'Busy' is the word of the week.....again!
So we all survived another busy week of school, work, etc, etc. For the first time since he started school Hamza is getting enough homework to keep him busy most afternoons. And Safa? Well she's really got her plate full. Tons of homework, preparing for the AHSGE (the Alabama high school graduation math exam), which they are required to take in ninth grade and of course she's delved into some extracurricular activities too. Math team twice a week, and debate twice a week after school. Debate she's passionate about, and she really believs that math team will help her with her day to day math syllabus. So I'll be picking her up at 4 on Tuesdays and 4:45 on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Yesterday trying to come home was a nightmare; we hit peak rush hour in Trussville and the traffic was terrible on the interstate. So from next week onwards I'll be using the back roads to bring her home.
As far as school work goes, on Wednesday Safa had her first near meltdown of the school year. When you're stressed out it just gets hard to think things through. She had some research to do on her science project and couldn't figure out where to start. But I helped her work it through, and things fell back into place. One thing she has learned for sure, today's assigned homework needs to be started today, because tomorrow there will be more! And she made another decision this week, she is dropping guitar lessons for now. Practising a new song every week or every other week was becoming stressful for her. When an activity like that ceases to be for enjoyment it probably is a good time to stop. I hope that she continues to play for enjoyment, so that she doesn't lose the skills she's learned in four years of lessons. All we can do is continue to encourage her.
And what is Bilal up to? Spending lots of time outdoors on his new playset. The fort on top stays shady most of the day, so I don't mind hanging out there with Bilal while he goes up the the slide, down the rock wall, up the ladder, down the slide, up the slide, down the ladder, and so on. He has to do everything in reverse!
And when it's too hot to be outdoors we make the most of it indoors.
Bilal is learning a lot these days; Vicki is doing letters with him, and he is starting to write some too. He loves to solve mazes out of his Kumon book, and they're quite challenging for a four year old, but he is learning to look and think ahead, which is an essential skill. I think that by next year he'll be really ready for kindergarten.
And if I put next week's agenda down in this post I'll be able to refer to it when necessary, so here goes:
Monday: Team and technology meeting at Hamza's school at 6pm
Tuesday: Safa stays till 4 for debate
Wednesday: I am headed to Tuscaloosa (1 hour drive away) for an all day conference on rural health. Vicki stays late with the kids
Thursday: Day two of rural health conference in Tuscaloosa (half day only). In the evening Zakir will take Bilal with him when he goes to the Open House at Safa's school. During that same time I will take Hamza to the first middle school football game where he will be performing in the symphonic band. Somebody clone me, or somebody shoot me! Aaargh, football!
Friday: We go to the mosque in Pelham where our friends are hosting dinner.
Saturday: Catch up day
Sunday: Sunday school in the morning, and back to the Pelham mosque where we are hosting dinner, along with a few other families.
This Saturday Zakir will be waiting tables at a charity fundraiser to cover expenses for uninsured patients at our hospital. I will probably take the kids to the mosque with me. Sunday, who knows?