Subhan’Allah, I have had a very busy week and I am
just starting to fall into a routine with the baby, who turned one month
yesterday (already?!) and the older children.
This means that this has been the first chance for me to sit down and
write (albeit with a tray of dishes to take into the kitchen next to me, piles
of laundry everywhere I look and the boys wrestling downstairs).
We have spent this week visiting friends and family
returning from the hajj pilgrimage and collecting lots of yummy dates and zam zam water from everyone. Some of the haji’s
have then come to visit us to see the baby, there are also visitors still
coming to see the baby for the first time.
My mother-in-law returned to Pakistan yesterday after
staying with us for the last few months, leading to another stream of visitors. It was a great help having her here,
especially when I was so incapacitated at the end of my pregnancy and she took
over cooking. At the same time, being
pregnant and so uncomfortable made me irritable and we managed to wind each
other a few times (thankfully we parted on good terms with her intending to
come back next summer).
Hubby also left today to spend two months in South
Africa (lucky soul!) to visit his sheikh and to engage in dawah work insh’Allah,
starting out in Cape Town. We have been
discussing this for a long time and we felt that my maternity leave would be
the perfect opportunity for him to go. I
feel that I can manage the four children by myself and I am not fearful of
being alone, despite missing him like crazy already. At the same time, my family are less than
five minutes walk away, so I will be spending afternoons with my mum and
evenings with my sisters if I need company.
In the past we have had lots of criticism for the short periods of time
he has been away, this time round people have pretty much given up having
realised that I can cope alone, give hubby my full support and agree with his
work and that neither of us listen to people’s opinions much anyway.
At the same, I am happy that this means I will be able
to focus on my kids 100% as there are a few things which I need to work on with
them – namely Little Lady’s spikiness and messiness, Gorgeous throwing tantrums
and various bad habits they have developed (bedtime stretching out way too long,
clothes and school equipment getting strewn everywhere). There is also the constant and endless
fighting, whinging and telling tales, but I suspect that this is just normal
and that there isn’t really much of a cure for this except time. I also want to lay down some routines in
terms of homework and lessons at home, Islamic studies, tuition and some sports
clubs insh’Allah (will mean less time left for fighting with each other at
least).
I am hoping to use the next two months as productively
as I can insh’Allah, allowing for a small baby and rowdy kids who have been
getting away with all sorts for the last few months due to a mum who just could
not waddle fast enough to keep up. Alhamdulillah
I feel very much as if Allah (SWT) has given me a chance to concentrate on my
children and use this opportunity to work towards raising my children in the
best way that I can. I have been praying
that I can raise them with good manners and good charachter, incorporating the sunnan (tradition) of our
beloved Prophet (PBUH) into their lives and a love for their faith insh’Allah.
Assalamualikum, love ur posts mashallah.. I am a mother of 3 kids living in Jeddah and i enjoy reading ur blog(when i get time!! my kids r 5,2 and 9 months so u can imagine)... its great thts its faith centered struggles of a women which is seldom found.. I find myself sometimes in ur writings... keep up d good work... salamualikum
ReplyDeleteAssaalam-alaikam Sister Urooj,
DeleteThank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment.
Asa
ReplyDeleteIf u dont mind me asking, who is your husband's Shaykh in South Africa? Im from here as well.
Baby is probably big by now Mashaa ALLAH
ws
Walaikam-assalam Dear Sister,
ReplyDeleteof course I don't mind you asking. My husbands sheikh is based at the darul-aloom at Azadville and runs the Academy for the Revival of the Sunnah (I think it is called), I tried getting the name from him, but he just couldn't remember the exact name.
Baby is just over a year now and very cheeky, jk for asking xxx