Another successful family day...

It wasn't really planned.. It was only Aza's words every now and then, because this plan kept getting cancelled.. "I haven't been to the Safari Park (Taman Safari). The last time we were going, there was a long traffic jam on the toll road and we had to turn back!"

Aza has been very patient about this, so, we were really thinking about the perfect time to take the boys to the Safari Park.

Safari Park is an open-range zoo, where the animals are free to walk around their compounds, while visitors have to remain in the cars. In tame animal compounds, visitors can slightly open the car windows to give carrots to the animals (for the animals that include carrots as they normal food -otherwise, a sign will be put up, not to feed carrots to the animals-).

In the wild animal compounds, car windows must always be locked and cars must not stop at all! If the car is broken during the tour, we have to sound the horn three times to notify the park staff.

From Tuesday to Thursday, Ariq did not have school because Grade 6 students were having National Exams. Therefore, my husband applied for one day leave on Wednesday (at the last minute). The leave application turned out to be still pending, but nothing urgent came up, so, we could go ahead with the plan..

On Wednesday morning, amazingly, the boys woke up early and had breakfast right away. Once everyone was ready, we got in the car and started our journey to the Safari Park.. :-)

It was a nice morning.. the sky was clear but the air was not too hot.. perfect for outing..

The toll road were clear, although we finally had to face a traffic jam anyway, going through a famous local market on the way to the park (Cianjur market).

We decided to have lunch just a little bit before the market, at this new restaurant that has kids playground. The kids had lunch and fun there.. ;-)

This restaurant is a local enterprise, where they grow cows (in a separate farm, of course) for milk, yoghurt and sausages. The company is called 'Cimory'.

 

After lunch, we continued our journey to the Safari Park. There we saw all the animals..

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... and .. we fed some of them with carrots ..

Some animals were having their own lunch feast when we went through their compound..

And here are photos of animals that I had to take with car windows closed and the car kept slowly moving (the sign says 'Don't Stop')..

The following is the ANOA family, animal indigenous to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Far to the back, there are the mother and two babies who were born in April and May 2010 (yep, they were only about 1 month old). The father is showing a protective stance, watching all the cars passing by..

I wish I could get a closer shots at them, but, I was using my mobile phone and using the zoom would only degrade the picture quality... :-(
 

At the recreation part of the park, Ariq and Aza were having a great time riding a camel and ponies..

 

Aza also asked for a photograph with a baby orangutan (I really need to take this photo to a shop to have it colour-fixed and enlarged)..

Aza also asked for a photograph with the baby tiger, but my husband shudder at the thought of Aza being considered a fresh-lunch for the baby tiger.. and I thought his worry was not unreasonable.. :-)

So, we said NO.. gladly, Aza was happy enough being allowed to stand next to the baby tiger photo area, watching other visitors having their photos taken.. -gladly, there were no other little kids having their pictures taken with the baby tiger, otherwise, it would be a very hard job to keep saying NO to Aza-.

Finally, it was time for us to go home.. As soon as we were in the car, Aza found his peace of the day in the middle of the traffic jam... -we adjusted his position after a few minutes-.. ;-)

It was really another great family day out.. :-)

Little king's man..

Mother came back from Solo (Surakarta, Central Java) last night.. She was away for 5 days on a family visit trip..

Welcoming Mother back at home, of course, Ariq and Aza who were asking about her every day were very happy..

Surely Aza, being very excited, enjoyed his presents/souvenirs so much.. Now Aza can pretend to be a soldier on a horse, carrying a mighty sword.. Just like in the old tales.. ;-)


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Healthy house inspection..

It is always a lot of fun whenever Ariq's classmates come to visit our home..

Today, the class is here again with the teachers on their science period, to do an 'inspection' of a healthy house.. ;-)

Well, gladly the visit was in the morning, when the house was in its best appearance, haha.. Plus, the kids much prefered to run around the backyard.. so, the condition of the inside was very well preserved until the end of the visit.. :-)

When everyone had completed their worksheet, noting their observation of the requirements of a healthy house, then it was morning snack time.. 

I thought I did better than the last time in serving the snack -during the last visit, I ran out of food much too soon-.. It turned out that although I did slightly better this time, but still.. I should have put more of the macaroni and cheese, because the kids came back for 2nd and 3rd servings!! WOW! Everything, -cartoon milk, macaroni and cheese, sandwiches and waffers- were gone by the end of the visit, which made me a very happy host.. :-)

The thing that I noted the most was the way the kids behaved.. It was only one year since the last visit, but they have grown so much in terms of manner.. the way they asked about things they needed to find out about, the way they take turns in taking their food, communicating with each other, and mostly.. how they only tiptoed and had a peek when checking the bedrooms.. (last year, they ended up jumping up and down the bed!), hahaha... :-D

It is amazing watching and observing how children grow.. :-)  This is really a great day.. :-)

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Ariq's birthday..

It was Ariq's birthday on the 19th of April..

But, guess who was having a blast??? Well.. this little brother, of course! Hahaha...

Ariq asked my parents to come over on his birthday  and bring a cake, since it was a school day (the grandparents were initially thinking about taking him out for lunch or dinner)..

When mum asked Ariq what cake he wanted, his answer was, "Oh, any choice will be nice, but.. it might be better to have Aza's favorite." -Aza's favorite, by the way, is strawberry cheese cake, with fresh-whole strawberries on top of the cake-.

On the same day, in the art and craft subject at school, Ariq's class had their party hats returned from grading.. so, yeah.. Aza had his favorite cake and a cute hat! Oh, he also had the honor of blowing the birthday candles for the second time.. ;-)

Our family has never been big on birthdays.. It looks like Ariq and Aza like it the same way.. we usually just have a family dinner (either at home with a special menu, or out in one of our favorite restaurants), and buy a cake to share at home.. Birthdays are usually lovely though, because we would all be relaxed -even the birthday boy is allowed to blow the candles wearing pyjamas- .. :-D


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The boys' busy afternoon

Ariq came home at 2 pm, bringing home 2 books from the school's book festival;

'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'

and

'Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'.

Aza and I were reading the books, while Ariq was listening to the story and playing his game on the computer..

Then, Aza asked Ariq to print a picture of Lich King sword.. After that, they went to the minimarket to buy play-do, with which Ariq made a tank

and Aza made a Ninja Turtle eye mask.. ;-)

When they had enough, they went outside and played with the waterhose.. Quickly the nanny caught up with them and gave them their afternoon shower..

After having a serving of milk each (Ariq, chocolate.. Aza, natural),

now the boys are happily sitting with me in the study.. Ariq is back with his game, and Aza successfully 'forged' his own Lich King sword from scratch..

A very nice way to start my weekend.. :-)





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Dry season is here..

The sky is bright and clear all day..
The air is getting hotter and drier..

This yellow flower is the last one in the backyard..

And I found fruits of the little red flower (Soka) bush..

Dry season is finally here..

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Hostile takeover!

Ariq: Can I sleep in your bed until mum and dad come in?

Aza: Nope. Last night you were too lazy to move and I couldn't sleep well..

Ariq: So?

Aza: Alright.. I'll sleep next to you on mum and dad's mattress..

Ariq: And where will they sleep then?

Aza: Don't know.. But I know you can't sleep alone.. Haha.. So just be quiet and go to sleep..

Nope.. I'm not typing the names the wrong way around.. Ariq is 7 years old and Aza is 3.5 years old.. And, Aza is the one who has been sleeping in his own bed at his own will.. But he will do almost anything for Ariq.. ;-)

And, yess.. We're squeezing tight tonight.. Just consider it a family camp night (we just watched 'Narnia - Prince Caspian' before bedtime)..

Night night, boys.. Sweet dream.. :-)

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Sword making instructions by smithy Aza..

The great sword expert and maker, Aza, finally agreed to reveal his secret to making 'Lich King' sword.. ;-)

1. Make a sketch of the sword

2. Cut the sketch

3. Shape the sword using colourful blocks

4. Modify the sword according to the intended model

5. Have the finished version of the sword checked by a 'World of Warcraft' player/fan

6. 'Lich King' sword is ready for use

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Unique Engagement..

Busy weeks.. now followed by tired week.. pheewww... :-P

The 'butterfly sign' was all right.. the guests came as planned. Joe's family came and met ours last Friday morning, and now it means.. Sinta is officially engaged to Joe!

In Indonesia, the romantic moment of "Would you marry me?" and "Yes", cannot be considered an official engagement, until the family of the future groom comes to the home of the bride to follow up on the 'personal engagement'.

Once the representative of the future groom's family (can be the father or an appointed spokesperson) expresses the intention of proposing for the girl to be wedded to the guy, and a representative of the future bride's family (can also be the father or an appointed spokesperson) provides an answer based on the future bride's answer (which usually is a 'yes').. Then, the engagement becomes official and the two families can start preparing for the wedding ceremony.. :-)

Sooo... CONGRATULATIONS!!! :-)

Anyway.. It was a very unique engagement ceremony, since neither of the couple was here.. Sinta was still in Moscow, Russia (doing her Master degree), and Joe was still in Verona, Italy (doing his PhD).

During the engagement ceremony they appeared only on the TV screen which was connected to the laptop. We used Yahoo Messenger for the video chat (Skype doesn't have video conference chat) and Skype for the voice chat (voice chat quality of Yahoo Messenger was not as good as that of Skype).

Love is a mystery.. we only know it when we have found it.. The process of getting to know each other between Joe and Sinta was not long. They met each other face to face once around last August, then they followed up via the internet..

They met again once around the New Year in Moscow and they decided they were going to get married. After that, most probably, they are going to settle down in Italy for some time.. :-)

The little sister is getting married.. and flying away with the love of her life.. it always sounds strange in every family.. at the same time, it is one of the happiest moments too.. :-)

Here are pictures of the event:


Ahmad (My husband-as family rep), Mother, Joe's mum, Joe's dad (as family rep)



Joe's mum, Fiki (Joe's brother) and Tia (Joe's sister)



Shahliah (Dani's wife), Mother and Me..
Mother and her two daughters-in-law (a son-in-law coming right up very soon.. hehehe...)



The cousins, chatting with Sinta and Joe (left and right top of screen) after the official engagement ceremony


Congratulations again, Sinta and Joe.. wishing you both a blessed future together.. ;-)

Not just yet..

Here is Aza in the morning..

Ugh.. Dad took over my bed.. But I'm not ready to wake up yet.. So, the floor it is.. Zzzzz...

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The big butterfly is flying inside the house..

When a butterfly is found inside the house, people say that a a guest from far away is coming..

When the butterfly is a big one, people say that the guest is someone that the home dwellers love/respect..

I'm not a big fan of superstition, but it is a nice thought that a guest is coming for a visit..

Now, let's wait and see, who will the guest be :-)

(There were actually two butterflies inside the house.. Does it mean there will be more than one guest?)

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Late night creativity..

I guess Aza is really ready for school now.. Playing at home just doesn't satisfy him anymore.. and, his energy is just too much to be used up in a day.. :-)

Aza has been the last to go to sleep. He doesn't make much problem, it's just I cannot sleep before he enters the bedroom, because I'm worried he might lose track of time (Aza doesn't read the clock well yet).

Last night, he was using Kid Pix (he hasn't used this program for some time) and he knocked on the bedroom door to get me to save his work.. and it was around 9.30 p.m.

This is what he drew last night..

I'm really, really tempted on letting him sleep by himself in the study, because now, he doesn't sleep on our bed anyway.. he sleeps in our bedroom, but on his own bed.. :-)

.. and .. the Tauren is down..!

The best thing with dad being home is that the boys can have a common opponent!

And the best victory for them is when they manage to defeat the Tauren together.. Hahahaha...

(Yess.. I live with these three 'World of Warcraft' fans!)

Ariq's new plane

Craft project is always the best cure when Ariq is bored..

I bought this cut-and-glue plane for Aza to cut and Ariq to glue.. But when Ariq found the craft set, he just started doing it until he finished it..

Ariq was a little bored the past few days.. Gladly, putting this plane (and fixing Aza's sword) was finally brightening him up.. :-)

Ariq.. The Super Brother..

Why is Ariq Aza's number one hero?

Because Ariq is good at fixing Aza's broken toys..

Just like this sword.. ;-)

Thank you, Ariq.. :-)

Satria Mandala Museum (Armed Forces Museum)

I definitely recommend this museum to parents with children who are interested in armed forces..

Satria Mandala (Armed Forces) Museum is located on Jl. Gatot Subroto kav. 14-16, Jakarta Selatan 12710. It is quite easy to reach from any parts of Jakarta, and the parking area is spacious.

The entry fees are inexpensive, even if you want to take the whole extended family members (nephews, nieces, cousins, etc.).. ;-)

The galleries are wide and the collections are of good range. All the weapons are displayed inside, while the tanks and planes are outside.

The museum might not look fancy, but children will have a GREAT TIME there (and you will too), because.. all the original collections are safely put in glass boxes, and replicas are put as displays and children can touch them!

Leave it to the power of children's imagination, very soon you will be drawn into the past.. the time when Indonesia was fighting for independence.. ;-)

The only thing that parents need to keep in mind is that there is no eating place in the museum complex, apart from a few regular hawkers settled under the shaded area in the parking lot. There were mie ayam (chicken noodle), ketoprak (vermicelli, rice cake, bean sprouts and tofu in peanut sauce), siomay (dimsum in peanut sauce) and drinks.

While the food and drink are OK for snacks, they might not be filling enough as 'real' lunch. So, you might have to set the visit to allow sometime between the end of the visit and the time you need to get to your chosen place for lunch..

Ariq and Aza really love this museum. They keep asking for another visit! Below are pictures from our first visit last November..

Don't mess with me! I know your 'switch'!

Scene 1

Ariq (provoking Aza about toys): Mine is better, yours is not as good as mine!

Aza (half-crying, pointing his finger at Ariq): If you keep hassling me, I will go to Cipete right now! And you can miss me all you can!

-Cipete is where my parents live. Aza sometimes stays there for a few days when he is bored at home.-

Ariq (stopped giggling): No! You're not going anywhere! Let's watch DVD.. your pick!

Then, they sat down on the couch watching DVD.. Gladly, one boy on one couch (otherwise, peace would only be a 5-minute thing!)


Scene 2

Aza (running to me in the study, after slamming the study door behind him): Mum, lock the door please.. Don't let Ariq in! Let's play on the computer and leave Ariq out!

Ariq (outside the study, crying and shouting): Mum! Open the door! I don't want to be here alone!

I (in an attempt for negotiation): Ariq, please have a moment! Watch a DVD or play with your Play Station! Let's have a quiet hour for a change..

Ariq (banging the door): Mum! Let me in!

I (looking at Aza): Can I let him in?

Aza (taking a deep breath then looking back to the computer screen): OK..

I (unlocking the door for Ariq): Can't you just give in for once, Ariq? You're lucky your brother decides to let you in!

Ariq (coming into the study and sitting on the floor, whining).

Aza (looking at Ariq, pointing a finger): You can come in with one condition! YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH ME!

Ariq (nodding and walking towards Aza).

They finally sat down and played together for about an hour.. :-)


Scene 3

I was praying and Aza was following me, on a separate prayer mat next to me. Ariq, who was supposed to be having a shower came and had the 'tickle' to hassle Aza.

Ariq: Move over! I want to use the mat!

Aza: I've had it first! I was the one who put it on the floor!

Ariq (tapping Aza's head to get him to bow down and leave): Come on! Quickly finish your prayer! I want to use the mat too..

Aza (getting annoyed): Don't touch my head! Go on! Why don't you try hitting your own head to the floor while praying.. You'll know how hurtful it can be?!

Ariq (provoking Aza): My fists are just as strong as the floor!

I finally broke my prayer, at the same time Mother arrived at my side!

I: Ariq! You are supposed to be having a shower, and you're not supposed to be rough with your brother! If he is hurt, I feel hurt too!

Mother: If you are hurt, your mum and I are sad.. If your brother is hurt, your mum and I are sad too! A big brother is supposed to watch out for his little brother! Your brother loves you a lot! Go on now, into the bathroom! Quit hassling your brother and have a shower!

Aza: Ariq! Shower! Now! Here is your towel.. and your clean clothing (the nanny actually prepared the clothing near the bathroom, but Ariq wouldn't have noticed it if Aza hadn't pointed it out to him)! If you are naughty, I will stay in Cipete!

Mother: See, Ariq! Your brother even prepared your towel and clothing for you.. He loves you a lot!

-After a few minutes-

Ariq (drying himself with the towel Aza gave him): I like Aza.. and I love him a lot.. because he is very nice, Grandma.. I love everybody in the world.. I only don't love one person (his finger pointing at me)..

Mother (hiding giggles): Your mother should be first on your love list.. but for now, you should always keep in mind to take care of your little brother.. Big brothers are meant to love and protect their little brothers, not to hurt them!

Aza (climbing the window iron bars): Ariq, let's go.. but if you hassle me again, I'll go to Cipete!



Hmm.. Aza might be little.. but he got the right idea! The last time he stayed in Cipete for one week, Ariq was practically begging him to come home.. :-P

Now, with a little 'leverage' from me or Mother, he knows how to 'corner' Ariq!

It might be a couple of more years until they can fully understand their brotherly bond and restrain their thoughts about hassling each other all the time.. ;-)