oh yes.... I am back!

I have been blogging in the bathroom for ages .... well not actual blogging, just thoughts in my head, I just haven't been able to put it out there. 
Quick catch up - I now have 4 kids Alhamdulillah. Most days seeing to 4 kids in different phases is challenging. So the only alone time I have is in the bathroom ... not when i relieve myself..... as that has and probably always will be a group activity.... not when I brush my teeth.... as that is a "we" event too. The only time my brain gets to catch up with its thoughts is under the shower.... with the water sound loud enough to drown out any madness that may be happening outside the bathroom. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I love being at home with them 24-7-365, but my brain cannot function efficiently with them around! All day I get a request/comment/nag/complaint/cry/share-my-day/look-what-I-found and not necessarily one at a time. My kids love to challenge my already overtired brain by speaking at the same time as someone else while I am doing something.

erm.......yes so I am back....when I have a moment to type and if I can remember what I wanted to share.

CHORES!

I have been trying to get my kids to do chores since they were 3. I started with the reward chart - giving stickers. A few years later I moved to a voucher system through the guidance of creative motivations. That system worked well for a while, but it became so hard to manage. By then the kids were accustomed to doing chores, so asking them was the easy part .... GETTING them to do the chore was hard! They are in the eye-rolling, back-chatting and sighing phase. Every time I asked and was met with a negative reaction I just wanted to pile MORE chores on.

With 4 kids the amount of untidy compounds very quickly, so I needed the older two to step up and help out ... but without the micro-management.
During the summer holidays I started using chore monster.

At first it seemed boring - the kids had to log their chores, with each chore they get a spin to win a new monster. Interest peaked when they started winning different monsters, but as it is a game of chance it didn't keep their interest. Another aspect of the app is the rewards. I set up rewards which I wanted to give them - things that I felt they needed to work for. They put the effort in, but not enthusiastically and I still found myself reminding them to do the chores as well as logging that they had done it. Then things changed this week.... DS wanted something. I suggested he add it as a reward on chore monster. As it had a price I had to re-look at the point system I was using. Back in the day of stars, it was a star a chore. That understanding has stuck with me, but I realized I couldn't stick to that as some tasks were more work than others. So I changed the system, I assigned more realistic value to the work. Secondly, I upped the value of things I REALLY needed them to do. I once read that it takes 20-something days to create a habit, so I am willing to reward things to get it to habit status. And what an amazing week I had! DS was doing chores ALL day trying to earn points. I didn't have to ask, I certainly didn't have to remind him to log it and best of all he was doing tasks that wasn't on his list ;-) 

A Muslim Princess

I can't imagine why but I am still getting visitors to my page.
I do miss blogging, but life is busy Alhamdulillah.
So I might as well send you somewhere else ....
I wrote a children's book, so please pop around to the website or join the facebook fan page.
www.amuslimprincess.com

Arevaderce

As life settles down somewhat and DD settles in at her new school. New routines are created and as the days warm up, they are filled with more time spent outdoors.

For a while now I've wanted to stop blogging, but I suppose I've always felt I had one more thing to say or to vent about.
But Algamdulillah - this is it. It's been very therapeutic and thanks to the those who dropped by to read whatever I typed, and double thanks to those who left a comment.

So long, farewell and all the best.

Please keep us in your duahs

Love and Regards

Carimah

Reflections

As Ramadaan nears it's end, one can only reflect on the month .... but I had a few other reflections too .....

I read a few of my older posts, and the first thing that struck me was that it's still cold ! Last November I complained about no summer. I've been feeling that it's been a bit long that I've layered my clothing and I am not mistaken ! I think I need to move closer to the equator. Electricity restrictions doesn't go well with cold weather !

Secondly, DD has changed !! She is no longer a helpful little person in my life. DS still messes when he eats, but now he cleans too! Perhaps being helpful is a phase they go through.

Thirdly, I still can't keep a hand on a tidy house! I have a lady cleaning twice a week and a dishwasher. The level seems unchanged whether DD is home or not. All I can deduce is that DH's absence is giving me more, so I think it is time to delegate .....

Finally Ramadaan reflections..... all I can say is Algamdulillah that my heart aches that it is coming to an end.

Eid Mubarak everyone !

What's new ?!

So here's my "later" post.
DD was home and I didn't know what I was supposed to do with her!
It was all so sudden and feeling like DH dumped her education on me.
Algamdulillah a few good friends guided me and I did NOTHING ! I decided to slow things down. It was getting out of hand with her EXPECTING me to occupy her ALL day and the kind of things that DS couldn't partake in so that caused major upheaval.
But she wanted to be kept busy - so following Home schooling resources we created a lap book . How fantastic ! It's like scrap booking meets school projects ! Our theme was Ramadaan and I tried to keep it low key for her level. (Yes, I could take pictures and post them to show you, but I have a workshop and outreach iftaar tonite and have fruit platters to prepare after the workshop so I'm not going to.)
So the basics of what we covered for this lap book

• Ramadaan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar
• phases of the moon
• do's and don'ts in Ramadaan
• Cave of Hira and revelation of Surah
• Laylatul Qadr
• Ramadaan Quizz
  
• Ramadaan Duas
• Eid maze
• Information about Eid

A few of these were found online at other blogs.

But as you have read in the other post I was so busy keeping her busy I didn't get time for me.
So I took charge - I really shouldn't - I should leave things for DH, but he's not efficient... or at least not efficient enough for me !
So I called up this Hifz school that a dear friend has been telling me about and I really liked the sales pitch. ( I say that as many people can sell a product, it's only once you use it do you agree or not. ) It's a big decision as the commitment comes from more than just the child. I prayed and prayed but didn't seem content. I then arranged to meet with another school. unfortunately I couldn't make the meeting and DH went. I arranged to meet at the school later that week so as I get more of a clue and I LOVED it ! I love the idea of learner centered and going at your own pace. But how would this all tie together ?
After more praying and more duahs it clicked. DD is 5 and "technically" only needs to be registered at school in 2011 when she is 7. That gives us a year's grace.
Insha'Alalh the plan is for her to attend the Hifz school. I am hoping to do a teaching program with HLL school and home school her during her hifz period. And then we'll take it from there.
So why is she at school now ?
The Hifz school requires her to do a 2 week assessment and once we decided on this plan we let her start immediately. And she LOVES it !
Algamdulillah

15th of Ramadaan

I can't believe it's half way already ! :-(
I decided to be different this year. Not set goals I couldn't achieve and beat myself up. It's been a tough few months and the past few weeks had more than enough change to throw me out of sync with schedules. I like my ducks in a row, but every now and then they can change direction.
For some or other reason I just couldn't find my Ramadaan groove. Having DD at home was great, I did alot with her - she did a wonderful Ramadaan lapbook (more on that next time). Having the 2 kids and the usual busy house schedule with DH coming home 10 minutes before iftar has been a challenge and tiring. Initially I tried doing taraweeg and tahajud and witr - but I felt exhausted. And would crash after Thur salaah. DD started school (more on that later ;-) ) and I thought freeing me up would help, but still not. This is my off time, and funny how it is, when you can't do something you want it more....
THAT's my groove - I usually have a 2 day break, but this month I'm onto 5 ! I MISS salaah, I WANT to read Quran, and I want to spend my time doing THAT. As disappointed as I felt that it's 5 days, I realise Allah's Wisdom in answering my duah to get the Ramadaan feeling. I have been going through the motions with loads of things - the kids, the house, ibaadah. And having the extended, unexpected break, jolted me and made me grateful. Insha'Allah now that I have realised the lesson - I can get back to partaking in the joys of the month!
If anyone else has been feeling off track - take advantage while you can.
I pray that I live to see another Ramadaan, so that I may continue to enjoy it's blessings.