The New Routine

"Education is compulsory both for males and females, and that it should be searched even if it is available in a distant land as China." Hadith from The Holy Prophet Muhammad saw regarding education.

We have a new routine starting today. 

Bean is 20 months 2 weeks. His sister is 59 months. It took us this long to finally have a somewhat sane morning routine. Syukur alhamdulillah for this Ease.

Bean has enrolled at his elder sister's former Playschool (and he is loving it!). 

Syukur alhamdulillah separation anxiety is manageable but we will see how this develops. In sha Allah it will not get too difficult. The Other Half generally manage the kids much better than I do; the kids get slightly over the top with display of their attachment and emotions when it comes to me *I wonder why*

Our new school run routine will see The Other Half getting the honour to drop Bean off in the morning as I am already at The Big School with The Little Girl,

and braving the traffic into the city again with the rest of the workforce. 

The Other Half and I will then reunite, finish some work in the morning, have brunch, run errands and prepare for weekday homecoming of our 2 kids. Solid few productive hours!

It makes more sense for me to stay with Bean at home after he comes home while The Other Half goes to pick The Little Girl up from The Big School daily except Fridays. We will see how Friday goes. Friday is when they both finish at noon and we have to fetch one kid each from separate locations. Wish us luck!

Well. That takes care of school run. 

How was Bean's first day you'd ask? He mostly observed, ate and played. Although he knew most of the hand movement songs and phonics because we do them at home, he observed in awe today how differently it sounded like in the presence of new teachers and peers. Circle time was something new to him because this time it involves real children and not 18 of his soft toys and an elder sister!

A small incident of tripping over a ride did not mar his first day at all. No tears, just ice pack on cheeks and he carried on. Such a trooper! I am of course thankful it wasn't a serious incident.

The teachers were satisfied with his food and drink intake, and he knew to request for second helpings at lunch. He enjoyed his spagetti meatballs, papayas and watermelon. Good on him. By the looks of menu rotation, and comparing it with his sister's, I am going to adjust our family dinner menu rotation to avoid clashing.

The first thing he did as soon as he got home was to nurse to sleep, exhausted from his new stimuli and environment. 

Here's praying and hoping Bean will make the best of his childhood carefree days at Playschool, may Allah swt keep him safe and happy always. Amin!