Monday Bliss

After a day that sped by, it was nice to leave work an hour early today. An hour that made lots of difference.

I let the kids try the glass-painting kit we had stashed away for a day that was sunny enough for them to take it outside:

Gorgeous managed to hide playdough all over the garden and Little Man kept the neighbours girl company with his colouring whilst I took my time making a chicken curry for dinner.

As the evening is long at the moment it feels like we have time to fit loads in so we managed Arabic and maths today (insh'Allah, the madrassah opening nearby will be open next month and Little Lady and Little Man will both be attending). As Little Lady practiced her lesson, I decided to take some pictures of children's craft materials for an article for next months edition of Mum and Muslim magazine. I couldn't help playing at aliens with Little Lady and we conversed via our antennae until I remembered we were supposed to be half way through an Arabic lesson...

After dinner and the evening prayer, Little Lady asked if she could recite her favourite poem to me. I agreed and din't expect her to bring along her drum. She sang to her drum all beatnik style:

Be nice to frogs...

Be nice to frogs, by the way.

They are your friends in the garden

They eat the beastly slugs and never

harm your flowers.

The Roald Dahl Treasury, p.19

I left them in bed only to hear thudding noises. I went up to check to find them hanging from the bunk-bed like bats (I didn't expect Gorgeous to be able to do this, but mash'Allah, the other day he did manage to climb onto the kitchen counter to get at where the biscuits are kept).

Alhamdulillah, this has been a very pleasant evening, although I am still herding them back to bed because every time I turn around they get out. Am off to stamp out the rebellion and get an early night. People keep teling me I look tired and I think perhaps I am starting to look a little haggard, so my target at the moment is to be in bed by 10.30 every day insh'Allah, night prayer allowing.