Life, just nice life.. Alhamdulilah!

It's hard to find the right headline for normal, lovely days.. It's just life. Nice life alhamdulilah!

So after Donjana left on the camp, the house has been somewhat more quiet.. Only my 'cat and dog', Deena and Nader, have been making some noise.. They seem to find reasons to make fuzz out of everything :P . Alhamdulilah no time to get bored!


On tuesday we went to the beach to swim and have picnic.. I took some hot dogs, bananas and juice with us. The weather was nice and sunny, but it was a bit windy, so the kids didn't swim much. I was kinda happy about it though.. There wasn't so many people around and I didn't have to worry that the kids will drown..Anyway, we had a really nice day! Deena was collecting shells and Nader was running around the beach playing football! :D it was hilarious to watch btw :P .

We got home in the evening, the kids were exhausted. So was I, but I had a job waiting for me.. High piles of clean clothes, ready and folded, waiting to be put away. And I did it! YAY me! I wish clean clothes had legs on their own though.. I never have a full laundry basked and I don't have a problem hanging clothes to dry or folding them after they're done. But putting them to closets.. Oh nooo.. :O I have no idea why it is so hard :P .

On Wednesday we went to my mother's summer house, just for the day. Nadia had been there over night with her kids, so all the kids got a chance to play together there for a while.. Or not all actually, Donjana is not here.. :'( .

We had some friends visiting there too. The day was wonderful! Lovely weather, some bbq, country side, good company.. And what did I do? Lol, most of the time I was laying in a hammock with my book :P . Ahhhhh summer!


It's weird to not have Donjana around. When I put food for the kids I always forget she is not here, and put three plates. :D In the morning I made them three sandwiches.. I'm pretty sure I will not learn to put only two before she is back already :P . I'm such a dork.. :D

Donjana has been enjoying herself on the camp! They've had a lot of activities and she is always exited about everything. On Tuesday night she was a bit home sick though, and she called me crying :'(. The older girl that shares room with her had gone to the shower and she was alone. Not nice on a bed time.. She is not used to sleep alone even here, she has Deena and Nader in the same room. Donjana relaxed after we spoke for a while alhamdulilah. Anyway, I had dh calling to her teacher the next day and tell him to make sure Donjana doesn't have to be alone in her room anymore after bed time, because that's the hardest moment for her in being away from home. Her teacher promised to take care of that alhamdulilah.

Yesterday Donjana's phone was closed so I couldn't call her good night. Today the phone was still closed, so I sent sms to the teacher to ask if her battery is empty or did she loose the whole phone.. The teacher called me back and told that it was empty and Donjana didn't know how to charge it. Poor her. I had told her though, but seems like she forgot.. Her teacher promised to help her alhamdulilah. And I spoke with Donjana too. She sounded exited again, and told me they had a party today! Alhamdulilah seems like she likes it there. She had been a bit home sick this morning as well, but after the breakfast she had forgotten all about it alhamdulilah! She is a big girl already mashaAllah!..


It's amazing how fast time goes and the kids grow mashaAllah! Today Nader went to a kids party to his friends' place, alone for the first time. They live in the next house from us, a few apartments away. I wasn't sure if he'd go alone - he knows the boys' mother well though. But yeah... He went, rang the doorbell, stepped in and didn't look back :D . mashaAllah he had a good time and didn't seem to miss me at all..

While Nader was at the party, I went with Deena to get Nadia's kids from the day care. Deena is going to the same place for pre-school in the autumn, so she is always exited to go there.. Laila and Ali spent the whole evening here, because Nadia and her husband both had an evening shift until 9 pm.



We spent most of the time outside, because the weather was nice.. I made dinner though, and while I was cooking the kids were watching a movie. After dinner we went back out. I cut the lawn and the kids were playing bowling :D . The evening was quite busy for me, but I still had a chance to sit back with my coffee cup out on the bench, while the kids were drawing with chalk on the asphalt next to me :P .

And now.. The house is quiet. Laila and Ali left home, my kids are sleeping, dishes are done (with the machine :P ), the laundry is done too.. (More clean piles developing again lol).. Time to lift my feet up and relaxxxxx! Oh life.. So ordinary and normal, with a lot of routines, but also full of pleasure. So many reasons for joy and happiness, if you just know where to find them! Alhamdulilah for everything!

She left

We took donjana to the station this morning. She looked sooo tiny with her two bags! subhanaAllah i'm sure the bags weight as much as her . She is only 17kg.. I can't believe that I won't see her for a whole week now! The house will feel so empty!

We met the group at the railway station. First it looked like only one or two families subhanaAllah. After all, I guess there was kids from 4 or 5 different families, so maybe all the other kids had siblings there too, the ages were from 7 to 14.. There was one girl from donjana's arabic group so she knows at least someone already. I saw a few girls about her age, so there will be friends for her inshaAllah.

MashaAllah there was an older girl, who is also a leader on the camp (she's maybe 18 y/o or something, and she's been there before. I could tell her about Donjana's needs lol.. Well.. not much.. A little.. Eeeeekkk.. I sound so silly.. like some Mother Goose.. lol..

It was kinda funny there.. All the other kids were 100% arabs, I guess because half Finns usually have Finnish as their official mother language so they won't be able to go on these camps. A mother of one girl asked why a Finnish girl is coming lol.. I heard her.. She spoke in Arabic and maybe thought I didn't understand. The teacher said Donjana is an Arab from father's side.. I added, also in Arabic, that her father is Palestinian... Lol.. The mother was mute after that.. She realized I understood what she said.. She didn't say anything offensive or bad though, but I guess it was just because she didn't want to look too curious.. And she was smiling at me all the time..

After the teacher got their tickets he told them all to listen and get together. Then he said he will give each one their tickets in the train. He spoke arabic but I understood each word (he has Palestinian accent mashaAllah , but he spoke 'official' arabic) ). One of the smallest girls asked in Finnish: What did you say?' loooool I guess that girl's parents speak also Finnish at home or either their (iraqi or irani?) accent is too different. The teacher said in Arabic kinda to himself with low voice that this is a camp for arab speakers lol..

There she is, behind the window


Soon after this Donjana went to the train with the group. Poor her, she couldn't manage to carry her bags.. Alhamdulilah one of the teachers took her bags so she didn't have to carry them. Her Arabic teacher sat next to her in the train (dh called him last night . I guess he told him to watch donjana good ). She left with a smile on her face mashaAllah. I was in tears but I'm sure this is all good. I've kept her like a small child kinda.. Maybe now she will learn to be more independent in a good way, taking better care of her things, clothes etc..

I called donjana once when she was on the way.. They had changed to the other train already, and she sounded exited and happy mashaAllah. I even forgot to ask her if she ate the sandwiches and apple that I put to her bag.. And I promised to myself to leave her in peace and call her only once when she arrives..

So I called her again in the evening. She sounded even more exited and told me that she has many new friends now! She had been playing mini golf and when I called they were playing football! There's a cool playground and a football field on the back yard and indoor playroom also. Sounds like a hotel to me lol mashaAllah!

Well.. it should: it's a huge, old mansion run by foundation for friends and families of kids with cancer. Lol so no old cottage, but a huuuge building with all the services. Oh , what a camp! They make conferences for business ppl, parties like wedding etc, camps for cancer kids, sports holidays etc there.. So i guess no rotten, old showers there . Actually they have even a really beautiful, new sauna.. I don't think donjana will get the touch of real camp life . To me it means either tent or bunk beds, sleeping bags etc.. This is her first camp, so it's easier for her like this..

When I called her the second time I remembered to ask about her snack: yes, she had been eating her sandwiches and the apple in the train, but still had some juice and pringles left alhamdulilah.


She shares a room with that older girl whom I met at the station and who is a leader there mashaAllah. Yeah, some of the rooms are for two.. What did I say.. Hotel holiday, not a camp, ***** 5 stars. Now I know Donjana is taken care of well! I wish she can sleep well and won't miss us too much. . I'm sure she will have a good time inshaAllah!

Donjana called me a bit after their bed time. I thought she will tell me she misses me or home or something.. But no. She wanted to tell me that she had a pyjama party with four of the smallest girls and they got to visit each others rooms. She was not tired so it was a bit difficult for her to sleep I guess. We said good night and it felt so weird.. She is 200 km away from me.. InshaAllah she slept soon after we spoke.

May Allah subhanahuwata'ala give her a fun holiday and a safe trip back home! Ameen.

here's a pic of the house mashaAllah

here's a link.. in finnish only, but there is some other piccies too..
http://www.kuortinkartano.fi/

Laundry day..Just for my little girl's camp ♥

SubhanaAllah we have had a nice weather lately! InshaAllah it will stay next week!
On Monday Donjana is going on a camp for one week. it's for Arabic speaking kids, for keeping up with the language and culture. MashaAllah!

Today I have made 3 loads of laundry (the basket is empty now mashaAllah ). I want to make sure alllll her thousands of clothes are clean when I pack her things tomorrow. Gotta goo and empty the machine one more time soooonish..



I'm afraid I will pack too much stuff.. You just never know the weather here. It could be one week hot or one week cold and rain.. So I need to put for her clothes for every weather for 7 days.. She needs a rain coat, wellies, sandals, sport shoes, t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, jacket and pants for windy weather, cardigan or such, shorts, dresses, skirts.. One pair of party clothes for camp party.. sheets and sleeping bag.. OMG stresssssssss!

From my town 15 kids are going (and another 15 from other towns). I was planning to get her together with some older girl who could help her with stuff. This is her first time out from home over night . It woild be good if some older girl would keep her company.. i'm sure I will know one of the girls who go from here, or at least someone's mom inshaAllah!

Two teachers go from here too. One is the one that was teaching donjana Arabic language at school. He is palestinian and knows dh too. dh doesn't remember him though.. They haven't met through school yet. The other teacher was teaching Islam for Nenna at school and he used to teach our Finnish sisters group years ago at the masjid. He was a witness when nenna and her dh got married islamically. I know his wife too, she used to teach us Arabic at the masjid. And he has been with dh on a dawah weekend trip.. Alhamdulilah I know I can trust both of the teachers.

The camp is over 200km from here, they go with a train and busses. Donjana has motion sickness sometimes on long drives. I got her medicine for that. InshaAllah she won't be sick.

SubhanaAllah I'm worried about so many things.. The trip.. How she can manage with her clothing..? Will she know how to take care of herself, her phone, her pocket money..? (I think I will give her phone to one of the teachers and she can ask to use it when she needs it). Will she like the food (alhamdulilah, all halal!). Will she miss us too much..? Will she know how to sleep there..? . I know she makes new friends easily, so I'm pretty sure she will have a good time if she can just adjust to the situation..

She is such a big girl already, I can't believe how time flies.. She is my baby anyway..

Sisters, please make dua that she will have a safe trip and a good time!

May Allah bless and protect my little girl! Ameen