Gym

Both girls passed gym badges last week, alhamdulillah. Once a term parents are allowed to watch the lesson. It is usually quite hilarious! U gets so excited when the springboard comes out, she charges at it as fast as she can. When she has to go over the box she flings herself at it and jumps off again super quick, subhanAllah! Ia has got more control, maashAllah. Anyway, they both have fun, alhamdulillah.

Summer cooking

Today R made lunch. This is a favourite meal for all of them, mince, red cabbage and macaroni. It doesn't have an actual name! R is interested in cooking at the moment.
Ia is trying too. Just now she is putting together some blackberry and apple pies in the kitchen.

We are on a very light HE shedule at the moment, having our summer break. The boys were invited to their friend's home this afternoon, so they got through their few tasks in the morning. Quran practice continues as normal, of course. The Pashto session with Rosetta Stone also continues. I continue to read aloud in the morning, a fact or fiction book, plus something Islamic. They also read some of "Crazy Chemistry, A Wierd History of Science", by John Townsend, which we have out of the library at the moment. It is a light but interesting book, so I'd recommend checking the library for it.

The girls are enjoying their own world of play at the moment. There are toys, books and puzzles strewn everywhere. (Reappearing as soon as I try to tidy up.) U did make a huge effort to tidy their room late last night, entirely her own idea, maashAllah.

I also cleaned out the triop water. Four triops still thriving, alhamdulillah.

Ia spent much of this morning reading Usborne Young Puzzle books on the sofa. She has started reading aloud to U sometimes too, although they often just sit together and read their own books, maashAllah.

Those pies are now nearly ready to come out of the oven.....

Since I last posted

there has been; cycling, climbing on felled tree trunks, having friends over, a cricket match, swimming, football, receiving football trophies, making ginger biscuits and art.
Today we tried crayon resist painting. Drawing with wax crayon, then washing over with watercolour for an under-the-sea effect.

Raspberries, strawberries, spinach and French beans

Alhamdulillah we made it to the pick your own friut and veg farm! We've been meaning to go for several years, but it is quite far from us and we never managed it until now!

The weather was just right for being out in fields, alhamdulillah. So many raspberries, the bushes were dripping, maashAllah, alhamdulillah!

In among the French beans.

The children all enjoyed themselves and want to know when we'll be going again!

Flowers, art and triops

The temperature has gone down a little, so we are enjoying the garden more again, alhamdulillah.
I want to continue the creative theme a little more through this summer, inshAllah. I didn't plan this in advance, but from reading some entries from Ummtafari and coming across the Usborne Art Treasury I started to think of ideas for Ia, as the boys always say they don't want to do art. But then a friend asked me whether that was really it for art with the boys, the end of it! That thought played on my mind, and so the idea of doing some art summer projects formed. Done in this way the boys are enjoying joining in, alhamdulillah.
This is what they did today. (Now on the kitchen door).

Do you remember how we were undecided about having a second go at the triops after the first batch failed? Ia decided that she would like to use her kit this year, and as this coincided with the warmer weather, alhamdulillah, it was good timing. Inside this murky tub of water live four triops. They normally live in puddles, so they like it a bit murky apparantly.

Ia's kit was the smaller, less complicated bowl version of the triop tank, and really it is easier to use, and takes up less space. This kit also came with sand, which the triops like to burrow in. It is interesting to watch them do that. Overall this smaller, cheaper kit is actually better than the more expensive version. All the children are agreed on that!

Competitions

There was much excitement when the postman delivered these excellent prizes this morning, which two of the children had won by taking part in the writing competition on the Home Educators and UK Muslims list. The cat enjoyed chasing after those flying pieces of foam.

This prize included a set of glass paints, maashAllah! How spot on! So, of course, glass painting was immediately top of the morning list. I had been planning to continue the creative theme today anyway, and this just encouraged everyone, alhamdulillah. As J had done glass painting yesterday he chose to do scratch board art instead today.

Taking part in competitions like this is so encouraging for the children, maashAllah.

There is also a summer art competition running on the IHSAN forum at the moment. So lots of chances to join in and feel like part of the online home ed community.

Something Creative

I thought we should have a break from the norm today, so it was time to get creative. J chose to do glass painting.

Ia sewed a felt cupcake. (You gather it up and stuff it, so it takes up a cupcake shape.)

And R made a chocolate cake, by himself, with a receipe book. It turned out well, alhamdulillah.

Yesterday the boys made a graph using this website, and using data from a football site. It is a handy graph site, worth checking out, inshAllah.