poster as ramadhan moon.

S and MS poster will come soon as MS was working on hubby computer and took so long and by the time he was half way, hubby woke up from sleep and he need to use the computer. So he will continue today. After asr prayer, MS, S and AS just read quran to hubby while PS helping me in the kitchen. I was cook much but just top up whatever from a day before.

Hub will as usual read the virtues of ramadhan 20 minutes before iftar. Than follow by halaqah tajweed and doa. He will remind kids of what been read a day before and what need to be do more in ramadhan and what shouldn't. Alhamdulillah this ramadhan is so peaceful as I wasn't doing any business at all. Because of my incident and what had been plan out that I will stop other things during ramadhan Alhamdulillah.

I think as time are very long as well, we got to do plenty of things and get to have some good rest as well, do other things outside the house and still be able to come back home and do some activity and other amal.

(this post been written on 5 th of August for the 4th day of ramadhan as now I can fast, I don't spend time on computer anymore in the night. I will have to update this the day after)

3 Ramadhan 1432

Alhamdulillah ramadhan day 3 muslim around the world. As I am still off from fasting, this giving me a bit time to update this. Not sure when I start fasting if I am going to have time. But I am trying to update this for us to see it in the future.

Today, we had another bit of out site our plan. As we had some project that we plan to do in next couple of days, we need to go to Art and craft shop to get things we need. I search and found couple of them in nearby city which is about 15-20 minutes away. As I need to bring items to the storage and it was not far from there, I decided to go for that one. But than we realise that shop only sell things for scrap book and card making. So we decided to go to Dainty Supply in Washington which is about 10 minutes from the shop we stop by. By the time we get what we need, stop by at two other shop to get some stuff to cook as hubby request another English food, which is salmon flake which I boiled and put on oven for a while and than raw salmon and I make potato cake as well to go with salad. A healthy choice actually.

Salmon Flake with mustard, raw salmon with herbs and potato bake with cheese and chives and salad.

S wanted to make doughnut since first day of ramadhan, I thought I just let her today.

Still making S and MS doughnut.

Ready. Some top with chocolate and some with just plain sugar.

Today we don't do much activites as we went out to get stuff. When we came back home, kids just started to make poster as we plan. Today activity is to make poster of what we shouldn't do during ramadhan. They choose what they think they want and make poster out of colour card with some writing on it. It wasn't perfect or excellent, but it was alright for me as I want to get kids to start getting their hands on activity I had plan out. I will have to start upload picture sometimes tomorrow. Insya Allah.

PS wasn't really well today. Yesterday was her first day of fasting for this ramadhan. She can get distracted by her asthma coughing although she was give clear with her asthma. She vomit after iftar and also after taken sehri. As she wasn't well since last week, she was a bit weak and stay in bed almost the whole day. Alhamdulillah she kept her fast and taraweeh prayer.

It was busy day yet not so stress and pressure. I wasn't like to put pressure too much as I don't want to give signal to kids that deen is only in ramadhan. To increase amal is not only ramadhan but also on the other time. Deen is not just part of our life but deen is in our day to day life. we should increase our amal as the rewards is high in the month of ramadhan but I am also be very careful not to give too much pressure into doing deeni activity which can give a wrong understanding towards it's become a habit and a life culture that in ramadhan we increase and outside ramadhan it's ok to be lack. So, I just follow the flow and going along just nice and easy. Try to increase things that kids did not feel that we are actually increase it.

There are things that I put much stress on such as no crips, no sweet and no fizzy drink allow at all during this ramadhan. We also try to stay on grill and soup. It was quiet hard at first as it's like no treat for kids as no crisp and no sweet allow at all but they getting on fine, Alhamdulillah.

2 Ramadhan 1432

Alhamdulillah second day of ramadhan done. Kids wake up for suhur with hubby only as I was still on break. I did put alarm on my phone and as soon as my alarm on, I call PS on her phone although she was only next door. Well, better use free minutes rather than move about! Alhamdulillah she wake up her siblings and go down to the kitchen and sorting out the food. I just continue with my sleep. I did wonder if I should wake up, but I though practical lesson is important. I should try back off as well and not over care too much for the sake of the kids themselves. Which mother don't love their kids, but love did not mean sticking over them in every single things. So, I hold onto my self from going down for the sehri and let them sorting out themselves. This way they will learn better.

Today, I had appointment at RVI Newcastle which was about 40 minutes away from us. I depart just after hubby pray zohr prayer and was there for about an hour as I got longer time than before for physiotherapy. Unfortunately I got to change my bandage three times a week, but will be doing this in my local GP on Friday, Monday and Wednesday before going back to Newcastle RVI Hospital for progress and further treatment. Therefore looks like I will be more busy than ever.

So today I just assign kids to do couple of things themselves. They read quran and than start doing a light project. PS and MS did Prophet Muhammad family tree and S and AS make a tree with 25 Prophet name stick on the tree. It was very simple but as I wasn't around and they wasn't been doing even the simple project, I though I just let them do something they already know and easy to fill in their time.

When I arrived, they nearly finish and while I get in to the kitchen preparing food, I get them to do some academic work. Everything was easy and simple at the moment just to get everybody to warm up. All the kids actually haven't done school project. They have their own project such as MS making you tube video and also making armour with cardboard and things like that. PS with her art hobby such as painting and S always had her scrap book around. AS got his own video making as well with his phone or my camera and also always on the making of things. Just that whatever they doing , it might be not in term involving national curriculum. But, learning in their own way. But I do hope that I can jump start into some sort of project with kids according to my rules and target, not just from their hobby and what they like.

Alhamdulillah, today fasting went nice and smooth. Everybody was in bed after fajr until around 11. I go down stairs around 10 am and start tidy up around and hovering and cleaning. Yes, with one hand. Not that much need cleaning, but just to make sure to maintain it easy. Especially I haven't been hovering and mopping and cleaning for ages as kids been doing it. I thought I give them a rest. I can hear S and As did wake up but stay in bed and probably reading book for S and playing toys for AS. MS also did wake up around 11 am but I think started with his own project in his room.

Overall it was warm start of ramadhan. We were having taraweh at home at the moment as the masjeed was around 15-20 minutes away from us and there was no room for ladies. The one that got room for ladies is 30-35 minutes away. So, usually during weekday hubby will pray at home with all of us as our lounge always become a mussala place actually. Not for us but for others as well. Since last night, in the middle of taraweeh prayer, hubby will swap with MS being the imam. It was first time MS been given a role as imam for taraweeh prayer from hubby. I was a bit shock but he used to be imam for the other prayer, so I guess hubby wanted to train him as well bit by bit.

Before I forgot, I should have mention that two weeks before when hubby went for jamaat during weekend, he bring MS as well. This time they had lots of youngster in jamaat and MS also is matured than when he used to go before. Once I text hubby as ask him to get MS to call me or text me as I text MS, but he didn't reply my text. Hubby text me back and said to me, just text him, he was busy with amal. My tears was falling down. Hubby back with the story that when they sat in muzakarah, MS really look like matured person. He involved in muzakarah and others are listening to him talking and it make him feel that he can give benefit to others as well. I think hubby was quiet shock. Because at home, he sees MS as immature, playing with small kids and might behave like one as well. Well, we can only see things when they are in outside world, far than us. Hubby text me and said that May Allah reward me for my effort, I was in tears yet again and MS text me and said, thanks for making him go in jamaat and he really enjoy the time and learn so much. What else can I say, it really make my day...

Insya Allah may Allah make it easy for us and for all of you and others and to benefit from this ramadhan more than the past ramadhan.