Update: Henna-like bracelets

Assalm alykom:

Here is an update for the henna-like bracelets that I posted earlier. These are the ones that my girls and I made. This was a very easy and inexpensive project. I would recommend it for girls seven and up. Many crafts I do with the kids require a lot of clean-up time. This one was pretty tidy! I actually think it was less messy than henna because it dries on the wax paper and not you. The girls liked them more than henna because they are so colorful.

The Home Depot Kids Workshop

Assalm alykom

Home Depot has a free kids workshop on the first Saturday of every month. This was our first month to try it. We coordinated going with other kids from our masjid to make it more fun for the kids. The workshop is an unassembled project that the kids have to put together. They give the kids the Home Depot apron and a nice pin to show they completed the project. This month's project was a mail organizer. With my help even my three year old daughter was able to participate. Her favorite part was the stamping. The first picture(with all the stamping) is hers. The other two are for my older two children.






For those of you interested here is a link that gives more information:
http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal/Kids_Workshops

I encourage you to take advantage of this. It is great because it is free and fun!

I Spy

Assalam alykom

My kids love the I Spy books. I have to admit, I love them too. Every time we go to the library, one of my kids checks one of these books out. Even my three year old finds them in the toddler section and she loves them. Scholastic has an official website for I Spy.

http://www.scholastic.com/ispy/index.asp

At the site ,you can create your own I spy picture. You can make up your own rhyme or use theirs. You can print them out or email them to a friend. There are games related to I spy that the kids can play too!

Another book similar to the I Spy books are Can You See What I See? They are nice too. They do not have the same nice rhymes but they have really nice scenes that you have to look for the things. So the next time you go the the library spy an I Spy book they are great fun for the whole family!

Are You A "Peace Maker"

Assalm alykom

Are you a "Peace Maker"? Do you need help in this aspect of your life? Do you make peace with your children, your wife or husband, your family members and neighbors. This khutbah was given in my masjid for Eid. I found it to be very inspiring and relative to how life is for everyone. To listen to this inspirational khutbah follow the link and go the the individual lectures section. The title is Eid Al -adha 1426
http://www.loveallah.net/main/etools/audio-archive.html

Time Well Spent

Assalam alykom:

I just checked a book out of the library called Help for the Harried Homeschooler. It is a practical guide to balancing your child's education with the rest of your life. It had an advice that I really think is great. It said to set aside time to do things together. Well while your homeschooling you are already together. How does setting more time aside for each other help? Are you not a little tired of one another? After all, you are only together all the time. Well I just finished the first semester with my kids and took some time off for the Eid. I even had activities that we spent time together. It was really great. I took the kids shopping for things they need. We did not have to rush home to finish our Math or take a spelling test. We could look around and go to different stores to buy the things we needed. When we are homeschooling it is a 2 hour rush only to Wal-mart to get everything that is needed. If they have what we need that is good if not there is no time to look anywhere else.

One place we took the kids was a state park called Deleon Springs. It is a beautiful park because it has a natural spring. Here is a picture of where the water flows.

At the park there is a unique restaurant that is an old sugar mill. The restaurant serves all you can eat pancakes and you make them yourself right at the table.

After we were stuffed with pancakes, we rented one canoe and one peddle boat and ventured down the river that is connected to the spring.

The next day I took the kids for ice-cream and a trip to the local park. Even though we spent a lot of time together, it helps us to be refreshed to spend a lot more time together homeschooling. Sometimes as homeschoolers we may feel burnt out with it all. Taking a little time to spend together can do wonders and make everyone feel refreshed to start again

Henna-like bracelets for Eid

Here are some really cute bracelets in the style of henna. I have three girls and they loved the look of these. The directions look really easy. InshAllah we will have time to try them. Have a look and see what you think.

http://www.inspiredathome.com/MyFree/My%20Free22.htm