Calling all Muslims

[madderthanahatter]

Assalamo alaikum

Would love to chat with other Muslims... used to be on a few sisters forums back in the day but they've all gone now 😔.
It's nice just to have others to check in with...
Just over a month left to Ramadan inshaAllah, still have to make up one day.

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Wa aleykum selam sis! I'm about if you want a chat

Ramadan is so close now!

[madderthanahatter]

@Poorlycatadvicewanted Yaaay, I'd given up on anyone joining in 😅. Can't wait for Ramadan inshaAllah, although I've still got one more day to make up. What are your Ramadan plans?

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

😁 I don't normally look on here! But felt like I should today!

No plans at the moment. I need to sort out the kids calendar and some decorations but I'm not very organised this year!!

Dh might be away for a couple of weeks during but not 100% sure yet so I haven't made any plans really.

How about you sis?

[madderthanahatter]

@Poorlycatadvicewanted

😁 I don't normally look on here! But felt like I should today!

No plans at the moment. I need to sort out the kids calendar and some decorations but I'm not very organised this year!!

Dh might be away for a couple of weeks during but not 100% sure yet so I haven't made any plans really.

How about you sis?

The dc are all older and fasting now so Ramadan is much more proper IYKWIM? No wrangling with kids at 6am alhamdulillah! I like to eat a simple iftar, go to mosque fairly quickly to get a good spot for isha and taraweeh and then home again. I don't invite anyone and I don't accept invitations as I just feel it's a waste of time and then inevitably we would miss taraweeh, which I'm not prepared to do.
We still do decorations for youngest teen dd and she still loves it, but that immense excitement and anticipation of when they were all really young has waned somewhat 😔

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

I know what you mean! My kids are still small. 4,6, 9 and 10.

We used to have lots of guests and vice versa but I have cut it down the last few years as its actually really expensive now! We are 6 people and most families come it's another 6 people. So we only tend to do 3 or 4 now. Last year we only did 2.

No taraweeh at mosque for me. Ours doesn't have a women's section. I haven't been since I was 18. I reverted at 16. But everywhere I have lived since married hasn't had a mosque with a women's section!!

I miss it though!

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Ramadan mubarak sis. If you are still around! X

[PinkTeaForMe]

How lovely to see this post. Ramadan Mubarak to you all x

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

@PinkTeaForMe love the name! Ramadan mubarak xx

[PinkTeaForMe]

@Poorlycatadvicewanted thanks, you can't beat a cup of pink tea! Hope your cat is ok 😊

[ButterfliesnWaterfalls]

Assalaamu alaykum sisters!

Ramadan Mubarak!!

♥️

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Wa aleykum selam @ButterfliesnWaterfalls ramadan mubarak.

X

[PinkTeaForMe]

How is everyone's Ramadan going? I made the intention for the first fast and kept the majority of it but got my period and hour before Maghrib. I feel gutted to be missing out on the excitement of the first week.

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Oh my goodness! Mine started the day before 🙃 still waking up for suhur for DH though. Then up again for school run whilst he gets a lay in 😴 few more days and then back on it! How are you finding it?

[PinkTeaForMe]

It's all a bit frantic to be honest! No rest for me despite the period. I'm still waking up with DH and the kids. They're older but still want me around at suhoor time. I end up struggling to get back to sleep and as soon as my eyes close it's school run time. Fortunately we alternate the drop off but we both also have full time jobs!

Preparing iftar is a mad rush - I'm almost missing the longer fasts and the more relaxed cook time. Tomorrow will be fun because I have to fit in my evening class amongst everything else. I've bulk cooked three meals just now to try and get ahead. I haven't felt the peace of Ramadan yet and feel quite sad about that.

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Aww I understand you completely @PinkTeaForMe mashallah. You are doing very well! I take my hat off to you.

Keep going! It will fly by. We are all here if you need to vent! X

[PinkTeaForMe]

It's never an easy time for mums @Poorlycatadvicewanted but alhamdolillah for it all. I hope your first fast goes well x

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Thank you lovely. And you!!

[doubleshift]

I'm not Muslim but wondered how you cope at work when fasting and balancing family life?

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Hi @doubleshift I personally don't find it hard. We make sure we hydrate well in the evening through to the morning. I am busy too so I don't always notice.

In reality we only miss lunch. We wake up before sunrise for breakfast and then we have dinner at sunset. Admittedly it was harder when it fell on long summer nights. But we are in a period of time when it's shorter now.

[PinkTeaForMe]

@doubleshift for me the hunger is not an issue. We are literally just missing lunch this year as the fasts are much shorter. Even the June fasts from a few years ago (which finished at around 10pm) became quite routine and the hunger subsided.

I do struggle with tiredness though. I am lucky that my employers are very accommodating and don't mind Muslim colleagues adjusting working hours during Ramadan. DH also has flexibility in his work so it works for us as a family. In all honesty it shocks me every year how much more time I feel like I have just because I have less meals and washing up to think about!

[doubleshift]

Thanks you for answering. I have some colleagues fasting and I didn't want to ask directly but will be sensitive to any tiredness they may have.

[Poorlycatadvicewanted]

Aw @doubleshift that's very considerate of you. I'm most certain your colleagues wouldn't mind you asking anything and would be more than happy to answer! :) honestly I wouldn't change anything and if you do then that's very generous of you x