Ancol - Early in the Morning

It's been several years since we found out that Nana's got an asthma. But only until recently we found out that Kayla also has got an asthma. Kayla's asthma is much much lighter compared to Nana's. However, we realised that we need to be more careful in the future. We need to do something to minimise their repeat attacks. Especially Nana, which had a quite severe attack once or twice in the past. At least we need to ease them, so that each attack will not be as severe as the previous ones. And we really don't want to just depend on that inhaler and capsules to avoid those attacks.

Swimming is the best exercise for them, since it will give more strength to their lung. We determined to get them to swimming lessons as soon as possible. It is also said that sea air early in the morning is good for their lung. So, last weekend we went to Ancol. We got off from home at 6 am. I think that it's supposed to be earlier, but ... hey ... it's weekend anyway. Everybody, including the girls, has the right to get up a little bit later than usual. At Ancol, we hired a boat; it seems that the air out in the sea is much better, much cleaner, with less rubish.

Hopefully we will be able to get on to them as routines, weeks after weeks, months after months. Those are the best therapies for them. Wish us luck!

Alhamdulillah, Allah Creates the Jungle

Australia Trips Cancelled - Kayla & Shayna Got Chicken Pox

Last December 2007 - January 2008 was 4 weeks school holidays, so they were supposed to have a great holiday trip to Australia. Unfortunately, on day 1 of the holidays my younger daughter, Shayna, got a fever, followed by several spots appeared on her backs. HHhhh ... she was certainly got herself chicken pox. I was to have Kayla Varicella vacinated, so that we would not get the virus.

I tried to postpone the trip. But unfortunately, when all of Shayna's spots healed; that is 2 weeks after the day 1, my older one got a fever. At first Kayla didn't show any spots on her body. But the following day she's had them in a lot of places on her body. And it took another 2 weeks to heal. Thus, the trip was cancelled, waiting for another school holidays. And the kids, including me as their nurse, stayed at home all the time during school holidays. What a luck! However, the good thing is that it makes us stick together more tightly.

Shayna's 5th Birthday Party

Finally, my little baby is 5 years old now. She's not a baby anymore!

On her birthday, 15 December 2007, we just had small birthday party with direct family attending it. We held the party at Cimory, a nice family friendly restaurant, in Cisarua, West Java.

These are their pictures with Akhtar, our beloved cousin and nephew. Isn't he adorable?




By the by, on this exact day was the starting day on the girls chicken pox. The sad thing was that on the next Monday Shayna was supposed to have her birthday party at school. Since she couldn't go to the school on that day, we then just sent the goodie bags along with the birthday cake for her classmates. My poor little baby! :(

All Time Favourite Songs

The list is my all time favourite songs, which my girls would not recognise (kuno ma!!!)

Kayla's Computer Drawing

Kayla's computer drawing, using Paint application. Not bad, right?

Sunset at Kuta Bali

Hore .... ke Bali!!!

Akhirnya kita sekeluarga bisa jalan-jalan ke Bali, 5 hari 4 malem. Dan yang paling penting ... gratis lagi! Soalnya kita gabung sama acara jalan-jalan akhir taon kantornya Argo. Kita berangkat hari Jumat, 15 November 2007, naik Lion jam 17.00. Alhamdulillah gak delayed. Soalnya rekan-rekan lain yang harusnya berangkat duluan jam 15.00 naik Mandala, akhirnya malah berangkat belakangan jam 18.00. Kami tiba di Bali sekitar jam 20.00, sampai hotel jam 21.00, makan malam, dan baru kembali ke kamar untuk tidur jam 22.30. Kita menginap di Kuta Paradiso, yang terletak persis di tepi Pantai Kuta.

Keesokan harinya kita tur seharian. Ternyata di Bali panas sekali. Malah katanya di Bali belum kesentuh musim hujan. Beda sekali dengan Jakarta yang saat itu sudah setiap hari ketiban hujan. Yang jelas, tur jadi berjalan dengan lancar, karena semua tujuan wisata bisa dinikmati tanpa harus bersembunyi dari hujan.

Tujuan pertama adalah menonton Tarian Barong di Desa Batu Bulan. Pada dasarnya sih anak-anak nggak ngerti (jangankan mereka, emaknya aja gak mudheng2 banget), tapi tariannya bagus lah. Dan, tarian terakhir adalah Tarian Keris. Kita ngebayanginnya sih serem, tapi untung juga anak-anak ngirain itu piso main-mainan, jadi malah lucu. Terus Shayna minta foto bareng Barong (berani juga dia ya...). Tadinya Kayla takut, tapi ngeliat adiknya bergaya akhirnya dia ikut juga.

Berikutnya menuju Goa Gajah. Konon, tempat ini adalah merupakan lokasi pertapaan jaman purbakala. Lokasinya terik sekali, dan untuk mencapai goanya kita perlu menuruni undakan yang cukup panjang. Sesampai di bawah, kita bisa melihat adanya kolam dengan pancuran-pancurannya, yang airnya konon bisa membuat awet muda. Lalu kita juga memasuki guanya yang lumayan gelap.

Tujuan berikutnya makan siang di Kintamani, dengan gunung dan danaunya yang indah. Setelah kenyang makan, perjalanan lanjut ke Ubud Monkey Forest. Wah ... ini anak-anak pada berani gak ya? Tapi udah deh, nekad aja, asal kita gabung sama rombongan pasti aman deh. Di sini ada cerita seru nih. Akhirnya kan kita sekeluarga keluar hutan duluan, karena Kayla dan Shayna gak ngerasa aman. Setelah foto-foto di gerbang, terus kita mampir ke warung, beli teh botol dan snack Apilo (tembakannya Apolo mungkin ya ...). Setelah selesai minum, kita kembali ke bis. Yang kita gak sadar adalah si Shayna, yang aku gandeng, ternyata masih menggenggam Apilonya yang belum abis tadi. Dan, ternyata di deket bis ada monyet yang lagi santai-santai. Tiba-tiba si monyet mendekat Shayna, dan berusaha merebut Apilonya. Aku kaget, dan Shayna juga menjerit-jerit sambil menangis. Barulah aku sadar makanan yang digenggam Shayna dan menyuruhnya melepaskan saja. Tapi mungkin saking kagetnya, Shayna malah makin erat genggamannya. Aku saja nggak berhasil membuka genggamannya. Jadi kejadian itu cukup lama juga. Akhirnya genggaman terlepas, si monyet pergi, dan kita langsung masuk di bis. Kasian si Kecilku, dia masih nangis terus ...

Lanjut ... ke Pasar Seni Ubud, yang akhirnya diakhiri dengan makan malam di Jimbaran. Suasana enak, dengan angin pantai yang sepoi-sepoi. Gelap, karena hanya ada cahaya lilin. Makanannya enak, ikan-cumi-udang-kerang dibakar. Tapi makan ikannya jadi susah, karena durinya tidak terlihat. Tapi gak ada yang bisa deh ngalahin suasananya. Anak-anak bukannya makan malah lari-larian di pasir, sambil mengumpulkan kerang. Di sinilah Kayla dan Shayna punya teman baru bernama Anitra. Tiba-tiba saja mereka, terutama Shayna dan Anitra yang seumuran, menjadi best friends.

Hari ketiga kami sekeluarga pergi sendiri ke Tanah Lot. Ternyata Tanah Lot sekarang menjadi lebih teratur dan bagus daripada terakhir ke sana (yang mana lebih dari 10 tahun yang lalu hehe ...). Air sedang agak surut, jadi kita bisa foto-foto di deket puranya. Pemandangannya bagus sekali, dengan ombak yang pecah di batu-batu di sekitar pura. Kita nggak naik ke pura, tapi Shayna dan Argo pergi ke bawah pura untuk minta bunga kemboja untuk disematkan di telinga. Seru sekali, dan ... terik sekali.

Pulang dari Tanah Lot, kita janjian makan siang dengan Om Bayu (adiknya Argo yang lagi tugas di Bali), dan dilanjutkan dengan menemani Argo dan beberapa temannya untuk main jetski di Tanjung Benoa. Sorenya kita bersantai-santai saja di Pantai Kuta sambil menunggu sunset. Dan aku akhirnya menyerah pada permintaan Kayla untuk dikepang kecil-kecil. Shayna, yang tadinya nggak mau, akhirnya minta juga. Yah sekalian lah ... Dan, ternyata, proses pengepangan itu, yang aku pikir membutuhkan waktu minimal 1 jam, hanya berlangsung 15 menit. Cepet juga ya ... Dan sempurnalah hari itu ... anak-anak mendapatkan kepangan, bapak ibunya mendapatkan sunset yang indah sekali.

19 November 2007, hari terakhir kita habiskan di sekitar hotel saja. Pesawat pulang, yang harusnya berangkat jam 16.00, delayed menjadi jam 20.30. Mandala ... oh Mandala ... kenapa delay terus. Dan akhirnya kita sampai di rumah tercinta dengan selamat pada jam 22.30.

Independence Day Drama

On 11 September 2007, Kayla's school held what was so called "Dramatisasi Perjuangan". Kayla played as a nurse, nursing the soldiers who got shot by the invaders. Quite funny! I was not sure whether the students understood the patriotic value behind the drama or not :)

Kayla's 7th Birthday

Kayla's 7th birthday was held at McDonald Kalimalang, near our home. Since her birthday was on Tuesday, 28 August 2007), we had the party the next weekend, on 2 September 2007. We invited several of Kayla's best friends, Shafa, Khalisa, and Albi, several of our neighbours, my friends' kids Ake, along with around 50 orphans from our neighbourhood.

Poor Kayla, on that day she was not feeling very well. You could see by her look in the pictures. But, she's happy anyway, because she got a lot of presents. And her father told her that if we could make other less fortunate people happy, then we should be happy too.

Happy Birthday my gorgeous girl!