We have a lovely, little libary in this area. It's not only a place for books. They have a lovely room for little kids, where the walls are painted like a fairytale. There's toys, board games, puzzles etc.. Twice a week there's a crafts club for kids, and we wanted to see what's going on there. It was fun! We made miniatures about things we have in this part of town, our neighborhood. I had to laugh at some of the things my kids made.. It's so funny to see what they find important.

Here's the result:

I made our lovely library, of course.. games, computers, books..

..and some of the wonderful nature around here!

Nader made this spider.. when he painted it yellow he named it 'sun spider' lol.. He made even the eye glasses all by himself. I must say I was impressed..

He also made a tree with autumn colours, a huge football with a tiny football player, some board games and a die.

and he made this.. A huuuge TV lol :D

Deena made some party food, like swiss rolls, pizza etc..

And she made this.. It's chocolate, believe it or not. All these sweets represent this area to her :D 

Donjana made a football field with two players and a ball. The one on the left is Lionel Messi :D

And she made my daughter Amira's engagement party. The red circle of weird objects in the right is us dancing around the bride and the groom. she had put some wire inside the couple, so they can be even moved. They swing like they're dancing lol.

Kids have such a great imagination and so much greativity. InshaAllah they will never forget it. It's a great gift mashaAllah.

Making tasbeehs with the kids, some nice summer days and fasting attempt

Like every Ramadan we make some Islam/Ramadan - related crafts. Tonight my kids made their own tasbeehs, and the girls also made ones to Laila and Ali. this is the result..

I'm not totally happy with the way I left the endings, I must stick those strings in the beads.. We didn't have any fancy stuff for decorating the ending, just beads, but if i'll find something later I will make some changes. And anyway, most important thing is that the kids want to use these too! Especially now on Ramadan inshaAllah..

So this is Deena's first week in pre-school. Alhamdulilah she loves it there and is very exited. Here she is making her first home work:

Now when it's weekend and no school, Donjana and I are trying to fast. I'm pretty sure she can't complete the day's fast - 18 hours btw - but inshaAllah she'll last long enough to get the feeling. I'm proud of her anyway! Just a couple of hours ago we ate suhoor together mashaAllah! Let's see how it will go. She might last longer than me. I took some pain meds just before fajr and tomorrow I don't have to walk the girls to school, so if I can get up from bed I might be able to make it inshaAllah. InshaAllah my blood sugar level will not go too low this time. It's been very hot here so the drinking part might get hard, especially for Donjana.

On Thursday I took Laila and Ali from the day care the same time with Deena, because their both parents were on the evening shift at work. Donjana finished early too, so I had the whole team with me. We decided to go to the football field next to the school. Annndddd Maradona scored loooool :D

 The other day we went on a walk to the forest. a friend of my kids came with us too. The nature is so beautiful here mashaAllah!

I took a picture of Deena this morning at her pre-school. It was fun to see how she run to play when we got in. I usually don't see this because on other days the kids stay direct out. Fridays are different because there's some activities together with the other groups in the morning indoors.

Ramadan Mubarak to all my sisters!

So, Ramadan is here! I'm sooooo exited, but the same time I feel quilty. I simply can't fast this year, and maybe the next few years will be like that too. The fasting hours this year are extremely long here, over 17 hours in the beginning.. last year i tried it for two days. after about 10 hours i start to shake, get cramps and feel like fainting. I have found out that my blood sugar level is too long, and even if i eat huge suhoor, it's not enough to cover the whole looooooong day. The doctors opinion is that i shouldn't fast anyway already because I have anemia, but I'm pretty sure these western doctors would tell almost anyone to not fast when the hours are this long, so I'm not sure if I can really trust their judgment in this thing.

I wanted to give it another try today.. Well, my back problem made the end of it.. I have a flat disc and infected area around si-joint. That gives me sciatica pain and I have been using medicine for it for over a year already. I took a pill before fajr, but already around 10 am I found walking almost impossible, so looks like no fasting for me this Ramadan..

This is so frustrating. I have never found fasting difficult, I don't mind hunger or thirst, and all the food tastes sooooo good after a day of fasting. I sooooo wish I could do it! The whole Ramadan doesn't feel the same, when you have to make it all up in the winter.

Anyway, I try to remember that Ramadan is not only for giving up food and drinks in the day time. It's also for praying more, reading and reciting quran and maybe memorizing new surah or two, being friendly and nice to others (well.. we should always be anyway), charity, spending time together with the family etc etc..

I'm planning to try to fast at least a few days in the weekends inshaAllah, when we don't have to wake up for school. My girls want to try too. the time is way too long for them, but they could fast at least until the afternoon or so, to get the feeling. We will also eat iftaar together in the right time, even if we're not fasting. Yeah.. seems like nobody in this house will.. dh has medicines he needs to take regularly so he can't either.

I also want to make some crafts for Ramadan with my kids. at least we will make a tasbeeh for them. they have plenty of beads, so why not to use them for something like this instead of some princess-necklaces like they usually do. We might even make some for gifts for other kids, if they just have patience enough.. The girls are really exited about it. They want to make dhikir and counting with fingers is difficult for them, especially -deena because she doesn't know bigger numbers yet.

Ok.. This became more like ranting that Ramadan wishes to my sisters.. Sorry for that.. Time to end this, with some hadiths.



Narrated Ibn Umar: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "When you see the crescent (of the month of Ramadan), start fasting, and when you see the crescent (of the month of Shawwal), stop fasting; and if the sky is overcast (and you can't see It) then regard the crescent (month) of Ramadan (as of 30 days)". Sahih Bukhari, Book #31, Hadith #124


Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting." The Prophet added, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), 'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times." Sahih Bukhari, Book#31 Hadith #118


Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting".) Sahih Bukhari, Book #31, Hadith #127


Ramadan Kareem to all my sisters and their families!

Pea bag duck and Pippi-doll, with short drama and instructions :P

, photoslol i guess sooner or later all the parents hear the sentence "everyone has it, i'm the only one who doesn't!!!" donjana has been repeating that for two weeks now.

so now you're wondering what everyone has? hehe.. everyone has something that is related to Pippi Longstocking. books, dolls, videos.. donjana's class has been talking about PIPPI as a part of some culture project or something. they're making a small exhibition of all the stuff related to that character. the only thing we have here at home are deena's pippi-wellies. i didn't let donjana take them to school because it might rain so deena would need them. donjana was so sad because EVERYONE else brought something to school! so, i made her a Pippi-doll. it's very simple and i made it also kinda more correct islamically, the face is not complete ;)

here is some kind of pattern for Pippi Longstocking doll, with instructions. i didn't put any measurements because this can be made what ever size you want.









donjana made a cute pea bag duck at school. deena and nader wanted to have it for themselves so i made them own ones. the idea is not mine so i don't want to take credit for it. this is how i made them.

Donjana's cute, hand made pea bag duck ♥

you like teddies? i like teddies!

and the young ones love them! so i have made crocheted teddies to my kiddies and some others too.



it all started from this. i wanted to make a special gift for little Ali so i just started something.. it was about midnight already.. 6 am i was done. after this everyone has wanted these teddies.. orders come from door and windows. but i have one problem.. i've got only two hands.. there's just not enough time to make as many as i want.



if ali got one, nader has to have one too, right?



and the girls as well..





and this one went to a very special little girl. it wears hijab..

my dear hobby: knitting.. and a bit crocheting too..

salam!

i just love knitting! i have to have something to do with my hands all the time. can't watch tv or something if i don't knit.. here's just a selection of my stuff.. kinda boring.. this is maybe 10% of my work on the last few years, but i guess it's enough to make yall bored :))



this is the latest stuff i made for the kids this winter..


i also made new hats for them all.










socks for a little newborn




a box of love to a sister




the kids 'needed' new socks too. (don't ask how many pairs they have!)






hmm.. so many pics and i didn't post half of the pics i wanted.. anyway, the rest should be enough to bore yall..