3rd week of July 09

These things happened :

…. 1st school day, Mila started 3rd grade and Alith to KG-1, hectic hectic hectic, but exciting

…. I collected Alith’s development report from school, and the owner with his blue marker make an X on his photo (which he didn’t approve because the pic was taken when he was 3, and now he is 4 almost 5). With the same marker, he made a little heart next to his favorite teacher’s name, and a big one at the last page because he loves all his school’s teachers. Waks…. the good thing is…. the book will not be used for the next year because he moved from PG to KG.

…. our family PC was broken, turn out it was the main board and the processor. The cost to fix the damage is quite significant I am thinking about purchasing a new one…

…. haircut haircut, shortest ever (for the last four year) – a bad sign??

…. new piano teacher for Mila, I hope she is good at entertaining the little girl so that Mila would not loose her interest to learn piano.

…. else? nothing but a long list of to-do-stuff

After midnite

Terakhir nonton sitkom “How I met your mother”…. Ted membuktikan ucapan mamanya benar bangetss “nothing good happen after 2am”

well, it is 8 minutes to 2 am

I don’t plan to proof that Ted’s mom was wrong by keeping myself up so late. The night before I was so tired that I practically slept the whole nite, and the following morning I wasn’t quite myself. I felt terrible cause then I did not do any of my long to-do-list.

…. a recent phone conversation with a female friend who said that my life now is just exactly what she wants to have, running small business while still able to spend enough time with the kids. Whoaaa I was quite overwhelmed with the compliments that I forgot to mention that it is really tiresome, that I don’t have time to have a proper haircut, I slept very little sometimes, skipped breakfast or lunch most of the time (and wonder why I have headache daily), drove too many miles everyday, between schools, swimming or piano classes, shop, suppliers, customer’s house, etc etc.

I’m not complaining, in fact I am really thankful for where I am now. The bottom line is…. every life choice has its consequences. So this is a self-reminder that I chose what I want to be and how I live my life. Whatever come with the package, I’ll fit in and just take the best out of it.

and it is really time to bed…. now 2.20am

Moving… moving

I hereby announce my new web-blog http://schatzie.wordpress.com/

Seperti kata Vidya, punya satu aja postingnya gag rajin…. jd daku pindah aja deh kesitu – sekedar memproklamirkan kecintaan-ku yg dalam sama wordpress.

Skalian mengucapkan selamat menjelang bulan Ramadhan buat teman2 yang menjalani ibadah puasa, semoga dimudahkan dan dilancarkan ibadah kita serta diterima pahalanya. Amiiiiin.

The last 2 weeks….

The last 2 weeks run as normal as it could be, except for several good things and bad news.

lets start with the bad news first…. my little boy is ill, he is having a terrible knee pain – and it made me sad and frustated…. I wish I can take over the pain so that he can play and run and do his things normally, I wish….

and if only the doctors can give me a better answer of why and how to cure him….

move to the better stuff, okay I have my beloved sister in Jakarta, though she is not living with me but at least I can reach her by phone anytime I need to. I had a heart-warming phone conversation with a long lost friend. I made a big leap toward my little dream and don’t ask what is it. Then in 5 days my best company should be here again.

today was not my day (gee, I should not complain more about that disappointing incident at the hospital), but life is always full of something to be grateful about.

Another Place to be called Home

My last post was about 4 months ago, and so many things occurred throughout. Started from a long and tiring but fully rewarding journey from

Houston

to

California

, visited some interesting places such as exquisite

Grand Canyon

, glamorous

Las Vegas

, dreamland of Disney World, romantic

Santa Barbara

and beautiful

San Francisco

. We also had a chance to see the face of

Hong Kong

, striding along the Avenue of Stars which was inspired by

Hollywood

.

However, we were forced to embrace reality as we arrive to

Jakarta

. I have not yet forgotten how the life in

Jakarta

is, yet the shock was quite unbearable, augmented with several problems due to moving. Well, it always takes some times to settle down… thanks God we are gradually approaching that point.

Now, the question is "What’s next?" Settle down usually means fewer things to do. Yet… life is supposed to be challenging, otherwise boredom will threaten and eat one’s mind. Apparently, it is time to take another step forward, and I am sure whatever challenges lie ahead – I am up to it!

ps: it made me crazy to fix the lay out which all of sudden has gone weird, I dont have the patience so please forgive the eye-annoying appearance of the text.

Lagi M

While last month was super crazy hectic – being unsupermom in the day time and working in the evening – I am now in the lowest point of mobility. I don’t drive the car anymore, he gotta do it himself. School is at summer break, so no more I-am-in-hurry morning ritual (bathing, feeding breakfast, preparing lunch box). Staying at home most of the time, unless weather permits us to go to the playground or swimming pool (both are inside the apartment gate) – don’t even feel like to cycling around and visit a friend’s house.

Well then… when you don’t have as much activities as you used to have – you tend to be L A Z Y. Yea, that is happening to me now – as I always quote to a friend – "Gw lagi M"

However, being in a "lazy mood" doesn’t constitute a good feeling for me. This is a kind of state when you start doing craps like playing computer games, watching too much TV, reading too much junk news (my apology if those are not what you considered as craps, but I stick to my own list hehe). At the same time, important stuffs are abandoned or being postponed. And as if those are not enough, I also set a bad example to the two little guys.

yeah rite, there should be a turning point – first of all – give me back my car. I need it to drive around, to the library, to the park, to the groceries – gee you know Houston is not entertaining in term of public transportation, not to mention taking onboard two ‘lil cutie pie who love to drive you mad. Next step is gonna be making lists of places to go – uhm Museum of natural science sounds exciting, but picnic at the nearest park would be nice (weather permitting for sure). Nah ya, the list is endless… but before starting them all – I need a loooong relaxing nap xixixixixii

Your Spouse is Your Best Friend (?)

Don’t laugh yet!! I am not trying to be romantic as I am not a kind, I don’t do this kind of love definition because I just feel it and dunno how to describe it.

It is just that I found this funny… I felt desperately lonely the last few days – having no one to listen to me bursting out about a stupid horrible driver, telling a-not-so-funny-joke I just read somewhere, complaining about my endless homework list or any other unimportant stuff… in addition to the must-talk-about topics (Alith got a new friend in the park – a little girl! What time do you want me to pick up? Hmm I have some items to buy in Kroger. Btw, I need some cash).

It was just because my hubby was travelling for a week, not that this is the first time he travel for his work since we’re here – but this is the first time he is not taking us with him. I would love to – but it is a too expensive vacation.

So… back to the topic, though not easy to admit – I am sure he is my best and closest friend – to whom I can share all kind of things. Even if I keep telling him "You don’t listen to me, do you?", it doesn’t stop me venting out whatever in my mind. Whether it was because he makes a great listener, or simply he is the nearest person to locate – I dunno. Yet, I know I couldn’t be more lucky to have such friend

Anyway, he is back this afternoon and has been sleeping all the time (first buddy, it is so called jetlag – second, he likes to sleep). Haven’t got any allowance to vent out except a few minutes while driving home, but at least tomorrow might not be so lonely as it was yesterday, hopefully

Another thought today

I was in the middle of web browsing when I arrived to the website of an organization which defines its mission and goal as:

"….to help mothers who are leaving the workplace or modifying their work schedule to stay home with their children. Our goal is to help women replace the sense of "significance" they receive from their jobs with significance gained through their identity in faith."

Sigh… is that what I (and women of a kind) really need? Well, even if I sounded bitter, what I meant to express that it is unbelievably true.

We need to feel right at home, that despite of lack of career achievements and whatsoever usually measured for degree of significance or success, staying at home is a right decision.

note: for those who have been reading my posts, my apology if you found similar issue has been repeated too often. It might be just a sign of … somebody is thinking about it way too much, or she did not take enough measures to prevent it from occupying her mind. Thanks for reading though

Missing the healthy environment

Hmmm so much for a week. It started last Friday when Mila woke up with a swollen eye-lid and several other red bumps. I thought it was allergic reaction to whatever she ate the day before – but the doctor came with surprising diagnose – chicken pox. What??? I thought there is no more chicken pox in this modern country. Good that both Mila & Alith got the shoot – even though varicella shoot doesn’t completely stop this very contagious disease – at least it prevents worse symptoms.

Well, kids were kept at home for a week – despite of how boring it is for them and also for me. As if it was not enough – I got two days in high fever – probably flu or something similar.

Hope things get better the next two days… as we really look forward to our first outdoor camping at Lake Somerville. We have been planning for this trip, bought all necessary camping gears and mentally anticipate an exciting experience.

I’ve just passed the peak season

Now you will recognize that I write only when I am feeling low. It is not the gloomy-cloudy day (hmmm just found another rhyming words for mila). It is also not the waiting-too-long-in-the-parking-lot for my hunny hubby to take his lunch box. It is neither my little boy whinning most of the time, nor my big girl asking too many tough questions. It is not also the leftover of tiring driving of almost 3000 miles last week. Or is it the uncertainty in the future caused by a question before I fell asleep last night – what are you going to do when we are back to Jakarta? (ugh, i must tell him not to ask me difficult question right before I sleep)

It is probably a little bit of this and that, but hey… nobody blames you when you feel troubled, as life is full of challenges, isn’t it?

Well, I am actually trying to put a sense in my gut, future is not to be feared but to be conquered.

[referring to a quote "Courage is not the absence of fears, but the mastery over them"]