Busy Baby Mama blogs

The sweetest month of memories with reflections of worship, and tears and joy  passes by so quickly, it’s difficult to keep track of what really happens each Ramadan. Sometimes we have those beautiful unforgettable moments that get placed in the deepest part of our memory. We cherish it in our hearts…I remember those tearful moments like  praying Tahajjud prayer  with thousand other worshippers on the 27th of Ramadan at 96th street masjid in New York….or the happiest time when my daughter was born during Fajr on the 4th day of Ramadan. We chuckle at the time when my son was 3 years old running upstairs having a big play fight while we were making our Tarawih prayer downstairs (and we could hear everything!) I tell my children every Ramadan like oral tradition, we would remember some…and forget some.

That’s why I decided to make a family journal every Ramadan where we can be together and write down these wonderful times we share. We make one time during the day to write together, and the rest of the time they can choose to write on their own.  Before I go to bed, I jot down a few comments to leave my kids to encourage them to keep writing. By the end of Ramadan, the journal would be filled with fond memories, hadith, Islamic stories that can stay in our family tradition.

Getting kids to write might be a huge task, but I decided to make ONE  regular composition notebook to fill with our family inspiration the entire month. And that seemed to work just great for me. We have a box of markers, gel pens, color pencils along with pens. We keep inside  few swatches of scrapbook paper, clip art, stickers, and embellishments, and leave it on our coffee table. This gives chance for even Ramadan guests to contribute in our writing marathon. Some older youth might want to make their own.Why not? Every year they can add to it until it is full.

First cover the regular composition notebook with scrap giftwrap, fabric, and collage of pictures. Add modge podge if it’s mostly paper. Add letter foams to say “Ramadan Journal” Write all the family members’ names.

Inside the book, it can be a collage of writing mixed with photos, clip art etc.  You can add hadith and ayahs in english to help youth realize what this Holy Month is about. Every Ramadan, you can look back and see some events that we can laugh and cry about.

Here are the ones I made with my children….and don’t forget to share your photographs of your decorated journals so we can post it on Facebook!