Sunday, December 23, 2012

Ice Skating At Minoru

First steps
Went to the Minoru Skating Centre for the very first time. Little kids and big kids skated on ice like it was second nature to them. Of course there were some who were not as good as most of the others. For these group of people who are beginning to skate, there were some metal supports or rails for holding onto while skating. When I am over my fear of

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Rolled Sugar Cookies
Baking Christmas cookies for the class has become a fun, end of the year tradition. Last year we baked gingerbread and sugar cookies just enough for the class party, which was about 3 dozen cookies. This year we decided to give the cookies in a treat bag to each of the kids in her class. We ended up making 9 dozen sugar cookies with 4 cookies in each treat bag. Once we got the dough ready and refrigerated, we were on a roll!

We used the same recipe that I had from last year.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Field Trip To Richmond Museum

Say Menorah!
Spent almost an entire day with kids K-2 at the Richmond Museum and Cultural Center for their class field trip. It was a wonderful experience. I felt like a kid and felt too old at the same time. I walked around like a kid looking at the displays, learning about the different religions, winter customs and going behind the scenes in the circulation area. The silly jokes and the innocent comments that the kids were making made me feel old. It was definitely a learning experience not just for the kids but for me as well.
These are the things I learned today:

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Making a Difference

I really feel like I have made a difference today. It feels good. It was my second time chairing the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meeting. Tonight's meeting was an important one because we were going to approve the budget for this year. The PAC approved nearly

Monday, November 19, 2012

Mommy Rich in June


My six year old first grader plans on getting me rich at the end of the school year. It is not the richness that one gets by acquiring money. It is a different kind of richness. Apparently, she will be getting

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Parent Teacher Conference

Today, I had a parent-teacher conference with Aaliyah's grade 1 teacher Mme. Hacker. I was 10 minutes early but she gladly welcomed me. She made Ayaan comfortable by giving him some paper and markers to color with. Then she gathered Aaliyah's class folders and we started our conversation. Together we went through Aaliyah's academic progress for the last two

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Fun with Words

Today, we had a good laugh thanks to Ayaan and his emerging quest for words. I thought I will make a note of it before I forget. So her it goes...
I was reading a book when Ayaan comes and makes himself cozy in my lap. Aaliyah finds comfort just sitting next to me and leaning on me. Then like always, Ayaan starts asking me to

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Once Upon a Time

I was putting Ayaan and Aaliyah to sleep and seeing that he was just too excited to go to sleep, I asked him if he can tell us a story. Not that he would go to sleep right away, I was just trying to calm him a little so he can let Aaliyah sleep in peace. Without any hesitation he started off with his story. This is his version of once

Thursday, October 18, 2012

First Book Fair

Aaliyah's love for books and for reading is growing each and everyday. And the opportunities just seem to sprout from every direction. Whether it is the reading homework from school, our recently established after-dinner storytime routine, regular visits to the local library, the reading buddies program or today's Scholastic book fair at her school, these opportunities are definitely giving her

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Reading Buddies

A couple weeks ago when I took the kids to the Library, I came across a registration form for a reading program called the Reading Buddies. I have noticed that Aaliyah has been reading quite confidently and has developed a love for reading books. Many a times in the recent past, I have caught her reading to Ayaan in a very gentle and loving manner. Just like a good big Sister. She already goes through reading half the books that we get from the library, on her own. Of course these books that she reads are below

Thursday, September 20, 2012

PAC Chair

I have been elected the new Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Chair for the year 2012-2013. It is a big achievement and an even bigger responsibility. The previous year's members were stepping down due to their personal commitments  and the school needed a new executive body. It was essential that the school had an executive body so they could apply for funding from the Provincial bodies. While I was ready for some executive role on the PAC, I never quite thought I would end up being the Chair.
I saw flyers for the PAC meeting posted all over the school bulletin boards. What hooked me in was the hand written note at the

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Parent Teacher Night

Went to Aaliyah's Parent-Teacher night yesterday. She has a bigger and better classroom than last year. She showed me around, showed her different folders, her work bins, and the activities that the class is currently working on. I met other parents, spoke to the class teacher about Aaliyah and then in the gym, the Principal introduced all the staff members. It was nice to know the teachers from the different grades. Earlier they were just faces I used to see in the hallways now I know who teaches at what level. There were too many of them for me to remember individual names.
Just like her Kindergarten classroom, the whole Grade 1 classroom was

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Signatures Galore

Its the beginning of a new school year and the school has been sending out information, updates and notices for the upcoming school year. I had been putting the notices that need action, in my brain's to do list but today when Aaliyah got another stack of notices, it was high time I attended to it all. So, in just one day, I have signed a

Sunday, September 9, 2012

If at first you fail...

...try, try and try again. For hours on end I had been trying to make my Singer sewing machine work but to no avail. Either due to a faulty threading technique or a missing spool cap, the machine would not sew right. The thread kept bunching up underneath the fabric. I was almost going to give up and was thinking of taking the machine to a Singer service center.  Then, after browsing through some sewing machine troubleshooting tips online, I tried one last time and I shouted with joy when it started sewing perfectly. The top and the bottom stitches were in line and there was no bunching up of the thread underneath. I made it work!

I had bought the sewing machine for $10 dollars from

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

First Day of Grade 1

First day of Grade 1 for my first born child. What an exciting time for both of us. I feel like a school kid and it feels like I am starting Grade 1 all over again. As a kid I remember a new school year meant getting new uniforms, shoes, socks, backpack, books, lunch boxes for each new school year. Although some of Aaliyah's stuff from last year is still good, yet Nasir insisted on

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Stanley Park

Seawall along Stanley Park
Tabrez Bhai had his cricket match at Brockton Point Cricket pitch in Stanley park and Hummu was planning on going there. We called Afzal and together we all headed to the Stanley Park in Vancouver. This park is so huge that there is always something new to discover and explore. I have been there 3 times and still have not seen the park in its totality. I still have to see its rose garden, the aquarium and maybe go on a hike or a bike ride around the perimeter of the park. Maybe.
On this particular trip, I finally got to see the

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Exploring Science World

TELUS World of Science
There is Science all around us and what better way to acknowledge this than a visit to the TELUS World of Science. It is a wonderful place to explore our bodies, our environment and the science around us. It is also a place where we can exercise our minds with the various puzzles and brain game activity stations throughout the facility. All through the year they coordinate special exhibits. For this Summer, their special exhibit was based on the great artist Da Vinci's work. The artist behind the world famous painting-Monalisa.
So, to round off this year's Summer fun, we took the kids out to Science World in Vancouver. We took the

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Simple Pleasure

Took Ayaan for a walk around the block. Aaliyah was working on her workbook and Ayaan was bothering her. It is just hard for him to play alone when whatever his Sister is doing seems more exciting. He kept distracting her either by turning on the TV or by taking away her color pencils. Nasir was home. So, I left Aaliyah with him to finish off her work and took Ayaan out. He was all smiles from the minute we left home. He was getting all the attention that he was probably craving for. The decision to take him out was an impulsive, yet it was a great one. I got my little exercise and Ayaan got to explore the neighborhood.
We started going around the block then stopped at

Monday, August 27, 2012

Another Day at the Park

Water Fountain at King George Park
Although it was a Monday, we did not go to the Sing and Learn session at the library. I was more interested in fulfilling my promise made to Aaliyah. I had promised to take her to McDonalds once she finishes working on her Summer Bridge Activity workbook. A friend of ours has borrowed our family car until their car gets fixed and Nasir took his car to work. I could have probably walked over to McDonalds, but getting past a major intersection with Ayaan seemed very daunting. So, putting the McDonald promise for later in the evening when "Dadda" gets home, we headed over to King George park to have yet another day of Summer fun.
Once at the park, the kids played on

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Queen Elizabeth Park

A nature lover's delight, the Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver is a must see park. What makes this park special is its natural beauty. The park boasts of beautiful flower beds, different varieties of huge tall trees, a rose garden, a tropical flower conservatory (Bloedel Conservatory), milky white dancing water fountains, a mini waterfall, a leash free dog park and breathtaking view points throughout the park. A walk through the park is a wonderful exercise for your eyes as well as for your body. It is no wonder that this park is the second

Friday, August 24, 2012

Movie Night

Went and watched "Ek tha Tiger" with Nasir. Dropped the kids off at Hummu's place and then went to the Cineplex Theaters in Richmond. It was a movie cum date night with the Husband. I have to admit, I missed the kids. Especially, because there was no one to finish our popcorn or the coke. No one to wander in between the

Finding Me-Time with Henna

Henna that is formulated specially for the hair is a mixture of various herbs that strengthens the hair, prevents graying,  reduces dandruff,  moisturizes the hair and adds a silky shiny touch to the hair. Henna deeply conditions the hair makes the hair healthy and strong. Hair feels light and soft and also gets a nice tinge.

I cannot exactly remember the last time I had applied Henna paste on my hair. It sure has been a long long time. That was a time when I took care of my hair, took care of my skin and cared about how I looked. It was also a time when I had no

Getting Ready for Grade 1

It is hard to believe that Summer break is almost over. 60 days went by like 6 days. And in about a week, Aaliyah will be starting Grade 1. In order to keep Aaliyah in the learning mode, I had started Aaliyah on a Summer Bridge Activity workbook sometime during the last week of July. The SBA work book covered letter and number recognition, reading, writing, addition, subtraction, telling time, counting cents, nickles, dimes, counting by 2's and pattern recognition. Today, Aaliyah has finally completed her Summer Bridge Activity workbook. It feels like a big accomplishment. Of course, doing the activities all by herself without me asking her to did not come by until she was more that halfway done. But the day she chose the book over

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Sportball Ribbons

Aaliyah and Ayaan received their sportball ribbons today as it was the final day of their 8 week long Sportball outdoor soccer practice. I am glad its over for Ayaan and not so glad for Aaliyah. Aaliyah was really having fun at the game and also with her friend Dawson. Even Dawson seemed to enjoy Aaliyah's company and was very supportive of her during the entire soccer practice.

Right from day one, Aaliyah and Dawson were instant friends. Being the older siblings, they shared the same

Monday, August 20, 2012

Play and Sing

Yet another Summer Monday. Took the kids out to the Cambie Library for Richmond Family Place' Play and Sing program. The kids rode their bikes and I walked. While Aaliyah does pretty well riding on the sides of the street, Ayaan still needs little reminders about staying on the side of the street especially on certain areas on our way, where there are no sidewalks.
Ayaan was singing and participating at first and then lost

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Tough Love

Normally, I am not the kind of person who would argue or question somebody's statements. Somebody who is much older and experienced than me. Today, was just not that day. The minute this older, much experienced person told me that the prayer he just prayed for Ayaan works on farm animals and dogs, I couldn't take another word from this person and rephrased the statement the way I understood it. I said " So, by what you just

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Iona Beach Park

From the beautiful, clean, sandy beaches of California, to the not so clean or sandy Iona Beach, was quite a shock. But it was a beach and it was beautiful nevertheless.  Raw and natural beauty, just 15 minutes away from home. It can't get any better than that. This beach was so close, yet it took me over a year to explore. Better late than never.
Iona Beach Regional Park
The exploration would not have happened had the Nature Park been open. We actually left home to go to the Nature park. I was under the impression that the Nature park is open until sundown which is usually around 9pm. However, the park closed at 4pm. I found it a little disappointing because after a scorching day , it was beginning to get cooler and better.  I couldn't imagine myself walking in the park in the summer heat and fasting at the same time. So, we stayed home and didn't leave home until around 4:30pm. And when we reached the Nature Park, it was all deserted and quiet. It was time for a quick

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Blueberry Picking

Fresh ripe blueberries
I asked Ayaan to choose where he wants to go for an outing by picking just one finger. He thought for a long time and then instead of picking just one finger, he chose all three in quick succession. He said how about we go to the beach, then blueberry picking and then what was it again? I say the Nature Park. He said, that is right, the nature park. I just couldn't help but admire his cleverness or shall I say his innocence. He just spoke his heart. By the time I sort of wrapped up the never ending

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Family Farm Fair

Took the kids out to the London Heritage Farm today for their Family Farm Fair event. This annual Summer event brings together community groups, artists and young families for a fun day in the sun. The fun consisted of

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Home Made PlayDough

Playdough with Jello
I have gone through so much play dough in the last few months that I decided to make some at home. It is one activity that can keep both my kids busy for a pretty good 45 minutes to an hour. Apart from being a fun activity, playing with playdough has some unique benefits too. It is no wonder that playdough stations are so popular at preschools and at the Strongstart centers.The playdough at these centers is all home made. I have seen the teachers make it along with the kids on more than one occasion.

So what are the benefits of playing with this malleable, colorful substance?

Friday, August 3, 2012

Bear Creek Park, Surrey

I had heard a lot about this park and it was on my must see places for this Summer. With still a couple hours left before our Iftaar party, we decided to take the kids out for a quick bike ride in the park. I must say, I am really impressed by the beauty of this park. Huge Soccer fields, stadium, play area, water fountains, train station, mini-golf area, nature garden, the park has something for everybody.
Stadium Entrance at Bear Creek Park 
The Bear Creek Park in Surrey, is full of family

Monday, July 30, 2012

Sing and Learn

Learning in the Backyard
Attended the Sing and Learn drop in session conducted by the Richmond Family Place at the Cambie Branch Library. The session meets every Monday at from 1-2:30 pm and is open to families with children 0-5 years of age. The StrongStart centers are closed for the Summer break. So, the play and learn drop in program seemed to be a good alternative. The program is also offered at the Family Place's office. I just have not been able to make it to the office yet.

The Sing and Learn program started off with the

Friday, July 27, 2012

Little Drummer

There is never a dull moment when Ayaan is around. First, he decides to color his face and make a circle around his mouth. Then he adds on to the fun by deciding to play music. He took out a pot, put it on his head and started drumming and singing. This little drummer sure knows how to keep himself busy and everyone around him entertained.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Last Day of First 5 Years

Today marks the last day of Aaliyah's first 5 years. Each year, and each birthday, has been a wonderful experience.
So, what did the little princess do on her last day being 5? Lets see.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Metropolis at Metrotown

Went to Metropolis at Metrotown Mall in Burnaby. A really huge mall with a lot of my favorite stores. Needless to say, my favorite stores these days are usually the stores that cater to the kids in my life. Children's Store, Old Navy, ToysRus and the like. What tops my list of favorites is a

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Party Time-Decorations and Snacks

Aaliyah's 6th Birthday party turned out pretty neat. Everything turned out as planned. My decoration, the food, the indoor-outdoor seating everything was just perfect.  The kids had a really good time and so did the grown ups. I am really pleased. The highlight of the party was the

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Whistler Trip

Shannon Falls, Squamish BC
Had a great time going up North towards Whistler Mountains. We first took a break at Porteau Cove Marine park and then another stop over at Shannon Falls. I am so glad we stopped at Shannon Falls. The lush green trees, the milky white water falls, and the free flowing river made for some amazing sights that I will treasure for a long time to come. At least until we make it up there again. The drive was also very beautiful and the view of

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Getting the House Party Ready

Just want to relax for a little while. I have been getting the house ready for Aaliyah's Birthday party this Friday, July the 13th. We have invited about 65 guests which includes 26 kids. Hummu helped me with the goody bags. I just have to finish them up by filling candy in them. The other stuff is already in there. Once the house is ready, all I will have to worry about is:
1. food
2. cake pick up
3. party games
4. decoration
5. seating
Those are the main things on my mind right now. Hope everything goes as planned.

Friday, July 6, 2012

SportBall-Outdoor Soccer

Registered my darling daughter for some outdoor Soccer practice sessions over the Summer. The session meets once a week for about an hour. It is a good work out in a fun non competitive atmosphere. Each player gets a ball and a jersey. They are introduced to the basics of the game. They also

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

6th Birthday Part 1

When you are a kid, one birthday is just not enough. Especially, if you are waiting for it immediately after your last birthday. Aaliyah wanted a "pretend birthday" before her real birthday. She has very vivid memories of her 4th birthday that she celebrated at her preschool and she wanted to repeat that this year at her school. Since she has a July birthday and the school year was ending in June, she was really disappointed that she would not be able to

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Kindergarten Picnic

Enjoying a snack with friends
Any day other than a traditional school day is so very welcomed by Aaliyah. Whether its the school's sports day, a super hero day or a pizza or hot dog day, they all get her excited. A field trip to King George Park was no different. Like most other special days, she got dressed all by herself and was waiting for me at the door. Her backpack was ready to go with a change of clothes, sunscreen, a hat and her bathing suit. She was ready to

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Bean Bags

Made this bean bag with my little soon to be 6yr old helper. She just had her sports day at school and had fun playing with these. When I said I can help her make one, she got all excited. She helped me in assembling all the supplies.  Got her little chair and sat beside me through out the whole process. Bean bags are easy to make and can be made in different shapes and sizes. Bean bags can be used to play games like the bean bag toss, as a warm compress when warmed in the microwave for a minute or they can be used as a door stopper too. So, here is what I did to make my very
Finished Bean Bag

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day

To all the fathers in this world and to my Father who is in God's company now, a very happy Fathers Day. As a daughter, the significance of this day was nothing more than a phone call to my Father-my Babu, wishing him happy fathers day like one would wish a birthday wish and Babu would reply with

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Preschool Graduation

Ayaan's preschool had organized an end of the year preschool graduation party. They had the kids dress up in graduation gowns which I thought was very cute. The kids sang to the tunes of slippery fish, if I was a flower and the ABC song with phonics.



Sunday, June 10, 2012

Pleasure Beyond the Border

Somehow, driving to the neighboring country seems so different and rewarding than driving across cities within the province. And driving all by myself without Nasir or the kids-absolutely wonderful. Of course I had Asna for company. Nasir is too paranoid to send me across the country alone. Especially, because this was the first time I

Monday, June 4, 2012

Losing the First Tooth

Oh the joy of losing the very first tooth! The much awaited moment finally arrived. My daughter's wiggly tooth finally gave up its roots. Yeah! When I saw her new tooth growing right behind her bottom

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Engineering and Public Works Open House

Took the kids out to the Engineering and Public Works Open House. Various public works departments such as the Recycling, Landscaping, Fire department, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), Roads and Construction, Water Services, Drainage and Sewerage, Engineering and Planning, Parks and Recreation etc. had set up interactive booths. They gave out

Friday, June 1, 2012

Mommy Not Needed

I can do it!
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority were at Aaliyah's school today for their annual immunization clinic. Aaliyah was missing 3 shots and the consent forms were sent home last month. This was followed by a phone call from the public health nurse wanting to confirm the consent and cross check Aaliyah's immunization record with the one that she had on file. I asked her if they require a parent to be present on the immunization day. I was hoping she would

Monday, May 28, 2012

Bumble Bee Dress

Bumble Bee Dress
Except for the colors, there is nothing bumble bee'ish about this new dress that I made yesterday for Aaliyah. The yellow, black and white are so often associated with the bee. And just for this fact, I am going to call it a bumble bee dress. I took about 1.5 yard of black cotton fabric with yellow and white dotted print. I cut the skirt part in a regular umbrella cut fashion and for the body, I decided to go without sleeves. With the kind of unpredictable weather here in Richmond, you have to layer dresses with a t-shirt one way or another. So, without the sleeves I had one less step to do for my project. I took another

The When, Where, Why, Phase

Peekaboo-I can talk
Just when I was wondering as to why Ayaan wasn't talking as much as a 3 yr old normally would, he surprises me with a sudden outburst of words, complete sentences and the annoyingly funny when, where and why questions. Yesterday, Nasir was dressing him up to go to a family friend's house in Surrey and this is how the conversation went.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Richmond Sharing Farm

The Richmond Sharing Farm had an open house today from 10am-1pm. The sharing farm grows fruits, vegetables and herbs for the Richmond Food Bank, Community Meal programs and for local families in need. They were going to have some fun activities for the kids also. So, I decided to take the kids on a "where does our food come from?" tour.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Time for Prescription Glasses

I wonder how people react when they are informed of a serious debilitating or life threatening diseases like AIDS or Cancer. They probably feel the same way that I am feeling right now except that their emotional pain is perhaps far worse than what I am going through. We went for Aaliyah's eye exam today, and we were informed by the eye doctor that she has

Monday, May 14, 2012

Skills Connect-A Bridge to Employment

Although its been over a year since we moved to Canada, yet I have hopelessly been unable to find a job. A gap of exactly 15 months in a resume. Wow! It can so easily be construed as a grave inability on my part to secure employment. Was I choosy all this while. Not in the least bit. In fact, I never got an interview call in all these months. I am so heart broken! Am I unskilled, incompetent or unworthy? Not really. If I am applying for one or two jobs every other month, how can I possibly expect an interview call. That is simply being irrationally, over confident and optimistic. I have therefore decided to

Friday, May 11, 2012

Crazy Clothes Day


 It was crazy clothes day at Mitchell Elementary. Aaliyah wore her clothes backwards. Put on pink shorts over her pants and wore different colored socks-a light pink and a dark pink. She loved showing it off.
Aaliyah and Ayaan were happy to see their dadda in the parking lot. He surprised us all. He came straight from his Friday prayers. I took Ayaan with me while Aaliyah went with Nasir. She knew that she could make him stop by the Richmond bakery for her favorite gingerbread man cookie. She insisted on riding with him for this same reason.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Healthy Beginning

Granola Cereal with Yoghurt
Yesterday's walk to school in the morning, has gotten me off to a healthy mindset. With the weather being nice and sunny, I put Ayaan in the stroller, while Aaliyah walked. It was good exercise for both Aaliyah and myself. We both need any and every form

Sunday, April 29, 2012

In Pursuit of Happiness

I recently watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Aaliyah. I have watched this 2006 blockbuster movie before, but watching it with her gave the movie a whole new meaning. In the movie Will Smith and his real son portray a real life journey of a father and son, from rags to riches. After months of struggling and facing adversity with courage and determination, comes a moment of happiness. This moment of happiness, is a life changing moment for them and that is where the movie ends. What continues from there is their pursuit of happiness.
Now, happiness is

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Earth Day at King George Park

Normally, this would have been just another Earth Day observed in April like every other year. However, being a Mommy to a 5 year old gave it the importance it truly deserves or had deserved in the years past. Earth Day is that special day where we thank Mother Earth for all its bounties and in return do something good such as planting trees, keeping our surrounding clean, saving water and energy and following the green mantra-"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle." I had a pretty "green"

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Learning and the Brain Conference

Attended a conference today at McNeil Secondary school. It was called Learning and the Brain Conference. Being Successful Parents-Connecting with 21st Century Kids. Organized by the Richmond School District , City of Richmond, the Richmond District Parents Association and other community organizations. The keynote speakers were Jesse Miller and Tom Schimmer. They had different parenting workshops after the speaker sessions. Complimentary coffee  and refreshments were provided by Tim Hortons Coffee. Various vendor tables were also set up in the lobby area with information and resources for parents. If only they could come up with a manual of how to raise

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Ready Set Learn

Attended a Ready Set Learn event held at Tait Elementary school in Richmond. Wow! Was I impressed by the school? It was so modern looking and so inviting. Colorful murals and artwork by kids, inspiring quotations on the wall, state of the art computer lab, an open library and a sitting area under a canopy of colorful flags. In short a really neat school tucked away in the quietness of a beautiful residential neighborhood. One of the quotations that I really liked was "It is not who we think that holds us back, it is what we think we are not." Now this is profound. Indeed our mind is a very powerful entity which pretty much dictates who we are, what we do and who we become.
Moving onto the main highlight of the event-Will Stroet. The famous