Some gentle days

I had hoped to go out and about somewhere on Sunday, but U had a bad cold, with a temperature, so we stayed home. The boys and H went out for their weekend cricket.
So we've had a gentle few days, alhamdulillah. The garden is under control, more or less, and there is not much else I can do to it for a few weeks, except keep the weeds in check, so I've actually spent time in the garden just sitting with the children.
Over the weekend I found some of the Usbourne Young Puzzle Books. They are just right for Ia at the moment, if I read them to her. They are stories, but on each page there are simple puzzles, like mazes, or spotting hidden objects in the busy illustrations. The boys liked reading them to themselves until they were about 8.
The girls got sticker activity books today and have spent lots of time arranging the stickers on the scenes. Ia did some workbook pages in the garden, and, so she could do something similar, U traced over some letters in a book of her own. We also read books in the garden, then each girl spent some time on the computer. This was all in the afternoon because they had spent all morning playing in their room.
So morning was time for R and J to do their work. As we are looking at the period of European voyages of discovery in the Traders and Wooden ships project I decided to read a chapter on this from an old history textbook I still have. It seemed like a good time to slot it in as the history repeats and extends what they've already been reading.I had to simplify the language a little as I went along, but I'm getting the hang of doing that now! This was one of my favourite periods of study, but it makes so much more sense now that I have a better understanding of the Muslim history of the same period.
Also today R and J have done some division, Quran, wider reading on people of deserts and mountains, an ICT worksheet and some work linked to the tafsir of Surah Al-Adiyat.

Reflection

It has been a year since we moved to this house. I know that a year ago it was much warmer than it is today, and a lot less windy. These yellow flowers were not blooming last year, but I remember the plants by the patio, which I now think are some kind of perrenial sunflowers, were covered with little domed buds, like the tops of mosques, just as they are today.
Then I was waiting to see what those buds would open into. Just like our home-ed, I didn't know how it would look in the days to come. It was all a big change, but a year on, by the Will of Allah, the home-ed bloomed and went on through another cycle, just like the flowers.

On Thursday we spent a full and busy day with old friends, alhamdulillah, then Friday was a day of sporty activity. Finally the children were tired out! It is a rare event to see them tired out through physical exercise, usually they are active all day and don't seem to tire, maashAllah. Even H remarked on how tired and quiet they were looking! U was asleep by 6pm yesterday! I was tired too, but I forced myself to get up and clean, as everywhere was such a mess. In that sense, things don't change much in a year!

HE days

This morning the girls wanted to make an early start with the glitter. U is wanting to join in more and more now. The second hand (already written in) workbooks which I used to keep her happy with are no longer good enough for her, she wants clean ones. She wants to do whatever Ia is doing, maashAllah.

And so, another HE day.

While the girls used the glitter the boys did their Quran work, then I cleaned up the spilt glitter and we all recited some of the short surahs together. After that the boys finished off a story about being lost in a rainforest which they started yesterday and Ia used Education City for a while. Next up the boys took turns to do some French on the computer, while the other read a book on peoples of the grasslands.

By this time it was time for me to make lunch, so they all got time to go off and play. U took her turn on the computer, using Poisson Rouge. She has got the hang of clicking and moving the mouse, but can't manage click and drag yet.

After lunch and zuhr there was some colouring in the garden, some playing with a ball, some more work on "Traders in Wooden Ships", some maths for Ia and the boys, and then the lessons were over!

Remember our triop? Our lone triop is growing everyday (it is about 1cm long now). It no longer needs heat from the lamp, and is eating plenty. It is a bit like having a goldfish now really. It swims about the tank, and ....that is kind of all it does! But it looks a lot stranger than a goldfish, and sometimes it almost does a flip out of the water.

This

Ia is plodding along with her reading journey. She is very happy with the Ladybird readers, and is keen to read quite a few pages every evening. Some words seem to be hard for her, especially those beginning with "th". Today I got her to decorate "this" in big letters. She loves using the glitter and, inshAllah, it might help her remember the word!

Briefly...

I think this is my favourite plant in the garden right now. It is just covered with vibrant flowers, maashAllah.
I spent all of Saturday cleaning, (not that you'd know it now), and Sunday was cleaning and gardening. No wonder I don't blog much at weekends. The boys played a cricket match on Sunday. It was REALLY windy, but at least it didn't rain, alhamdulillah.

This is the shady patch of the garden.

The girls have been busy with their imaginations. This morning they didn't have time for me to brush their hair because they were playing vegetables. They had to lie still under the duvet, pretending to be carrots. Then, when one patted the other on the head, they would change into cabbages.

Meanwhile...

The boys got on with Quran, maths (multiplication problems), English (grammar, nouns), unit 2 of the Traders in Wooden Ships project and a new ICT project.

A few weeks ago I bought this project file for ICT. It contains about seventy worksheets, doing tasks with Excel. I feel I should be doing something methodical in this subject, and I need a clear, easy to use framework to lean on. It should keep us going for quite a while, inshAllah!

Lapbook on Surah Az-Zalzalah

As the letters did not fit I drew crack lines (as in when the earth cracks in an earthquake) and had the "h" displaced. And we put "al", instead of "az". Well I can go back and fix it! Oops!

There are sections on earthquake facts, major and minor Signs of the Hour, translation of the surah.

There is also a description of events of the Last Day, and some earthquake survival tips. Of course at the time of az-Zalzalah earthquake safety tips will be of no use. Only Emaan and the Mercy of Allah will help the people then.

We also copied out the translation of the last two verses of the surah:

"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it.
And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it."

We made a layer book of the hadith which accompany the tafsir of those verses.

Ia's work.

U has made progress with her control of the computer mouse and has been trying out our preschool CDroms.

Bit of a ramble

This view from above the plant makes it look more like a jolly fabric print.

Ia now has a suite of doll sofas, amongst other things she has made today.

I have started a new geography topic with the boys. It is a kind of history/geography crossover, but for the sake of my mental filing system needing everything in its place, I'm calling it geography. Basically, after my long winded, do-it-yourself look at farming I'm going for a ready made topic book this time. "Traders and Explorers in Wooden ships", by Susan Douglass is one of the Islamic School Book series. Inside there is a student text, teachers' notes with extension ideas and some instructions for practical projects. It really is a handy package.

I also have the "Muslim Cities" book from the series, which I would also recommend as it contains several study topics.

For the Traders and Explorers project I am using a ringbinder file format, so that I can make use of some of the colouring pages in the book and get it presented nicely, inshAllah. There are maps to trace and questions to answer (NEATLY). At the end of the book there is a section of worksheets to go with the chapters too.

For English we have moved on to a chapter on rainforests. I found several books on this from the library, and decided to include reading tasks as part of the English scheme of work. So, one day the English work was to read a (geography) library book. I will probably repeat this tomorrow, inshAllah, when they can read the one they did not read last time.

This is part of my wider reading approach. After all in higher education individual reading of many books is essential, so why not establish habits which may be useful in future. I do not have educational targets for my children in dunya terms, but exam and study skills are such a part of my mentality that I can't help myself. I loved exams by the way, I loved all those skills of pinpointing what the examiner wants to see. I also loved teaching public exams for the couple of years that I did so. I also found being an examiner fascinating. But I don't believe in testing young children, and exam training (in syllabus terms) from a young age. I believe that a wide, relaxed and interesting education will make studying for exams a breeze when the time comes. Exams should be fun, like the rest of learning. I would find being in that exam hall so exhilarating. Some of my best ideas would come out at that time, especially in English or history, I would come out on such a high. I think it is just having that three hour space to think and explore ideas with no other interruptions or distractions. I enjoyed the risk of just scribbling down things I had not thought about before. I look back on those times with fondness. Less so the dreary old revising of course.

On a more cheerful note

Ia had a friend over today, and friend's mum, Auntie Z, made these items of dolls furniture with them. See the little rabbit doll modelling the swing? And next to that a sofa with pom pom cushions and feather trim.
When we went to the library at the weekend Ia chose herself another junior art book, and now she goes through it herself and choses projects. She made wooden spoon dolls (except we used spoon shapes cut from stiff card) all by herself, maashAllah.

The roses are in full bloom, alhamdulillah. there are even more since I took this photo. We are plugging on with the work, but not keeping too strictly to timetable. When the mood strikes everyone just goes out to the garden.

As for the triop project, by the Will of Allah we have a living creature in the tank. Actually there were more, but they were much smaller, just little dots darting about, and I think the big one ate them. In case you are wondering triops are crustaceans which live in desert puddles after rainfall. Their eggs lie dormant in sand, waiting for the next rain, which is how they can be sold in kits! So, we have a triop, and everyone is still very interested in its progress.

Thoughts

I have been home educating for almost five years now, and it is really daily life to me, but despite that it still remains as a precious thing. I'm constantly aware of the fragility of this way of life. Almost daily in dua I thank Allah that I'm raising my children this way and beg that I should be able to continue. There is no reason known to me now why I should not continue, but major life changing events occur in the lives of people every day. I ask Allah (swt) not to test me with something disrupting our home education. Please, please, please. Very greedy of me, yes.
When my children were babies I would check them while they slept, to check they were breathing. Lots of people do that. Even now I check U before I go to bed. There is no reason why your healthy baby should stop breathing, is there, but he/she seems so small and precious that you fear her loss. I feel like that about HE. I do not take it for granted, and even on the bad days, I couldn't bear to think of giving up. You don't want to give up your toddler even if he has a tantrum all day and sweeps eveything from every surface he can reach.
Everything should be done for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure. This has to be the primary intention behind a deed, and it is my starting point with my children as well. But, in the same way that we should learn to love performing our prayers and our fasts for our Creator I have come to love the effort of providing an Islamic education for my children. The process has increased my awareness of Islam. I hope it can be accepted from me by Allah.
I have written this for UmmSuhayb. The right to home educate in the UK should not be under rated. And whatever we have now, we may or may not have in future.
I am horrified that other people should say "no". But they say no everywhere. They say "no" to all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons. They say no , no ,no all over the place all the time. And he on the receiving end has his hopes dashed.
Being on the "yes you can", is like walking the tightrope.

Saturday

I can't help but keep an eye on my children's time, even on the days we do no organised work. The weekends should involve a little variety, so as to avoid a tetchy start to the next week. Of course children do need lots of free time to do what they want with, but I find that if I take up at least a little of their time every day, they will value the rest of their time more. The other thing they benefit from is a bit of exercise, it helps keep them in a good mood.
So today I decided we should go to the library after lunch. They did moan a bit and say they wouldn't go, but once we were out everyone seemed happy. It is quite a long walk, that is what puts them off going, but on the way home the boys were racing each other, so that means they enjoyed it.
Public libraries are such excellent facilities. Well, they could always have MORE books of course, but even so, the fact that today we could borrow at least a couple of hundred pounds worth of books, much, much more than we could ever afford to buy, is something I value.
The boys are not finding as much on the fiction shelves now. Over the past year they have read what interests them, and are now on to rereads. I did find quite a few non-fiction books to interest them this time, some of which they have been reading this evening. They like "The Danger Zone" books, "Avoid Sailing on the Titanic" and "Avoid becoming a Pirates' Prisoner". they are quickly read, with lots of funny pictures.

Back to work!

First thing this morning the triop eggs went in. They are supposed to be kept at a constant temperature of around 22C, which could be a problem, as normal room temperature is nearer 20C in the summer, (unless we are having a heat wave, which we are not!) We have been using a lamp as suggested, but I'm not going to leave a lamp on them for three weeks - way too much energy. We'll see.
Ia has been writing some CVC words by herself, she is also reading a couple of pages per night and is quite happy do do a little copying of short words from time to time. Today she also did some counting in 10s (reading from the 100 square), some colouring and so on.
U also wanted a story written in her colouring book, copying Ia. She is asking to use the computer too, so to help her develop some mouse control we spent some time on Poisson Rouge, and, maashAllah, she did improve a little, but found it very tiring.
The boys continued work on the project around Surah Zalzalah. We reviewed what we'd already done (as much for my benefit as theirs) and then I got them to type up the work they did before on listing the major and minor signs of the Hour.
Then we looked at the verse " And man will say "What is the matter with it""(99:3), meaning that when the Earth starts to shake in the final earthquake people will be confused and baffled as to what is happening. We thought about and listed the reactions of people to earthquakes that happen now, using the news footage we watched from the recent China earthquake as a source. How do the people look, do they run, crouch, lie flat, or all of these? What are the people advised to do in case of an earthquake?
In looking at this I am mindful to distinguish between what we understand about earthquakes in this time, and the Final earthquake, which is part of the Unseen, and therefore should not be described other than as it is in divine sources. People now feel panic and confusion at the time of a large earthquake, and Allah tells us that the people will ask what is the matter with the earth at the time of the Final earthquake. I present this side by side, but I do say that the Final time cannot be compared to nowadays. InshAllah this can be accepted.

It is all coming back...

I took the honey and the other remedy this morning and, by the will of Allah, feeling much better now. Finally getting back into HE life, remembering to do the essential chores and so on. Still the boys got away with the basics today, as I realised that I need to do some photocopying before I can start on forthcoming projects. I want to start when properly ready, a messy start could lead to a messy project.
Talking of "messy", I mentioned to the boys today that one day in future they may want to take exams, in which case their handwriting will need to be reasonably legible. I pointed out that even if a person knows all the answers they will get no marks if those answers can't be read. This assumes they will still be handwriting exams when the time comes. Or will it all be computerised by then? Well, I won't mention that as better handwriting does no harm and if anything their keyboard skills need even more work! They type so slowly, and it is hard to encourage them to do more. I think they can express themselves more quickly by hand and find that the typing interferes with their creative thoughts.
Our extra activity today was setting up the Triops kit, a gift they received some time ago. The eggs will go in tomorrow. InshAllah they will hatch. I'm always nervous over these things. The children are so excited that I really want it to work. They were given a kit each, but we are starting with one, just in case of mistakes!

...where was I again...?

Hayfever a bit better today, I took a remedy and the weather was a bit cloudier, alhamdulillah. Tomorrow, inshAllah, I'll try the honey too. I just have to remember to take it in the morning!
The HE is still disorganised, so again I just did the basics with the boys. In terms of education this does them no harm, but if I don't keep them busy after a couple of days they tend to end up grumpy and having an argument. This is why I don't think the autonomous way works for them. They need the structure to keep them fair tempered. So, back to something more tomorrow, although I'll have to look in my notes to see what that something is. It is almost like I went away for months, not a week!
Ia had a friend over today and they continued working on lapbooks on five of the names of Allah. They also played lots and did a little subtraction work. U wanted to do a lapbook too, for a few seconds, then she wanted to recite surahs, maashAllah.
By the end of the day we'd been to the park for a couple of hours, Ia had helped me plant out some nastursiams (super quickly for minimum pollen exposure), I had baked bread, (having FORGOTTEN to do it the day before) and argued the children into helping me clean up a bit. I almost feel like cancelling everything else for a day and just getting them to help me catch up on household things, but this plan is not likely to work out in reality. In an effort to get ahead tomorrow morning I have loaded the washing machine ready to run. But will I remember to switch it on?

Hayfever time

A warm and sunny June day means time for hayfever. It drains me out, like having a heavy cold. I even fell asleep on the floor, while the girls read books next to me. That is really not like me! The ants are coming in through a tiny crack in the patio door frame. They only come at night, so in the day I forget to get the sealant stuff down from the loft. I was far too dizzy and blurry today to get anything more than English, maths, Quran and reading done with the boys. Just the basics.
Ia received a colouring book from her auntie last week, she decided to make up stories about the pictures on the pages. She told me the sentences she wanted to write and I wrote them down. I didn't think she would have the patience to copy it all out, as she had made long sentences, but, maashAllah she wrote out the whole thing in slow, careful handwriting, because she wanted to do it. Overall Ia was very helpful today, alhamdulillah, including in the garden. Hayfever and gardening really do not go together, but before the sneezing struck on Sunday we had been to the garden centre for some gap fillers, now I've got to get them in the ground.

We've been

Out enjoying warm sunshine (most of the time). At the beach.

In the woods.

U's shoe got full of sand. I've got sand dunes in my shoe, she said. Not quite, but there was a lot!

This bush would fill a whole garden. Spectacular, subhanAllah.
When I got home I found that ants had invaded my kitchen and dining room. So, add ant removal to the list of "to dos".