memory in the US!

story for today....

Since Babah dah nak dedicate this blog for our children...so mama nak start contribute story for our children's everyday life....

today, thursday 15th november 2007...Ammaar is 2 years 11 months and adik nawfal is 7 month and 4 days old. Ammaar now dah byk vocab yg dia tahu...in telling story..the story is getting longer and more interesting together with face expression and body action...dah makin byk pilihan cerita pun...as from last nite, if dulu asyik about BOB ajer, this time dah start include ULtraman, Mr.Bean, Tom&Jerry, Harvey The Crane (in thomas) and sometimes about the new cat that we have in the house now...named 'White'. since ammaar nih agak pelat sket cakapnyer, there are lots of his words yg agak out-of-tuned sket....bunyi lari byk jgk...below mama listkan some of the words yg mama can remember...

• nanti=anti


• because=tos


• sedap=bebap


• slide=ide(+bunyi:eeeeiiiiuuu-bum)


• cannot=ngak bisa!!!!!


• cat=tucing(kucing lah tu)


• boleh=boeh

ada lagi actually, but mama tak dapat recall other words yg funny bunyinyer tuh...if i remember some of them mama will post again later.

For Nawfal..the funny boy!..he is getting more active than ever...at 7 month now, he has 2 teeth(1 more is coming), dah nyulur laju ala-ala askar merayap...learning to crawl & sit by himself...klu in baby walker..skrg dah makin laju..dah easily blh move himself from the living room to the kitchen. when mama comes back from work, dah pandai asked to be picked up....dah depa (tunjuk2) tgn mintak diangkat.he has also started the baby babling....one time ada kuar 'abuah' hhehe...maybe nak ckp 'abah' kot ye Babah?bila nawfal nak sebut mama lak nih!...one thing yg tak berubah since beranak....still susah nak get to sleep...masyallah..berperang dulu sblm selamat tidur....sabar jelah..anyway...mama still survive!!!

so that's it dulu for today..wanted to write more but lots of things need to be finished at work...Insyallah, tomorrow mama cont lagi...or maybe Babah can sambung about this entry....tata..

A day at Vandy (infront Wilson Hall)

Ammaar candid pose 1

2nd pose

Nawfal dan hotwheels

Lately, Nawfal has shifted his interest from bulky toy car to hotwheels.

Stunt for Baba

Ammaar wanted to show this stunt to Baba

Selamat Hari Raya to u Abg

Assalamualaikum wrth,

Abg, rasanyer ucapan as in the title kat atas tu cam dah nak basi dah kan...but till today rasanyer Da tak properly beraya ngan Abg...main ckp camtuh jek..maybe sbb tak really in front of yourself & hold your hand for mintak ampun kot...since mama nih byk ngutuk babah especially yg tak puas hati kat dlm hati lah...dosa2 kecik nih klu himpun byk2 blh jdk besar...so now klu blh Da nak tak this opportunity to properly, sopan-santunly...say this...

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Abang,

Mintak ampun & maaf banak2(ikut Ammaar's style)

From the bottom of my heart,

the sincerest of me,

if i ever hurt u and your feeling or make u malu (of my wrong doing)

intentionall and unintentionally,

in the long past or just recently,

I hope for your forgiveness

forgive me..

I know that u do not need to ask from me,

Coz I'm learning to put everything in the past

I assure you that i no longer keep tabs.

I make do'a

For the next raya morning

i'm able to hold your hand

and say these words again

Insyallah...

~Mama Ammaar&Nawfal~

story for today

Once upon a time....

This is a beautiful story of an Old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur'an. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Qur'an just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Ta ke this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would Leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be Changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."

Dearest Babah...
may our family become the family who keeps the quran in the heart..

Jumlah anak ??

Anak...Da...kita nak anak 5 orang kan... abg pikir pikir lah ...la ni umur abg dah 31 dan Da 30..katakan jarak umur anak anak kita nih 3 thn....so,

1. Ammaar (abg: 28, da:27)
2. Nawfal (abg: 31, da:30)
3. Aleeya (abg: 34, da:33) -->(Ammaar:6, Nawfal:3)
4. Naeela (abg: 37, da:36) -->(Ammaar:9, Nawfal:6)
5. Arhaam (abg: 40, da:39) -->(Ammaar:12, Nawfal:9)

Da boleh imagine tak?

Moga-moga umur kita dipanjang kan Allah SWT semoga kita sempat tengok semua ni.

AmmAaR New ChEEse tO BaBAh

Salam to Babah....nowadays, if mama ask ammaar to take picture for babah, he'll do this....(masuk jari dlm lubang idung)....makin lebar ler lubang idung tuh nti...beware babah...there is also one little buddy trying to follow his big abg......tu dok nengok jek contoh teladan from abg ammaar...

Wish u a very happy nite...BABAH..

TV and Montessori

Abg. feel very keen to adopt this method to our children.
Below some excerpts about TV in children life...can totally be applied to adult too

Television . . .Is an anti-experience and an anti-knowledge machine because it separates individuals from themselves and from the environment and makes them believe they are living while they are only observing passively what other people decide to make them see. - Dr. Silvana Montanaro, MD, Psychiatrist, Montessori Teacher-Trainer

The primary danger of the television screen lies not so much in the behavior it produces as the behavior it prevents... Turning on the television set can turn off the process that transforms children into adults. - Urie Bronfenbrenner, Professor of Human Development, Cornell University

Is it gonna be our next car ??

Savvy Sedan

My first gaji

Today, mama first day dapat gaji after 31/2 years bercuti & mkn duit gaji babah ajer ...i'm suppose to feel so happy sbb dulu asyik complaint takdak duit, merungut asyik bergantung on babah ajer...but now, bila duit gaji dah didepan mata...not even sekelumit happy yg mama rasa...but more to perasaan just lega sbb dah ada duit sket utk family....because of this money i have to leave my sons for 8 hours a day & separated with my buah hati for months....because of this money jgk babah&anak2 terpaksa berjauhan...but, thats the reality of life..mama takleh nak beremosi2 lagi sekarang...have to be strong for babah tercinta & anak2 tersayang.My doa, hopefully all this dugaan will make us & our love stronger.

Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

10 ways to cope with those kicking, screaming, why-me meltdowns.

By Dr. Naim

Temper tantrums are most common amongst toddlers eighteen to twenty-four months. It’s one of the reasons those years are not-so-affectionately called the Terrible Twos. Tantrums are equally as common in girls as in boys. But older kids sometimes resort back to the tantrum stage, especially if there’s been a recent stress or change in their lives or they’ve learned they work to get their way. While you can expect your little munchkin to have an “Exorcism” or two, how you respond to the outburst will largely determine whether they decrease or increase. Here are a few tips that will help stop those annoying kid meltdowns.

Before the tantrum:

Anticipate the meltdown
Your best defense is to anticipate a tantrum’s onset. Don’t wait until your child is in full meltdown because once a tantrum begins, you don’t have much control. Watch for your kid’s signs that a tantrum is on its way: tension, acting antsy, a whimper. Once you learn to identify your child’s “tantrum is approaching” signs you’re in the best place to defuse it.

Distract and redirect
The second you know a tantrum is approaching, immediately try to redirect your child’s attention: say “Let’s go get your teddy,” or “I bet you can’t jump up and touch the sky!” Or try distracting your little one: “Look at that little boy over there.” Your best bet is to try to divert his attention long enough to reroute his energy. Do know the technique doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a stab.

Use feeling words and calming methods
One of the biggest reasons toddlers use tantrums is due to frustrations. They simply don’t have the words to express their wants and needs, nor the maturity to gauge their emotions, so you’ll need to be their self-regulator at first. Try rubbing her back, holding her gently, or humming a relaxing song. Get down eye to eye, and talk in a soothing voice. Put your child’s feelings into words: “Oh, you look like you’re tired. Are you tired?” or “It looks like I have a frustrated little girl. Are you frustrated?” Pose a question that your child can answer with a yes or no nod. Your calming tone along with your “feeling talk” might just help temper a pending explosion.

Give a warning
Depending on your child’s maturity level, try giving a warning. Use a Firm Parent Voice and give a simple stern admonishment letting your child know that his behavior won’t be tolerated: “Calm down, Jack. You know mommy doesn’t like that behavior” or “Stop that now, Kelly, or you will go to the Calm Down Chair.” A warning lets your child know that his behavior is not appropriate and if he continues there will be a consequence. With some little tykes, your stern reminder is all it takes. If you do give a warning and the poor behavior continues, you must follow through and send him off to the Thinking Chair (one minute per age of the child until calm). “Warnings” and the Calm Down Chair (or Time Out) are usually effective for children who are at least three years of age; sometimes for more mature two-years-olds but never before that age. Your child must be able to understand the concepts of a warning and consequence and possess a speaking vocabulary of more than a few phrases.

During the tantrum

Ignore, ignore, ignore
Once the tantrum starts, don’t give it any attention. No eye contact, no words, do not react. Once your child learns that her outburst “works”—that is she gets her way—she’s likely to try it again (and again and again).

Don’t try to reason
Forget trying to rationalize with a wailing, flailing child—it’s like trying to reason with a goldfish! Once in tantrum-mode your child is beyond understanding. Also, don’t coax, yell, or spank. It doesn’t help, and you’re lible to escalate the outburst.

Ensure safety
Check out the surroundings. If there are sharp edges, glasses or objects that could hurt your child, move him to a “safe zone.” I would not recommend restraining a flailing child unless absolutely necessary for his safety or you’ve clearly discovered it’s the only method to calm him. Restraining usually increases an outburst (and you’re likely to be hurt). If you’re out in public, stop what you’re doing and remove your kid to secluded spot or take him home. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but he’ll learn you’re won’t tolerate inappropriate behavior.

After the Tantrum

Don’t stress out
It’s over! Chances are you both are plain drained. So do whatever you need to do to regroup.

Track your response
Collect your thoughts, and then assess your response. Were you consistent with how you handle the outburst? “Calm consistency” is a key to ending tantrums so be mindful of how you respond to your child.

Identify triggers
Get a calendar and keep notes. Is there a pattern as to when or where these tantrums usually occur? For instance, just before naptime because he’s tired; after day care because he’s stressed; or at noon because he’s hungry? Does your child have a tough time with change and need a warning that a transition coming? Is there anything you can do to change your child’s schedule that might help reduce his outbursts?

Our Precious Sunshine

Ammaar

Nawfal

Bismillah. "Ya Allah yang Maha Pemurah dan Penyayang, berkatilah usaha kami mendidik Ammaar dan Nawfal. Jadikan mereka anak yang soleh dan cemerlang di dunia dan akhirat" . Amin

First day puasa dan research

Let us try the best to reap the benefit of this month. Imam said, every good deed is rewarded by 70x rewards. Abg also found a good checklist, 'things to do' during this month and will try to post it here nextime
Yesterday, abgs program finally showed a sign of good progress after the whole stressful morning. Today, will see Dr. Sarkar.

Bulan Ramadhan Al Mubarak

Da, selamat berpuasa dan beribadah. Nasyid ni abg bagi khas kat Da. Sounds nice tapi tak paham maksud...tapi based on video...conclude activity di bulan Ramahan, makan makan dan makan

Bibik

Semalam, alhamdulillah, bibik telah didapati. Lega satu hal. Maka tak perlu lah MakTok risau menjelang bulan puasa nnt!
Harapan babah, agar bibik nih tak buat hal seperti ramai yang experiance. Treat her accordingly, and always remember her condition macam abg., jauh dari anak. Mesti rindu kemain, but at the same time must be responsible on the job prescribed. Always give her hope for good future so she could serve us with good intention. Tu lah yang penting pada abg.
Selamat Berbibik :)

Perihal Ammaar dan Nawfal

Menurut Opah, sepanjang pengalaman membesarkan 8 org anak + berbelas cucu, ni first time tengok budak yang paling kuat bunyi nangis... itu lah Nawfal
Menurut Tok Mama, sepanjang dia membesarkan 4 orang anaknya, ni lah first time dia tengok budak yang so involve dan tak berenti bercakap... itulah Ammaar.
Da, abg. nampak budak budak ni nnt membesar jadi somebody yang very distinct.

PLUS upgrades highway dan kesannya terhadap keluargaku

Kesesakan di Malaysia telah mencapai tahap maksima. Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan sudah tidak mampu menanggung jumlah kerata yang semakin meningkat mendadak. Penyelesaiannya, PLUS sedang menaik taraf lebuhraya dari dua lorong ke tiga lorong.
Kesannya, isteri dan anak2x ku masih tersangkut kat rumah opah di tanjung malim. Besok nak kerja. Kesian Da. Tak boleh nak balik awal. Kalau balik jugak, jawabnya perjalanan yang sepatut hanya mengambil masal 1.30jam akan boleh menjadi seharian. Mungkin kalau balik awal subuh besok, trafik tak sesesak semalam. Sabar ye sayang.

Some more of Yusuf Islam's (Father and Son)

First, this song is unique in a way that it's supposed to be sung by a father and his son. Second,
the lyric is so real and straight to the point.


Yusuf Islam by himself version:


Original version:


The lyric:
Father
Its not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
Youre still young, thats your fault,
Theres so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but Im happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that its not easy,
To be calm when youve found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything youve got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

Son
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
Its always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now theres a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Father
Its not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
Youre still young, thats your fault,
Theres so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but Im happy.
(son-- away away away, I know I have to
Make this decision alone - no)
Son
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
Its hard, but its harder to ignore it.
If they were right, Id agree, but its them you know not me.
Now theres a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.
(father-- stay stay stay, why must you go and
Make this decision alone? )

Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens

I've known this famous guy from his sweet 'A for Allah' song. I also knew that he was a great musician during 70's but really unaware about the type of songs he delivered.
I personally think that he should be an examplary to the music industry as entertainment is concern. Enjoy some of his pieces here. May Allah rewards his good intention.

New version:


Another new version:


Antic version:



The lyric:
Now I've been happy lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately,
dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be,
some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again

Now I've been smiling lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller

Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on now peace train

Get your bags together,
go bring your good friends too
Cause it's getting nearer,
it soon will be with you

Now come and join the living,
it's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer,
soon it will all be true

Now I've been crying lately,
thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating,
why can't we live in bliss

Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again

Housemate

Naveed, a student of International Education program at Peabody and a Fullbright scholar is formally becoming abg's housemate. Abg. picked him up from Crossland Extended-Stay hotel at Murfreesboro Rd. around noon and brought him shopping at Walmart. The very best about him is he is like abg. having two children; one is 3 yrs old and the other is 5 months. We are in the same ship but his family will join him here while abg. will go back to MY.

Buang masa

Hari ni, abg buang masa buat banner site ni. Guna 'Seashore', Gimp-based picture editing software. Boring nya...
My simulation is still taking a long time to run. I don't know what's wrong. The ODE solution seems too close to singularity. Eventhough my matrix is full rank. Eventually I force to stop the program when the error tolerance is too small.

Why? why? why?It is because;

1. the ODE is 'stiff' type
2. my matrix isn't actually full rank, but due to processor limit, it says it is full rank. ??
2. the 'kappa' term after I tie it up to dhdq term, results in zero matrix. is it logic? (how can I get the x,y,phi position if it is not driven by the input tau.)

Sakit perut

Today, my darling has stomach ache. She said, probably it was from the food she bought yesterday. But I simply suspect, it was not only because of the dreaded food. The feeling of separation especially after 3 years staying at home with Ammaar just makes thing up to the worst. Plus, leaving Nawfal at that very tender age might make you feel guilty.
Be strong Da!
It's natural for you to have that feeling. Tanya la mana mana mak pun yang terpaksa pergi kerja.
The important thing is, the love between you and budak budak won't reduce. What you can do now, is to spend quality time with them.
Satu lagi, kalau pegi farmasi, beli 'milk of magnesia' for sakit perut. Always keep one bottle at home.

Nawfal Naim Shahrul Naim

First time tengok anak Babah yang kedua after sebulan lebih tak jumpa. Perasaan gembira bercampur sayu. Anak babah yang nih dah besar. Sekejap jer dia membesar. Tu la betul cakap si Daisy, enjoy this time, they will outgrow you in a matter of 'seconds'. Babah rasa rugi, sebab tak tengok Nawfal membesar depan mata, but Babah percaya, the sacrifice will be paid off.

Doa Babah, agar Nawfal membesar menjadi anak yang sihat, soleh dan cemerlang.

Ni la Nawfal Naim : umur 4.5 bulan : berat 7.4kilo

Nawfal sama Che Tee

Hari pertama isteriku bekerja

Isteriku bangun awal, seawal 5 pagi. Dapat abang rasakan bagaimana risau perasaan Da. Nak meninggal Ammaar dan Nawfal bersama Mak Tok. Nawfal semakin berat. 7.4 kilo menurut Che' Ti. Kalau babah angkat pun, paling lama setengah jam. Mesti sudah sakit pinggang. Inikan pulak Mak Tok. Ammaar pulak, tak pernah berjauh dengan mamanya. So far, training yang dibagi tak jalan. Mungkin tak cukup.
Tapi abang yakin, they will behave well. Kita cuma perlu percaya kat diorang. Especially Ammaar.
Tapi Da, yang abang lebih risaukan. Mesti asyik teringat kat anak masa kerja nanti. Da tak pernah berpisah dengan anak-anak. Abang harap Da boleh fokus kerja.
InsyaAllah, time will settle down everything. Harap-harap, bibik yang dijanji dapat datang sebelum bulan puasa ni supaya segala kerisauan dan beban dapat dikurangkan.