Meat feast

I know it is too late but I would like to wish everyone a very Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha.

And I would like to take a moment to recite Al Fatihah to all our hujjaj that gained syuhada in shaa Allah in two separate incidences in Mecca.

Innalillah. Allah swt definitely loves them more, to pass away in a holy land and holy month, Allah swt must grant them their wish. May all of us have a husnul khatimah, Ameen.

My raya haji was a super tiring day, from Ampang to Kajang to Klang back to Seri Kembangan but I have got the chance to meet all my family member.

Mostly I'm glad to still get the chance to spend it with my grandmother whose getting healthier and healthier each day. She stayed with us for a couple of days during Aidiladha.

May we meet again next year :)

New kindy vs previous kindy: The saga continues..

I have received A LOT of PMs from mommies on my decision to change Khaira to a new kindy. Seems like a lot of mommies having dilemma like me; whether to change or not and have been contemplating the way I did.

If people were to ask me whether I would recommend their kids to Khaira's previous kindy or not; the answer would be yes and no. It differs cases to cases. I refused to write down the name of K's previous kindy here, but I guess you could easily browse through my blog to find out. So I would tell the pros and cons of the new kindy and the old kindy here.

Khaira's previous kindy

Pros

1. A very systematic syllabus
• The syllabus was so advanced that Khaira was able to recognize phonics as early as 2 weeks in the school and can read since month 1. FYI, I never taught K alphabets before kindy, I only taught her hijaiyah.
• Recited a lot of doas, surahs, zikirs, translation
• Everything is related back to Islamic; the story telling, the arts and crafts, the songs.
• The books used were excellent.
2. Friendly teachers
• Apart from dealing with Khaira's cases, overall the teachers were friendly and motherly
3. Not a classroom based learning
• No tables and chairs for 4yo class. The students are taught personally and free to jump around freely during class time to avoid them from boredom.
• A lot of role playing, sometimes they turn the classroom to market or hajj and asked the kids to perform pilgrimage
4. More value for money
• Half day 8.30 to 12.30noon for RM260
• Full day 8.30 to 6.30pm for RM390
• Can send as early as 7.30am

Cons (for K)

1. At one point, they learned too much that Khaira got bored of reading, and teacher did not able to catch back her interest there. 
2. Somehow, Khaira did not really get along with these friendly teachers which according to her was garang in kindy. 
3. Surprisingly, I thought Khaira would be more happy in this environment but she seems to enjoy the usual classroom based better.
4. I don't feel secure leaving her there
• For a start, Khaira was hit on her first day and later when we were about to stop her there
• Anybody can pick up your kids, not a big deal for them
• No anti slip mat in the toilet, K fell down a couple of times there
5. Carpet all over the place causes K's allergy
6. Serves sausage bun for tea every week. Ok ni gediks.. but come on! Healthy food tolonglah.. even in home she did not eat sausages :(
7. She couldn't get along with her friends here; which later I realized that although she is quite lasak, in school her friends are all princessy and proper.

Khaira's new kindy

Pros

1. First class facility
• Classroom based; yet still have one to one mentoring
• Anti slip mat toilet
• Playground inside
• Small bed for each student for full day; so they don't sleep on mattresses only.
2. Super clean
3. More Montessori based learning; they learned more survival skills and street smart rather than book smart
4. Tip top security, in shaa Allah
5. Somehow all the kids in her class are soooo Khaira. I don't know.. too many resemblance, hence they got along really well. 

Cons

1. Quite pricey
• Half day: 8.30 to 11.30am for RM290
• Full day for RM600
• Can start sending at 7.45am
2. Teachers didn't seem friendly but somehow Khaira likes them a lot
3. I think the syllabus is quite slow
4. Not too much relating back to Islam; story telling and song as usual
5. No role play of all sorts

So if you asked me, would I recommend your kids to go to K's previous kindy but in a different branch, I would totally recommend.

The same branch, I would ask you to really think about it. Because every kids are different, perhaps yours suits K's previous kindy's style better.

For me, I am still super happy we decided to change Khaira to Genius Aulad.

And if you asked me, what makes me have that will, drive and strength to change her to a new kindy.. I would give you the question that my mentor told me when I asked her recently.

"What does your heart tells you when you leave your kid to school everyday?"

And that shall give you the motivations.

All the best in deciding mommies, istikharah and istiqamah ya :)

Horse riding

So many events come and go.. I couldn't find time blogging about it. But this one is worth the catching up session.

Khaira has been forever obsessed with this Disney movie called "Brave". I'm not particularly happy with it. But, hey.. better than "Frozen" anyway.

In this movie, there is this Princess called Merida. She's good at horse riding and archery. Sunnah kan.. and Khaira has been obsessed with these two as well.

A friend of ours recently held a birthday party at a horse riding club, cowboy style.. so we thought we would all be dressing up like cowboy and cowgirls..

Except Aisha. We dressed her up as a cow instead. Ohhh.. the fun..

Khaira got to ride a horse, she has been so obsessed with horses since she was small. We would frequently visit the horses in my office where she claimed one of the horses is hers and named the horse as "Nurul Asyikin" sigh..

It was a very wonderful and memorable event for K.

Happy birthday to Hareez and Adleena. And thanks Ainee and Krel for having us!

Fun in the City!!!!

Farm in the City is only 5 minutes away from our place. We had not yet bring the kids to those kind of places this year. 

Last year, we went to KL Bird Park (click to read more) and it was fun. The previous year, we went to Zoo Negara (click to read more) and K went crazy there.

Since we had a long break for Merdeka, it was very natural to bring them there.

Price ticket for adult is RM32. Above 90cm kids, the ticket price is RM20+, but FOC for Khaira since we have a plusmile voucher. Aisha is FOC.

Farm in the City was fun, seriously! Let me belanja you some pictures there..

Feed the rabbits and hamsters

Feed the fishes

Longkang fishing

Feed the goat

You can feed the giant turtle here

Can ride a pony

Walk under the snake and the iguana, yucks!

Feed the birds and chickens

The only extra that you need to pay is pony ride for RM7. But be careful, there's a specific timing for the pony ride, so don't miss it.

Overall, we had so much fun there!

Next year pergi mana ya? Aquaria perhaps? :)

Khaira's swimming class

I have been very interested to have a swimming class for Khaira lately. Reasons are:
1. Because it's sunnah!
2. So she knows what to do in the water; safety purposes
3. Because I can't swim. And she needs to be better than me ;p
4. To exercise her lungs
5. Because she has been persistently insisting me to bring her to one.

The Groupon offer for Erika Peres swimming class (EPS) came in at a perfect timing. Not only I can try to see if the class is suitable for Khaira, but also I can gauge whether Khaira is really interested in swimming.

The class is held in Tropicana Golf and Country Resort, which we fell in love almost immediately when we entered the club. Nothing like KDE or Lake Club. It has this resort feeling when you walked in.

And there are houses in this club house, organic farm (can you imagine?), and the swimming pool.. oh wow!

First class went well, although she was a little bit hesitant in some parts. I let Love accompany her though K at first insisted me to be in the water with her, so they have a bonding time. I had my bonding time over roller blades with my dad when I was young, and now I always cherished that.

Aisha pon loves water, so not like Ibu!

While K went swimming, I had my breakfast by the swimming pool. So niceeeeee!!!

Second class, Love started off with submerging K in the water to play around with her and that backfired very badly. K said "No more swimming class" and went very moody for the whole hour. We learned that, *Rule number 1 in swimming (and perhaps in life)*: never let her do things that she doesn't want to do. Because the one who loses in the end is YOU!

We were discouraged. But Mr. Peres said that *Rule number 2 in swimming (and perhaps in life)*"Persistent is the key."

Third class, had so much fun again! When she refused to do things, we talked to her. Sometimes, she'd do it, other times she wouldn't. But she was one happy kid, and so were we. So, in the end everybody won!

We concluded that Khaira is ready for swimming class but still uncertain whether to proceed with EPS. I think the coach is good, the kids have fun, the price is decent, the facilities are superb, but the problem is on our side. I don't think we can commit to get all 10 lessons to be done in 12 weeks.

So, contemplating.. and looking.

If you guys have any idea where to have one, do let us know! Much love!

Happy 1st birthday, buah hati!

Aisha turned 1 on 2nd of August the other day.

How time flies.

I feel so blessed raising this so little human with characters so big never fail to make me laugh.

Aisha and Khaira are two entirely different little girls that make me confused all the time, what difference have I done in raising these two.

From birth for instance; Aisha hardly had colic, unlike Khaira. She is less clingy from birth, as soon as she's full, she would let go of the milk source (read b). And that less "clingy"ness persists until now, she would cry to be hold the moment I arrived home (I need to wash my hands first, the OCD still there) and happy to be placed down playing on her own 5 minutes after.

While Khaira talked first and developed her psychomotor skills later, Aisha was the other way around. At 1, she could walk steadily and mumbled basic words like "Ibu", "Aba", "bird", "habis", etc. Her hand-body coordination impressed me most of the time; when she played catch and throw, when she climbed steadily the whole stairs without any help. So. Not. Me.

Aisha is one observant lady and like to do things on her own. She wants to wear socks, rompers on her own. Want to hold bottle on her own. Want to wear slippers like Kakak. So funny sometimes, again total opposite from K who was very princessy and still would prefer us to do all of the above for her. Hahaha.

Aisha had 3 cakes up until today. More cakes awaiting, I guess.

1. One we brought all the way to Negeri Sembilan to celebrate it with my family as my cousin got engaged a day before her birthday.

2. A simple chocolate cake on her birthday

3. A homemade birthday cake by my SIL a week after her birthday.

Happy 1st birthday, lovely. Happy fully breastfeeding for a year to me too. May you always be healthy. May you grow up as anak solehah and a professional hafizah, contributing to Islam as much as you can.

I love you.

Endlessly.

Why are you not replying his email?

So, I've received quite a number of emails of strangers wanting to collaborate with me.

Those times when I was innocent and carefree, I accepted them all happily. I'm glad because I've learned a lot.

Nowadays, I chose those surrounding me very carefully. Because as you mature, you know what you can tolerate and cannot. And my standards of ok is quite high; hence I know who can tolerate me and cannot. Two ways there.

Previously, I love the challenges of moulding something raw. Nowadays, my schedule became hectic and I realized moulding something with no disciplines and proper attitude consume more energy than moulding something with less technical background. I prefer to channel my energy somewhere worthwhile.

"Why are you not replying his email?" Somebody I respected asked me that question when I was in a workshop just now. An institution wanted to collaborate with us, and I haven't replied them yet.

"I need time to think about it," I answered sheepishly.

"You don't look too keen!" He accused me. But I guess I'm pretty transparent.

"I just need time, Sir," I laughed.

Then he said something that I feel the need to share in my blog instantly.

"Are you reluctant to reply his email?" He asked and I nodded.

"Then it reflects your heart. Your heart already tells you the decision."

Relate back to blink.

What your heart tells you. Your instinct is more powerful than your brain.

As I publish this post, my mind already looking for words to reply the stranger's email.

And it shall begin with..

"Dear Sir, I'm honoured  to receive your email but I regret to inform you that.."