Why I Love the Weekend

I have been meaning to post, but haven’t been able to get anywhere near my computer in the last few days, also the kids have broken the little ariel thing off the modem box so it works when it feels like it.

Have had the most ridiculous weekend:

Took the kids out to return their library books and do some chores and they all need to pee (yes I did make them pee before they left the house). Get to the mall and the toilets are closed and a sign redirects us to Debenhams. Get to Debenhams and that too is closed for 15 minutes only (they must have known we were coming), so I raced to M&S with the kids and the queue for the toilet was 10 people long. I gave up at this point and took them all to Pizza Hut and bought them lunch.

Made the big mistake of buying the youngest face paints and Little Man a nice bag which says it contains action figures, but got home to find it contains art supplies – including paints that keeping falling out. I suggested we send it to Pakistan for his cousin (his mum can clean the mess). He didn’t agree.

My best friend called and said she is coming down – Alhamdulillah, I haven’t seen her for six months and I have spent three Saturdays with her this month. Seeing her and her baby just made my day, although my noisy kids kept making him jump.

I left the kids with their gran and a “Habil and Kabil” cartoon and saw bestest her back to the station and headed into town so that I could actually get what I needed.

Got back and got everyone ready to go to a wedding. As hubby was not here, I didn’t feel like going, but sent mum-in-law and brother-in-law off with the kids. Whilst they were gone, I headed over to mum’s for her Saturday evening comfort food of rice and chicken and chilled with her and my sisters in front of the TV. As I am not used to the TV anymore, I find it gives me a headache. If you don’t have one for a short while, it really stands out ho much NOISE emanates from it, especially kids programmes which if you listen without looking for a bit you’ll find shocking. There is just a continual screeching/shouting music which underlies many of the programmes.

So I headed back home for esha (night) prayer. I have to say it was one of the easiest, most peaceful salah I have had in years. For all they say about there being more reward when it is hard and you struggle to ignore the distractions, there’s something to be said for a nice quiet, attentive, satisfying prayer now and again.

I still had time to finish off a necklace until the kids got home. The general verdict from the kids was that it a horrible wedding and they were bored. Mum-in-law complained a bit till she felt better and went off to pray. Boys were tired and went to bed except Little Lady who was in my bed (Hubby was away for the weekend) and stayed up until midnight playing with paper dolls despite my threats to send her back to her room. She still managed to wake up at fajr (dawn prayer) time and announce “Look mum, I woke up and it’s still night!”

Sunday morning, I stayed awake after fajr and alhamdulillah it’s so true about there being so much barakat in this time. I managed to make about fifty cards by the time the kids were up (I’m just trying to find a moment to take pictures and post and display on my etsy shop which I hope will be open soon insh'Allah).

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) made the following dua for his Ummah: “O Allah, bless my Ummah (in their work) in the early part of the morning” (Tirmizi)

I had planned to have an easy, lazy day with sisters’ circle in the middle at 2pm, but it wasn’t to be. My mum called and asked me to go to the airport with her to pick up her sister’s son who is coming to study in…Dundee! About as far away from us as he could go by the looks of it. Dropped the kids with her at 12 for lunch and headed off with Mum and her sister at 1pm. Got there for 3pm and was still sitting there at 8.30, no cousin. Immigration decided to hold him overnight to make enquiries with the college to confirm that his course was genuine. Despite us calling immigration at Heathrow every half hour, no-one thought to tell us this. So we finally found out at 8.30 and decided to head home without him. This involved us going round Hounslow a few time, driving through Otley and then finding a petrol pump where the cashier suggested w have a look at one of the A-Z’s on sale. This helped us get back on the A406 route and home – at 11.15. Hubby had just got through the door, so I made salah, we had dinner at midnight and finally got to bed.

Back at work now, feels like a rest after that weekend. Still, can’t wait for the next one.