Baddin's first public performance

If u look carefully, u can see baddin's drawing where it was written *zaim ailesi* (zaim family)


The son n the dad


The mom n the daughter


The food that we gobbled...they were delicious

Önder Bey introducing hatice to the crowd as hatice was unexpectedly requested by baddin's class teacher, Hülya Furuncu to read the after meal prayer (in turkish)

My son with the red eye effect

During the performance

All the 3 classes of pre school students..

2 weeks r barely over since the beginning of the new session...and the school had already conducted a small performance for the pre school students cum iftar dinner for the parents.... i have to say, i was truly impressed!

The dinner was..i would say not what i expected. i was expecting a bufe of some sort... we were late as it was that nite due to the traffic... and as we as a family made our grand entry ( coz most people were looking at us... mainly me obviously a foreigner)... it was so sweet of Önder bey to point us to where we were supposed to sit...

The tables were set according to the number of a family number.... labelled as such (see above)..i think that in itself was such a sweet gesture...

The performance? The kids basically had a mass choir... singing songs...it was impressive how the kids could somehow sang along with the tape. Bravo!

Baddin? He was good...Well.. he fell from where he was a few times.... before the singing started, he even played with the curtain behind him... kept on untucking his under shirt twice before telling his teacher that he did not feel comfortable having it tucked in.... i was proud of him... for a shy guy, he did well...and this song in this blog *for now* (Yemek duası)---meal prayer----- was one of the songs they sang...and is now one of his favourites :0)

First Problem Encounter

Baddin though his mind can catch up on things really fast, he is a bit behind in the physical development skills... and social interaction...

As he demands that he too wants to do his homework everyday like his sister (pre school students only get homework on weekends...), i give him mock homework...and i noticed that he has been holding his pencil in awrong way... it is was difficult for him to make a proper straight line..

I talked to his teacher duirng the parent teacher meeting on monday and she too discovered the same thing. In fact, she was trying to teach him to hold a pencil properly. True to her words, after he got home from school...he showed some improvement on his pencil holding skill (though not on the straight line making)... Ever since then, i have been working with him on that each day.... today he is better though at times i have to remind him to hold the pencil properly...

I am predicting that within a month's time with daily practise both at school n at home, he will be much better soon...for now..... çalış baddin!

Baddin's First Day of School

Baddin eating his breakfast for the first day of school.. he calls it bomba..basically peanut butte and chocolate spread sandwiched between 2 bread... :0)
Baddin and his sister

As a family. at the school compound..

With someof his uncles and aunties and cousins..

4 kids in the same family going to the same school...

the Eldest.. Keremcan (4th grade), ilayda (2 nd grade), Hatice (1st grade) and baddin (pre school)... the rest of the zaim kids r going to the same group chain school but in Çamlıca (another place)

One very very very nervous boy...

2 siblings...waiting..

Inside his classroom..before i bid my farewel for the day...

he was nervous but he was trying to be brave..

Who was more nervous that day? Him or i? It was difficult to say…

He slept late the night before.When i woke him up that morning, he was basically sleeping ..even while i was brushing his teeth… But then i started saying… school time! At a blink of an eye, he was awake… !!!

He was excited. It was pretty obvious particularly after we bought him his school bag… he paraded the bag in the apartment more often than not.. Nervous? Naturally he was.. after all… this would be the first time he would be attending school in the real sense even if it is only pre school education. He rarely stayed apart from me… until now...

When we were at the school’s compound, waiting for the school assembly to be over, it was obvious how nervous he was… he was sticking to Hatice like glue.. he was very quiet….

Was i worried that he would make me stay with him in class that day.. never wanting to be apart? Frankly speaking… NO. I had prepared him mentally for this day for many months… I dont care what the school psychologist say about baddin’s development during the school interview. She didnt know baddin.. i do. I have my utmost confidence in him. And he had not proven me wrong…

As we were approaching the door to enter the pre school building, a teacher by the name Hülya was already talking to baddin… showing her warmth to him… i know her already…she is warm.. when i discovered that she was to be baddin’s teacher, i was relieved.

Baddin asked me in turkish….

*should i enter the door?*

i said, *yes*…

i could sense his heartbeast moving really fast.. he was very quiet. As he was changing to his indoor sandals, his eyes was looking towards the door. I brought him to his class…..ushered him to a seat….and said…

*baddin.. ben eve ya gidiyorum*
(baddin, i am going home)

his answer was short and simple…
*tamam anne*
(ok, anne)

I kissed him goodbye…said bye to his class teacher,Hülya Furuncu, and went looking for Hatice n Halil….

No tears… no crying.. nothing. Baddin…quietly and nervously braving a new life perspective… picking up courage to brace thru the pre school education…i suprisingly didnt leave him with a heavy heart... i was confident that he would be ok...

When he came home that day… he was happy. She looked more confident of himself. He was telling me what he did that day (which Hatice new and hads experienced anyway)… chatting away…. He even tried every food they served during lunch..still not liking the soup hehehehe.. i was relieved that school is fun for him…


2nd Day

He came home happy. More confident than he was on the day earlier. He was trying to tell me all that he did at school…he still thinks that school is fun…I am beaming inside positively….Am looking forward for his further development… esp with regards of his self confidence… i wanna see that he gets out of hiding behind his sister and be his own self. Tht will take time n encouragement… We will see… For now… to see him happy… i am happy.

3rd Day

His confidence is sky rocket. İ am glad. He looks different as well....insyaAllah i hope this will continue... i want him to enjoy his pre school education as much as his sister, hatice had.... Good Luck Baddin! I love You!