One scene of whats you call a real life

Suddenly our new maid said she wanted to go back home in the Idul Adha time. Because it was so sudden I asked why, she said because her sister in Kalimantan wants her to join her. A simple reason to quit so early. I only paid her salary once.

It was Tuesday 9th of November when she asked me that she planned to leave on Sunday 14th. She asked me just in time when I was about to go to work in the morning. What a 'perfect' time, heh? Negotiation was happening, until we agreed that she can leave on Tuesday 16th. I can not force her to stay while she wanted to leave right? I also do not want to retain the person who doesnt want to work with us anymore. I understand that Fia so sad when she waved her goodbye at that night. Gosh...it took quite long time to let her go. She took her a photo. But, you've got to face it. I embraced her...

Fortunately, the next day was holiday. Happy Idul Adha everyone. Someone has brought us a plastic of daging kurban. Think..think..think what to do with that. Keep it safely in the fridge. At the same time, the big family from Depok and Condet came to visit us. God answered Yosua's prayer, that his cousins came to play with him. yesterday he told me that he wished his cousins would come to our house. Next day, voila...here they are. They were going to Kandank Jurang Doank, biking around the complex, playing the computer games and watching a film. Seemed that they had a lovely time together. Until he was too tired at that night. Well..so were all of us actually.

We all woke up when the kids' pick up car sounded a horn. Of course I can't tell her to wait. It would be a 30 minutes of waiting. Too long, I think. So, I prepared everything [breakfast, kids' meal, hot water to bath, uniforms to wear] and drove kids to school. The kids would have arrived on time at school if there has not been many traffics happened on the way to school. The traffics were s***s. As predicted, Fia and Yosua were reluctant to get off the car and enter their class. I cannot force them to do what they dont feel to, can I?

THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL THE REAL LIFE.

Having had such driving situation, now I had to drive back home. Well....I must admit that it was not their fault. But, can't they just go inside their classroom? This was only their first time they came late at this term, and I would take them to the teacher in charge and explain the situation. Nope, didn't work.

Arrived home, I just continued the household stuff at the back of the house. Cloths washing. While inside, Fia was sweeping the floor and washing the dishes in the kitchen. Both of us did it quietly, not even a word. Yosua was sleeping in his room. I felt a bit calm down to see what Fia's been doing. So I took the two ice cream from the fridge and offered her one. We enjoyed it in the living room while we watched the telly until Yosua woke up. The situation was melting. The ice cream really worked as an ice-breaker.

Facebook was one of the stress-release. One or two hours I was there, Yosua came in and asked me to go to my bedroom to find a letter for me.



So sweet. Fia even returned the money I gave her this morning. I smiled and called them to explain why I was disappointed this morning. Hope they listened and understood.

Well kids, being a mom is a grant, being a good mom is a never ending process. My whole life will always be full of learning on how to be one. Remember, even if I want to be a super duper mom, a mom is also a human who sometimes fed up with such situation. Having had that feeling, regrets always come at the end.

Having you two as my children is a priceless gift that God has given me in my life.
I love you kids...

Cars that change colours

Yosua boleh memilih hadiah apa yang ia inginkan karena Laporan Sekolah-nya bagus. Jadilah, ia memilih mainan mobil-mobilan di salah satu toko mainan di Bintaro Plaza [iya, dia memilih mainan daripada buku].
Suatu malam, saya heran melihat mainan ini bisa berubah warna, dan kaget mendapatkan ada mainan mobil-mobilan di dalam kulkas. Dan inilah pertunjukan Yosua atas dua mobil-mobilannya yang bisa berubah warna dengan menggunakan air es dan air hangat.

Warna asli:



Perhatikan perbedaan warna kreasi Yosua:









Warna asli:









Saat mengubah-ubah warna mobil ini, Yosua menggunakan air di mangkok kecil, dan menggunakan air dari kulkas dan air panas dari dispenser. Basah di mana-mana.
Dan mamanya masih terheran-heran karena warna mobil yang bisa berubah-ubah dalam waktu sekejab ini. Kok bisa ya? Ck..ck..ck.. mainan jaman sekarang ya

Surat istimewa

Kemarin saya benar-benar merasa badan saya tidak enak.
Pulang satu jam lebih awal, saya langsung makan dan minum obat setiba di rumah, dan masuk kamar untuk tidur.
Kira-kira dua jam, saya terbangun karena Fia masuk membawa secarik kertas.
Masih setengah sadar, saya membaca tulisan di atas kertas putih itu:





Wah..surat yang istimewa buat saya. Terima kasih kembali Fia...senang Fia sudah sembuh dan sehat serta normal kembali. Terima kasih juga untuk doanya.

Belajar dari catatan harian Yosua

Saya minta ijin Yosua untuk mengunduh catatan hariannya ini. Pertama-tama dijelaskan dulu apa itu blog, dan apa konsekuensinya kalau catatan hariannya di unduh disitu. Dan Yosua tidak keberatan. Ia memilih halaman ini yang dianggapnya aman untuk diketahui oleh orang lain. Sementara, ada halaman lain yang saya sendiri tidak boleh membacanya.

Alasan saya ingin mengangkat catatan harian Yosua ini karena beberapa kali Yosua bertanya apa yang hendak kami kerjakan kalau keluar bersama. Belakangan saya ketahui, informasi itu ia butuhkan untuk ditulis di catatan hariannya. Kebetulan sekali, kami menemukan To DO List diary-nya Sponge Bob, dan mulailah Yosua mencatat kegiatan hariannya.

Uniknya, ada nilai yang diberikan untuk pencapaiannya. 100% kalau semua perencanaan kegiatan itu terpenuhi. Contoh kali ini, Yosua menilai 50%. Yuk kita lihat:



1. Tidak ada tanggal, tapi kalau dilihat dari isi kegiatannya, kemungkinan hari libur. Kegiatan bersekolah atau belajar tidak tercantum. Wupss....

2. Main piano tiga kali. Kok saya tidak pernah dengar ya?

3. Istirahat tujuh kali. Jelas sekali anak saya itu :-)

4. Main komputer, SIM PET, dua kali, kalau tidak berebut dengan sang kakak rasanya

5. Main kapal-kapalan. Memang Yosua lagi suka dengan membuat origami kapal laut dan kapal terbang. Dua kali.

6. Ternyata, kebanyakan kegiatan hari itu adalah main. Enaknya masa kanak-kanak itu...

Seandainya, kegiatan harian kita juga direkam seperti ini, kira kira waktu kita akan kita habiskan pada kegiatan apa ya?

Saya teringat waktu jaman kuliah dulu, saat mengikuti kelompok kecil dan belajar tentang waktu, kami diminta untuk mencatat selama seminggu, kegiatan apa saja yang kami lakukan tiap harinya. Dari tabel itu, akan nampak jelas, bagaimana waktu itu kita manfaatkan untuk kegiatan yang paling tidak berguna, seperti nongkrong di warung, sampai dengan belajar atau buat tugas di perpustakaan. Terbukti, paling sedikit waktu yang kita habiskan untuk kegiatan yang terakhir. Nah, list seminggu itu, menjadi penuntun buat kita untuk menjadwalkan kembali kegiatan-kegiatan kita sehingga waktu yang kita habiskan jelas akan terkuras dimana. Kegiatan apa dan berapa banyak waktu akan kita habiskan untuk itu.

Tapi setelah mempunyai jabatan multi di rumah, di tempat kerja, di asosiasi, wah..rasanya, akan penuh sekali daftar saya dalam sehari. Mana yang harus saya dahulukan kalau sudah begini ya? Padahal ada keinginan untuk menuntaskan 50 judul buku di tahun 2010 ini. Wah..sudah tiga bulan tidak buku yang tuntas dibaca. Skala prioritas dan belajar bilang tidak adalah dua hal yang saya pikir penting bagi saya untuk mengatur waktu dan skala kepentingan suatu pekerjaan. Mungkin ini bisa membantu saya untuk mengalokasikan waktu dengan bijaksana. Mudah - mudahan ini bukan sekedar teori saja ya.

Yosua mempunya standard yang tinggi untuk menilai kegiatan hariannya ini. Dari tanda X yang ada seharusnya ia masih bisa dapat angka diatas 50%. Entahlah mungkin ada perhitungan lain darinya.

Well done Yosua, semoga lebih bijaksana lagi mengatur waktunya ya..
Ehemm....mamanya juga yaaa...

Muntah

Sepagian ini Fia muntah. Warnanya kuning dan berlendir.
Sementara, kondisi saya juga lagi meriang dan batuk - batuk, kepala juga masih sakit.
Jadilah sakit menjaga si sakit.

Awalnya, saya kasih teh manis. Keluar lagi.
Bubur ayam well...saya hanya kasih buburnya saja, plain, keluar lagi.
Pocari Sweat saya berikan, keluar lagi.

Segera cari informasi di internet. Kabarnya, kalau muntah berwarna kekuninga itu karena ada yang tidak beres pada pencernaannya, semacam keracunan makanan. Kabarnya pula tidak perlu buru buru dibawa ke dokter. Dipuasakan dulu saja selama sejam. Fia memang kemudian tidak makan apa apa, karena tidur, sampai jam 12 siang. Ketika bangun, saya beri dia sup wortel kentang yang sudah disaring dulu. Setelah itu, saya yakinkan untuk membawanya ke dokter sambil berharap Fia tidak muntah lagi, dan makanan yang dimakannya bisa memberinya kekuatan.

Tiba di RSIB, Fia langsung mengajak ke toilet karena mau muntah. Yah, terpakasa sup yang dimakannyapun, keluar lagi. Setelah itu kita ke UGD yang ternyata penuh dengan pasien. Kalaupun mau menunggu, pasti akan lama. Saya utarakan bahwa saya perlu penanganan yang cepat untuk Fia, dan tidak bisa menunggu lama. AKhirnya diacu ke Poli Umum dengan dokter umum.

Setelah diperiksa, dokter menganjurkan untuk memberi suntikan anti muntah dan diberi obat mual. Obat yang disuntikkan adalah Vomceran injection 4mg/2 ml harganya Rp 38.133. Untungkah ada kamar periksa yang kosong, yang bisa ditempatkan Fia sambil saya menunggu resep dan membayar di kasir. Maklumlah, antrian sangat panjang. Kasihan kalau Fia harus ikut mengantri dalam kondisi mengantuk seperti itu.

Obat minum yang diresepkan adalah: Vomceran tablets 4mg sebanyak sepuluh butir @ Rp 16.867,- dan Pantozol Tablets 20 mg sebanyak sepuluh butir juga @ 18.562,50.
Pulang dari rumah sakit, Fia langsung minum Pantozolnya, karena obat ini harus diminum 30 menit sebelum makan. Setelah itu, saya suapi Fia dengan bubur dan sup. Lumayan, tiga jam selanjutnya tidak ada reaksi muntah. Hanya ada rasa mual, yang kemudian saya langsung berikan Vomceran tablet yang hanya diberikan kalau rasa mual.

Saya curiga penyebab Fia muntah-muntah hari ini adalah karena makanan yang dimakannya di sekolah. Pada hari Jumat, Fia bercerita dia makan beberapa snack pasar yang dibagikan disekolah, yang menyebabkan bekal Fia dari rumah tidak dimakan.
Mungkin karena jumlah yang dibagikan untuk para siswa lumayan banyak, ada beberapa diantaranya yang sudah tidak bagus lagi. Mungkin saja...Nanti perlu diinvestigasi...

Kasihan Fia,get well soon ya..

Bali: Pulau Lembongan dan Pantai Kuta

Liburan kali ini ke Bali lagi. Hitung hitung untuk menebus janji liburan kenaikan kelas Fia dan Yosua, yang terus tertunda. Selain itu juga sebagai tebusan karena mereka sering ditinggal untuk urusan orang tuanya. Wah..kalau ini berasa memberi suap buat mereka :-) Intinya, berlibur...keluar dari rutinitas. So, tanggal 13-16 Agustus 2010, kami menuju Bali dengan tujuan pertama Nathan hotel di Kuta, kemudian seharian mengikuti cruising tour dengan Bali Hai di Pulau Lembongan serta beristirahat di Alam Kul Kul, Kuta.

Fia santai dulu di Nathan Hotel



Kutorehkan jejakku di pantaimu...



Senyuummm...



Main pasir pantai



Sunset di Pantai Kuta








Pulau Lembongan

Menunggu keberangkatan



Di dalam boat, sudah tersedia penganan



Fia menikmati angin laut di ujung boat



Yosua tertidur pulas di deck atas



Merapat ke Pulau Lembongan



Semakin merapat...




Tiba di Pulau Lembongan




Area kolam renang





Pemandangan dari Pulau Lembongan




Fia, Yosua dan mamah nya :-)

A diary of three surviving days without Yuni Sara

Yuni Sara has gone home for Lebaran Holidays.
She went home joyfully on last Sunday and left me 'tearfully' imagining the days without her for about two weeks. Imagining that my lazy time will be very minimum because I'll be using that time by doing house cleaning, cooking, washing, mopping, etc etc.

She is a smart, energetic, diligent and helpful assistant in my house. She's been with us for three years already so she's about 18 years old by now. She coped most with everything in this household stuff.

She also borrowed books and teens magazines from my library. I recommended romance literature from Bahasa Indonesia section and Gadis magazines.

Kids like her very much. So do I. How can I manage this household business without her help while I work at the same time? Well, Yuni Sara also needs a break, right?
Having worked with us for the last one year especially at this Idul Fitri time, she deserves it. Enjoy your time in your kampung Yuni Sara....
[and please coming back...]

PS: I think I need to write it down in Bahasa Indonesia, just in case she came across and read it later? Just to make sure that she understands. :-)

Day one:
Woke up at 5am
ready to cook
upss...stove didnt work
no wonder
the gas run out
okey
lets start with drinking a glass of water
good for your health if you do it regularly every morning
but
not even a drip of water came out from dispenser tap
no wonder
the water galoon was empty
One hour later,
made a phone call for gas and galoons delivery
now I know the man who assisted Yuni Sara to do these kind of stuff
done
ready for work now

Day Two
Woke up at 5am
ready to cook vegetable soup and chicken stew
cut this, wash that, plunged the vegetables in to the pan, stirred here and there
and voilaaa....wups 7.30am
I supposed to leave for work by that time
I couldn't believe it..
I spent two hours and half
just to cook those two
I thought it supposed to take one and half hours at most
anyway...

felt touchy when I saw Yosua
so busy with his duty
washing all the plates and cups and cooking stuff
and refusing her sister's offer
to play outside for biking
'I'm busy', he was shouting back
so he knows he needed to complete his task
and he worked that out without having me telling him to do so
isn't that so sweet of him?
[it was him who chose to do dishes washing at the first stage]
wuppss...made my way to work, I knew it would be late though

Afternoon-back from work
I saw that clothelines full with the washed cloths
Just found out that Fia managed to wash them all during the day
Very well done, Fia

Day three:
I decided to wake up at 6am
Plan to cook one type of food only
Oriental Seafood Soup - that's what I call it-
A pan of boiled water
chopped garlic
shrimps, ikan kakap fillet and organic tofu
added a tablespoon of fish oil and salt sauce and pepper
Taste it..I think its oriental enough
that's for lunch
I'll balance the nutrition with more vegetables later

Well my third day without Yuni Sara is almost finish today
Realising that my house-duty was not that heavy as I imagined before
Kids are grown up, are they?
I think I now need to teach them about: consistency
So I can consistency have spare time in these times
to enjoy my Idul Fitri break too
well...I'm growing old, you know,
I think that is the fair reason to do that :-)