Can't find it, make it!

Layina's running low on pajama bottoms! Since the snow started, she is wee-ing more often so she's wetting her trousers. Since I couldn't find any bottoms for her, I thought I better make one. So I did and it took me about half an hour! who knew this day could ever happen. Alhamdulillah!!

Here's her first palazzo. ;) Please excuse me because Khalid is expecting me to sew something for him in a jiffy too! 

My loves.

I feel so bad for not updating about Khairaldin and Layina for a while now! This blog is supposed to be their platform to reminisce the fond memories if one day I leave the world before getting the chance to tell them what they're like when they're babies. But somehow I feel that jotting down every single thing couldn't justify the whole "being there" memories. So now I have chosen to be there with them more rather than clicking away on my phone and taking lots of their pics as memories. Because, I might even miss a few things that are more important when I am busy setting up the camera/phone. So the memory remains in me.

Saying that, my kids now find the necessity to "self potrait" or document their everyday routines. Hehe they kinda took over my "job". Here's a picture of Layina being vain and capturing hereself and the other is a picture of Khairaldin capturing his "what I ate today". Blogger much? ;)

It scares me how much they mimic what I say and do! However, I am glad I get to be there and make sure I'm showing them what is good and bad. I always get praises on how well behaved my kids are and all I have to say is, Alhamdulillah I was made redundant almost 4 years ago as this is definitely the best job ever- MOTHERHOOD! Only a mother can discipline, care and love the child all at the same time. It's true that you have to be there in your kids' life for them to be there for yours later on. I couldn't have learn all this if my mom was a working mom. I'm sure she went thru a lot to bring the 7 of us up but I'm sure she never regretted being a Mother first before anything else. I love my mom so much! Alhamdulillah for the chance to still learn from her on how to bring up my own children.

Lots of love.

My boy and my girl :)

Believe it or not, Khairaldin's been in school for 6 weeks now! He's having his half term holiday next week, yeah in the UK they get 1 week off every 6 weeks. Too many holidays but guess they really need it. Alhamdulillah he's been amazing ever since he started school. He couldn't even hold a pencil properly before this but now, he's already tracing the dots amazingly! I was so amazed when I sat down with him to do his homework (they have 2 pieces of homework every Friday and apparently it's not enough). He can even draw straight lines! Every Thursday they have a show and tell, something like presentation. I'm glad they start early because I am not one to do presentations! I hate presentations. I guess it's because we weren't exposed to it from a young age. Khairaldin doesn't mind the crowd. So tomorrow he has to bring something to talk about Hajj. I LOVE HIS SCHOOL! Although, I am struggling on what to bring. (Mom's my saviour as I've just received a text on some ideas! Superb!) Love the fact that they teach the children about Hajj etc. Today Khairaldin came home from school and said, "Mommy, we have to tawaf the kaabah 7 times you know!!!!" :))

My utmost  respect to the teachers for having such determination to teach these kids. Masha'Allah. I was gutted for a while when he came back with all these amazing 'skills'. Only because it wasn't me who taught all of these to him. However, I have come to realise that I was part of it. I have been teaching him throughout his 3 years. Alhamdulillah Iskandar and I have managed to do a lot with him. If we didn't send him to school, he might still be the boy that he was 6 weeks ago. It is okay for other people to teach him new things in life. It is okay if he learn through his mistakes. We can't take full responsibility for everything. There's a reason why teachers are teachers and friends are friends. They are there to teach you the meaning of life and that is why it is important to choose a good education as well as good friends! :)

Above all, I am thankful that I am the first person he tells his day story to. THAT I wouldn't wanna miss it for anything at all! My boy is chatty, SubhanAllah. He can go on and on about things from morning up to his bedtime. When he tells a story, he tells it in detail. Like every single thing he did. But, he can never tell his story twice. Whenever he repeats himself, the story will be altered or lose its meaning. So, that's why I want to be there when he finishes school. I wanna know everything he did when he wasn't with me. Alhamdulillah.

Little sister is also indulging herself in books. Layina loveeeeee books! She can sit down quietly flipping books after books. This is the only mess that I am okay with. It's nice to see her look at the pictures as if she knows what she's reading. She memorises her books so well. For instance if we sing a nursery rhyme, she knows which book it relates too. How amazing are their brains?? SubhanAllah!

Favourite posts

Masha'Allah! I couldn't believe how known my blog is on google. As you can see I have added the 'favourite posts' widget. Never knew that people do google those topics and my posts are on the first page on google search engine. SubhanAllah. When I started this blog, I didn't think it could benefit others.Reason I started this blog was merely to jot down my memories with my kids. When they are older, Insha'Allah they have something to look back to (and also for myself).

But, who am I to know what my future will be? Alhamdulillah I am really pleased to know that my favourite posts are indeed those related to Islamic posts. Couldn't express how pleased I am. After all, it is in a hadith that we should share the knowledge we have as this deed will carry on even after we die. AllahuAkbar. This is just a post to say JazakAllahu Khairan Kathira to every single one of you who have stopped by to read my posts and thank you to all of you who have commented and e-mailed me personally. Please carry on sharing your knowledge with others too because you never know who could benefit from it. 

Alhamdulillah.

On a slightly different note, a big ALHAMDULILLAH because the kids now goes to bed at 7:30p.m and they go to sleep ON THEIR OWN. Iskandar and I will change them into their pajamas, read them their du'as and we leave them on their bed in their room. Of course we have the baby monitor on so we can know what they are up to. So far, it's been 2 weeks and they have been sleeping soundly straight after we leave their room. Iskandar and I now have 'our' time. Alhamdulillah. Since we are enjoying this time to ourselves, both of us have also reminded ourselves that we cannot get too comfortable as we are not stopping at two kids ;) It is nice to have this break but Insha'Allah I don't want it to be permanent break. I do miss the late/early morning feeds. I miss the hustle and bustle. Nevertheless, we are going to cherish what Allah has planned for us.

Alhamdulillah.   

Because I just felt like blogging.

Today marked Khairaldin's first week of school. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to attend school today because both Layina and him was down with cold and cough. I didn't want other kids to catch their illness so I thought it was good to have them both at home. My oh my! I was partly wrong. Even though it's only been a week, I have totally forgotten how to manage two kids at once. Layina being her girly possessive self (like Mommy, apparently) didn't let Abang Khalid be anywhere near me. Every time she sees me hugging Khairaldin she will come wailing for help. Sigh. Girls will be girls. Abang Khalid is such an understanding brother. He would always give in and come back when the time is right. Alhamdulillah shukur.

Sometimes I wonder how do people cope with having their kids at home up till 5/6 years old?? Ok, those without maids. How do you cope? I'm really thankful that Khairaldin starts school at this age. It is just a prefect age and it gives me time to bond with Layina. Which also brings me to the thought of having another baby because Layina is way too clingy. Iskandar thinks it is best if she has a baby brother or sister soon. Hmmmmmm. Insha'Allah. In all honesty, I do want the kids age gap to be around 2 years old because it's super after looking at how Khairaldin and Layina just click with one another. They do have their moments but I remember more of them loving each other than actually bashing each other up. :)

Anyway, Khairaldin goes to school from 12-3pm, and obviously he's at school during lunch time. At first I didn't know that they allow to bring some packed sandwiches for him. A few days later only I found out that we are allowed to bring him some food. What I'd do before packing his lunch days were to bring some food for him in the car when I fetch him. On his first day of school, he demanded "pau kaya" for his 'lunch'. Yes, my son wanted pau for lunch. So not British! School also provides them with some fruits for snacks but one day they gave him pear and he didn't like it. So instead I packed for him his favourite fruits. Alhamdulillah both my kids LOVE their fruits and veges! They can sit down and just munch munch munch until its gone. Layina can literally finish a whole bunch of grapes all to herself. But then again, that baby girl would eat anything ;) It's okay girl, it's just a girl thing with food ;)

Yes, I made the dresses myself :)

As for my self update, I have been keeping myself busy with some sewing ever since Khairaldin started school. Layina's always asleep as soon as we send Khairaldin off to school and if I'm lucky, she will be asleep for the whole 3 hours. Mahsa'Allah. So I have been really free and I just needed to kill some time. Sometimes I would also prepare dinner or even just laze around watching tv. Alhamdulillah. Life has been great. Today however, my sewing machine broke down so they're taking it for repair for the next 7 days. You might or might not see me on here often now :) Alhamdulillah I have kept myself real busy and it's just a bliss. It's true they say when you're busy, you will not think of unnecessary things and Subhan'Allah, when I think back about my past, I am just so thankful for the people who's in and out of my life. They have definitely made me who I am now. May Allah bless all of you, Amin.

Anyways, it's hubby time now. So, I'll catch up with you soon. Insha'Allah. Please make du'a for my family. JazakAllahu Khairan Kathira.

Ps: Bear with me, blog's under construction. That's a good sign though because I might be back. :)

The wait is finally over!!! :)

Alhamdulillah!! Khairaldin has started his first day at nursery yesterday. THE wait is definitely over and Masha'Allah he was so excited and couldn't care less about us leaving him behind. We have been telling him over and over again about his 'school' and he was definitely looking forward to it. We told him it's an Islamic school and he will learn about Islam  on top of other things. When we arrived school, he was the only one wearing uniform and jumping around wanting to go in. Other kids were in normal clothes, maybe because their parents didn't want them to know that they were going to 'school'. Most of the kids cried their head off when their parents were leaving, unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you wanna see it), not our 'big' boy!! Iskandar and I were the ones holding back our tears even though it was only 3 hours school session!!!!!

It was tough. Being a stay at home mom and having your children with you every day and night makes it really tough having to let them go. His teacher even looked at us and said "It's okay, he'll be alright!" Sigh. I guess he's been waiting for this "freedom". hehehe Nevertheless, I feel really fortunate that I didn't have to go through all the crying and shouting. Alhamdulillah. I am also glad that we managed to put him in an Islamic school at least I know he will be in good hands, Insha'Allah. All the hard work I have put in during his babyhood will not be a waste Insha'Allah. All the du'a we have instilled in him will only get better Insha'Allah. So yes, I am thankful, Alhamdulillah for this opportunity given to us.


Anyway, here's a short update as I am kinda tired, it is 12am now :)

So, let the pictures do the rest of the talking alright?

Layina on the other hand, was kinda bored and lost when Abg Khalid left for school. She couldn't sleep and was going back and forth their playroom. As soon as we fetched Khalid from school, she felt sleepy and slept in the car. Poor baby girl! So used to having his Abang around and suddenly she's all alone. But today, she's grasped the idea that Abang Khalid's in school for 3 hours and will be back soon. She slept soundly, Alhamdulillah. Btw, after 15months of hanging onto Mommy, she's also slowly weaning off breastfeeds. However, I'm not in a rush, so we're really taking our time on this.

I've got a lot to talk about and Insha'Allah I will be able to update more frequently because.........Iskandar bought us a new laptop!!!!! After 3 years without any laptop, we finally bought one. :) So, be prepared for more updates. INSHA'ALLAH!! 

Love.

Ramadhan Mubarak !

Alhamdulillah shukur! It's the 4th Ramadhan today and we have done 6 juzu' of tadarus. I'm so glad that my kids aren't a nuisance when we are trying to glorify Allah swt. Khairaldin will try and imitate us pray or read the Quran and it's an amazing sight. Masha'Allah! Layina will be busy in the toy room with her toys. Alhamdulillah, we're so thankful to have such kids. Really glad to know that they understand the time we have to worship and glorify Allah and also the time when they can bother us with thier "stuff".

The best way to start is when they're still a baby. We always had Khairaldin next to us when we are praying and it's been instilled in him that Mommy and Abah will have to do this everyday at so and so time. Alhamdulillah. I feel so blessed to get the chance to worship my creator even when I have 2 kids!! However, I would really love to get up at night to perform a few extra ibadah. InshaAllah, praying that I will get the hang of Summer time real soon. Having to do terawikh at 11pm and sleep at 12am, is rather difficult for me. Layina still wakes up for night feed and sahur is at 3am, so my body clock is still rather haywire. Eepps!

So, how's your Ramdhan? Any tips to share for me to do more? Let's top up our deeds by sharing beneficial knowledge :)

Not so daily ey??

Well, when I said daily updates, I really meant my daily. Which means when I have the time to update haha. Kids, you know my commitment is to care for the family first. So, don't worry, I still keep track of the things you guys do in my mental input but I just don't have the time to blog about it. Anyway, since time is on my side for the next 5mins, I better update.

Layina, I'll start with you first this time only because the day after I setup this label, you impressed us as early as 8 o'clock in the morning. You see, normally you'd wake up just before Abg Khalid but on that day u decided to sleep in for a bit. Normally, as soon as Abg Khalid wakes up, he'd go straight to our room (yes, both of you sleep interest sane room since you were 7months old, Alhamdulillah) and he did just that few days back. About 10mins after Abg Khalid woke up, you too came in our room!! The scary and surprising thing is, you knew how to get off your bed without falling and instead of going down the stairs (like you are always tempted to do) you went straight to Mommy Abah's room!! It's like you knew we were in there even though we were still very quiet. Masha'Allah. You really had a guardian angel looking after you, girl. Subhan'Allah!! I was so amazed to see you on the floor waiting for me to pick you up onto my bed. And baby girl, you are only 1 year old when this happened. :))

Abg Khalid, you are a charmer. Enough said! We had guest around and you just charmed them with your stories. Everyone couldn't stop asking you questions because you'd answer them intelligently! For a 3 year old, I've never seen any boy of your age making conversation with older people and leaving them feeling entertained and contented. Subhan'Allah you really did a great job! I hope you would use your public speaking to attract people to the right path, amin!! Live up to your name Khair-Al-Deen; goodness to the religion, Insha'Allah.

Today is the starting of Ramadan and Mommy will keep praying that the both of you will grow up to be intelligent kids and to use your intelligence towards the righteous path, Amin yaRabbalamin! This is only just the beginning of your childhood, Insha'Allah many more amazing things to come.

As for my others readers, let me take this opportunity to wish you all a blessed Ramadan and may you receive the goodness of this month, amin! Let us all take a break from the worldly stuff and just enjoy this miracle month. That's me for now, I'm not making any promises, but Insha'Allah will try and drop by the page when I have time to do so. Do keep us in your du'a. Barakallahu feek!

"Khalid 3 years old" :)

**Oh no! Can't believe this post has been in my drafts for almost a month!! Khairaldin is exactly 3yrs 1mth today!**

Khalid Khairaldin turned THREE last Saturday! Alhamdulillah! We did a pre-birthday party for Layina and him in Malaysia because, other than moving back to Malaysia for good, we don't see any other time that we can celebrate his 'birthday' with his cousins. Being a June baby means it will always be school term on his birthday. So, no more time off after this seeing that he will start nursery in September, InshaAllah! How fast has that been??

THREE years?! I can't get over it, seriously. I mean even the first year birthday was a big deal and now to know that he's still growing healthily is just unreal. Don't mind me, I think I'll be writing this same thing every time it's his birthday. Haha Yes, I don't think I can ever grasp the fact that I am now a mother of two toddlers and later on even teenagers! SubhanAllah! Alhamdulillah!

So anyway, we didn't really do much on his 3rd birthday. He doesn't even know it's his birthday and I think he's still too young to understand what birthday is all about. We brought him to ASDA to let him choose his own cake but ended up he wanted a 'Yoda' cake because his Uncle Ha loves Yoda. So yeah, he had no idea what birthdays is all about. But hey, what is birthday all about anyway? Why do we feel so special on that certain day? For myself, I have grown out of birthday celebrations. Last year's birthday, I decided to send gifts to Mom and Dad instead because they have been there in my life since day 1. I don't feel anything special on 12 October other than feeling thankful for still having my parents by my side up till today. Alhamdulillah. As soon as it's 1st January, I will automatically declare my age as 1 year older than the last. Even though some would say I'm not even a full year yet. Erk, really it doesn't matter to me. It's just a number. The older I get the scarier it becomes because I know I have done so much and it makes me wonder what have I done to prepare for the hereafter?

As for Khairaldin, Layina (and future children InshaAllah) we are teaching them to not make a big deal out of birthdays. Yes, we will celebrate. Because it is a very good excuse to get people to gather and serve them some food. It's encouraged to have guests around every now and then to keep a good relation. So the 'party' isn't a big deal. What we normally tell our guest is that it's just a small gathering and because some of them know it's the kids' birthday, they would instantly say, "oh is it for Khairaldin and Layina's birthday?" We will say yes, but will insist on them to  come with no gifts at all, be it toys, clothes etc etc.

We've never bought Khairaldin a birthday present on his so called birthday. No, we are not such evil parents who do not get their child anything. Haha We just don't want him to always expect presents on his birthday. It will come to a point where he wouldn't even appreciate the gifts. Also for the guests, we know sometimes people do have financial difficulties. If we invite them as a birthday party they would think that we are expecting gifts. This will then make them feel bad not bringing anything. So we strictly tell our guests, "no present please". This not only save them some money but also save us from having to throw away the wrapping papers, boxes, etc. :)

Last week, at Khairaldin's school, I overheard mothers talking about birthday gifts. She was complaining how she had two of the same presents because there isn't that many toys for that certain age group. So yes, that's just a waste! As for clothes, not all kids grow according to the sizes referred by the store. Khairaldin for instance, is still wearing 18-24months clothing at 36months! So just imagine that. If people were to buy his aged clothes, how long have I got to just keep it in the wardrobe till he grows into it?? It'll take space and when the time comes, it might not even be in a good condition.

Alhamdulillah, so far this birthday presents arrangement seems to work. I couldn't thank Iskandar for coming up with such brilliant idea! Today, I was cleaning their toy room and the amount of toys they have got is just ridiculous. Not that they play with all of it or even any of it. They end up playing with our things. Like for instance Khairaldin has a toy microphone but both Layina and him will end up playing with our USB mic for the Wii game. So it's just a waste to get them a toy thing as we know it will not interest them much.

We are the type that will buy things when it is needed. Khairaldin might not be interested in any toys now hence it'll just waste time, money and space to get him a present just because it's his birthday. When he wants something, InshaAllah we will try and get it for him. Alhamdulillah he is not the kind that wants everything and anything. We brought him to toys'R'us thinking of buying him one of the big electronic cars, but he ended up didn't want it. Ok he did want the £300+ Ferrari ones, but when we say it's expensive he understands and don't bug us for it. Masha'Allah.

I pray that he will continue to be the guy that he is today! The boy that thinks for others (like wanting to buy Yoda cake instead of something he personally like), understands the value of money and not waste it for no reason, realises the true way of celebration/gathering according to the Islamic way and of course my constant du'a for him to become a great Muslim. Ameen!!
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New label ;)

Looking at my kids grow up is such a blessing on its own. Today, I have decided to start a new label called Khairaldin & Layina's daily randoms. Basically I'll write short updates about their daily wow factor because everyday they're wow-ing me with something. :)

Let's start with you, Khairaldin...
Today you went to playschool and wanted to play with flour, you were about to cry when you didn't get a turn but when I looked at you, you instantly know that you're not supposed to cry. Sometimes I underestimate your ability to understand. I find it amazing that at your age I do not need to pinch or beat you to make you understand. Boy, you are so clever and you amaze us everyday with your capabilities! Alhamdulillah.

Layina, you are different to your Abang in so many ways! It's true when they say every child is different. At your age, your Abang Khalid can do so many things. Like, imitate us when we sing 'Twinkle Little Star". Until today, you just don't care about those nursery rhymes. However, you're such a girly girl. Mommy didn't notice your capability in imitating was rather different from your brother. You my girl, would always tidy up your brother's mess. You will get the broom and start sweeping. Alhamdulillah. I guess you know what is more important in life. Hehe nursery rhymes isn't all that fun to you but keeping the house clean is so much fun. Masha'Allah.

Insha'Allah mommy will try and update everyday so that both of you can read on your amazing childhood. SubhanAllah!

Sneak peek- Khalid's lego birthday cake & Layina's cake pops

Celebrated Khalid and Layina's birthday today because he wanted to wait for Daddytok and Nana to be here. Alhamdulillah it all went well. Managed to catch up with old friends, had some real good fatty food..If I may say so myself. :)

Anyway, we're super tired! InshaAllah will blog more soon. Enjoy the home made cakes...well, at least just the pictures :)

Kitchen-less. Oh no no no!

You know what was the one thing that I missed so much when I was away in Malaysia??

Believe you me, it was my KITCHEN!!!!!! Oh my! I never knew I would ever miss cooking in my own kitchen but, I did. Three months away from my kitchen was what I would say, torturous. Yes, it really was. Not having that quick-get-something-ready-coz-Khairaldin's-starving stress was unbearable. In Malaysia, I had to literally stuff food into Khairaldin's mouth because he refused to eat. He wouldn't willingly open his mouth to eat whatever's been prepared for him. He will scream and shout and just refused to eat. Because of not wanting him to end up in the hospital, I did what I had to do, feed him regardless of anything! 


He was boney when he got back from Malaysia! Even Iskandar was scared to hold him because he was toooooo skinny! His leg was literally just bones and meat no fats what so ever. And for a 3 year old, that wasn't a pretty sight. I thought by the time we arrived the UK, I wanted to bring him straight to the doctors to get him checked.

Someway somehow, his behaviour changed straight away! The next day after we arrived, he was already asking for break AND cereals! He also wanted his Milo almost everyday now. Alhamdulillah shukur!! His appetite is increasing by the day. He asks for his normal rice, chicken and veges during lunch time. Dinner time is just a breeze. SubhanAllah. We have come to realise that they're just comfortable with everything in the UK, Alhamdulillah. Layina also had some issues in Malaysia, InshaAllah when I have the time I will update more on that. :)

Ever since we got back, I've only left the kitchen to breathe on the weekends.... And that was after being forced by Iskandar! Hehe It is so good to get the chance to cook for my loved ones. I never knew how to cook before I got married. Heck, even after I got married Iskandar was the one cooking for a few good years. I started to get the hang on cooking when I was pregnant with Khairaldin. I was made redundant and I just kept myself busy with cooking... Now also with baking! I love being in the kitchen and it's even better to know that my children prefers my cooking on top of everyone else!!!! The next time we go back to Malaysia, I'll make sure it will only be for a month, maximum. InshaAllah. Any more than that will only be a fight with me and my inner strength. :D Yeah, drama I know. But really, I miss my kitchen so very much and couldn't get enough of it. Alhamdulillah shukur!!!

Thank you so much Allah for giving me the chance to serve my family! Thank you for taking my job away from me and to give me a better one altogether. I am so grateful that I get to be there for my family. I am so thankful that I am the person they look for when their belly needs refuel, when they need a nap or even when they wanna play. I will always try to be there for my family during their happy and sad time, Amin!!!! May Allah give me the strength to endure what he has planned for me. Amin yaRabbal Alamin.

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12 hours plane journey with 1 infant and 1 toddler!!

Phewwwww!

 

That was a mouthful and tiring subject on its own yeah? Yes! That's exactly how I embarked my journey back from Malaysia exactly 3 weeks ago. As most of you might already know, the 4 of us went back to Malaysia in late March. The kids and I stayed on till May for my brother's wedding. Unfortunately, Iskandar couldn't stay on because he was on work probation and could only get 3 weeks time off. A lot happened when he went back to the UK and left the kids with me, but that will be a different blog update altogether :)

So, everyone asked me the same question every time they hear I was going back with both kids all by myself, "how will you manage with 2 kids on the plane??", "what if 1 of them starts to throw tantrum suddenly? Will u cope??". Everyone had their concern and was doubtful about my journey back home to the UK. To be honest, I couldn't give any rational answers when I was bombarded with these questions. All I could answer was, "InshaAllah, with Allah's will, I will be able to handle them on my own."

When we booked our tickets, the plan wasn't for me to bring both kids on my own. The initial plan was for Khairaldin to travel with my brother via Emirates and for me to travel with Layina via MAS on the same day. Somehow, the plan changed because Emirates didn't have any spare seat for Khairaldin. Since I've already booked for Layina and my flight via MAS, I had no other choice but to book for Khairaldin's flight with us. In all honesty, I wasn't prepared for this ordeal at all. But with so much faith in Allah, I took this opportunity as a Mother. Everyone who knew about my travel arrangements started to label me as a "SUPER MOM". All I have to say is, I'm no where near that title.

So, here's how our travelling went. I have to say, Alhamdulillah shukur for such a superb and easy travelling provided by MAS. Staffs were helpful and everything was just bearable from the check-in counter onwards. We + my parents arrived the airport at 8am and dropped our luggage at the check in counter. We requested for a travel assistance since I had 2 kids with me. At first they didn't have anyone to assist us but they had that initiative to get someone nonetheless. I had to wait for someone to assist us at 9am. So, we just continued waiting at the departure lounge. By 9, one of the staff came to help us out. Well, the reason I needed help was only to have someone to pull my hand luggage. Khairaldin was in the pushchair and Layina was in the baby carrier. It wasn't a problem in that sense.

Good thing about having assistance is that they assist you right into the aircraft and everything is priority; priority lane for passport checks, priority for boarding pass checks and of course the first one to get onto the plane! It was amazing! No hassle at all Masha'Allah. I was so glad. I would have given the young boy some tips, but by the time I settled down in my seat he has already pass his duties to the steward(ess). Didn't get a chance to say proper thank you. Guess he was scared if the plane took off hehehe. He'll be in my du'a, inshaAllah.

Oh yeah, I didn't request for a bassinet seat because when travelling with Khairaldin before, he didn't like sleeping in the bassinet. So I thought, it's ok, give others the opportunity. But I really wanted at least the whole row to myself. Before we took off, I asked the steward if there was any vacant rows. Unfortunately there wasn't any. Flight wasn't that full, there were spare seats but not rows. However, a guy sitting at the bassinet seatings offered to give his seat to us. I accepted his offer and swapped seats with him. It's very nice of him! After swapping seats we waited patiently to take off. Just before take off Layina cried for milk. I thought, that's good at least she'll get her nap straight away. Seeing that our flight was at 10:05am, it's the time she normally have her naps. So I breastfed her and by the time we took off she was already sound asleep. The stewardess then assembled the bassinet for her and I put her in it straight away. Little did I know, Layina is so different from her brother! She loved the bassinet and what I thought was going to be a short nap actually lasted for 4-5 hours straight!!! How good was that?

Khairaldin on the other hand, wasn't as easy as Layina. He suddenly had tummy ache and was restless. After putting Layina in the bassinet, I had a steward to look after her for awhile whilst I brought Khairaldin to the toilet. He had diarrhoea! Sigh. I did put diapers on him before we left for the airport, but being toilet trained, he couldn't 'do it' in the diapers. But Alhamdulillah, we only went for 2 toilet trips in 15minutes gap. After those 2 trips, he felt much better and fell asleep straight away! I was so glad. Since both of them were sleeping, I didn't waste anymore time and straight away 'joined' them to sleep. Alhamdulillah I managed to sleep for 2hrs straight. It was good!

By the time they woke up, we were already half way through our journey. We went for a few rounds around the aircraft, read a few books, played a few games and just made a mess on the floor! Thankfully Layina was already walking, saved me from having to carry here everywhere in the aircraft. We managed to catch some short naps. Layina wasn't awake that much. It was only for awhile that she was awake. Khairaldin was lucky as he got to just spend time with me :) Two hours before landing was a bit tough. Khairaldin kept asking what time we were gonna arrive and kept bugging about wanting to eat bread with chocolate spread from Nana's house! So I had to reason out with him until he really gets the idea that we are far away and there is no way he's getting his bread and choc spread in the plane. Hehehe

All in all, it was an interesting experience as it wasn't as how I expected it to be at all! I was prepared for the worse and Alhamdulillah, that was nowhere near my expectations. I am sure this breeze journey was from the numerous thoughts and du'as people sent to me! Alhamdulillah shukur! I believe that if we have a plan, we should tell your loved one about it so that they constantly du'a and remember you. JazakAllahu Khair, everbody!

 

Any tips or tricks? No really. I guess it was a rather "easy" journey on my side because I am with my children almost 24-7 therefore I know when they are restless or about to throw tantrums. If I was a working Mom, I don't think I would be able to take up this adventure. Basically, you really need to know your child when you're about to travel. Get them as comfortable as possible, InshaAllah everything will be great! :)) Personally to me, SUPER MOM are those working Mom's who would be brave enough to take such adventure seeing that they're rarely with their child during day time. But either way, mother instincts are the best!! :))

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Allah is beautiful, Abah.

Yesterday,  Khairaldin randomly chat with Iskandar about Allah. And during their conversation he said, "Allah is beautiful Abah!" "Really, she's beautiful". SubhanAllah, when I heard that my heart was smiling so hard! Ya Allah, he remembers you!! It's amazing to hear those words from him.

He will be 3 next weekend Insha'Allah. As he slowly grow out of his innocence we can only du'a that Allah will continue to protect him and guide him through and through. Let's pray that this memory will remain in him that Allah is beautiful and there shouldn't be any doubt in him that this is the God he/we should be worshipping, Amin!! May he grow up to be a great Muslim!! Amin yarabbal alamin.

Khairaldin's first education?

Assalamualaikum..

Firstly thank you to all of you who still drop by at my blog even though I update once a month. It is so nice to know that you are checking on me or us. *hugs* Anyway, I have been quite tied up lately. We'll be going back to Malaysia for a few months Insha'Allah. So, I have to start packing because it is not easy to pack for 4 people!! Hubby's never done his own packing, because I am a bit obsessive when it comes to packing. I have to make sure how the clothes are packed and what match with what. Haha To be honest, I just wanna make myself look busy even when I'm not. So excuse me! ;)

So, as per my previous entry, Insha'Allah Khairaldin will be starting school in September 2012. We are still waiting for reply on his waiting list and have been doing a lot of thinking about his first education. Just wondering, how do you parents choose what type of school to send your kids to? Is religion something you look at? Or the distance from home? Do you all even plan beforehand what type of school to send your child to? As for me, since we are living in a non-muslim country, I find it important to firstly educate my children about Islam. Alhamdulillah, at this age (2.5years old) Khairaldin understands that he has to eat with right hand, read Bismillah, and a few other basic Sunnah. Knowing that we (people around him) have taught him all of this basic yet very important sunnah, make me feel that Islamic school is a necessity for him. I want him to know and to learn a LOT more about Islam. I don't want him to be one of those to just follow blindly because one day, he would be bored of following our instructions and that's when friends become their best adviser! So, I want him to know why we do what we have to do in this life. I need him to know the important of this life.

Last Sunday I attended a Ta'leem at our local Masjid. Masha'Allah, the topic discussed was exactly the things going through my mind. Iskandar received and e-mail about the ta'leem and I said I wanted to go without knowing what it's about. When the Maulana spoke, he started mentioning about 'Ilmu' (knowledge). He emphasised the importance of knowledge and how it could help us in the Hereafter. Nowadays, we are interested on the best secular education to send our child to. For example we make sure that the discipline level are top notch, results are clean sheet without any Bs even, just to name a few. What we have forgotten is, how would all this help bring us to Jannah? It's not wrong to send our children to the best of all school, because even if you are a doctor, you can still help a patient because of Allah Taala. You can serve the society because of Allah Taala no matter what your profession is. But you have to instill in your heart that everything you do IS for HIM and noone else.

As the Maulana continued, he quoted a hadith, as follow; Rasulullah Salallahualaihiwassalam said, "When the son of Adam (human being) dies, his deeds are stopped except for three things, namely, his good deeds, his knowledge, and his pious child who prays for him". I'm gonna concentrate on knowledge and pious child. When we learn, we have to set our intention of why we are learning. Is it just for the sake of passing the test? For the sake of pleasing our parents with all the As? Or even for the sake of "going to school is the norm", not knowing what our intentions are? Intention is very important without a doubt. It can make you and break you! So we have to choose wisely.

Coming back to Khairaldin, when I was carrying him, I prayed for a baby boy. I desperately wanted this "baby boy" to lead the younger siblings to the right path if one day either of us are gone (before them). Alhamdulillah, Allah has answered my prayers and Khairaldin is now a responsibility (Amanah) from Allah to us. Because Allah has given us Khairaldin, it is only fair for us to take care of him the way HE has wanted us to do so. Sending him to an Islamic school has always been my first choice. However, because of this wait list, I have told Iskandar that if he doesn't get a chance to join this school, I want to home school him. You see, I have always always! wanted to be a nursery teacher. After having kids, I don't feel the need to be a nursery teacher. Somehow this hadith has lead me to my dreams again. As the hadith said, knowledge is one of the things that will not stop even after we die. This means, if you have learn something, teach!! The person who learns from you will pass on the knowledge and the cycle will continue. Even when you die you are still getting deeds! How amazing is that? SubhanAllah. For all the wrongdoings I have done, I really need those deeds to accumulate continuously! I have told myself, if Khairaldin doesn't get a place at Leicester Islamic Academy, this is such a blessing for me. Education doesn't have to be in a school. Even if the child goes to the best of school, the parents still need to carry on and practise the things being taught at home. This way the child will know the importance of the things he have just learnt.

Yes, I am still sane. I don't plan to teach my kids till high school or further. Haha. My plan is to take it one year at a time. There is no need for him to start school at 3 years old because everyone is doing it. I pray that I will be able to teach him as much as I could before he reach a certain age. I want him to remember us as his teacher and educator. In the end of it all, we need his/their prayers when we die. All I want is for him to become a pious child who will always remember his parents and make du'a for his parents. And like a quote I found before, "to be in your children's memories, you have to be in their lives today!". Insha'Allah, that is exactly what I am aiming to do.

2012, everything new :)

SubhanAllah Walhamdulillah! It's already 2012. I know I know we should be aware of the Hijrah year. The only reason I'm excited is because it's the year Khairaldin will start nursery, Insha'Allah. When he turned 1 year old, people kept reminding me to register him for nursery. You see, in the UK, the education is free so if you want nursery closest to your place, you have to register as soon as possible. However, we can only start registering when the child turns 2. Fast forward, Khairaldin turned 2 in June 2011. We didn't bother that much since we had Layina around and was pretty occupied. He then had his 2 years development appointment when he was 2 years 3 months. At that time, his nursery nurse reminded us to start looking for nurseries. So we did.

Iskandar and I discussed about his big step into the 'real world'. We were contemplating on whether to put him in an Islamic Nursery or to put him in a ermmmm I shall call it, 'Western' nursery. Iskandar and I decided on enrolling him into a 'Western' nursery because we thought there "wouldn't be" any government funded Islamic Nursery. Obviously I'd consult my parents for such matter since they have experience. We told them that we planned to register Khairaldin into an Islamic school when he's a teenager. Because if we are still in the UK, I'd be easy for him to go for his prayers or even Friday prayers. My parents didn't agree to that because according to them, we should instill Islam at a very young age. Once they know the importance of Islam, it would be easy for them to follow up. So maybe when he is a teenager he can start 'Western' school as he has been taught the importance of Islam. We thought, that made a lot of sense than what we had in mind.

I was very determined to send Khairaldin to an Islamic nursery. I want him to know this Beautiful religion! I don't want him to waste his youth. Alhamdulillah, thanks to Google, we managed to find 2 Islamic Nurseries which were government funded (ie; FREE). Without hesitation, I called the nurseries to have a look around. SubhanAllah! The nursery stole my heart straight away. I lovvvvvvveeee the nursery from the moment I entered their parking space. It's such a decent nursery almost like private but it's not. The nursery were in between semi detached houses. I think the nursery was formed from 2 semi detached houses. So, it's quite big. As I had the tour, they also told me that they have primary school in that building. Suddenly I'm thinking, how can they manage to make a 'proper' school out of semi detached houses?? Straight away I felt the place might betoo cramp for Khairaldin. But Masha'Allah, it really is Allah's power. The house/nursery/primary school is huge in the inside!! They even got a hall in there! It's amazing! The space is just surreal. Of course bear in mind there's only 1 class for each Year. So Year 1 till 6 there's about 30pupils in a class. It's still a big number for such a place.

Then I had a look at the nursery. It's an extension from the Primary school which if it's a house, it's considered in the garden :). When I went there, the nursery pupils were in a different room. They were having 'Islamic Studies'. I was so glad to have come at that time because I really wanted to know what they were learning about. I was brought to their classroom and as I entered, all the children gave salam "Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh!!!". Ahhhhhhhhh! Imagine 3 year olds saying that! Super duperrrrr cute. SubhanAllah. Now you know why I'm in love with the school? :D The teacher then told me that they just got back from NEC waterworld. Basically it's something like Aquaria in Malaysia. So, the teacher was telling them a story about a shark. Mind you, it's an English storybook not even Islamic but somehow they managed to link it up with Islam. The story was about a Shark who was scared of everything (weird enough ey?). The way they linked it was at the end of it all, he wasn't as scared because he knows that Allah will help him regardless of anything. Of course there's a lot more to it but I didn't stay for the whole story time. Because the kids just got back from NEC underwater, they can then imagine how the sharks and other animals looked up upon Allah swt. Masha'Allah. It's amazing.

After we have finished touring the school, I went to the office to enrol Khairaldin. Since there's only 2 Islamic Nursery in Leicester, I didn't think twice about enrolling. But sadly, there was already 73 people enrolled before us. Khairaldin is still enrolled but in the waiting list. The school only accept 50 pupils and 20 pupils are already confirmed because they're the siblings to the primary pupils. We will only be able to know if Khairaldin has a place or not at the end of January. If 23 people cancels their application, Khairaldin will then get a chance to study in that school. Insha'Allah.


I'm so excited for him and I know he will feel comfortable in this school. Please keep Khairaldin in your du'as!!!!! May Allah help us throughout our journey on bringing up a soleh(ah) children. Amin Ya Raabalalamin!!

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My life.... Now.

Brother and Sister at Play

Well, Assalamualaikum (Peace be unto you) there! It's been wayyyyyy too long since I last blogged. As you can read from my previous entry, Iskandar is now in a full time; office hours kinda job. I didn't expect my life to be this busy and yet loving each and every day as a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) and Housewife. Oh, I have to say that ever since Iskandar started his job, the term SAHM doesn't apply anymore because I've been "hanging out" in Khairaldin's toy room more than ever and it's like I'm a Play At Home Mom until a few hours before Iskandar gets home. Only now I realised how much Iskandar's been Khairaldin's play buddy. It's not easy taking care of an active toddler. He wears me out by 11am! That soon!

On my first week, I didn't dare to bring the kids out because I thought I could not handle. But then, I somehow had to buy some stuff from Tesco. So I braved myself and went shopping with BOTH my kids!! It's an amazing experience! Khairaldin is such a good brother. He loves to kiss Layina every now and then even when in the trolley. People were smiling at how loving he is and of course he loved the attention too. It has been a breeze bringing both of them all by myself. We've been out and about more often now. Khairaldin is not a stay at home person like me. Because of that we have to go out to Tesco every other day just strolling down the aisles buying little unnecessary things. Once we've done that, he's a happy bunny for a few hours at least.

Excited to try cherry tomatoes!

Of course I have my "can you please just sit down quietly!!!!!!!" moments....one too many time! But this will overcome when I drag both of them into the kitchen. Khairaldin loves to help me in the kitchen as it is the time for him to try new food. Alhamdulillah I manage to cook fresh food for Hubby almost every single day. I feel my day accomplished when all 3 of us sit down at the dinner table for dinner. Layina will be in her swing entertaining herself that time. It's an amazing feeling knowing my Husband and kid(s) are being fed by my 'hardwork'. Alhamdulillah. For sure I couldn't have done it without Allah's will.

Anyways, I've always had people asking me on how I can cope at being a full time housewife and Mom. I've never got the chance to answer that question because I've always had Iskandar or my parents by my side. Iskandar was working part time (4 hours) before this. So, this is the first time I'm handling TWO kids all by myself! Alhamdulillah, it's been 1 whole month of full time Housewife and Mom. One word: AMAZING! SubhanAllah! I am loving each and every moment of it. Now, if anyone asks me about how I can cope as a SAHM and a wife, my answer will simply be "My body is engineered to do exactly all this therefore it is not something impossible to do. Insha'Allah, start the day with Bismillah and all will go down smoothly."

I'll end now and Insha'Allah will start blogging again. I'm slowly getting on track and hopefully will be able to do some reading and sharing. Oh by the way, we visit Iskandar's workplace every Friday for Solat Jumu'ah. And Alhamdulillah, Khairaldin look forward to Fridays because he wants to go 'Masjid'. Also..... I get some time-off from Khairaldin because there'll be a few students wanting to babysit him. So yeah, Alhamdulillah. It's been amazing ( I know I've said this one too many time.. Oh well)! My utmost respect for all SAHM! For those working Mom's without maids too! Hats off to all of you who's made it till today. Definitely not an easy job but to know you're being rewarded by Allah swt, priceless!

Ps: I'm also 'working' on a small project starting today. If all goes well, I will 'spill' Insha'Allah.

Pps: Amidst all those "busy" days, we still managed to get some day off with the kids and my parents in London ;)

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THIRD PREGNANCY ALREADY??!

I can remember very clearly the day I announced my second pregnancy. I received mixed reaction from family and friends. There were those who were very excited as if they were the ones that are pregnant and there were also those who were upset for numerous reasons. Some even questioned how in the world I could think about getting pregnant when my Husband was still jobless. Of course I couldn't change people's reaction but Alhamdulillah I was still the healthy and bubbly me throughout the pregnancy. Well to be honest, we didn't plan for Layina's birth. Actually we didn't even really plan for Khairaldin's. All we know was that we wanted a child and Masha'Allah, we're now blessed and living happily with two children, Alhamdulillah. Throughout my pregnancy, Iskandar didn't have a proper job. He was on part time jobs most of the time. Alhamdulillah we managed to live with whatever income that was coming in. Also thanks to my parents for making sure we stay in their house. Alhamdulillah.

No doubt Iskandar was looking for jobs. He wasn't choosy of the job as long as it pays Halal income. He tried so many places and yet were rejected or no replies. We didn't give up, we believe that Allah WILL shower us with rizq when and how HE wants to. Iskandar kept searching high and low for a permanent job but the rezeki was just not there...yet. We didn't lose hope. We kept praying and asking for HIS help everyday and night! Come Ramadhan, we prayed extra hard for HIS help because only HE can grant us the best in life. Iskandar was so determined to look for jobs. He's on the PC every now and then looking for Islamic Banking jobs or even as a lecturer. He's applied almost everywhere, be it in Malaysia, UK or even in the Middle East. Noone replied to his application. Personally I know how much he's been hunting high and low for a Halal job. Trust me, it's not easy.

As the days go by, I finally gave birth to Layina with 

a "jobless" husband beside me. I was not afraid of the idea that my husband was still jobless. In fact, my faith grew even stronger! I know for a fact that Allah will not burden us with what we could not handle. HE has promised and repeated this in the Qur'an time and again. I felt everything will fall into place if not now, Insha'Allah in the hereafter. To know that we now have a baby girl could only mean two things, Rezeki and Barakah is on our side. In Islam, having a daughter is something special. It's mentioned in a Hadith; 

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who has three daughters and provides for them, clothes them and shows mercy to them will definitely enter the Garden." A man from the people said, "And two daughters, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "And two." [Bukhari]

There I was thinking I don't have the luxury that everyone is talking about but what matters most is Insha'Allah I will have that luxury in the afterlife. Having said that, it doesn't mean we have given up with our life now! Of course we can't do that. Whatever we do it has to be for Dunya and Akhirah. There must be balance in our life. So, Iskandar was still with his job hunting. We were also thinking of going back to Malaysia for good if he doesn't get a job anytime soon. We were ready to hijrah to another country if he still doesn't get a job. It is good to do hijrah with the niyah for Allah Ta'ala.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a friend of my Dad e-mailed my Dad saying he wants to meet up with Iskandar as they have a job that he might be interested in. This person is a Director at MIHE (the place Iskandar was awarded his Masters in Islamic Banking, Finance and Management). Without hesitation he met up with the Director and was offered a permanent job there and then. It's nothing fancy but definitely a start for him. Who knows he might get connection from MIHE and can further his career or even do PhD there? Only Allah knows.

So, Insha'Allah, Iskandar will be starting his permanent job with MIHE this October.

This job offer has opened our eyes even more. All the places that he's applied for didn't even bother to reply to just say that they are not hiring or anything at all. However, the place that we'd never think of offering him a job suddenly contacts him and offered him the job. We have always believe that rezeki is from Allah swt even when people gave us the reason to doubt this. Who says you can't suddenly wake up and stumble upon a pot of gold? I believe that miracle do happen if Allah wills it. Nothing is impossible but of course, first we have to work and pray hard for the miracle to happen. Always believe that noone can give nor take anything away from you without Allah's will. If HE has stated that your rezeki will be there, it will be there. Sometimes HE is just testing us to see how far we would go to worship him.

Of course this is a reminder to myself too. Even though Iskandar will be in a permanent job, this doesn't mean we should stop worshipping HIM. This is the reason we should continue to worship HIM more as HE's given us something we least expected!! It just goes to show how powerful HE is and SubhanAllah there is just no reason to defy HIS power! We are really thankful to HIM and to those who's been praying for us. May Allah bless you all with goodness in this life and hereafter, Amin!!!!

If you are still reading and waiting for me to officially announce about my 3rd pregnancy, sorry to say, I'm not pregnant. At least not for another few years, Insha'Allah. I'm sure if I suddenly announce my 3rd pregnancy there will be people out there who'd say something like "3rd pregnancy already??!" Even with a "working" husband people will find excuse to just mock about another person. Sometimes we just forget rezeki comes in many shapes and form, it's not just money/wealth wise.

Like I always say, we can plan all we want but in the end of it all, Allah has the last say. :) 

Ps: wish me luck on becoming a FULL TIME HOUSEWIFE and MOTHER to a toddler and soon to be 3 months old baby. Please pray that Allah will make it easy on the 4 of us, Insha'Allah. JazakAllahu Khair!

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Post-natal depression AND terrible two???!

Alhamdulillah it wasn't me who suffered from postnatal depression! Before I gave birth to Layina, I have read a lot about people whom suffered from postnatal depression. According to a few sources, postnatal depression "target" people with second baby, so they say. I was scared that it could happen to me. I mean, come on, how am I supposed to cope with post natal depression and this so called "terrible two" son??

In case you didn't know, I have a Degree in Psychology. After my second year of studying Psychology, I feel that most (not all but most!) of the things taught were a whole load of crap. Don't get me wrong, I love Psychology!! I believed most of the things being taught but I truly hate it when they teach us things that doesn't make any sense. For instance, Freudian's theory was being taught at A-Levels up to second year degree. Who doesn't know his theory, I am sure you've somewhat heard of his psychosexual theory, yes? You can read about his theory here if you are interested. There are also other modules that gives me the icks when I learn them. I find it rather pathetic that they're teaching us these theories when they know that it doesn't make any sense or even that it is very controversial. To me, it was like they were trying to brainwash us into thinking in those terms. Anyway, enough about that.

Like I said, there are some parts of Psychology that I could agree on. Basically, I 110% agree that the brain controls each and every part of our body. Our brain is the most important organ in our body. So when I was scared about the postnatal depression cases, it got me 'ready' for it. What did I do? Well, I convinced myself that I can definitely handle my 2 kids with Allah's will. Would Allah have given me another child if he didn't believe in me? I'm sure I've done something right for him to shower me with another child right? Of course I wasn't boastful. I couldn't have done it without Allah's help.

Depression and stress happens because we over think things. Say for instance if a person lose a job which I'm sure this is one of the many reasons people become depressed nowadays looking at the state of our economy. People without beliefs will feel that this is all their fault, as if they have failed in life! When really in Islam we are taught that Allah is the one that has control of every single thing in our life. Yes you can be sad, not a problem. But get over it quickly. Don't moan and groan over it too much. Get back on your feet and think of your next step. First and foremost though, thank Allah for everything that's happened to you. There's always a blessing behind every thing that He gives or takes. Like this ayat suggest; "....... it may well be that you dislike a thing even though it is good for you, and it may well be that you like a thing even though it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know." (Surah Al-Baqarah:216)

I believe that everything we say or think is du'a (supplication) to Allah swt. So if a person thinks of negative things, they are clearly channelling their feeling towards that particular situation. Like post natal depression, if you think too much about how tiring it is to take care of a child, you will definitely not have the time to enjoy the child that you've just given birth to. No doubt being a Mother is tiring (not much for fathers though)! Having to wake up every now and then for feeds, diaper change or even just checking that baby is sleeping soundly is REALLY tiring! So why think about it and tire your brain even more when you know it's tiring? Instead try and think about the joyful things you can do with your baby when he/she is awake. Think about how lucky you are that the baby wakes up to feed/diaper change etc. I'm sure you know that being a Mother/Father consists of being there for your child almost 24-7, right? Since you have asked Allah for this child of yours then enjoy bringing them up with lots of love, hugs, kisses and positivity!

Although, these aren't the only things that we should bring our child up with. Of course there's Syaitan to mess about with our mind. That is why whatever we do we should think of Allah first. After giving birth we are more likely to feel depressed because we are in a 'dirty' condition. The post partum blood is dirty and so we are not allowed to pray. Nonetheless, our Worship towards him does not stop there. We should continue our 'zikir'. Glorify him so that the Syaitan will be scared of us and will not dare to come near us. Insha'Allah with Allah's protection we will be safe from the Syaitan! After all, in Surah Fatihah we mention that only in HIM do we seek for help and therefore we should always seek HIM in whatever sad or happy situation we are in.

On a slightly different topic, I did say 'terrible two' son didn't I? Well, to be honest, I feel that this word is being used to make us feel that they are terrible. How is it that they've been our 'bundle of joy' for 1 year and suddenly when they reach 2 they are terrible? This term is negative and we should really change it to a more positive term like "terrific two". Well, just because they cry more and are a little bit clingy doesn't mean they are terrible! To be honest, I was also conned into the "terrible two" term. Whenever Khairaldin cried, I almost gave up and just said "Oh well, it's just a phase. He'll get over it." When really I think all he wanted was someone to listen to him and just give him cuddles! Since we don't carry him that much, he then throw tantrums to get attention. He wants to still feel that he's being loved. We can't just take it for granted that "he'll get over it." HE WON'T . Give the attention that they need. Children don't cry for no reason.  

It's a terrific two because they are clever to know how to get our attention yet we are so silly not to give them the attention they need!

So parents, don't be caught up with all these terms or label that has been put out to us out there. We should really think positively and not let anyone label us. After all this "terrible two" and all other stress, what next? Mid life crisis? Are we just gonna live our life by letting people bring us down all the time? So get up! Live your life to the fullest. Positivity is the way to go! There's nothing wrong with having a positive mindset. Doesn't mean you're positive you don't feel sad. You still do and it's ok to feel that way as it's a test from Allah swt to appreciate HIM even more. If you're too happy, you might forget HIS existance. So, he has to bring you down and test you every now and then. It is how you get back up and continue worshipping him that matters! Insha'Allah.

My du'a is for all of my readers to be more positive in life and to not let anyone label and judge us except for the Allah swt. Insha'Allah. Amin!