Thou-Shalt-Not-iGadget on weekdays

Almost ending the second week of the new schooling term now. We have just started on a new rule for the household on Wednesday night. 

Thou-Shalt-Not-iGadget on a weekday. 

That means no iPads, no iPods and no iPhones. Kids are expected to use their time to concentrate more on school tasks - homework, preparing the bag/book and uniform for school, doing their revision, finish their Eye Level homework etc.  If they happen to have free time, then they can utilize this time for leisurely reading, cooking, making arts and crafts, outdoor activities such as biking, running, swimming or play with their physical toys - e.g. pretend play, Baby Alive, Play Doh, Lego etc. Absolutely no gadgets allowed.  

The ruling starts on Sunday night from 8pm and ends at Friday at 1pm. So on Wednesday night at around

OK kan?

 

I just wanted the kids to try to concentrate more on their schooling and realize that the holidays are over. With the gadgets around they tend to be very anti-social, jompletely engrossed in their own world. Tak berapa nak dengan cakap because they are concentrating on whatever it was on the YouTube channel, Instagram-ing or what have yous. As a result, homework pun tak buat, baju tak siapkan, buku tak prepare for the next day's timetable, buat kerja lain pun distracted - termasuklah nak pakai baju, makan dan sebagainya. Impact would include leaving for school much later than I'd like to in the morning and menyebabkan darah Ibunya naik sampai ke kepala. Stress pagi-pagi noks. Adoiiii. And so we implemented the rule and that same Wednwsday night I collected all gadgets and kept it in my room.

Come Thursday afternoon, look what I saw on my Instagram news?

My little Khaleeda was liking my photos on Instagram. Adik main iPod kah? Kantoiii!!!! I immediately called home and asked her why she was playing with her iPod. She was surprised that I knew. Ya lah, she's at home and I was at work. How could I have possibly known. Terkejut sat member. She told me her reason was because "Atuk was watching tv" so she didn't know what else to do with her free time. Kakak Abang pun belum balik from various activities. This she is bored. Alololololo.

Here's hoping that the rule works and would improve their weekday to be more productive and focused. I'm still looking to fine tune it. May have to add not watching Plex as well. Very distracting, that. I have yet to decide on the games too - PS3, XBOX and the likes. May even want to reward them some Gadget time if they are doing well on a limited time basis. Will see as the day progresses lah.

-dillz blogging out-

Focus! Focus! Focus!

So much to do. So much to do.

There has been quite a lot that has happened this past month, concerning the kids. Especially concerning the kids. As usual, mommy hasn't had time to update, has she? hihihihihihi

It's been pretty hectic at the work front too. I have finally gotten some things finalized and am still gungho with several more projects in hand. Insya Allah. Dipermudahkan. Aminn.. I have also picked up on my reading in the past month. Somehow, I gravitated to malay fiction this time around. Finished reading several #BukuFixi publications - Jerat, Pecah, Kougar, Dendam and Kasino and @elviza's Kerna Terpaksa. In my reading list currently is FauziahAshari's Ombak Rindu and another #BukuFixi Ngeri. :P

At this juncture, most of the kids activities has slowed down somewhat. To date, we have completed:

• Khaleeda's 4th birthday celebrations - this time around she had it at Barbie Store. Beria, I tell you. But, the princess had a great time with the makeovers and catwalk with her friends. :)
  
• Khadra's Kickstart Internal Grading for her rhythmic gymnastics. The grading determined whether she could go up to Grade 1 level from Little Gymnast level.
  
• Khadra completed her School Holiday gymnastics program - with a Russian coach. Woohoo!
  
• Khadra and Khaleeq's TTG final performance for this year, in conjuction with Didance's year end showcase at KLPAC.
  
• Khadra and Khaleeq performed their yearly drama at KLPAC last week, on the 30th November and 1st December 2011. This year's title is T3 = The Equation. The endangered animals in the highlights this year were the tapirs, tenggiling and tembadaus.
  
• Khaleeq undergoing his prelim diagnosis for his condition. Insya Allah, will be concluded by month-end.
• Khaleeda started her mengaji. Yeay!

Till I get more time to type in this space. I'll definitely try to elaborate the above points. With pictures too, if I have the might! Too-da-loo.

-dillz blogging out-

My Junior Masterchefs

The two Khas entered a Scottigami competition at their school early this month. In simple terms, the kids had to fold Scott kitchen towel into an object. Thus, the name Scott + Origami = Scottigami. Khadra wanted to make lillies and Khaleeq wanted to make frogs. So, we googled how to fold them and spent some good time making them. Thanks to the abundance of accessories (pipe cleaners, flower cutout, feathers and googly eyes) to decorate the kitchen towels from our trusted Doodle drawer, we were able to come up with the following.

Tadaa.....

Boleh tahan, la... Seni tu ada...

Best part was, the Top 30 most creative entries stand a chance to participate in a junior cooking workshop with a celebrity chef and they were both selected. Wey-hey!!! So, mommy dengan penuh bersemangat ambil cuti hari tersebut to accompany my little chef Khaleeq and @azrulx was Khadra's partner-in-crime. (@azrulx cooking? Of course, I HAD to see this. hihihihihi)

Anak-anak, ibu-ibu, bapa-bapa - all excited for the workshop to start. Ampun, ada pulak gambar kaki ibu-ibu. Motif???

Inside the hall. Getting ready to cook. Aprons ON.. Let's go!

First menu: tortilla wrap. There wasn't actual or proper cooking per se - no pots nor pans needed - more like chopping, mixing, squeezing, whisking and assembling. I let Khaleeq do most of the steps, with guidance, of course. Especially while chopping stuff. Adoi, seriau acik... Tak sempat nak menjeling meja sebelah to see how the father-daughter duo was doing. OK lah tu. Cik mek Khadra tu boleh diharap. We successfully completed the wrap and both kids completely devoured their fruits of labour. Sedap juga.. Mommy dapatlah merasa beberapa bites.

Next up was smoothies making. Can't believe how simple the steps were. The chef encouraged the kids to try a few different combinations. Personally, I liked the banana-oreo the best. And I have also concluded that peanut butter does not go well into a smoothie. Period!

Session ended with group photos and interviews. Kids were happy. Parents were happy. Mana taknya, kenyang perut, suka hati lah...

I am actually very grateful that we got this opportunity to participate in this kind of workshop with the kids. It showed them that cooking is really not that hard to do and every single one can actually whip something up in the kitchen. In fact, we already bought a smoothie blender last weekend. Made a few batches of smoothies with the kids' help. (I added a few scoops of Bulla vanilla ice-cream into the recipe though. hahahaha) They are very interested and I hope to get the kids more involved in the future too. Sebelum ni pun, ada la jugak tolong sikit-sikit, especially when baking cookies and brownies. Part goreng-menggoreng, potong-memotong ni, I tak berani nak let them in yet. Maybe I should get them a safer knife macam dalam Junior Masterchef tu. Mana nak beli, ek?

-dillz blogging out-

Ahlan Wa Sahlan Ya Ramadhan 1432

Salam! Salam!

Tup tap.. Tup tap.. Dah Ramadhan sekali lagi. I feel so blessed that we are given this chance yet again to welcome this holy month of Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah. Masa untuk beribadat. Berlatih untuk jadi lebih baik. Moga-moga amalan di bulan yang penuh berkat ini dapat dipanjangkan into bulan-bulan yang seterusnya. Insya Allah.. :)

Khadra and Khaleeq are back at fasting again. Alhamdulillah. We did not promise any incentives for fasting this year as we did back in 2009/1430H. (Read my post for welcoming Ramadhan in 1430H here , the DSLite post, the challenges for fasting kids and last year's post for 1431 here) So, we'll have to see how they fare this year.

Not much drama coming from Khadra. She really is a big girl now. I am trying to get her to solat 5 kali sehari now. It'll be easy when I am around. She'll just follow me when I perform my prayers. Masalah problemnya bila dia keseorangan - when I am not there due to work or whatever. Hmm.. Camna nak buat ni. Try je lah. Kot-kot berhasil.

Khaleeq pula. Well, he has many questions for me this year. I took leave on the first of Ramadhan, so I was there when he had a little meltdown. Wailing and crying and asking out loud, "Why did God ask us to do this? I am hungry. I am thirsty." Kesian tengok dia, but it was a little comical too. I instantly goggled images of "starving children" and shared it with him. He stopped his drama immediately and asked what was the matter with those kids. Boleh dikatakan menjadi jugakla tactic itu.

Khaleeda? Well, she'll be 4 in November this year. I asked her whether she wanted to try to puasa this year and she replied "No". Adoii... However, she does follow me to the mosque for Terawikh. Sometimes pakai telekung, sometimes just duduk aje kat tepi saya. OK la tu dik. Pelan-pelan kayuh.

Anyhoots, have a blessed month of Ramadhan to my readers yang seciput ini. Selamat berpuasa. Selamat berbuka. Selamat beribadah. Selamat bersahur.

I think I am finding my writing modjo this month! hihihihihi.. Talk to you soon..

-dillz blogging out-

Planning for the term holidays

The schedule for the PKSR1 Exams are already out. Which means the end of term is near. Which also means the kids will be out for a 2-week break starting this 28th May 2011.

Plans have been made. We just finalized the air tickets some 2 weeks back together with the main agenda -- Hong Kong Disneyland!!!!

Picture from: here

We have a 5day , 4 night itinerary in which the first 2days and 2 nights will be exploring Hong Kong and the remaining 3days and 2 nights spent in Hong Kong Disneyland itself. best of all, our stay coincides with Khadra's 8th birthday. So, she will be celebrating her birthday there, Disneyland-style. Complete with decorated room in Mickey & Minnie theme and a special Disney character appearance during dinner with photo op. OMG! Dream come true?

However, the plan is still hazy on the Hong Kong part, but I've told Khadra to research on things she'd like to do there. Apparently, there's Madam Tussaud's there and they have a Justin Bieber wax figure. Definitely worthy of a visit, don't you think? hihihihihi..

Yeah, so any ideas on what to do in Hong Kong is very much welcomed. Plus, where to stay, ah? Somewhere nice for a family of 5, near to the things that we would probably like to see and do before we head on over to Disneyland.

For now, the elder kids would have to revise and prepare for their exams first. Khaleeda, on the other hand, has already made her selections on what she'd like to wear while roaming around Disneyland.

Uuuuu... I can't wait! (eeh.. Ibu dia yang berlebih)

-dillz blogging out-

Earth Hour 2011

Where will you be?

Me and my kids will be joining WWF celebrating Earth Hour at Sunway Pyramid tonight. Kids will be part of the Tree Theatre Group performing during the one hour lights off. I think we are on at 8.50 pm. Khadra, Khaleeq and Khaleeda are the Kecak-kecak kids. :) Sayang tough, can't tape them coz I'll be behind screen - handling one of the lights for the wayang kulit show. Kids can't wait. It'll be fun.

-dillz blogging out-

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ahlan Wa Sahlan Ya Ramadhan 1431

Ramadhan is here once again. Alhamdulillah.. :)

For the first terawikh, the Azrul clan (minus Miss Khadra) was at Masjid Wilayah. Penuhnya ya amaaaaattt, we literally parked in the middle of the road. Anyhow, Khaleeq went with his dad. Menurut kata report, he was OK. Just that he was reading "Subhana rabbiyal azimi wa bihamdih" really loudly for rukuk AND sujud. hihihihihi. Khaleeda came with me to the muslimat section. Boleh tahan behave jugak, the little makcik. She keeps herself busy whilst waiting for rukuk by looking around and walking around me. Whenever there were major movements, such as rukuk and sujud, she would follow suit. (Just that bila sujud, dia terlentang. hihihihihi. Will have to remember to correct her position later.)

From their track records, Khadra started fasting last year and managed to complete the whole month without fail. Khaleeq on the other hand, completed a commendable 29 days - itu pun sebab he didn't quite understand the concept the first day and was too tempted by the sizzles of fried chicken for lunch! Khaleeda has yet to start. Bagi chan lah itu makcik, she is only 2.5 years old after all. ;)

Of course, we had a little incentive scheme in place that was really really working last year - a DS Lite each, up front. :) At that point in time, a big reward was vital coz that was their first time fasting ever.

This year, we have not yet cemented any agreements with the two Khas. Just a little reminder here and there on how the fasting month is coming and one is not allowed to eat and drink from dusk to dawn. I thought Khadra did a good job explaining it clearly to Khaleeq.
Khadra: "It's when you can't have breakfast and lunch, Khaleeq"
Khaleeq: "You mean, I can only eat at night time?"
Hmm... Boleh la tu...

Anyways, to keep them motivated, our First Sahur was a little extravagant. Mandy rice from al-Rawsha, Jalan Damai for Inche @azrulx , me and Bibik Parmi AND KFC for the kids. (Though, Khaleeda had her mashed potato and original drum stick before she headed to bed that night) I thought we overdid it that time. Probably 2 mandy rice packs would have suffice. Waking up K1 and K2 was alright. The real challenge was really after they came back from school the next day.

At 12:30pm I got a call from Saufi and Khaleeq was crying and wailing on the other end.
"I am hungry mom! I am so thirsty. I am so sad coz I am hungry."
Hmm.. Macam mana nak buat ni?
Had to go into rescue mode right away. I told Saufi to pick me up from office and the coaxing, pujuking, pep talking, usap-mengusaping began. I was just cuddling him on our way home and he really looked beaten at that time. Keluarlah segala cerita kesian kat orang susah, at least you get to eat at night, you have done it before, you are a strong boy segala. Wah!! Tak jalan juga. Masih menangis. Still wailing his heart out.

In times like this, I had to bring out a toy that he really wanted from our secret stash. (Nasib baik dah prepare earlier) I took out Decepticon Lockdown and he immediately changed his demeanor. Tetiba jadi energetic, jumping up and down.
"Is that surprise for me? I love it!"
I told him that this toy could could be his if he fulfill his fast that day. Nampak semangat semacam je. Tetiba, OK pulak. Things were finally looking up! :)

The toy did help him feel distracted for a while. Alhamdulillah, he completed the fasting yesterday, but not without more complains. One thing for sure, I really needed to keep on reassuring him time and time again. He needs to do other stuff so that he gets distracted and not focus on the hunger and thirst. Come on, boy.. You can do this. I foresee these 3 days to be a little tough. Transition time. After he gets through this few days, Insya Allah.. He could do it on his own for the coming days. On top of that, ada pulak distraction from Lil Miss Deyda. Boleh minah tu minum air sejuk depan abang dia, siap panggil nama Khaleeq lagi. Ish.Ish.Ish.

Second day - same story. Sahur was OK. The drama really started after school was over. Extra challenge today coz Khaleeq had his gym session today and not allowed to drink. So, as expected, the call came sometime around 12:40pm, he was asking for permission to drink coz he was thirsty. I asked Saufi to pick me up so that I could talk some sense into the boy on our ride home. Rupa-rupanya budak bertuah tu already took a bite off a biscuit he found in his bag. Bukan banyak pun, just one tiny bite.
His justification:
"It's not my fault, mom. My belly button is controlling me."
Adoiaiii, Khaleeq.

Nak gelak pun ada.
Anyhoots, I took away Lockdown for the day. Told him he could get it back once he fulfills a day of fasting. And the next 7 consecutive fasting days, he can get another toy.
He kept apologizing and saying that he'll try to do better tomorrow.
Takpe lah , Khaleeq. Esok kita try lagi..

Khadra on the other hand is not complaining walaupun nampak penat dan letih. Good job, Kakak! Onto day TWO! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Fish! I Screwed Up!

I was in my car, at the office car park when I finally realized that I totally forgot about my kids' mengaji class tonight. Reached my phone - battery's dead. Fished the other phone out of the handbag - dead also. By this time, I was already 45 minutes late.

Picture from: here

Knowing how the kids dispersed after mengaji classes, they were all gone in the first 5 minutes. Suddenly my own experience waiting for my dad in the dark with my 2 other sisters flashed quickly before my eyes.

**
I think I was 8 years old or so. I was attending primary school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Petaling, Petaling Jaya with two of my sisters at that time. The three of us ; Ziezi, me and Illa ; were waiting for our ride home as per usual.

We waited and waited and waited and nobody came for us. The day was getting darker (we went to the evening session) and slowly turned into night. We were the only three beings left outside the school compound, hugging each other tight (Probably crying too). Then, a car approached and there was our dad asking us to get into the car.

A stream of complaints came from the three princesses - "Mengapa lambat?" "There's no one else here" "We were the last ones, Encik"

Sekali kena tengking, daa.... hahahahahahaha

It turned out that our then 4 year old brother drove the Isuzu Pajero down the hill and ended up in the ditch. (He didn't actually, drive, he just released the handbrakes and the car slid down the hill) So, itulah sebabnya lambat, dan of course he had other things in his head at that time, with the balik kampung plan screwed up and all..

**
Anyways, pointnya adalah, I know how it felt to be the last one waiting for your parent to arrive. Been there and done that. It's a lonely feeling and one gets pretty restless. And cranky and teary-eyed. So.....

Panic.Panic.Panic. Aduh! Lagilah pressure!

Luckily, I spotted the Blackberry car charger in the car. Plugged it in and immediately called Ustazah Yati. She said she tried to call but it didn't go through. I apologized profusely and told her I was on my way. The journey to Kota Damansara was a smooth one, I was there in about 15 minutes. I must have driven at 120km/h where I could.

Anyways, as I arrived, her house had the gate and the front door closed. No lights in the foyer. Dark and a little scary. Called Ustazah to tell her I was already there. Her sleepy voice greeted me and said, "OK". Turned off the engine and ran to her house to quickly hug my two sweethearts. More bouts of apologies ensued. Luckily, both kids were smiling widely. Ustazah shared with me another great news - Khadra has gone to Iqra' 5. Yeay!,Khadra! Gave them a quick kiss and a last kopek apology to the Ustazah. We made our way to the car.

Talking, talking, talking in the car. We made it home safely. All is well once more. :)

Moral of the story: Lain kali ingat la nak ambik anak , weh!

-dillz blogging out-

jí​shí​ jiào​shī​

jí​shí​ jiào​shī​ or, in the full mandarin character, 即时教师 means an Immediate Teacher. At least that's what the mandarin translator website tells me. The instructions are completely in Mandarin. Just a blue stamp of "Home Work" to tell me that this particular page needs to be completed before he returns back to class tomorrow. I had to turn to the worldly knowledge of the web to help Khaleeq figure out his Mandarin homework.

Just in case you are caught in the same predicament - by predicament I mean not knowing how to speak, read or write the language but having to assist your child anyways.

It's basically a two step process.

First: Character dictionary
Use the brush icon to invoke a clean white screen where you could "write" the characters and a bunch of character will be filtered for you to choose from. It's important that you kinda know the order of the strokes as it affects the filtration process. Just pick the character that resembles the character that you want the most and it will appear on the top left screen. SHould you wish to define this character, click "Go". Do this for every character that you need before you go on to the next step.

Second: Translate
Translate the bunch of mandarin characters that you have gathered to form the instructions that you need. I missed a couple of characters so, in the end it read: "The activities of a sub-rain line.." Hmm..


We figured that we needed to cross the box in the activities that you can't do on rainy days.

Bantai je lah Labu... hihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

Three Days into the Mid-term Holidays and still NO Plans for Vacation

Pictures from: here, here and here

Kesianlah pulak kat anakanda - anakandaku bertiga. Cuti dah cuti. Tapi tak ke mana pun. Bukannya tak nak bawa ke mana-mana. But time is kinda tight. Before I knew it, it's already Wednesday of Week 1. My husband is away for a business trip till the weekend. Add to that Khadra's commitments on her full week practice schedule for her Action Song and Rhythmic Gymnastics next week. So, that basically means these kids are not going anywhere far - not in this school holiday, anyways.

Just to let them have a little bit of holidaying spirit, the kids have been shipped out to my mom's place in Puchong since Saturday. Just them kids. I also posted Bibik Parmi at Pondok Azlul for a helping hand. Me and the hubs have been sleeping in our own home. The kids are kinda enjoying it coz ZZ and her kids are also staying in Pondok Azlul. (Maid gone balik kampung) So, they have the company of their first cousins there - Naqib, Teyta, Neyna, ChenChen and also Shoshoff. It's like camping over - but indoors. Everyone is happy.

But it's not all play there over in Nenek's house. I have assigned Khadra and Khaleeq daily school / homework and exercises to be completed. I would drop in at my mom's for 2-3 hours to go through their work every two to three days.

Kesian punya pasal, I am taking a day of leave this Friday to take them prolly to Sunway Lagoon ke hapa ke. Jangan tak, ya dak? Ews, JOM!

-dillz blogging out-

I Miss My Munchkin(s)

I really miss my little Deyda. Yes, we live in the same house but I hardly see her on weekdays. By the time I leave the house in the mornings, she is still in La La Land. Sleeping and occasionally snoring. :) By the time I get home at night, she is already preparing to sleep or already asleep. The only time that I really get to gomol her is on the weekends.

Such a drama queen, this one. Just like her sister, I guess. :) She is cheeky and mischievous and so loving. Always putting up a smile and ever willing to shower me with her bear hugs and sloppy kisses. Anak bongsu agaknya.. :)

Since it's a public holiday tomorrow, we decided to take the kids out for a special treat to the movies tonight. Shrek 3 Forever After it is. :)

Picture from: here

This is my other munchkin that I miss.


My sister, Kira who is in Alexandria, Egypt right now, studying Medicine. Year 1 out of so many. *updated* In the above picture she was a measly 3 year old, giving me a visit in ole Cobham Hall during my A-Level years - she actually sent me this picture with the subject "found a nice pic of us that wld have been perfect for your blog entry" haha! (looking at the two - Deyda and Kira, they have a lot of similarities, don't they? Yeay Deeds! You're gonna grow up pretty like your Achu)

For the rest of her, sorry Ki, saya cilok gambar awak.

Beautiful and talented. But, I really miss the time that we spend together. The karaoke-ing, the eating and especially the goofy things that we do. Case in point, see below:

Adik, bila mau balik? Kanda sudah rindu, wooo!!! ( Anak bongsu, kot)

Er, boleh ke pergi Egypt je, Inche Azrul?

-dillz blogging out-

Happy Ibu's Day!

I am a mom of three. The first is a girl, Khadra (7 yo in June 2010); the second one is a boy, Khaleeq (6 yo in July 2010) and my baby girl is Khaleeda (3 yo in November 2010). So, every 2nd Sunday in the month of May I am entitled to celebrate Mother's Day with other mothers in Malaysia and probably Asia. (coz apparently people from other parts of the world celebrate them on different days ;) )

I am in no way a perfect mom. Never claimed that I am a supermom. Simply coz I am not. Just a woman trying her very best in raising three kids and balancing her career, family and social life. Sometimes there are good days for this Ibu and sometimes there are bad, ugly ones. After a disagreement / fight with my kids, I sometimes get little notes such as below slipped under the door of my bedroom. It simply affirms that I am just human after all.

First paper reads: Dear Ibu, I don't like you. I'm so sorry. Love, K1 Picture of a broken heart with "Broken" written on it.
Second paper reads: I'm sure you don't like me too. Put a (Tick) if you like me or an (X) if you don't like me.

To which I answered as:
(Tick) and I love you too. Love, Ibu.

After she read that, she gave me a hug and smiled the biggest smile. It saddens me, that she would think I would love her any less since we had a disagreement. Khadra, do know that you would always be my first born daughter and I would love you unconditionally till the day that I die. Yes, she has a lot of jiwa, my Khadra (takes after her Achu, I think)

But being a mommy brought me a share of many happy memories too. The little DIY gifts and art pieces, the achievements be it little or big, the running around and round the bean bag, the completion of a milestone, the great big bear hugs, the incessant kisses, the private family performances and the checking up on you to make sure that you are OK. Those are the images that I hold onto so dearly to give me the strength and perseverance to go on - to keep doing what I am doing coz it is a sign that I have been doing something right too. I wrote about some of it in my Mom's day 2009 post last year and another one in the Mom's Day 2007 - she said that I was the best mother in the world, then! hihihihihi.

Here's someone who's been doing it right. My very own Ibu - she has 7 kids, an illustrious career and loved by all. (Am still wondering how she managed that!)

She is my source of reference and I do adore her so very much. Now that I have my very own kids, I appreciate her even more. I understand where the nags are coming from, all from a beautiful heart filled with love. I remember one time I was so overwhelmed with mommy duties that I wrote an entry for my mom. She was in London at the time, visiting my sister Ema and she actually commented on the post. hihihihihihi. There was this other time when i was ranting about what I sometimes want from life, she wrote almost an entire paragraph in the comments section that went like this:

datuk azizah said... Syabas i am so glad ibu2 muda sekarang dah pandai menyesuaikan diri sebagai ibu. do only whatever u are capable of, don't stress yourself semata2 only on perkara duniawi ini, ingatlah give the kids whatever yg menjadi your tanggungjawab as orang ISLAM semoga mendapat kejayaan di dunia dan akhirat. Give the best to your husband and children. But...remember anak2 dan harta hanya merupakan perhiasan dunia,yang akan ditinggalkan apabila kita kembali menemui ALLAH, yang kita bawa adalah bekalan ASA {amanah saham akhirat) bukannya ASB. Oleh itu jangan lupa isilah tabung ASA anda sekarang juga selagi masih hidup dengan melakukan amalan soleh kerana mati tak mengenal umur, lebih2 lagi dunia sekarang yang penuh stress ini. tak menjadi kesalahan kita mencari harta dunia asalkan halal dan tidak menyeksa diri sendiri dengan melampau. Jangan jadi orang yang cari harta dunia sampai tak sempat beramal ibadat kejalan Allah, tiba2 sakit , mati, orang lain yang enjoy. ASA kosong ,dirinya diseksa terpekik melolong, tak ada siapa dapat menolong! fikir2kanlah. sekadar ingatan ikhlas seorang ibu.

Ya, Ibu saya IT savvy - she has a facebook account and she sometimes reads my blog (and leave comments too). I love you so very much, Ibu. She is just the best!

So, to all mommies out there - in good times and in bad times , have a very Happy Mother's Day, y' all! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Gratitude Log - Healthy Kids

It's Monday. It's BLERGH day.

I refuse to be bitchy today. Instead, I choose to be grateful. If there is one thing that I am grateful for today, I am grateful for the health of my three children - Khadra, Khaleeq and Khaleeda. Even more so for Khaleeda as I was reminded of her fever episode in Pantai Medical Centre early this month.

Khaleeda had a bout of fever and coughs and runny nose - the whole works. The fever was controllable, but there were a few things that concerned me.
1) She did not take her meds well. We had to force it into her , so every medication time was hell time.
2) She did not have a very good appetite, not really eating and was getting kinda dehydrated.
3) She was lethargic, not her usual jumpy self.

So, I made the executive decision to get her referred and ward her. She was to be poked with the IV needle to administer some much needed liquid into her body. It was not a pretty sight , obviously because Khaleeda is a true Srikandi. She was kicking and wailing her arms around. Ibu mana yang tahan tengok anak dia meronta-ronta macam tu? Of course, it kills me inside, but it had to be done. We wrapped her around a blanket and the doctor poked - nasib baik once je dah enough. The next three days, we were warded. And the drama ensued - each and every time it was medication time. She was so traumatized and afraid of the nurses and doctor, that every single person who was wearing blue would make her cringe and hop onto Ibu. Yes, even the Amahs and makcik sapu included. Kesian Khaleeda. So, YES. I am grateful for their health and I am grateful for the benefits that comes with this job that I have. Her medicals are all paid for, Syukur Alhamdulillah..

Have a good Monday, y'all!

-dillz blogging out-

Drama Pagi-Pagi

Two sisters on the floor. Both crying.

The little one wants to go to school.
Lil One: "Can I school? Can I school lah?"

The big one does not want to go to school.
Big One: "I don't wanna go to school. Sakit perut.."

Aiyaa.. Yang nak pergi tak payah pergi. Yang kena pergi, tak nak pergi..
Habih camno?

-dillz blogging out-

Khaleeq's First PTM for 2010

PTM(Parents- Teachers Meeting) for Beaconhouse Bangsar is here again!!!! Waiting in line had the butterflies in my tummy run amok! It's always the case when it's time to have a face-to-face discussion with Khaleeq's teachers. hihihihihihihi (Read about the last PTM we had here.

First up was Cikgu Kamariah - the Bahasa Melayu teacher. She was really happy with Khaleeq's progress, citing that he has the right attitude towards learning and he concentrated better in class. His writing has improved so much so that she does not need to shadow them anymore. (i.e. Cikgu writes in the exercise book in a coloured pencil and Khaleeq writes over them with his pencil) Of course it could be very much better and neater and nicer. So, that takes a little more practice. She even related that Khaleeq knows some of the Jawi alphabets - I guess the Iqra' classes we have on the sides are really paying off. It also helps that the Iqra' method is similar to the Bacaan for Bahasa. But we still need to work more and practice more; both in reading AND writing. Hopefully, the mingling that he does at the mengaji classes would also help with his Bahasa. If he needs it, probably, I would have to consider sending him for Bahasa tuition come June. Just to make sure he is ready for Primary school. In any case, Yeay! I am happy!! Sangat happy! Phew! Lega satu perkara!

Next was his class teacher, Teacher Amy. Let it be known that Teacher Amy was Khadra's class teacher last year. So, she could really compare the two. Also, Teacher Amy ni is the strict type - disciplined, no nonsense kind of person. On the other hand, we have Khaleeq. Tulis pun tak berapa nak betul lagi, baca pun merangkak-rangkak. So, you'd understand my anxiety, lah. hihihihi

It turned out that she was REALLY happy with his progress too. She kept on saying that we should not compare between the two kids, each child develops differently. Khaleeq is more expressive, a charmer and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He'd go to a person and ask for a hug. He's that type. Whenever he is called up to the teacher to read, he would be standing close to her. Slowly, without even realizing it, he ended up reading while sitting on Teacher Amy's lap. hihihihihihihi.. Loving, gitu..

In a nutshell, she was happy with Khaleeq's attitude and approach for work. He had grown so much from last year. She related a story to me. One day, in Irises 2 class.
Khaleeq: "Excuse me, teacher"
Teacher Amy: "Yes, Khaleeq"
Khaleeq: "Do we have homework today?"
Teacher Amy: "No Khaleeq. No homework today. But thank you for asking"
hihihihihi. So sweetlah anak aku, mintak homework, please..

She said that his work has improved tremendously. He could write without shadows. Can copy from the board, can colour his pictures, but he takes his time a little. So sometimes he does not finish his work in class. Which is OK. With practice, he would be able to write and colour faster. She acknowledged the work we have done with him over the holidays and even now at home. She said for Khaleeq to improve more, we need to work together. Spend time with him at home and she will help when he's in school. (Note that , Ibu)

And the sweetest of all, get this: She volunteered to have a one-on-one session with him 2 times a week to let him catch up with the rest of the class. She said it would be a challenge for her, but she would love to help Khaleeq improve. She said he has the right attitude and that's why she's ever willing to help. Awwwwww!! So sweetlah teacher Amy. I really really heart her! Insya allah Khaleeq akan berjaya!

Yatta!!!

-dillz blogging out-

Scouting for Our Next Dream Vacation

Was scouting around for a place to take the kids this year and I am intrigued by the buzz surrounding the Resorts World, Sentosa Singapore. Apparently, a few of their hotels are now open for stay since January 20th, 2010. There are 6 hotels available with their own demographic to serve:

• Crockford Towers - by invitation-only all-suite hotel, complete with 24-hour butler services. Must be for the high rollers, yaww!
  
• Hotel Micheal - this hotel is a tribute to the American architect, Micheal Graves. Stepping into the hotel is described as entering into an art gallery. So, not so much for me, then.
  
• Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore - Laaa... hari tu kan baru pi yang Hard Rock Hotel , Penang punya. Rilek dulu la..
  
• Festive Hotel - In their own words, it is "perfect for families travelling with their kids"
  
• Equarius Hotel - suitable for nature lovers and families. It's location is close to the Equarius Water Park. Don't think this one is open yet though. The website says it's opening AFTER 2010, that could be 2011, 2012. Who's to say, eh?
  
• Spa Villas - Choose this one if you want to " you can wake up to the sounds of waves and the beckoning calls of dolphins". Whoaaa!!! It's targeted to the honeymooners, newly weds, those aiming for a lovey-dovey breaklah kot. As per Equarius Hotel above, this one opens AFTER 2010. ;)
  

Anyways, most relevant to us (young family with kids) is the Festive Hotel, lah. Here's additonal info from the website :

Children-friendly amenities are key highlights, such as the assortment of candies at the reception that will put a smile on any kid’s face. Welcome novelty packs and tailored bathrobes are also catered specially for the little ones. For parents with babies, we offer cribs, baby food, wet wipes, nappies and bibs. Should parents wish to have private time alone, babysitting service is available at a fee.

hahahahahaha
Sounds like a dream.

However, this perfect room has to be the deal-sealer for our little family:

Picture from here

Best tak? Ada king bed for the parents, a loft bed and also a sofa bed that opens up to a double bed. I could just see my kids go CRAAAZY over the loft bed! :)

The real attraction for me, however, is the Universal Studio, Singapore. Since Khaleeda is of the right age to be experiencing theme parks, plus the nearest Disneyland is much further than Singapore, I thought this would tie the vacation up quite nicely.

The park is divided into 7 segments. Some of the rides / shows would be making its premiere in Singapore.

• Far, Far Away - Revolving around the theme of Shrek.
  
• The Lost World - Divided into Jurassic Park and Water World. Dinosaurs and all things water, what else could it be?
  
• New York - Experience the Big Apple.
  
• Sci-Fi City - Welcome to the city of the future. :)
  
• Hollywood - Hollywood Boulevard, here we come..
  
• Madagascar - Meet the casts of Madagascar; Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria and join in some fun with them in the dense jungle of Madagascar.
  
• Ancient Egypt - Pyramids and sands, eh?
  

Guess we'd have to wait just a little while longer. Bukak je Universal Studio ni, you knowlah where we'll be heading to.

hihihihihihi

Can't wait!

-dillz blogging out-

Bullys Ain't Cool!

Was just commenting at flowerella daily on the Bully who was disturbing Narnia. Told Nong to tell Narnia to tell the Bully that Nong would call the Bully's mom if he does not stop bullying. Just today I had to keep up with my promise to Khadra coz her Bully B has not stop bullying! :(

I know the term "Bullying" has such a bad connotation to it but what else would you call pushing and shoving and kicking and hitting one's back? :(

The incidents with Khadra involved two different sets of Bullys.

She was relating to me some stories about school and casually mentioned that Bully A is disturbing and bullying her. Fortunately, Bully A immediately stopped when I told Khadra to "tell-Bully A-to-stop;else I-will call-Bully A's -mom". All was well and good.

She also told me about Bully B. A set of three boys which consist of one of her friends from her pre-school. And they were from another class. I told her to tell them the same thing but I kinda dismissed the idea of serious bullying coz this boy and her are friends - I'd like to tag this dismissal as Mistake Number 1.

Then, some not-so-funny stories started to crop up.

Not-So-Funny Story 1
Early one morning , as she prepared for school, Khadra complained about having a tummy ache. Told her that we would put some Minyak Telon on the tummy and I dismissed her once again. I casually asked her to get ready - another Mistake Number 1. On our way to school, she insisted that her tummy was still hurting and we made a turn back to the house. I told her to rest and that I would check up on her later.

Around 10am, Khadra called saying,"When I told you I had tummy ache earlier, it wasn't really hurting. But NOW, Ibu, my tummy REALLY hurts." So, it was clear at that point that she was really making excuses not to go to school. My immediate reaction to that was, "Oh, did you lie to me in the morning then?" - Mistake Number 2. Concentrating on the fact that she lied rather than really listening to what was untold. I should have read it as "Why did she have to lie to me? What could be so wrong in school that she had to make excuses not to go to school?"

--------------------------

Not-So-Funny Story 2
Before bed, she came to me whining that her left foot is in pain. Whenever I rubbed it, even with the slightest touch she would go, "Ow..Ow.. Ow.." - trying to clearly indicate that it hurt! However, she would miss a few "Ow"s, which led me to believe that she was just trying to come up with another excuse not to go to school.

--------------------------

Not-So-Funny Story 3
We were in school , bright and early and her Drama Minggu Ini pun bermula. She started wailing and holding onto the gate, not wanting to go into the school compound. "I don't like school. I don't want to go to school." She would repeat this over and over, refusing to even move. My first reaction (which is the wrong one again, a.k.a Mistake 3) was embarassment. I just held her arm real tight telling her to "Stop this nonsense and get to your class". Of course that was the wrong thing to do AND to say. She made an even bigger scene and I was doubly embarrased. I mean the traffic was heavy, kids and parents were streaming into the school, all bearing witness to this drama. I took a deep breath and suddenly realized that something must be VERY WRONG for her not to want to go to school. I told her to move away from the walkway and we sat at the gazebo. Told her to calm herself down and tell me what was really going on. She said, "I already told you" (That hit straight to the heart) True enough it was the bullying and I was dense enough to dismiss it. (read Mistake 1)

--------------------------

So, I finally did what I needed to do. Try to nip it at the bud. Called Bully B's mom and told her what was happening. She came to school and we had a talk. Then we met up with the boy to straighten things out. His class teacher was also there. He said he didn't do it and it was his friend who actually hit Khadra. He said he was sorry to me and to Khadra.

In a way, I also pity the boy. He looked really terrified when we confronted him. His eyes were already tearing up and he looked like he was about to cry at any moment. I gave him a little shoulder rub and said, "It's okay. Just don't do it again. Aunty knows that you are a good boy."

I also pity the mom. I have been there before too. Remember when Khaleeq went on a biting rampage when he was younger? To look the other parent in the eye and apologizing for your child's behaviour. Man, that was hard and kinda embarassing too. I am sure there is an underlying story to why they are behaving in such a way. Acceptance? Belonging? Whatever it was, it's not that I want to make a big deal out of it, I just wanted to sort it out. I want my child to go to school without fear and not having to make all sorts of excuses/not-so-funny stories to avoid school. That's all.

I really hope that this would not prolong any longer. Would have to let Khadra update me on that.

I am, however, glad for four things:

1. Khadra knows what constitutes Bullying. Which behaviours are acceptable and NOT acceptable with friends in school. I have to acknowledge Beaconhouse Bangsar for this when they had a session with the kids to make them aware of this phenomena.
   
2. Parents in her primary school are connected in one way or another, by the school social network. In a way, this would facilitate crises solving and such as we could call up the parents concerned and tell them what's happening in school.
3. The mom was very understanding and acknowledged that her son is doing all these things he was accused of. It would have been more difficult if the parent was not willing to see that the child has done something wrong.
   
4. She is not physically scarred in any of these acts. (yet) Syukur.
   

For myself, I have a few learning points too :

• Not to dismiss anything she tells me as something trivial.
  
• I really need to just listen to her. Really listen when she tells me that she's having problems in school. Listen, Ibu, Listen.
• Handle her more appropriately when she makes a scene. Memanglah malu, but I need to read what's the real story. The real reason she was really acting out.
  

I'm so sorry my darling Khadra. I hope this settles your problem and you would have a better day in school from today onwards.

-dillz blogging out-

Iqra' : Aj-Juzu' Thalith

Iqra' development series | 1:Aj-Juzu' Wahid | 2: Aj-Juzu' Thani| 3: Aj-Juzu' Thalith|

It's time for the third installment of the Iqra' series. Just to keep you (and me, really) updated on their developments. Since then, Khaleeq had been sick and vomitted all over the class in one incident as well as the kids skipped a few classes due to hi-fever and whatnot.

It would seem pretty obvious by now that we have long ditched the baju kurungs and baju melayus (as exhibited in the 2nd installment) for the night sessions and joined the likes of Haris Omar, Iskandar and Harith in their parades of baju tidur. hihihihihi I have finally concurred that, Yes, it is much more comfortable for the kids and it makes the transition to sleepyland much faster when we get home at around 10pm. :) We do come in full gear for the Sunday sessions though. :)

For the general viewing, I have included a few pictures of their meja rehal yang awesome itu. :) Khadra has hers in pink (of course) and Khaleeq has his in black.

This picture was taken when I came in early, one night session. Tu yang tak berapa ramai orang lagi tu. At full quorum, Ustazah Yati would have the kids surrounding her in the shape of a square, and she'll be in the middle. :) Oh, Ustazah Yati is the lady in the cardigan. She said she wasn't feeling too well that day.

Their behaviour / attitude for the class?
There was one occasion when Khadra refused to go to class when we already arrived at the Ustazah's house. Yes, of course I was pissed off. Imagine driving through traffic for almost one hour and when we finally got there, dia tak nak masuk pulak. Mau tak angin? Khadra said she was tired and sleepy and she did not want to mengaji that day. She also just got up from her nap during the drive there, so maybe angin dia pun tengah weng at that time. Ustazah was sweet enough to coax her in, saying that she didn't have to do anything and rest for a while. I left her in the good hands of the Ustazah. Later, she related that Khadra was only crying for about 5 minutes before she quieted down and started her mengaji.

Khaleeq did not give me any drama. Only that he asks me for a new toy everyday. But that is besides the pointlah. :)

Oh ada satu cerita baru (as related by Haris Omar and Iskandar to their mom, Liza) just yesterday. Ustazah asked Khaleeq about one of the Arabic alphabets. (I am assuming it was the letter Za - refer chart below)

(Picture from here)

Since this is a third-party story. We really could not be sure which version took place. Either way, it is still very funny.

version 1
Ustazah: What is this , Khaleeq?
Khaleeq: That's a burger in the nose

ataupun

version 2
Ustazah: What is this , Khaleeq?
Khaleeq: That's a booger in the nose

hahahahahahahahaha...

Their progress?
Alhamdulillah, Khadra just started Iqra' Three last Monday while Khaleeq is very well on his way to finishing his Iqra' One. :) To give them that extra incentive, I also promised to reward them RM10 each for every Iqra' book they finish. For completing Iqra' Six, and that means graduating to the al-Quran, they will get RM50 each (to add into their Tabung, of course) . So, that deal seems to sit with them pretty well. :)

They also learnt how to perform their solat with the practical done every Thursay. I know it is a little overwhelming, especially for Khaleeq coz he has yet to memorize all the ayat-ayat sembahyang. So, to help him (and Khadra) out a little bit, we have been practicing some of the ayat-ayat sembahyang in the car to and from mengaji. For quick wins, I started on ayat rukuk and sujud coz it is a one-liner and you repeat them in every rakaat. Sure dia rasa best sikit when he gets it.. :)

I'll upload a little snippet of Khaleeq practicing on a real-time basis during our most current tahlil at Pondok Azlul - orang tengah jemaah Isya' tu.. :) (Insya Allah *updated)

OKlah abang oi! You got it almost right most of the time. Main-main kena kurang sikit, berdiri tak boleh gerak-gerak, ayat-ayat lain kena belajar lagi, tau! (Ko paham tak ni Khaleeq, oi? hahahahaha) In time,lah my dear.. In time..

In any case, I am proud of you, Boboy!!! :) Kita practice kuat-kuat lagi, ya?

-dillz blogging out-

The Soccermom Chronicles - 1. Class Painting

I don't know if this is what every parent does for their Standard One kid in a government school, but a bunch of parents from Khadra's class got together to paint the classroom last Saturday. :) The agenda ran from about 9am when the first person arrived and ended at about 6.30pm when the last person left the classroom.

The classes for Tahap Satu are painted according to their Sukaneka colours. One colour for one class. (Tahap Dua baru ada the more competitive Rumah Sukan) The colour for Khadra's class is Red, but their class has been painted yellow the previous year. Anyways, we planned to paint the back wall red and the side walls dark grey this year.

The result of Phase 1?

In fact I am still in awe that we pulled it off , complete with refreshments , tau! A thermos of hot teh tarik, nasi lemak and karipap sardin. Paints had to be bought, also the other tools such as scraper, roller(s), paint tray(s), brush(es) etc. There was a lot of stuff to be done. First, we needed to scrape all sorts of stuff off the wall - posters, educational pin-ups, previous class' Bumblebee mascot and leftover of foamy double-sided tapes. Someone had to be in charge to fill in the "potholes" with some fillers and most of us was busy with undercoat.undercoat.undercoat. (It took sooo long to finish up with the undercoat. Like seriously!) Only then could our colours of choice could be painted on top of it. I was able to capture some of the work-in-progress but only for the morning session 'coz I left around noon. By then, we already started with the dark grey colour on the side walls.

Here's a peek at the moms and dad and cikgu hard at work.

The lady in the blue t-shirt is the class teacher, Puan Sue. So sweet, kan?

Menyamar buat muka gigih

This was definitely the aksi that made me cringe the whole of the next week

I have a feeling aksi di atas telah menyebabkan tenguk, leher, bahu dan upper arm saya sengal-sengal selama seminggu. Trying to reach the far corners of the four walls whilst standing on the children's desks. We had a support team to move the desks so that we didn't have to step down. hihihihihihihi Ailie started from one corner and me from another. She met me at the borderline - somewhere in the middle. :)

Nasib baik dah pergi servis kat Thai Odyssey tadi. So I am ready for part 2 this morning! Time to tackle the bulletin boards, ladies! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Poor Baby

My poor baby is sick. He looked a little tired yesterday before going to mengaji class at Ustazah Yati's. I noticed that he was rather quiet and was trying to catch a sleep all through the one-hour journey through after work traffic to Kota Damansara. At Ustazah's place, he got off with his sister and I made my way home. (Made a deal with Azrul to pick them up later so that I get to watch American idol at 8pm)

Anyways, at the Section 16 traffic light, I got a call from Ustazah yati that Khaleeq threw up and we need to pick him up. The other kids had been sent home coz he threw up all over the tikar and it made it impossible to conduct the solat practical. :(

Kesiannya Khaleeq sakit sampai muntah-muntah. :(
Kesiannya the other kids tak dapat belajar malam semalam. :(
Kesiannya Ustazah had to deal with the muntah and had to cancel the classes. :(
Kesiannya all the moms and dads sending their kids to class yet have to bring them back before it is supposed to end or even started. :(

My apologies to the parents for menyusahkan. It was di luar jangkaan. I really thought he wasn't that sick when we dropped him off.

Right after Azrul picked them up, we went to see the doctor and he was given meds for the fever, vomitting and cough. Oh and the anti-biotics also.

Here he is waiting for the meds at the clinic.

He is resting at home today. I hope he gets well soon.

Lesson learnt last night - kalau anak tu is extra quiet and macam tak larat, tak payah la paksa pergi sekolah jugak. :( Ingat tu, Ibu!

-dillz blogging out-