A Letter to Master Z on his Seventh Birthday…
You are 7 years old today! The past year has been tough, and I think if I was to sum up how you have been this last year, it would be with the words Resilience and Adaptive… and for this you truly deserve to be celebrated!
Your year of being 6 started off as a lockdown birthday last year with the claws of Covid-19 having a hold on humanity, and one year on, we still haven’t quite managed to shake it off yet. Though restrictions have eased up in the UAE, Covid is still very much around and is causing even more havoc now in countries like India than it did last year. As much as I wish I didn’t have to mention the C word, unfortunately it has impacted us all in so many ways, whether it is not being able to travel to see family over the last year, or not even playing on the slides in your school play ground with your friends.
The lockdown months brought us together as a family, and we really enjoyed each other’s company. You loved having your Papa with you almost the whole day, and we did plenty of activities and crafts together which I hope you will cherish. Your Nana and Nani joined your FS graduation online ceremony over zoom for which I crafted a red graduation hat for you, and you were so proud.
However, as I said, you have been extremely resilient and adaptive. Last summer we moved to the other side of Dubai and in September you started (for the third time in a row) at a new school. You instantly made friends and loved your new class teacher, even if you were parted by digital screens. Being in Year 1 now, you have many more subjects to learn about, once of your favourites being Arabic and Islam Studies. You have mastered all the new apps and websites, as well as Zoom of course, that you have to juggle during an online learning day, and are completing all tasks given to you from school.
You have memorised so many new short Surahs, Masha Allah, it is truly a blessing to hear you recite them each night before bed. I am so proud to see you be able to read and write words and sentences in Arabic, and we have started on the Qaida too. You have also learnt the fundamentals on how to pray Salah, though we need to practice Wudhu a little more. Your excitement for Ramadan has rubbed off on all of us, and you’ve been managing to keep a few “snack fasts” (fasting between lunch and dinner! haha!) and asking us to wake you up during suhoor, even though when the time comes, you are snoring away heavily in deep sleep. I hope we are able to do our best to instill the love for Allah in you, In sha Allah.
You have learnt how to play Chess (something that makes my heart burst with pride because I love playing Chess myself) and you even managed to win against myself and Papa once each. Every other time that you have lost though, which have been a lot, you have taken it like a champ and tried harder the next game. You have lost up to 6 teeth this year, and already got yourself a few adult teeth. The tooth angel has visited you every time and given you 1 dirham, as well as a dirham for your little brother (to save yourselves fighting over it!:P ha!)
You have been asking for a cat, so we took you and Little Z to a cat cafe thinking it would quench your thirst of playing with a cat….I think it has spurred your conviction of wanting a pet cat even further. You love swimming in pools, watching me doodle, and you love to eat Rainbow Cake as well as Idli. You had the best time when we took you to Ski Dubai and can’t wait to play with snow again. Your love for arts and crafts is ever growing and you are always eager to take our photos.
Boy, do you love to talk and ask questions. You want to be included in everything we do, and this has caused me to snap at you a couple of times too. But then I realize that spending all your time at home, not having any friends to off load chatter towards, of course you rely on me to converse with. So apart from the mum guilt, I have tried to embrace your millions of questions about anything and everything. You are also very much organised and a forward planner, something that’s probably rubbed off from me, but I do wish you would be more carefree and wild sometimes, and remember you are still a child and not worry about so many things.
Your relationship with your little brother is a sweet sight. Even though he tries his best to irritate you in every possible way, most of the time you are still very patient and giving towards him. You love having a “sleepover” in his bed over the weekends. I also find it hilarious to watch as you try to wriggle free from Little Z trying to smother you with kisses as you both shriek with laughter. You are tremendously caring and giving, and still very much shy but I love that modesty about you.
This year you have requested for a Jurassic Park themed Birthday, so Papa and I have ordered a photo cake from Mister Baker with that in mind, and I have prepared lots of dinosaur printables to decorate. This year it’s a little hectic as your birthday will fall one day before Eid or on Eid day itself. So birthday plans are very much dependent on the moon sighting this year, but we will of course shower you with gifts and have a little cake cutting session with family. To say you are excited would be an understatement…you have a countdown going on and everything. One of the gifts you have requested for is a Snorkel for swimming. I hope you have an amazing day!
Happy 7th Birthday Master Z! May Allah bless you with all the happiness and love you deserve. You make us the proudest parents and we love you to infinity and beyond, now and always.
Lots of love, hugs, kisses and cuddles,
Mummy & Papa
If you are interested, go ahead and read my letter to Master Z on his First Birthday here, Second Birthday here , Third Birthday here , Fourth Birthday here , Fifth Birthday here and Sixth Birthday here.
