Tale of the Three Legged Cat
Family March 29th, 2013
Sakeenah’s cute doodles; the three legged cat.
This post was drafted a long while back. I just came back and thought to finish it off.
On one of the nights, Sakeenah and Aneesah stayed up late (it’s always troublesome to get them to bed early). Sakeenah was doodling on a piece of A4 paper which she got from Aneesah. Aneesah, on the other hand, acquired the paper from our printer’s paper feed. Such a collaborative work, and in the end, the paper was turned into shreds!
Anyway (before the paper was shredded into small pieces and before Sakeenah was doodling), I came up to Sakeenah and was wondering what she was going to draw on the paper. She said it’s going to be a cat. So she drew two big circles and a tiny one right in the middle – and that was it, that was her cat.
Sure enough her cat was missing other features. I asked her, where is the tail and where’s the body?
So she draw the tail first. After that she draw the body. Later on she added the hair, the eye brows and the legs.
She then realised that the tail was wrongly located (as it was in the body and not at the back), and this made her draw another tail at the back. I’m impressed. The fact that she tried to relocate the tail just shows how observant kids can be. The next time your kids draw something, maybe you’d want to try and interview them about their drawings!
Two Sakeenahs in the House
Family June 10th, 2012
A moment to remember: Sakeenah meeting Aneesah for the first time
“Teenah nak matan (Sakeenah nak makan)” – Sakeenah wants to eat.
“Teenah nak panjat (Sakeenah nak panjat)” – Sakeenah wants to climb.
“Teenah sakit perut (Sakeenah sakit perut)” – Sakeenah has stomach ache.
“Teenah diri (Sakeenah berdiri)” – Sakeenah is standing.
These were all statements from our Aneesah, not Sakeenah. Evidently, she was using her elder sister’s name in reference to herself. My wife was the one who noticed this, but at first, I didn’t believe. All this while we’ve been calling her own name and the least I would expect is to have two daughters calling themselves ‘Sakeenah’!
“Teenah nak tisu bet-tul (Sakeenah nak susu botol)” – Sakeenah wants bottled milk.
It eventually became habitual that even my wife and I started to call Aneesah as ‘Sakeenah’. Realizing how contagious this phenomenon was, we started to remind Aneesah of her own name and began rephrasing every sentences with her own name. Alhamdulillah, it worked out well. Although, occasionally she would still use ‘Sakeenah’ as her own name.
“Mana tudung Teenah (Mana tudung Sakeenah)?” – Where is Sakeenah’s tudung. There she goes again. We just bought her and Sakeenah a tudung.
Sometimes I wonder, could it be that our attention for her has been lesser than what we’ve shown to Sakeenah? Despite our effort to give equal attention, as humans, I admit, we tend to err and there’s no knowing along the way where we could have gone wrong. After all, how do I measure equal love?
For a 2 year old, I really can’t tell what’s going on. Perhaps she sees so much love shown for Sakeenah that she has decided to choose her name, words, and actions like Sakeenah?
One thing about Aneesah is that she really loves her sister no matter how bad they might quarrel at times. Her love was attested when she had to part from her sister the day Sakeenah was admitted to HUKM for an MRI scan. Aneesah seemed unhappy and depressed. She even called out for Sakeenah. I felt sorry for her. I tried to cheer her up but most of the time, I found her in a state of profound silent. When Sakeenah returned the next day, Aneesah was so happy that she hugged Sakeenah for so long. This was far more emotional for a drama!
I normally give a small peck on Sakeenah’s cheek before I leave with my wife for work. As for Aneesah, I wanted to, but I dare not to because she is a special type who has ultra-sensitive ‘sensors’ that enable her to wake up and eventually ‘siren’ the entire neighborhood with her deafening cry (Masya-Allah, too much for a small kid, don’t you think? Well, it may sound that I’m exaggerating, but one time, I could hear her cry even several meters away from the house!). Thinking back, it could have just been a small peck that could have made a lot of difference. Who knows, maybe she’ll call herself Aneesah from now onwards!
Or, it could have just been that since Aneesah sees her elder sister as a role model, she simply copycats everything including how Sakeenah addresses herself.
Our princesses. Abi & Ummi love you both, kids!
Just to double check, Aneesah is here beside me as I’m typing. Let us reaffirm her identity shall we?
Abu Sakeenah: “Ini siapa?” (Who is this? – while patting her chest).
Aneesah: “Eesah” (Aneesah).
Good to hear that! On the other hand, there were also odd occasions where our petite Aneesah gave a different but innocent answer:
Abu Sakeenah: “Ini siapa?” (Who is this? – while pointing to herself).
Aneesah: “Suar (Seluar)” (Pants/Trousers).
Happy parenting to all parents!
Montessori
Family March 24th, 2012
Early this year, my wife and I were looking out for a potential kindergarten where we could send our children. Our maid was nearing the end of her contract and we thought that she did not want to continue.
So, we set out to find that kindergarten/school. I personally felt that I did not want to send my children to any normal school, no matter what the cost is. Education IS expensive. One of the schools which I had set my eye on was the Brainy Bunch Islamic Montessori. Also recently, I found out that there was another school which has claimed to have adopted the montessori method more than 10 years ago, Sri Ayesha Islamic School.
Sakeenah & Aneesah
Husband-ly and Daddy-ly Rambles
Family February 27th, 2012
Last Friday was officially my wife’s last at an IT company in Cyberjaya. Having worked there for more than four years now, I’m sure memories with her friends are the hardest element of emotional attachment to thrive through. Knowing my wife though, she normally keeps her cool.
As for today and the next two days, there’s no one more happier than my own two daughters who would have their mother at home. I wonder what they are up to right now? Sakeenah – probably trying out all the clothes in the wardrobe. Aneesah, a copy-cat extraordinaire, would perhaps copy whatever Sakeenah is doing; be it actions or words. My wife? Probably keeping them under control – so as to avoid recurring frictions between them. They’re armed you know; Sakeenah with her forceful push and Aneesah with her lethal bite!
Parenting: Love Your Kids and They Will Love You
Family November 12th, 2011
On typical working days, the part which I really look forward to is the time to go back home from work. I suppose the same goes for anyone else, but for me, the real reward that I yearn for is to be with the kids after a day’s work. Always. Everyday.
Yet I don’t know if my daughters are able to comprehend or appreciate this fatherly feeling inside of me. At least, my second daughter, Aneesah, seems to show more ‘empathy’ when I open up to hug her than my eldest, Sakeenah. Whilst her younger sister tries to grab my attention, Sakeenah remains seemingly blunt and unmoved by my return. Perhaps intentionally, perhaps not. Deep inside, my inner voice would ask her: “Don’t you miss me?”
She would simply look at me from the corner of her eyes as if to say in reply: “Don’t you miss me?”
She’s a smart girl. Politically mindful, I would say. In the end, I would give in and would have to chase after her (she would run away cheekily) to get a hug. Aneesah, on the other hand, would be left behind, confused and unaware of what the whole commotion is about. As much as possible I would try to give equal attention to both but being human would mean that there’s always the probability that my effort can turn out to be lopsided. There are odd times, however, when Sakeenah would suddenly come by and give a small peck on my cheek. In the end, all that matter is that I know she knows that I love her. In a book called Adab Al-Mufrad, Imam Bukhari mentioned a hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam):
Jarir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah will not show mercy to a person who does not show mercy to other people.”
Inspired by a colouring photo shot of Sakeenah’s friend, Alia1, masya-Allah, my wife and I decided to buy colour pencils and colouring books for our daughters too. Of course, the one to make sense of the colour pencils at first is Sakeenah. Aneesah learns quickly because she has her elder sister as her role model. In most cases, however, we would have to keep an eye on Aneesah since almost everything she sees is deemed edible. Here’s a video clip of her drawing her Abi, masya-Allah. Even though I am seen as merely straight lines, at least I’m still part of her ‘landscape’ drawing. Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to Ummi? Oh yes, she’s busy cooking delicious food for us in the kitchen! I assume that this is the logical reason behind Ummi’s absence in the drawing. At the end of the clip, you will see Sakeenah drumming on the chair with her colour pencil. Wherever she learned that from??
Love you lots, kids! – Abi & Ummi
1Posted with permission from Alia’s mum (Farhana Mohd Fadzil) and dad (Mohd Aizat Yaacob) – picture was initially posted on Facebook ( October 21 at 12:24am)
Superdads and Supermoms
Family October 25th, 2011
Often, we would like to brag ourselves about being either a supermom or a superdad. With all the time to spare with your kids, there is no better way to manifest our super powers but to nurture them with all the love they need even though we work round the clock 24/7 (well, almost!). When we arrive home from work, our kids will just rush and climb all over us. We might not be someone to the world, but to them, we are the noble hero and heroine that they salute and admire. Masya-Allah. So, hang on there supermoms and superdads!
Like superman, my daughters resemble my own source of power. They lighten up my days like the sun, but alas, they are also my own weaknesses; like kryptonite draining all my powers.
I hear the call to prayer. The azan for ‘isya’. As I get ready to leave for the mosque, my daughter pleads so that she could follow. What’s a superdad supposed to do? She cannot follow, she’ll disturb the jamaa’ah. I cannot look to her eyes and her tears. Her cries are weakening me. Okay then my little one, Abi will not go. NOOOO! Abi must go! So out flew Abi the superdad to the mosque, leaving his superkids under the care of supermom. Alhmadulillah, supermom seamlessly takes care of them under her cape, comforting and consoling them.
After a while, superdad returns, feeling happy to meet His Lord’s obligations, and so is supermom, and so are their superkids.
Tribute to my wife and daughters.
When Your Child Can Speak
Family September 14th, 2011
Here is a du’a which you can recite when your child is able to converse: ~
For him:
مَا شَاءَ الله. لاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللهِ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ
For her:
مَا شَاءَ الله. لاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللهِ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَيْهَا
Meaning:
“Whatever (occur is due to) Allah’s will. There is no power save for the Power of Allah. O Allah, grant (Your) Blessing onto him/her (the child).”
Reunited Again
Family January 11th, 2011
- One big family reunion – the Sabron family.
We had another round of family reunion last Sunday night. Matter of factly, it wasn’t for family reunion per se. Since Achik Seri will be going back to Australia to resume her PhD, a religious congregational prayer (or its well known term, doa selamat) was held for her safe academic venture abroad.
Again, Ustaz Subhan was invited to re-enlighten us on the sacred duties of a Muslim amongst other religious topics. He has somewhat become a de facto Imam in the family.
- Obedience (الإطاعة) to all rulings and commandments from Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’ala).
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Repentance (التوبة) for all wrongdoings.
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Strive/Struggle (المجاهدة) for the cause of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’ala). Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an:
Meaning:
And those who strive in Our (cause), – We will certainly guide them to Our Paths: For verily Allah is with those who do right. (26:29)
May this little piece of advice bring good to all of us.
To Achik Seri, we pray for your successful pursuit in your PhD. May all that you learn be beneficial to you and the ummah. Amin.
Family Reunion
Family January 9th, 2011
Enjoying our family dinner.
It has been a long while since the last family gathering. Pak Mok & Ummi Dillah had invited the whole Sabron family to his house at Putrajaya. We couldn’t achieve a full quorum; ayah had a class in KL, Pak Long busy at the hospital, Hafeez was still at work, Mimi in Jordan, Alang in Kuantan, and Farhan working his shift at night.
Anyway, Pak Uda and the rest of the family just came back from Australia. So, it was a good reunion we had last night.
Family gatherings such as this invite me to cherish all past memories. Those cousins of mine whom I used to play and joke around as little kiddies are now grown up and matured. Yet, I can’t help but think that they are still the cute obnoxious rascals who used to climb up to my shoulders while I was praying! I have totally lost track of their ages and keep on asking how old they are. I guess I’m having problems admitting that I’m old. Hahah – how time flies!
Oh … and yesterday, Pak Mok was talking with Safee Sali‘s father. He happens to live next door! Not exactly Safee’s house but the house belongs to his elder brother. I’m not a great fan of football but this news seems to excite everyone last night. If you guys want autographs, pay me in advanced (joking!).
Just before I retire from this post, I’d like to leave a few verses from the Holy Qur’an. One can read these verses as part of their du’a for their family:
Du'a for your family.
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