Kakak's First Amusement Part #2

Whilst I'm still in the mood of updating kakak's 'milestone', let's do this.

Hoping for it to be some kind of a beneficial  sharing, as I too, feel super happy when I find ideas on how to entertain our children from other generous bloggers. Coz admit it, as much as we love our children and they us, it can be quite a stress at home when they want our undivided attention every waking hour (and also suppose-to-be sleeping hour) when all we feel like doing is free our mind browsing the net for 20 minutes after that load of housework ;p 

Plus quality family time is crucial for us working mothers, no longer can we afford spending time with them simply by lying in the bed or watching (useless) TV programs. Kat bilik hotel blhla. They are growing up so fast, without these small bonding and learning efforts, sedar2 nanti everything they learn will be from their bibik/nanny/grandmother.

So today is about electronic media. Some time ago, without really thinking through, we introduced her to video clips of nursery rhymes. Downloaded it from You Tube and stick it to the TV. Both malay songs and english. Malay songs mcm Jong Jong Inai, cerita sang kancil, Alif Ba Ta and some indonesian-made nasyid songs. No surprise, when she know the power of choice, she prefers the english nursery rhymes, with its beautiful cartoons, catchy music and kids doing fun actions to imitate. Asyik 'ummi, wheel on bus?' je. To the extent of me being worried cause she prefers nursery rhymes over nasyid2 Alif Ba Ta tu! :(

But alhamdulillah to my pleasant surprise, I found this Alif Diatas Aaa nasyid series, (okaylah actually I found it, thought she'll be bored with it but DH saw it opened and downloaded it, so credit to him) and it turns out she loves it! She can listen to it for hours and dah pandai follow skit2. Weird coz she can even be bored with wheels on bus, but not an educational vid like this. 

I think its Malaysian made year 2000, which is weird coz the teacher is wearing tudung like in the 80's, or indonesian. Anyhow, thank you to whom ever who made these coz it made her interested in her alif ba ta again. Jazakallah. Balik je rumah, nampak TV, terus request Alif atas A. Siap ikut gaya lagi. I do think people has researched the psychology behind moving your heads so vigorously like in the vid coz as painful as it looks, it sure does entrance kids! LOL. Love these series. But I think its better if you can play it on a big screen like the TV so that your kids can see the other kids as if they are real!

On a side note, sekarang pergi bookshop takyah susah hati dah tengok video nasyid yg terjual tu.. pernah beli a few times but not as much loved as these..

Another surprising find is her attraction to this particular movie. Never one to be attracted to any cartoon before, leaving her unattended in front of a TV has never been an option for us. Memang dia takkan duduk sorang2 depan TV, or even with us watching with her, for more than 5 minutes.  I was glad, since we never want our household to be controlled  by TV. Baru pasang TV pun just bcoz I feel rugi we are missing some good shows on Al-Hijrah and Oasis. Ehem, channel lain kena catu ok! Anyway, the cartoons are not yet for her, maybe sebab dia tak faham lagi English language ;)

And so I was excited to watch this movie with her, and my guess is right! She got soo attentive. Maybe because there was a lot of yelling of 'Abii!', 'Umii'.. and she felt familiar. Anyhow, I am glad because there are movies like these to choose from.  It's true, we cannot run from entertainment for it is a need and too big an influence, hence it's a matter of choosing. Like Ustaz Hasrizal saifulislam.com said, we cannot enclose and protect our children from all the bad influences out there as they are bound to see it, rather, we teach them to make the right choices. And it's best if we can expose the beauty of the right kind  of entertainment before they become too fascinated with what we have around us now. The guide for the right kind of entertainment? Simply anything that can remind us and bring us closer to Allah, feel, and live in the beauty of Islam. Moreover as parents, our every action actually prints patterns on our child's pure white heart!  Astaghfirullah, help us Ya Allah!

So anyhow, it's an Indonesian movie about 2006's tsunami in Acheh. Cuma nya the downside is this story is kind of sad at some parts. Berkerut2 muka Kakak as she said 'hmm, ummi ye nangis'. Kesian and tak patut juga I felt, triggering her sad emotion like that. But there are a lot of good parts, solat dengan Ummi and kakak-kakak, dan hugging moments with her Ummi. A great watch for moms and daughters! :)

Hope this is a good share!

Kakak's First Amusement

As new parents we get easily excited over our every first, including (especially?) children's toys. Especially now since it is so attractively called 'play-learn' instead. Yeah, that's great marketing re-branding. As new parents we too feel like we have to give our child everything she deserve, and the problem comes in when we think that means she deserves everything other child deserves. Rows after rows of children toys giving headaches to eager first-time parents the moment the price tag come into view. Seriously, I have a friend who bought a mini kitchen set for RM600 at Mothercare. Yup, there is no end to it.

Alhamdulillah we solve that kind of early when kakak doesn't seem too interested with the toys the moment we bring it home. The relief is great, no longer I have to suffer from the guilt of not buying that Fisher Price Play Learn and this mini laptop and the oh-so-smart toys R us games. Nothing seem to hold her interest longer than 5 minutes, which is probably normal for a one year old. Which means she can't be left alone at home when we are around. Unless we play with her, no toys can seem to interest her enough. So senang, tak payah susah-susah beli ;p

Recently I thought of this something that she might like, as much as I do;p After searching high and low for this something, and almost spending too much for it, I excitedly brought it home. And pleasant surprisee, she played with it alone for more than 20 minutes! Talking to herself while she peel and paste, peel and paste with her nimble hands, not caring what her ummi and abi is doing like usual. Seriously, it's like a miracle, tak pernah she become so absrbed in any thing as much as these..

I'm sure you have seen various kinds of stickers, but the best type (or rather the only type) suitable for 2-year-olds are what is called pop-up/foam stickers like in the picture as their fingers can only peel these. Kalau yang nipis tu they'll get stressed because they can't peel it and end up we have to entertain their whine pulak. Bigger ones are better too because they are bound to stick it everywhere else as well and the bigger each sticker are the longer it can last. I bought animal pictures and she learnt the animal names faster than by pointing at picture books! Imagine your child sitting down on her own and talking quietly  to herself, 'rabbit', 'ephant', 'lion'. Aahhh heavenn. And suchh pride! When you realize your baby is big enough to play on her own. But now don't you go and grow up too fast ;p


And the best thing is, one album and 2 set of stickers is less than rm10. And the stickers are soooo cute!!
The problem is now how to control ummi's obsession for stickers ;) Asyik nak  pergi bookshop je and spend hours choosing stickers. Somebody is going to get scolded soon! ;p

First Picture : Wishlist

This has been on my wishlist ever since I saw it somewhere, early this year. Not one to obsess over handbags/bags, this has been my nearest to an obsession. And since I have been opening the website almost everyday to satisfy myself while waiting for it to be ready (I was promised 2 weeks), I thought why not  put it here to save me the trouble. And share the admiration!
By the way, since I am not really into denim, I have chosen curduroy in dark blue instead of denim (bottom pic : the cloth underneath), with the same patterned handle.
Don't you think it's going to look lovely?
Breathtaking kann?
I have great respect for the owner of Rozi Rahman, actually making me dwell over the possibility of me sewing - riighht - who am I kidding? I barely have the patience to neatly sew a button! All of my sewing projects in school was finished by mama.. lupa ke? huhu. Tak apa tak apa, I'm sure my talent is still deeply hidden somewhere, waiting to be discovered!

Bittersweet

I'm free.

No amount of writing can describe the 'weight' of those two words. The joy felt each time I close my eyes and simply roll the words over and over in my thoughts. The almost-disbelief. The pure bliss. The syukur mostly, praise be only to Allah, the most Loving and Compassionate. Alhamdulillah Ya Allah, I am nothing but your servant at Your mercy. Thank you for bestowing me this nikmat. Let this feeling remain with me, reminding me of the great gift You have given me and how I owe everything to You.

Sure, I still need to submit my final correction. Even though time is still not entirely mine to own, the suspense is almost over. It can no longer control me, and especially, stop me from giving my self to the two person who deserve it most. If I spend a few hours a day on it consistently, insyaAllah.. I am that close to reaching the end of the journey. The light at the end of the tunnel is right there infront of me, within reach.

I finally got myself back.

On the way back on probably the happiest day I would have in IIUM Gombak, I could not stop myself from remembering some anecdotes. Bittersweet. Perhaps bittersweet cannot really describe it, as its not really that bitter then. Tiring, yes, but rather I think I enjoyed most of it. Its just something I do not think I can  and want to go through again. The sleep at the beautiful IIUM masjid and taking bath at 5.30 in the morning alone at the masjid's toilet (I feel so blessed by that experience), the going up the long stairs of the mahallah and eating delicious bihun sup and enjoying single student life again, ALL the lab sessions while heavy with dear kakak, together with the tiring drive early morning and late evening at 8 months, the collecting of smelly eggshell, drying it on the ground, the ballmill wait, the carefully-planned timetable, the mould die lab, and my table in the hot lab with our pink fan, a cup of orange nescafe and  unforgettable plastic container of white HA powder. 

And ohh, the delicious shopping part infront of the bank - the usual treat after exams, and the most delicious nasi arab at Mamamia with its chilli sauce (as a hungry student). The walk around the square round and round and round, to and fro desperately in search for Celpad, PG office, library and chancellory. I amazingly never miss to correctly guess wrongly each time, cursing the absence of signboard. Those are all memories as precious as the scroll. The scroll being precious not for its title, but merely the pay increase.

What happened on the viva day however, was not as happy experience. But a great lesson I did learn, finally. I only have myself to blame, part of it. However in all, its a beautiful qadha' and qadr. Standing before the examiners at the start of the session, scared as I was, I repeatedly thought, I am fully at the mercy of Allah s.w.t. I do not depend on these people to pass, I depend on Allah solely. Whatever is going to happen, it is because Allah allows and wants It.. 
Alhamdulillah Allah made it possible!
For me to smile the real smile and feel the sand beneath my feet and smell the salty air!

A Teacher's Dream

I use to be a teacher with big dreams and high hopes. A teacher, or a lecturer as I am titled, is not simply a person who deliver lessons, but also influence and incite feelings of wanting to better oneself. I have always spur myself by imagining myself to be as such. When I said I am living the life I dream of, it is the thought of that exactly.

Good communication skills is what is needed for that purpose. The ability to treat a student not as a mere student you are deemed responsible for, but rather a personal friend you love dearly for the sake of Allah, a person you love enough to want the best for him/her, by giving your all in guiding and showing him/her to the right direction. That, to each and everyone of the 30 faces you see in class, in all 9 classes. It needs good communication skills, and a heart that huge to contain all the love.

This semester

It has come to a point today I realized how little that has exactly work out for me. Usually managing to summon only enough energy to deliver the most energetic lesson I could muster, often I would sit down at the end of each lesson with great relief, as my eyes roamed over tiredly across the class. Leaving the class a few would come to sheepishly thank me, and that is when I feel I have failed. 

I barely know his name. 

And how could I failed to know the person behind that each special smile. Is that my idea of a good teacher?

Some people simply have it

I could not help but thought of a dear friend in CFS. She is so good at being students' friends, and she does it with such ease. Naturally good communication skills, and yes sadly, a huge heart which I still seem to be missing. At the end of the day, her students know how much she cares for them, whereas although I too care perhaps as much, I have not managed to make it seen. In between lack of soft skills, experience in socialising, and not having a solid heart, I deem myself now as a near-fail da'ie.

Making the best out of it

I could not fail in something I have so much passion, and faith in. For the life of me though, I do not think its possible to mend it this semester, with 270 students, while still struggling to understand the subject matter. InsyaAllah this will be the first and last semester I teach the compulsory maths paper anyway.

I found comfort when I thought of a chemistry lecturer I knew in Kolej Chermai. She never bothers to know my name and I do not recall her ever acknowledging my existence. Regardless, I have great respect and still felt immense gratitude to her. And all because she was superb at her teaching, making everything seem so easy to understand, erasing my despair and susah hati. Chemistry, my all-time least fav subject had became instead an enjoyable one with each magically solved question. She gave me the confidence, that I can be good at anything, without uttering a single word.

So there. She might not be the mother material with all the coaxing, care and motivation, but she benefited me anyway. She made me feel good about myself. And if I can't be that da'ie I wish I am yet, at least I can be someone who can make others, especially young teens who needs it, feel happy about themselves. The real 'lessons' for them come later, insyaAllah. 


One day, may Allah guide me to be that teacher I have always dreamed of.

The Journey Begins

I am first Allah's slave. This is a journey to a place I yearn to be with all my heart.
Allah is my Lord. Every single thing i do is for Allah, to please Him and obtain His redha.
My every second is His, to think of Him, to obey Him, to Love Him, to fear Him.

I am second a wife. A companion of a very special man whom i gave my whole heart to. My every action is to prioritize him. To obey all his orders believingly. To love him and pray for him.

I am third a mother. To love and believe in my little one. To pray for her and think good thoughts of her. To instill in her the pupose of life, and shower her with all the right love. To put her need before mine. To give and value her rights.

I believe in my family. My greatest treasure. Ya Allah hear my plead,
protect our iman and one day gather us together in Your Blessings.