Dear Fatimah,
You’ve grown one year older, and I’d just like to say
That I wish you a very Happy 5th Birthday!
Oh, how time flies! I can never forget
When I was all lonely and then we first met
You brought a smile to my face, you tickled me silly,
You gave joy to me and the family!
Now you’re all grown up, and I again say,
Happy Birthday! May God make this the best of all days!
Love,
Your Lalajee, Omar Mukhtar
a.k.a. The Pawsome Lion
*Dedicated to my li’l’ PAWSOME sister, Fatimah*
Time seems to fly sometimes, without you even knowing it, and this was especially true with Fatimah! It seems like only yesterday when I was 7 and Fatimah was born into the family, bringing joy and laughter. I can clearly remember when she was small enough to fit into my hands and only just starting to crawl – but look where she is now! She’s walkin’, talkin’ and as much of a diva as you can be (a lovely diva, that is)! And today, she’s…
Yep, you read it right! It’s the 3rd of January 2018, a.k.a Fatimah’s 4th birthday, one of the most special dates in our family!
Fatimah is one of the best people I know, and I’m so glad to have her as a sister! She’s very loving, and protective when it comes to her family! She’s really confident in speaking, like when she’s doing ‘The Fatimah Show’. Fatimah also loves cooking, and enjoys making cookery videos, just like Mamajee @adamdidam. She absolutely loves it when he comes to visit because they will be able to do it together! She also likes me to cook with her and I must admit, it’s quite an enjoyable experience! The first time I cooked with her, I was expecting her to ask for help, but in the end, she was the one helping me! I guess she’s mastered all the techniques because she always helps Mr Dad when he’s cooking!
Fatimah is also a playful and imaginative girl. She enjoys making stories with her toys, running a pretend restaurant with them as the customers and making sure her brother Ali has a part by putting him in the role of head chef, or going on a trek through the forest! Speaking of which, she’s VERY active! She always manages to get exercise, inside or outside, doing things like yoga and dancing, especially to Bollywood songs! But above all, she’s always well-behaved and highly mannered. Another favourite hobby of hers is arts and crafts. Cutting, sticking, painting, making collages, she loves it all! Not to forget, I’m glad that me and Fatimah share the same hobby, READING, as I have ORD (Obsessive Reading Disorder! 😉 ) She enjoys storytelling too!
These are only a few of the reasons I feel blessed to have Fatimah as a sister! I couldn’t have asked for more from God! On her 4th birthday, she’s already such a mature child! Fatimah, I wish you all the best for the future! May God shower you with His eternal blessings and keep you in His safeguarding! I wanted to give you a special birthday present for you this year, since you’re so grown up, and I decided that instead of a poem, I’d give you something special that you could keep with you, always. So here it is below – a special drawing of you, from a brother to a sister! I used lots and lots of colours to capture your loving, lively and playful personality, so it can remind you of your childhood, to tell you to always remain carefree, and of course, to let you remember that we will all be with you in your heart, and you’ll be in ours!
Wishing you a very happy 4th birthday,
Your Lalajee,
The Pawsome Lion
p/s: Artwork above inspired by photo below.
There are two dates in November that are special to my family: the 10th and the 14th.
Mrs Mom always told us that me, Fatimah and Ali were lucky to have a second mother.
Fatimah and Ali used to ask who that other mother was, but I knew just the person Mrs Mom was talking about. Dr Auntie, Mrs Mom’s elder sister, was someone who had been there for us right from the start. She’s not just your average auntie! Out of everybody on Earth, I haven’t met anybody that could replace her! She’s loving and understanding, and it seems that her heart is made of pure gold.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a day go by without Mrs Mom and Dr Auntie talking to each other, and by that, I don’t mean just once, I mean at least 10 times (or 100, I lose count)! Mrs Mom and Dr Auntie are tightly knit and are very close sisters; I think we only ever need to make a phone call if we’re in urgent need of help! Sometimes, Mrs Mom doesn’t break any good news to us until Dr Auntie is tuned in and listening! And that is how important she is to the family!
Another great trait that makes Dr Auntie ‘Dr Auntie’ is that she’ll never say no, and will do anything to fulfil our needs. I think that if I asked her for £1,000,000, she’d rob a bank just for me (although, of course, she’s an honest and kind person, so I highly doubt that she’ll do anything of the sort. I really need to read those T’s and C’s.)!
I can still remember how she used to always find a way to make me happy when I was little. She knew I was the kind of kid that absolutely LOVED opening presents, so, on top all the other presents she’d got for my birthday, she’d take the wrapping paper and wrap anything she could find – literally. Books, socks, pens, plates. In fact, I still recall one account where I was surprised with a biscuit! Isn’t she sweet?
There’s many other qualities that make her probably the best auntie ever (subject to prejudice and sheer adoration!), so it’s no wonder nobody was like her! She’s my biggest inspiration and is somebody that always tries hard! She won’t give up and will not stop at anything to help her family! She’s definitely the role model to follow! Now, coming back to those two special dates in November, the 14th marks Dr Auntie’s birthday! The whole family looks forward to this day, because it’s that time of the year when we can really thank her for everything she’s done for us!
Dr Auntie has, of course, done many favours for me too, so I have specially dedicated a poem to her, which, I must admit, is small compared to what she has done for me, but is my way of saying thank you. Dr Auntie, this is for you!
Simply The Best!
By The Pawsome Lion
Dedicated to Dr Auntie
There’s millions of people in the world,
But none of them are quite like you,
You’re funny, loving, you’ve got a heart of gold!
And you make us feel like “YAY!” when we’re blue
You’re always there when we need help,
We can just give you a yelp!
A mother you are similar to,
It seems there’s nothing you can’t do!
You’re always by our side,
In the dark, you’re our brightening guide!
And I’d gladly go on and on,
Because when you’re around, no hope is gone!
But it is somebody’s special day,
And it’s a reason for you to shout HOORAY!
Because HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
It’s YOUR special day!
Happy birthday, Dr Auntie! May God make this the best birthday ever!
p/s: Dear Dr Auntie, please pray for my interview, so I can bring back the biggest birthday present of all!
Your favourite nephew (self-claimed! 😁),
Omar Mukhtar – The Pawsome Lion
The wait is finally over! The Family’s very own TV show is going to be aired on British Muslim UK TV. Believe it or not, it’s not just 1 episode, but 12! It is like having our very own reality show, but with added fun family activities! It’s also educational, packed with quizzes and trivia. It’s kinda like Fear Factor, fuelled with plenty of gruesome foods and smells! When Mr Dad broke the news to me, I was overjoyed to hear that they were inviting me to host our own family TV show! I was extremely honoured, but of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of everyone who put in every effort to make this happen!
First of all, I would like to thank Mr Dad! Normally, he doesn’t like to be in the limelight, but this time, he insisted on doing it to support me. I see him as a wonderful dad who won’t put his preferences before helping his son! He is a yes man, and can do anything for his children! He doesn’t mind to get his hands dirty, he just does it to support us! How much more caring can a father get? I hope he will be an inspiration to other dads out there!
I would also like to give thanks to Mamajee @adamdidam for his huge help too! When BMTV invited him to be part of the show, despite his busy schedule, he flew all the way to the UK from Malaysia and gave his full support! Mamajee has taught me a lot about the experience of being in front of a camera, and it has benefited me by having him in the show!
Of course, we can’t forget Fatimah! She has been exceptionally brilliant during the shooting and was very brave to talk in front of loads of cameras and people! Those of you who follow our Instagram will know that Fatimah was born to talk! However, shooting for TV is a whole new thing for a three-year-old like her! On some days, she was having a bad skin day due to the fact that she is lactose intolerant and is allergic to dairy products, but she was still able to continue shooting! I am very proud of her and how she has managed to be a featuring star in the show!
Another person who is prominent in the process of creating the show is Dr Auntie! She has been a massive help and sacrificed her time by coming all the way from Manchester to aid us! I don’t know what we would have done without her! She’s been great support to all of us!
Ali also deserves some thanks! He was extremely well-behaved whilst we were away shooting. He was not crying at all, even though him and Fatimah cannot be separated!
I would also like to express my gratitude to Mrs Mom! All throughout the making of the show, she has constantly supported us, telling us her thoughts about it and being really encouraging for us, even though she wasn’t feeling well at the time! She’s like a wonder woman!
And lastly, I would like to say a humungous thank you to Zainab, Yousra and the whole British Muslim TV team! They have taken us as their guests and have done millions of things for us! They are a great team to work with, being professional yet friendly! It’s like working with one big family! They accommodated us with all our needs right from the beginning! The original shooting location was meant to be in Manchester, but they brought the whole team to Birmingham just to make it more convenient for us! During the shooting, they looked after us, giving us appropriate breaks, providing us with food and cheering us on! They have also pampered Fatimah, making sure she has enough rest, making her food and even feeding her! Their love for us really shines through! It was such an amazing experience!
I have had so much fun making this show! The experience has helped me a lot in terms of developing my confidence and polishing my communication skills! And of course, be sure to tune in to British Muslim TV today from 4pm UK time (12am Malaysia time) on Sky 845 to watch the show! For those outside the UK, don’t worry! You can still watch us live from anywhere in the world through their website: http://www.britishmuslim.tv
p/s: Thank you once again BMTV! Can’t wait for our next project together!
Who Else But Mum!?
(A poem written by The Pawsome Lion)
~Dedicated to Mrs Mom
I still remember how you smiled at me,
And that twinkle in your eyes,
Our laughs when we had fun,
The tears of joy we shared
I still remember how you helped me up
When I fell to the floor,
Your hugs when I felt down,
Your praise when I had done well
I still remember after all these years
How kind you’ve been to me,
How great you’ve been to my brother,
How great you’ve been to my sister
And I still come to you for hugs,
For smiles, for advice, for a laugh,
Because I think,
Who else but mum,
To go to for joy!?
Who else but mum,
To go to for help!?
Who else? Who else? Who else but mum!?
And on this very special day,
I’d like to say…
Happy Birthday!
To the best mother in the world!
Dear Mr Dad,
The 17th of June has always been a date that our family looks forward to. Yes, it’s your birthday and it’s right next to Father’s Day (Lucky you!)! That’s why I’m writing this post!
Over the years, you’ve been a PAWSOME father and a great husband for Mrs Mom, and you’ve made a lot of sacrifices for us. Ever since I was born, you’ve been like my best friend and you haven’t failed to keep Little Miss Diva and Ali the Salt Bubba happy too! You’ve got a great sense of humour and you’ve got a heart of pure gold! You’ve supported us and loved us with all your heart and you’ve always stood by our side. You are a very -and I mean VERY – PAWSOME dad! After all, you are the one and only Mr Dad! So, we’d all like to say THANK YOU for everything you’ve done! We really appreciate it! And since it’s such a special occasion, I’ve written a lovely (hopefully you’ll find it that way) poem, just for you!
11 Things I Love About You
A poem written by Omar Mukhtar, The Pawsome Lion on behalf of the whole family
Fatimah The Little Miss Diva, Ali The Salt Bubba and Mrs Mom
I love the way you keep us happy,
The way you sing to us,
I love how you smile at us in the morning,
The way you advise us
I love the way you play chess with me,
The way you comb our hair,
I love how you know how to make us laugh,
The way you help with your great sense of fashion
I love the way you love Mrs Mom,
And how you care for her,
But most importantly, I love the way you stand by our side
Which makes you a PAWSOME father!
And on this special day, I’d like to say…
Happy Birthday! Happy Father’s Day!
From your loving family!
Happy birthday and Happy Father’s Day, Mr Dad! We hope they both turn out to be great days! May God grant all of your wishes and make them the best days ever! 😀
p/s: Dear God,
Please reserve my dad the best place in heaven coz he totally deserves it!
When I was only 5 years old, I won the Headteacher’s Special Award for creating a business plan for my own T-shirt boutique. I came up with a proper brand name, created my own business cards, listed the needed equipment, designed the layout of the boutique, planned ahead for launching day, what would happen on launching day, made invitation cards and even wrote a song for it! Now hold your horses, everyone! If you think that I am just bragging about another achievement of mine, you’re wrong! This is a special shout-out to all the parents and teachers out there.
From my humble point of view, education should start at home. God had blessed me with the amazing Mrs Mom and Mr Dad. They prepared me well before sending me off to school and they taught me everything that I needed to know. I only joined school when I was 5 years old. Mrs Mom and Mr Dad would take it in turns to bring me to work with them and they wouldn’t just let me sit there and do nothing! They would give me a pencil and a piece of paper and let me get involved in whatever they were doing. If they were concocting a business plan, I would create one too, and if they were working on a branding project, they would assign me to make my own as well. When they were preparing for a presentation, I would get the chance to present my work too. They would also let me get involved in their discussions and ask me for my opinion to polish my communication and decision-making skills. And they wouldn’t leave me to watch TV or play games while they did something else, we would all watch television and play games as a family. And when I went to school, I used the experience from Mrs Mom and Mr Dad and applied it there. For example, I created a series of leaflets for the school. I also created a logo for my Dance Club and designed a T-shirt for it.
You might say that it was easy for them because I was their only child but even now, we practice the same thing. Mr Dad and Mrs Mom still take turns to teach my brother and sister. But if they are busy, I will carry out their responsibility and teach Fatimah and Ali. Every day, I will read them a book and sometimes, I will do an arts and crafts activity with them. However, if I am busy with my writing, I will give them each a pencil and some papers so that they can work alongside me. The best part about Mrs Mom and Mr Dad is that they would always treat my project as if it was real. They were highly supportive and would encourage me to keep on working for my dream. They even motivated me to send out invitations and business cards for my boutique! So, I personally think that parents are the best teachers for children!
Teachers also play an imperative role in a child’s life as they are the ones who can render additional support. Teachers are almost like children’s second parents and are seen as their role models due to the fact that children spend the most time with them. In my opinion, they should not just focus on children who are exceeding in school, they should also pay attention to those who need extra help so that they can bring out the potential in them. If my teachers didn’t spot my talents, then I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have now! But sometimes, due to the lack of engagement and support from parents, teachers are becoming de-motivated and become less enthusiastic, therefore having an effect on the children and their learning. As a result of this, parents and children will face a big loss, not the teachers. Teachers always plan ahead and work hard to organise activities and events for children but without enough support and parental engagement, the events end up being cancelled. If I was a teacher, I would be very frustrated because all that time and effort would have gone to waste. So be careful, parents, and play your role wisely in order to let teachers continue working their magic in the classroom!
Always bear in mind that some children are more advanced than others but can also contribute to assist those in need. Take it from my story; it wasn’t just my teachers who helped me. Me and my friends also worked as a team. We all learnt in a collaborative and cordial environment and we were always willing to help each other. We weren’t competing against one another to become the best, we were always helping around and looking out for each other. Nobody would make fun of anybody if they got something incorrect and we would encourage each other to do our best.
In addition to my classmates, I salute my parents for finding time in their busy schedule to voluntarily help children with their reading. My parents will always be an example for me, not only do they educate their own child, they are also willing to help other children. So, I plead all parents to stop competing against each other to show which child is better when you should help other children as well as your own to help educate the next generation and set the best example for them.
To conclude, I would like to reiterate the significance of starting your child’s education at home to ensure the best for their future. I am not saying that you should fully homeschool your child – in fact, I quite disagree with that. From my eyes, children also need to be exposed to the outside world so that they are able to socialise with other people and create friendships as well as receiving support from parents in order to give them a good education and a better chance of becoming successful. Social skills and teamwork are very important in life. In my view, a child educated only at school is an uneducated child and we shouldn’t dump all the responsibilities of tutoring children on teachers and expect them to work miracles when you should be playing your role as a parent as well! So please, parents and teachers, DO YOUR BEST TO BRING OUT THE CHILDREN’S BEST SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!
‘Education is like a recipe. It may take many ingredients to make it perfect. Each ingredient compliments each other to create a masterpiece.’
O. Mukhtar O. Mukhlis a.k.a. The Pawsome Lion
Thursday 23rd March 2017
Hey guys! Sorry I haven’t been posting anything recently. I have been SUPER busy at school! This year, I have been chosen as a Digital Leader, I am still teaching in Handwriting Club for three times a week, I am also a Junior Journalist for the school newspaper and God knows what else! 😀 So Mr Dad and Mrs Mom said that I should take a break from some activities outside of school. However, I have still been writing offline and I will be releasing the pieces that I have written on my blog. But don’t worry! I’m back now!
Yesterday, me, Little Miss Diva and Ali Bubba (Baby A wanted to change his name because he doesn’t like being called ‘Baby’ any more, even though he is only 19 months old!) decided to create our own pieces of art – Cupcake Case Flowers! To make them, we used cupcake cases, buttons, paper and some ribbons. Little Miss Diva and Ali Bubba really enjoyed making the flowers; they grinned all the way through!
If you would like to try this with your kids, follow the simple steps below ⬇️ :
This is a great activity for children because it can unleash their creativity, it’s fun and it’s easy! I would highly recommend this for people who have little ones at home!
Well, that’s all for today, but be sure to look out for the next post! Bye!
p/s: Follow me on Instagram: @thefamily.uk for the latest updates and more…;)
Hiya pawsome peeps! How’s everything going?
Last week, me and Little Miss Diva went to Thimblemill Library to exchange our old books for new ones for The BFR. Along with the books, we also got some cool prizes! 🏆 Our first was…a BFG – or Big Friendly Giant – pop out bookmark! It is PAWSOME!!!
The other prizes we got were…our first two Collector Cards!!! 🂠 🂠 They feature some of Quentin Blake’s amazing illustrations picked out of Roald Dahl’s books. On the backs, there’s all sorts of things! There’s tongue twisters, practical jokes and more! One of the cards even has a ‘Scratch n’ Sniff’ smell on them! When you scratch it, it pongs badly!!! YUUCK!!!
Once again, I am going to be reviewing a book that I have read for The BFR. This time, I have put the scary business to one side and went for something different. The book that I have chosen for this post is…Paddington at Large by Michael Bond!! I can guarantee that Micheal Bond is one of the most PAWSOME writers in the world!
The front cover of this book is adorable and eye-catching at the same time. A chubby lil’ bear in a tuxedo and a red hat! Who wouldn’t want to pick up that book?
The main character (or should I say animal!) in this book is a bear called Paddington and this book takes you through the adventures he has and the mischief he gets up to. You will surely burst into fits of laughter!
I would definitely recommend this book to people who love adventure and have a taste for humour. It is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and I’m sure that many of you will too! You won’t regret it!
Finally, rating! The number of stars that I am giving this book is…5!!! Yay!!! It is probably one of the best books I have ever read! It really deserves 5 stars! If you would like to read this book, visit your local library today and ask about it!
Oh well, that’s all, folks! Remember to look out for more reviews from my Pawsome Book Club! 😉
p/s: Please kindly visit my YouTube channel – The Pawsome Lion to watch my Pawsome Book Club videos & don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!
Ni Hao pawsome peeps!
This post is going to be book review, yet again! This review is going to be for another children’s book. I thought that it might be useful for parents with bookworms! This post will be featuring Little Miss Diva!!! Now, the book that we have read is called…Space Shuttle Blasts Off by Peter Bently!
Me and Little Miss Diva think that the front cover of this book is really cool! A panda in a space ship⁉️ WOW!!!
The main characters in this book are Commander Mandy and Co-Pilot Andy. The crew have to go to space to collect and repair a broken satellite. But who will they meet on the way?
If your child is a boy or a girl and they love books, then they will enjoy every moment of this book. Even if they aren’t bookworms but are into things related to space, they would definitely like to read this! But since this is from Little Miss Diva’s point of view, she says that she wants to rate this book 3 stars! She didn’t like it very much 😦 . I think it’s because she’s still missing Max! But I would say that this book is great! The illustrations are vibrant, the words are easy to read and it is also educational! If you would like to get this book for your child, just ask at your local library today!
I have to stop there pawsome peeps! I need to go now! But remember watch out for the next book review from my Pawsome Book Club!
p/s: Please kindly visit my YouTube channel – The Pawsome Lion to watch my Pawsome Book Club videos & don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!
The Pawsome Lion 