Oops!

Ooops, it has been a long time since my last post! To begin with I have decided to give the kids nicknames in my posts rather than initials and they are (drum roll please): DS1=Lego, DS2=Sprite, DS3=Crush and DD=Daisy.

Well things have been mad around here as I have now started working two days a week outside the home. Two days doesn't sound much but it takes quite a lot out of our 'school' week and six weeks in we still haven't managed to sort out a new routine! I must admit that I am enjoying being back at work but do feel guilty about being away from the kids :0( On the plus side I think they are learning to appreciate me (and my cooking) a little more lol!

Anyway, this is what we have managed to work out so far....on each of the days that I work the boys have an hour of football, an hour of madressah, Qur'an practice, need to finish off their homework from their tutoring sessions and do at least half an hour each of maths on Mathletics.

We have also subscribed to Super Charged Science for our science lessons; it's a fab site and the lady's enthusiasm seems to rub off on you and best of all the kids can go ahead and do the lessons by themselves. However, the real reason behind the subscription was to free up more of my time now that I'm working....I'll let you know how the kids get on with it inshaAllah.

I am also looking into subscribing them to Math Whizz, it is an online maths tutor and is good but at £99 per child a year I need to think about it, lol!

Lego is now reading The Otterbury Incident with his tutor. It's a short, old book by C Day Lewis originally published in 1948 but we thought as the last one was so 'heavy' we would give them something easier to read. They are really enjoying it mashAllah and are being inspired by the characters and the things they do to entertain themselves. They have also spent a while working on poetry and we have found that Lego has a flare for poetry.....he has let me include a sample of his haiku poetry below..but is highly embarrassed about it all and won't let me publish any more, lol!

Bodies around me

Standing alone silently

Aftermath of war

It has a real 'boy' slant I think you will agree...

'Stig' has introduced the younger ones to adding suffixes and doubling consonants, character building, proverbs & sayings and fire safety...they had to work together to produce a poster on fire safety and this is the result so far...sorry about the dire photography...you can't really see it properly but it has a flap thing that lifts up to reveal a fire safety quiz.

We also have two new additions to our family; the kids were given some canaries by an uncle and, although I was dreading it, it has proven to be good for all of them and has taught them responsibility.

Lots has been happening in scouts; they boys have been canoeing, rode their bike in the 'Sky Ride' and took part in the District's 'Dave Smart Challenge'; Here's what their leader posted about the event "the scouts had to complete a whole range of challenges ranging from abseiling, fire-lighting, lifesaving and more along the 12km route. It also became a cultural lesson for the other groups when our boys made their isha salat on open ground whilst they waited to begin the camp fire activities." At the moment Lego is working on his chefs badge; they have to work in teams to plan, prepare and present a 3 course meal and the mums get to eat and mark their efforts; looking forward to that lol! Sprite is working on his Fitness Challenge badge and treats us to a show of push-ups & star jumps etc at every opportunity.

We also had an eventful Eid at the Islamic Foundation where the kids got to have pony rides and handle 'orrible animals but it didn't compare to my sister's wedding the following Saturday...you looked beautiful sis! The kids also really enjoyed meeting her two chickens Dolly and Gert; thanks for the lovely eggs ladies!

Photography

DS1 has started to take an interest in photography and took these photos a while ago...these were all taken in the back garden and were his first attempts at photography. They have not been edited and I thought they were quite good and showed he had an 'eye' for a good pic....but I am a little biased as his mum, what do you think? Sorry it took me sooooo long to post them son x






These cherries grow wild near our home...yummy!


The wall of our Turkish wood oven that hubby built in the back garden...
The following three are the Nigella Flower from which blackseed is produced...in my mind it is only fitting that something as beneficial as blackseed should be borne from such a beautiful flower.




Photographs (c) A Dogan, 2010

Playscheme Day 3-10

OK so not the photolog I was hoping for but just for the sake of completeness here are a few details about the rest of their trips:

Day 3 - Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Center : This was another favorite day for the boys, they did kayaking, abseiling, air rifle shooting, orienteering and climbing....I think that was all, anyway they had a fab time and was very proud of beating the girls team...boys *rolls eyes*

Day4 - Bradgate Park Hike : hikes are always a winner with the kids but this is a beautiful park (also lovingly known by the kids as the deer park because of all the, yes you've guessed it...deers). The house was the birthplace of Lady Jane Grey, later Queen, ruling for a mere 9 days before being overthrown by Mary I. A much later park landmark is the folly known as 'Old John' on the top of the highest hill in the park, built in 1784. The folly, built by the Greys, is a memorial to John, an estate worker killed in a bonfire accident during celebrations of the 21st birthday of the son of the Earl of Stamford, a member of the Grey family.


Day 5 - Sports Day : I kept him home for this because I was too tired to get them all up and out.....well I'm getting on a bit now you know lol.

Day 6 - Twycross Zoo : we have been here before, but the boys felt the day was rushed and they didn't get to see a lot of the animals....awww!

Day 7 - Sports Day : DS1 is no great sportsman but he has a go and enjoys it mashaAllah and again they were pleased to have beaten the girls....

Day 8 - National Space Center : DS1 was really taken with this trip but his friend wasn't too impressed...I guess it depends on what rings your bell.....DS1 is a visual learner and he came back with lots of facts and information about the equipment etc.

Day 9 - Islamic Calligraphy : Still being tired I was planning on keeping DS1 at home for the last two days so he missed this day but his friend said it was fab and was really impressed with the calligraphers skills.

Day 10 - Party Day : OK so DS1 nagged me to let him go to this day and I relented...being as Ramadhan had started they didn't get a party but did get certificates and medals for the sports days etc and iftar on the Saturday (which I managed to completely forget about *wink* much to DS1's annoyance). Well there is only so much running about a woman can do in a fortnight...

Playscheme Day 2 - Warwick Castle

First of all I have to apologise for getting these up so late but I was unable to upload pics at blogger for quite a while....at least it wasn't my fault THIS time, yay! It seems that adults and kids alike were very impressed with the visit to Warwick Castle. Apart from the beautiful castle they got to see some jousting and birds of prey, archery the old fashioned way....there were people around that explained how things were done back then and they got a chance to walk around a kind of museum/wax work thing.....it was unanimously voted the best trip of the whole scheme and we are planning to go back as a family inshaAllah. I'll kick of this trips round of photos with a little video tour that DS1 kindly took for us....

Darul Arqam Play Scheme - Day 1

The Sea Life Center - 2 August 2010
Birmingham

A few photo's that DS1 took of his trip to the Sea Life Center.

The last camp (I hope!), Stig and cooking.....

OK this is getting a little tedious for me so you guys must be near tears so I won't go on too much about the camp, promise! Anyways, DS1 returned from his Muslim Scout Fellowship camp a little taller (he is now a tall as hubby, lol!) and very bouncy mashaAllah. It seems they had a great time albiet slightly scathed from a few horrid kids but they seemed to have survived admirably mashaAllah. Him and his friend seem to have renewed and revived their flagging friendship too alhamdulillah! They appear to have more appreciation for each other alhamdulillah as they realised a lot of other boys that were there were really horrid! Anyway, they did kayaking, built rafts, archery, assault courses and they had a great camp fire session where they sang nasheeds and did some improvisation! Hmm, can't remember what else, although it is like getting blood out of a stone trying to get all the details out of him.

For last weeks 'Stig of the Dump' homework I asked the kids to design a sandwich and write instructions on how to make it. As a little extra incentive I said that at the following weeks lesson we would buy the ingredients an make them. They were so excited, my friends daughter even jumped up and down cheering...I don't think I've had that response to setting homework before! So the following week we had some wonderful sandwiches for lunch...they were actually really, really good! They were sooooo good that we didn't stop to take pictures ;0( however the other mum did get some pics of them preparing so as soon as I get them I will post them inshaAllah.. They managed to prepare all the ingredients and meet their deadline; a superb job mashaAllah, even if it meant we didn't get any 'Stig' done this week..

This inspired the others to want to do cooking so for the following time we were together DS1 & friend were given a budget and had to choose and plan a menu for 10 to be served by 12.30pm ish. The next youngest for each family were tasked with producing the pudding. This is what they produced....

A fruit smoothie...their own recipe which was verrrry nice mashaAllah....I couldn't get enough of it and I'm not even a smoothie fan!Pasta with chicken.....a bit bland but the littlies liked it!They actually had some chicken breast left over so cubed it and coated it in breadcrumbs and fried....very nice!For dipping the above they made a tomato based dip and a honey based dip....also very nice..This is what it looked like all laid out....awwwThe two younger ones also made smoothies, these had milk, peaches and lemon and were delicious....
And chocolate cake which was also very nice....despite being flat as a pancake as it was made with out of date flour, lol. As you can see it was very popular and smelled so nice I couldn't fend off the kids long enough to get a picture of the cake in its entirety.
They all realised where they had made mistakes and seemed intent on rectifying them in the next meal inshaAllah.

They: made their shopping lists; purchased the items needed; worked with money; manged time and stuck to deadlines; selected and planned a menu for 10 people successfully; measured/weighed ingredients; followed instructions; worked to health and safety guidelines; worked with others in a team; cleaned the kitchen after use and probably a few more skills that I have forgotten to list....I love unschooling...and so do they it seems, they are raring to go for next week...yummy!