3rd Grade

It has been a long time since i last keyed in an entry for her blog. The half semester of the 3rd grade has come. So many changes are happening. I will mumble soon. That, i promise...

iSTİKLAL mARŞI 10 kıta

Ataturk ve Istiklal Marsi - benn

Korkma, sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak;
Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak.
O benim milletimin yıldızıdır, parlayacak;
O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak.

Çatma, kurban olayım çehreni ey nazlı hilal!
Kahraman ırkıma bir gül! Ne bu şiddet, bu celal?
Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helal…
Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan milletimin istiklal!

Ben ezelden beridir hür yaşadım, hür yaşarım.
Hangi çılgın bana zincir vuracakmış? Şaşarım!
Kükremiş sel gibiyim, bendimi çiğner, aşarım.
Yırtarım dağları, enginlere sığmam, taşarım.

Garbın afakını sarmışsa çelik zırhlı duvar,
Benim iman dolu göğsüm gibi serhaddim var.
Ulusun, korkma! Nasıl böyle bir imanı boğar,
“Medeniyet!” dediğin tek dişi kalmış canavar?

Arkadaş! Yurdumu alçakları uğratma, sakın.
Siper et gövdeni, dursun bu hayasızca akın.
Doğacaktır sana va’dettiği günler Hakk’ın…
Kim bilir, belki yarın, belki yarından da yakın.

Bastığın yerleri “toprak!” diyerek geçme, tanı:
Düşün altındaki binlerce kefensiz yatanı.
Sen şehit oğlusun, incitme, yazıktır, atanı:
Verme, dünyaları alsan da, bu cennet vatanı.

Kim bu cennet vatanının uğruna olmaz ki feda?
Şüheda fışkıracak toprağı sıksan, şüheda!
Canı, cananı, bütün varımı alsında Huda,
Etmesin tek vatanımdan beni dünyada cüda.

Ruhumun senden, ilahi, şudur ancak emeli:
Değmesin mabedimin göğsüne namahrem eli.
Bu ezanlar-ki şahadetleri dinin temeli,
Ebedi yurdumun üstünde benim inlemeli.

O zaman vecd ile bin secde eder varsa taşım,
Her cerihamdan, ilahi, boşanıp kanlı yaşım,
Fışkırır ruh-ı mücerred gibi yerden na’şım;
O zaman yükselerek arşa değer belki başım.

Dalgalan sen de şafakalar gibi ey şanlı hilal!
Olsun artık dökülen kanlarımın hepsi helal.
Ebediyen sana yok, ırkıma yok izmihlal:
Hakkıdır, hür yaşamış, bayrağımın hürriyet;
Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan, milletimin istiklal!

Baby steps toward self independence (3)

Did i mentioned that she voluntarily vacummed her room... her brother's room and the master bedroom as well??

heheheh free labour abuse! hahaha

Baby steps toward self independence (2)

The special day was just around the conner... she said..

*Anne...I feel bored with the ready made cakes. Can i make my on cake?*

She was extremely excited that morning that immediately after doming down from her bed, she straight away approached me in the kitchen...

My lil princess getting the weight scale ready..
weighing the butter...

the mixer...with baddin helping out...

Decoration time!! The finished cake...decorated and 85% done by the kids...

The 2nd cake!!

Pouring the cake mixture ...

Pineapple upside down cake!

The birthday girl

HAPPY 8TH BİRTHDAY!!

two siblings...

the cousins..

the rest of the families...

some more family members...

Yes..the baking of the cakes made her really tired but i think it was worth it....!!

Baby steps toward self independence (1)

The first look of the first time she was assigned to a shop on her own...

Rules: 1. I could see her movement to the shop from my window

2. She was to dial our home number in case of emergency (ies)

3. She was not to talk to strangers.

4. She was to look to the left and right and left and right again before crossing the street.

Running all the way as she crossed the street...

still running towards the shop..

Returning home from the shop

Yup... she went to the kuruyemis and bought 200 grams of hazelnut!

Bravo!

Like any mother...i was really worried and scared..thinking of terrible *what ifs*..

But if we mothers do not teach our kids the ropes in life... who will eh?

Yunus Gösterisi (Haliç)

Despite her baba's direct opposition, hatice managed to persuade her baba to allow her to join the 5 days program during the winter break...she terms it as..*eğlence okul*...or in English... Fun school...and so...both my kids were in that *fun* for that 5 days...

The kids were to learn English in the morning and visitings n other activities till it was time to go home...i decided to join the kids for the dolphin show.... I won't elaborate on the show... it is the kids that is important.. here they were...

2 B Waiting for the departure...in a line..

Still waiting..

2B class before boarding the school service with their class teacher..Nurah Çatman and her cute son..

Nur Hatice, Elif

Yusuf, Ayşenur

Elanur, Ahmet Faruk

Hesna, Furkan, Şevval

(i couldn't get these 3 to stay put to snap a pic)

Kaan, Züleyha

Talha (Elif's Elder bro), Mehmet Emin

Semih, Serdar, Yasin

Nur Hatice..

Ana Karnesi...

Yup... this crumpled pape is her mid term report card...i am no longer enthusiastic recieving her report card coz...well..i am just simply tired of it...

Alhamdulillah.. she is basically doing good...she is clearly having problem with her maths...yes.. we sort of expected it but i think she is trying her best... that is so much more important... like i said in my previous entry... look at your strengths and improve your weakensses... insyaAllah.she will be just fine...

Last week... her whole class was sad... a few girls cried... their music teacher has diabetes...from what she told me..it seems that it is an advanced one since that teacher will be quitting his job... our prayers will always be with you dear music teacher of hatice's... may Allah be with you to ease your illness and discomfort...

It will be teacher's day this monday... 24th of november... here is a poem hatice wrote to celebrate teacher's day...

Öğretmenim seni çok seviyorum
Sen okumaya öğrettin bana yazmaya öğrettin
Adam akıllı yetiştirdin
Bana anlattın,anlamında yardımcı oldun
Çarpmaya bilmezdım, öğrettin
Çıkarmaya bilmezdım, öğrettin
Sabırlı öğrettin
Sen hep sevdin, severek öğrettin
Hep akıllı olmamını istedin
Hep doğru yolu gösterdin
Ve hep örnek oldun
Seni üzdüysem özür dilerim
Yaptığın her şey için teşekkur ederim.

Translation...

My dear teacher, I love you very much
You taught me to read, to write
You trained me to be bright
You taught me, when I couldn’t understand, you helped me
I didnt know how to add, you taught me
I didnt know how to minus, you taught me
With patience always
You taught me with love always
You wanted me to be intelligent always
You always show me the right way
You are always my example
If i ever made you sad, i am sorry.
Thank you for everything

Sadness

She came home sad today.... you see a few of her friends in her class (5 i think) were awarded for their excellence in their tests.. i am assuming they are the top 5 students in the class coz their names are the ones who normally score the highest marks..and she was not one of them....

I can understand her feelings. She really wanted to be among those rewarded. But the thing is... she had done her best in all the tests. I know she is not the brightest in her class but she has other strong points as well that others dont... i think she is among the top in her class in english class and characterwise... she is mature for her age. Those are her strongest poıints. She should concentrate on them while trying to improve her other weaker strenghts. She should realize that having a high IQ is not everything. What is important is to work hard towards success coz success is so much more sweeter when u achieve it thru hard work.

She is so much like me... a person with an average IQ. But i worked damn well hard to earn what i got. I remember when i first entered the TESL (Teaching of English as a Second Language) course at the university. I was among the average type of students. There were totally brilliant people with bombastic usage of the language. At the end of the program, i was among those who succeeded well..... there were a few of those brilliant ones who didnt even graduate!! So was it due to intelligence or was it due to hard work? You can be intelligent and lazy but not successful. or you can be average but hardworking and successful. I wish i can make her understand this fact. To look into her strengths and move on forward from there. To not be sad... for she is only in the second grade... she is a hardworking girl..insyaAllah she will succeed..

I love you çiçeğim.. my prayers will always be with you and your brother for your success in life in all directions...

Learning never stop eh?

"This is a cat.

This is my cat in Malaysia.

Her name is Milano.

Milano is a mammal.

Milano is a small cat.

She is so sweet.

She loves to eat fish.

She has fluffy fur.

I love Milano very much!"

Yup.. this is what she wrote for a homework for her English class...

Not bad eh? I only helped her with the grammar and the translation of the word *fluffy fur*..She was basically supposed to use the words she learned in class..i.e.. mammal..small...etc..

Yup.. she got it when she was in pre school (ana okulu).. and she got it again... She was the star student of the week last week for her english class...Keep up the good work!

During the friday assembly..she looks totally out of height over there masyaAllah....She is after all the tallest in her class

First rule:Always stand next to Elanur... the second tallest girl in the class in order not to look like a giant...(just like me.. always stand next to the kids in the family since i am so short! hahaha) still in line..listening to the teacher on the michrophone i guess..

cheer up girl! u will go home soon after the assembly!!



Life is Alhamdulillah good for her..She had a bout of skin allergy last week...probably due to her panty hose socks...she had developed spots over one leg where she had to carry kalamosan cream everywhere...I think it is quite ok now... we will see... ..


Things r so hectic these days that next to their daily cbbc watching in the morning..i have to admit that her english lessons at home are neglected totally...there simply isnt time for anything else... though i have to admit that i better start speaking english at home again...else... hatice n baddin might simply forget the language usage totally!

But i am very happy that both of them.. hatice esp has the same interest as i am in watching movies... I made them watch.. *the sound of music*..a classical musical with julie andrews in it. They loved it totally even though i had to skip certain parts... Then, i ordered *heidi* from amazon.com where jane seymour was one of the actresses... the magnificent view of the mountain... the green.. the character and that beauty of the unconditional love made her cry a lot while watching...and she loves it a lot! I am glad that i decided to buy that movie as her get well soon present... i am planning to order loads more of those one step at a time... english classics that will not be out of mode over time... i want her to be exposed not only to the turkish classics like Şaban or battal gazi...i want them to be worldly about a lot of things...while being exposed to different cultures and point of view...

Right now for her Maths.. she is learning how to multiply... i like the system here... first the kids learnt the *ritmik*.. the rhythm of counting... ie...
2,4,6,8,....
3,6,9,12,.....
and only then..slowly they are introduced to the chart of multiplication... thatz really good.. step by step... Hatice keeps getting her ritmik mixed up at times.. but i think she gets the concept... that is what is most important...the only thing for her to do now is to simply be careful!! hehehe (i cant blame her.. when i was a child, i was like that too...!!!)..

And i have also discovered that..i can actually help her with her maths.. language barrier that i once mumbled about was actually from the confusion in my head...i guess i am not that stupid after all... i am still helping her with her maths whenever possible despite my lack of turkish...

What about her turkish?? hehehehe That..is the hardest thing of course... but luckily.. she is learning how to read a dictionary in class... she was crying that day when she couldnt find the words in the dictionary... but Nuray hanım assured me that it will be ok over time... i have bought a big sized font dictionary for her to use at home as well as a pocket turkish -turkish dictionary to be used in school.. we will see...

The mid term report card will be distributed this saturday... hmmm..i wonder how she is...

i'll keep u updated whenever i can........

Post operation

She had and is still sharing me with her lil brother for as long as she can remember... Yes... she was a total *cadı* (witch) as a baby...i clearly remember how my late mom in law (anne) gave up looking after her after 15 minutes (luckily kerim amca n meşe hala were there) when my beloved and i went to a movie..... but the truth is...she never could remember having me by her side from the age of 15 months..just me and her..alone... getting my full concentration...

I guess despite the pain n her suffering... there is one good thing over the whole thing..she got me all to herself...when she was sick at home (pre surgery)...i was basically with her day n nite...I was the one carrying her to and pro marmara poliklinik...when kerim brought her to the Sema hospital for the ultrasound..i was with her.. and i was there by her side in the hospital and post hospital until she was well enough for me to *abandon* her again and start dealing with her lil bro as well...in her time of need... she reached out to me like she had never done before simply because a child needs a mother and i was glad she had me all to herself while her lil brother had been looked after by other family members....i am truly glad that i got to spend time with my lil princess despite everything....

The first week she went to school (that's last week)..i had forbidden her to go out of her class and run around.... and sweet elanur in particular as well as her other close frends helped to lift up her spirit as well by staying in class with her and play with her... This week i have cut her some slack...yes... she can go outside the building wth her friends but with minimal running...
we basically have forbidden her to participate in her folk dance class as well as her physical education class for this first semester...we just dont wanna take the risk... Alhamdulillah...everyone understand our plight very well and are giving her their moral support in so many ways possible...

How is her lesson? is she left behind? i think she is doing quite ok...catching up i suppose...i am simply monitoring her progress right now...Yes.. she has never ben the top 5 or top 10 even in the tests but i see her improving slowly... from 24 wrongs...she got 15 wrongs..and the last one... 7 wrongs... she was happy beyond words and for us...his parents... all we can do is to give her encouragement whenever possible...