Routines and Everyday Home-cooked Meals

Assalamualaikum... It's Wednesday... Today I'm all alone in my cozy office, writing the last chapter on Alif's journey diagnosed as slow learner. Then I was writing this... About my everyday routine. 

Let me share you my everyday routine...

My routine, everyday without fail:

1. After bathing and solah, I definitely prepare a home-cooked breakfast for my love ones... Never fail to do that every morning. I don't like to give my family, especially my kids junkies (cakes, donuts, biscuits, 'jajan') and I believe that my home-cooked meals are always the best in terms of nutrition and all filled with love!! While cooking I do my salawat and zikr (insyaAllah... I realize doing that my food tasted better)
2.  By 7.30 I am off to send my kids to the babysitter (Ariq), Madrasah (Alif) and CIC (Aimy). Then off to my faculty to do work (ok sometimes I cheat, I go to pasar to buy some groceries... It's really therapeutic.. You should try!)
3. Every Mondays and Fridays, at 10.30 I will fetch Alif from Tahfiz and go to Smart Integrated (previously was GreatLife Physio) at Section 13 for his occupational therapy sessions for an hour (11-12pm).  Any other day he will take the school van back to Mak Ara's house.
4. (Monday and Friday) Rush back to fetch Aimy at CIC at 12 then send her (or them both)  back to Mak Ara's house (babysitter). I seriously can tell you my babysitter is a gem! She really took care of my kids, from individual bathe (yes people.. individual!), breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea even early dinner!! Alif will take the bus to school.
5. After that is my time for lunch. Sometimes I go back home and cook (you know... I'm on diet now... hihihi). After solah I will come back to the faculty and do some more work.. Or I just do it at home (which sometimes lead to other activities such as unnecessary sleep.. Which is why I prefer to do my work at the faculty).
6. By 5.30 I have to rush back home to cook for dinner or I will have to cook after I fetch the kids. Which is such a hustle coz Alif usually whines of hunger every time we are home. At 6.35 (Monday - Wednesday) or 6.10 (Thursday and Friday) I will fetch Alif from school and the other two from Mak Ara's house. We are always amongst the last to fetch our children (and Mak Ara always welcomes us with a smile, never complaint! That's why I told you, she's a gem!)
7. Arrived home, Alif and Aimy will head to play at the playground for awhile until 7.15 then prepare for Maghrib prayers, dinner and they will be sent off for mengaji (Monday - Thursday). I will have time for Ariq and myself (owh.. and my soulmate too!) until about 8.45. Usually Alif will have and 2nd round of dinner (yessss.... he has quite an appetitie). Among other reasons for me to cook.
   After that we will have a reading/homework session then they will be off to bed. I'll make sure the ayat ruqyah will be at the background whenever they sleep (just download at 4shared on my Tab).
8. I will have time to check emails and my handphone, even laundry (usually my soulmate helps me with that) before I dozz off (that is if Ariq already dozz off first). That's the only time I have to chat with him. 
9. If it is Saturday, still have a busy schedule. Alif has Math classes at CIC at 10am. After this I will enroll him back to Kumon, InsyaAllah. After that is quality family time. We go out and buy groceries or just a walk in the park. Sundays usually are more relaxed and lay back. Our weekend maid will come and clean the house (yessss... you need all the help you can get, ok!).

Why I share you my routine? Every mom's schedule is very much like this. However, I enjoy my life like this. It makes me occupied and give purpose to life. I have shortcuts of course.

I'll share you secrets to home-cooked meals everyday, without fail.

The important thing is, prepare ahead of time. 

Reen, my BFF told me at pasar seksyen 16 they sell this blended spices. Before this I told myself I can blend everything myself. No hassle. eeeeeeetttttt... wrong.

I end up buying the blended garlic, red onions, ginger, tumeric and chilies. It really made my life easier and you won't stress yourself slaving in the kitchen for hours. What you need is just to plan what you are going to cook for tomorrow. Get the frozen ingredients thawed (I just put the fish, poultry etc. at the bottom fridge to thaw). Credits to my late Mama for these tips. Allah bless her beautiful soul.

So, whenever I cook when I I have this earlier prepared (trust me) it will takes just 15- 20 minutes for a healthy home-cooked meal. 

 These are examples of my home-cooked meals.

 BREAKFAST

Usually, I prepare something fast.Only weekends I have time to work with some dough and prepare some karipap, kueh keria, etc.

Cekodok sayur

Roti telur goreng

Lempeng telur with sambal tumis (didn't have a pix of mine, and this was taken from fizadamiaresea.blogspot.com which is similar-looking to mine, so thank you)

Fettucini fried with olive oil, fresh veggies and sausages

LUNCH OR DINNER

On weekday the normal menu is some lauk (can be soups, gravy, fried or baked) and stir-fried veggies (or just a simple salad) with boiled rice.If I am lazy, just a simple nasi goreng with hard-boiled eggs will do.

Grilled salmon with pan-fried veggies

Salmon's head soup

sup tulang tumis darat

black pepper chicken

 So, I wish you good luck.

Btw, another tip from my Mama... Whenever you cook rice, after you clean the rice and measure the water, try to read selawat 3 times and blow to the rice. InsyaAllah, your children and hubby will always remember you at heart.

P/S: forgive my camera pixels. I just need a HP upgrade.. haha :)

Alif: A Special Journey on Learning (Part 4)

Assalamualaikum... and a very good day ahead to all...

I know.. You have been waiting for this final chapter of Alif's diagnosed as a slow learner. I was really really busy juggling life as a mother, wife, student and as a daughter, of course as a friend too (I forgot to list Shaklee Independent distributor!!). Life is really looking bright and quite serene for me, even though I really had a tight schedule... I'll share my routines in the next entry.

Now, about Dr. Sofia Ali from Ramsey Sime Darby Medical Center.

She's the best peads in children's development and neurology, I think maybe a handfull in Malaysia.

We chose to see her for Alif's case because:

1. She is much easier to get an appoinment with than government hospitals peads or other specialist.
2. She has good recommendations by the Dato' specialist at KPJ Shah Alam.

Ok, bare in mind.. hospitals, even private hospitals when you make an appointment, BE EARLY!!


I learned it the hard way.

Our appointment was at 9am.
We arrived at about 8.45am and we were already number 12! Guess what. the doctor checks in at 10am. You figure out the math? Half an hour per patient. What time we meet the doctor?? Yup.. about 4.30pm! Only Alif and I were there, soulmate can't take leave from work (as usual). We had breakfast, brunch there (Alif really drained my wallet that day). I was so bored. I said to Alif, let's have lunch somewhere else... Whre at?? Sunway Pyramid!! yesss... that's so near (just 10 minutes drive). After lunch at Popeye's we walked and shoped until my ankles hurts about 2pm, we drove back to SDMC.,.. and still we have to wait. I had to use the nursing room to express milk for Ariq.

When our turn was up (Alhamdulillah), Dr. Sofia was about to turn blue (just an expression). She was just to tired!! I should have known. However, her diagnosis on Alif was really on the surface. All about the symptoms and then she explained what Alif had. She drew a nice diagram about learning disability.

From her simple test (yes it was simple reading and probe question and answer tests), she draw a diagram like this ( I redrew it back). She said, Alhamdulillah, Alif is not ADHD or Autistic. He might have a bit Dyscalculia. But most of the problem is that he is a slow learner. She explained what is a slow learner briefly. However, I  dug deeper after that.

WHAT IS A SLOW LEARNER??

From this website http://www.memphisneurology.com/pdfs/handout_slow_learner.pdf, you can read more. It talks about slow learner. "Being a slow Learner is a life long problem. A Slow Learner is a child whose IQ is low enough to cause considerable difficulty in keeping up in the classroom. An average IQ is 100. Slow learners score between 70 and 90 on IQ tests. Less than 70 is considered Mentally Retarded. Slow Learners are not Mentally Retarded."

"Slow Learners may have problems not only with math and reading but also with coordination such as penmanship, sports, or dressing. Often they are quiet and shy, and they have trouble making friends. They may have a poor self confidence. They have trouble with abstract thinking such as in social studies or doing math word problems. They often  have a short attention span. All of these problems cause them to have a poor self esteem."

Alif's problem is another PHD for me. Definitely!

According to Dr. Sofia and the OT (I'll tell you later about her), he has problem retaining and filtering important information.  Just like the diagram above. In other words, he has problems processing information.


WHAT CAUSES SLOW LEARNER??



What causes Slow Learner is still a mystery.

I know some blamed me for that matter. Some might say because Alif was borned through vacuum suction, he became like that. Some might say I was not teaching him enough, or giving my fullest attention to him that why he became like that. Maybe Alif's fall and concussion was the reason for him to be like that. Some even labeled me as a bad mother. Too career-oriented. Some even said it's kifarah of what I have done (dosa) before.

Am I to be blamed??

I don't have a choice do I?

Maybe I do have dosa. I always repent, InsyaAllah.

Allah chose me to be the Mama of Alif for a reason. I know I am strong enough to handle this problem. I love him just as much as I love Aimy and Ariq. I have no boundaries for my love for my kids. Sometimes it kills me to see him falling so far from his friends. Even Aimy is catching up. I know for a fact, everything happened has hikmah hiding inside. InsyaAllah, I stretch all I have energy, money and all the doa and 'amalan' I can to help him. I just need people to understand. Support us.

I wrote this entries coz I want to share my experiences.

MasyaAllahutaala... I had numerous responds and help in every way.


Alif was given some medication by Dr. Sofia. Notrophil and some DHA capsules. He was prescribed with 2 times a week occupational therapy (OT). I had to teach him to read every day, which I do everyday too.

Dr Sofia Ali asked me to enroll Alif to OT at WQPark in Kelana Jaya. It was a bit too far, so I searched a place where it's closer (Shah Alam if possible). Alhamdulillah, I googled and found GreatLife Physio at Section 13 Shah Alam. Gave them a call, and Allah led us to Naza, the occupational therapist. MasyaAllah, she has brought so much positive impact in Alif's development.

After 2 times meeting Dr. Sofia Ali, Alhamdulillah, I saw improvement in Alif's performance. He still forgets things but sometimes he remembers the important things which I feel proud inside. I know he might not be as brilliant as any of your kids or any of my other kids. But, please don't judge him.

Definitely, I won't stop.

I might not have special notes from Alif telling me how much he loves me (I seriously want that).

But yesterday he gave me this... (ok, I don't know where he got that, from school I guess)

I broke down and cried.
He smiled, didn't even understood why I cried.