Okul kaçak :0)

Baddin stayed at home for a few days due to vomitting n diarhoea...today..i sent him to school.. he is ok i think...

phew! My son is gone missing!! While staying at home...he had become sooooooooooo naughty!! I want my son back!!! :0)

Yaramaz baddin... uslu baddin geri ver!

Bahar okulu 2008

When his sister started her badminton session at 9 am, he started getting edgy. He wanted to join his football session.But his would only start at 12.30noon. It took a lot of patience on his side to wait till that time....

As i handed him to his coach... and went back there again by 2pm..i saw his face red as a beetroot... he was indeed running... though i may have to say...unable to hit the boy coz he was the shortest and the youngest in his group ..perhaps the only pre school student in the session among the first n second grade students....he has to learn a lot before he can even compete with them... he told me he could only hit the ball twice! heheheh..its ok baddin... in time..u will be able to hit more....

My expectation n hope? i expect that he will be able to learn working as a team. I hope he will learn to be competitive without crying if he couldnt do this and that. I want him to work hard...for him to realise that the ball will not come to him... he has to work hard to get to the ball....

This is his first session of the bahar okulu...he was exhausted by the end of the session...but i think he was happy...that is the main thing... :0)

Second Semester and Update

If Baddin can get 32 right and only one wrong in his first test in the second term of schooling, i think that says something of the success of his education! Bravo!

He entered the pre school as a recluse; unable to hold the pencil properly, having to need lessons and guidance from his teacher on how to hold the spoon for eating and he had many problems. He was among the most needed student in his class.

Alhamdulillah, he is finding himself. Though his fingers' strength need more workout, he is doing pretty well in a lot of things. Hulya hoca is happy with his development. Baddin is also now socialiazing with his friends. He is also starting to speak with the adults around him. Of course, his self confidence is still somewhat lacking but his shell is slowly disappearing, giving me hope for his futher development. He talks more at home as well which is a good sign. I am also trying to strengthened his writing skills for the first grade preparation each day as part of his homework each day. An extra work for him, i know. Hopefully, he will be ready to be at par with the rest of his friends in the first grade later coz from what i had gone through with Hatice, Baddin will face more difficulty.So in order to save him from future extreme difficulty and of course to save myself insanity, i am making futuristic plans. I do not want him to be left behind in the writing skills coz that will endanger his already fragile state of self confidence.

Just like Hatice last year, several activities were suggested by the teacher. The same activities as Hatice actually. So this year, here is baddin's turn!

Making numbers using coloured clay

Planting a plant..

please don't ask me for the name...

Making a chocolate pudding... the easy way heheheh

smiley faces as drawn by baddin

a bracelet for Abla...

All with baddin and his new smiling style:

showing all teeth!

:0)

End of First Semester performance

Book

We went to the bookstore last Saturday. I promised the kids long ago that once Hatice is able to read, a visit to a bookstore once a month will be held. I kept to my word.

What did he choose? Baddin and his obsession towards cars?

Yup! this is the book he chose. I read to him the book. I think since his sister can read now. He wants to read too...well..at least listen to someone reading to him..

I think this is a good start towards a love of reading. Hopefully, once he can read next year, he will want to read as much as his sister. Keep up the good interest my dear son!!

Character analysis

We were having our breakfast yesterday as a family when he said:

*B:..... has been transferred to another class*

we were shocked of course. Why would the teacher transfer a student to another class.?? They must have been a concrete reason. There is. It seems that B always punch his friends.

I suppose baddin must be sad inside since B was his first friend in class.

During the last moms' get together...i noticed that baddin's teacher named a few names as the most *active* (u know what i mean)..in class. All the names (including B) r are the names of friends baddin always tell us about. Baddin an introvert mixing with extroverts?? That is a very uusual situation i think..

So far he has improved on hs speech. He is able to express himself more. He is also more social..which is good. But as i had said in the last entry, he is also (which is unavoidable) learning and using words i do not approve of at home. I have to monitor his language. I even threatened him with hot chillies (and trust me i will do it)..if he keeps on using those words at home. At home at least, he is under control... but i hope he will be able to differentiate the acceptable usage of words from the unacceptable ones... he is also using *please* less and i have to keep on reminding him on that subject..

i suppose this is part of growing up... but i have all the intention of making sure that he will not be growing into a terrible mannered person...insyaAllah...his manner will be ok.Adab is what makes a person... that is what i strongly believe...

so...BADDİN...BEHAVE YOURSELF!!

Development update after 1 and a half month school entry

See the person like figure? Thatz *Çapiton* (a good person)...the round shape is the bad guy's house and the green painted shapes r the çhapiton's soldiers attacking the house of the bad guy! hahaha Oh yes... my son has a very high level of imagination...so high that he can cut himself off from class and be in a world of his own...just like his dad...only what baddin's teacher doesnt know is that... the dad is still doing it! hahahahah

Now back to serious talk.. baddin when he entered his pre school education, he was among the most needed attention of the students in his class...Hulya hanım, i assume had to spend a lot of time showing him on many things. Baddin was holidng the pen wrongly. Hence, writing to him was a torture. With the teachers' guidance in school (thanks a lot! i really appreciate ur effort), and with extra work at home after school (i usually give him writing excercises..ie...writing lines....etc... to strengthen his muscle skills as well as making sure he is holding the pencil correctly), he can now hold a pen properly and can actually make decent lines and shapes. A great improvement after one month and a half...

Socially, he was inclusive. He didnt know the rest of his friends. He usually play with a kid named Bekir. After the iftar at Ömer Eren Tok... i see that his stories of his friends expanded... i think he is more open socially instead of withdrawing himself to his imagination to escape being social. He seems more confident of himself. I am optimistic that by the end of his pre school education, i will see a big change from the shy n friendless baddin then.

Food and eating is still a problem. Hulya hanım noticed that baddin has been holding the spoon wrongly..etc...etc.. she is trying to make him hold the spoon properly. But eatingwise, baddin has always been slow. And he doesnt eat anything much...it can take hours to finish his meal...Consequently, as he was growing up, to save time 8my fault really), i used to feed him.... In school, eating time has a limit. It is only natural that baddin doesnt finish his food. But last thursday when i went to school, when i went to him at the school canteen, he finished his spinach! i was frankly shocked. I am still quite optimistic...Baddin may need extra attention, but he is a brilliant guy... after he gets all thru these skills obstacles... i am certain he will shine.

What i am happy most is that...everyday after he comes home from school, while eating his dinner with his sister, as he talked of his activities at school. His eyes shine. That is the best indication that he loves school. I am happy for him.

Here r some of the work baddin had done in school all these weeks...there r more of course. Alas, i am lazy to scan them all!!

Hey, mr wormie! :0)

Brush ur teeth at least twice a day :0)

The cat.. :0)

The fox?

A tree picture painted using crayon

Water color time!

The latest work... wiritng number 2... not too bad,eh?

And here they were...

And guests we did have at our home last tuesday for iftar. This time, our guests r among those who have the most direct contact with hatice and baddin at school.... their class teachers, their kids and another teacher involved in the advisory matter...

Hoş geldiniz... i hope u all have had a nice and welcoming time at our home..... :0)

With the presence of the 3rd teacher (i was told only two would come), my automatic assumption was that teacher was there to assess our home... whether it was condusive for the kids.. and whether the home environment was the reason as to why baddin is behind in several skills... that of course was my assumption. i didnt ask as i thought it would be rude...

Personally, i had a nice time with the teachers.... the kids to some extent (esp towards the end) started to warm towards each other... and what was important was that i got to ask Hülya hanım personally of baddin's development... his social skill was/is worrying me.... we talked about his needed to be improved skills... she talked about how she had/has been by his side to help him develop this and that much better...and what i can do to help at home...the causes..the effect..etc..etc...etc...she also added that it is early days yet... we will see...i am looking forward to seeing his development esp towards the end of the year....

But what puts me at rest is to see how attentive, intuitive,empathetic and caring his teacher is...and seeing such action and look of love (in the picture below)... i am at peace. My son is in good hands....

Dear Hülya hanım..

From the bottom of my heart...i thank u for what u have done for my son so far and for what u will do for him in the near future. May Allah bless u...and the rest of the teachers as well...

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!