Fahira : My Grandpa's Ducks

It was a happy trip we had a couple of weeks ago when we went to my father's place on the third day of Idul Fitri : Moslem's Holy Day. We gathered together with all of my siblings and spent the night barbecuing there.

It is a seldom thing for my siblings and I to gather as a whole, because the four of us live in four different cities and have difficulties to match our off days.

My father retired about 11 years ago, and 2 years after my mother passed away, he remarried and live with my step mother for the previous 3 years. Both of them loves gardening so they spent their everyday lives planting edible food and flowers.

My father said a few months ago, that he would love to add something more entertaining for him to play with and to make his grandchildren happy when they visit so he add : ducks. And yes, Fahira and her cousins are happy. And so are we.

Fatimah : My everyday trip to school

When I think about it over and over, I wonder, how can time run so fast. My Fatimah is in kindergarten now. And I feel like there are a lot of things I miss about her being my little baby.

My mostly feeling about her is guilt. I always feel guilty to her. She is 2 years old when Farisha is born, and I always feel like I don't give her enough love and care she deserves. I must help myself to be calming down.

But. Thankfully. She is a happy girl. And mostly having the attitude of 'nothing even matter'. Hahaha. She is in kindergarten now, and having more friends make her even happier everyday.

Everyday, me and Farisha walk her to school. After breakfast, morning bath, put on her uniform and pack her lunch, the three of us will walk together to her school. The trip is not too far, it is reachable on foot. But still, walking with 2 little girls is quite a sport. I must keep my eyes on them all the time because we walk in the side of a busy street especially in the morning when people are rushing to school or work etc.

Sometimes, we take another way to reach her school. This path got more bushes and not in the side of busy streets. It is shadier, so I love to go this way when the day is hot, but on rainy days, it has paddles and muddy so we seldom take this way. Another thing about this path is it is in the side of a railway, so when the train is passing by, the trip is more enjoyable by my children. 

Farisha : Buttonning clothes

Farisha is 3 years and a half now. I'm happy that she grows up well and is an active child. She recently is able to button her own clothes, and by gaining a new abiluty, she keeps on doing it all over again the whole day.

Another thing that she loves doing is play with bicycle, as she has Fatimah's old bike to be hers now, she loves going outside and playing bike with her sisters. And if it's too hot to play outside, she will play it around the house.

Inheriting Bikes

New bicycles are quite expensive to us. And having three daughters who love to put their feet on pedals means two things : buy used bikes or repair the elder's ones. We chose the second option.

The first thing we examine is the chain. My husband tried to fix the three bicyles by himself but then he thought that it's just better to take them to the bike workshop. --grin--

When he came back home, the three bikes are all done. I see some new bicycle assist wheels, new chains and bicycle rattles. He said it's all cost Rp. 250,000. And that's ok to make his daughters smile.

So then, there they are with their bikes from time to time.

Restocking The Fridge

The Idul Fitri celebration is almost over. It is a Holy day for Muslims to celebrate the new spirit after fasting daily for the whole previous month. In Idul Fitri day we ask forgiveness from people around us, to clean our mistakes to others and let us sincerely forgive people as well. As celebration day it is, food is prepared. We welcome guests and we come to our families' home too, where they also provide food. This will happen for about a week. In my country, where Muslims are the majority, it's hard to find a food store that opens that day because most people are in holiday. So I filled the fridge with food a few days before. And now, it's time to restocking again.

The pictures above are about the reducing stocks of eggs, some instant noodles for emergency meals, a plate of leftover fish, a little spinach and some snacks. A lot of nearby food stores are not open yet, so I must go to the traditional market to buy food.

These are what I bought : Some fish, carrots, Indonesian spices : shallots, ginger, chillies. I found cheap limes, the sweet ones, and cheap carrots. So I bought a lot of them to be made juices later.

And yeah. I also have these mangoes given by my auntie when we visit her at home on the holy day. Slurp, home grown fruit must be delicious.

Farisha : Play Outside

Farisha loves to play outside, but we don't have any backyard for her to play freely. Luckily, we live in a neighborhood that has friends to play with my children.

They play in the path between our homes, and we just have to watch and warn our children about the motorcycles or cars that pass by, although it's not often, because this path is cul de sac, so the vehicles passing usually belong to our neighbours and they run slowly.

Our children usually play with their bicycles, scooters or play hide and seek, running etc. Sometimes, they had quarrels among them, but usually, they will forget it in 5 minutes and play again.

I let my 2,5 years old Farisha play outside with her sisters and friends after her sister come home from school and have the afternoon bath. The plus side : when they play by themselves, they will learn to socialize and I can have my me time (which usually spend by cleaning the house. :-( )

Fatimah : I Love My Father

My husband loves to play with our daughters and that makes them love him a lot, mostly for his patience to listen to their stories. Although it is me who spend more time with them daily at home, my husband tends to know everything about Fahira's school, Fatimah's wound or the funny thing Farisha did at home, because he loves to listen to them, and gain trust from them to tell him everything.

The Father and baby Fatimah

Specially for the strong-minded Fatimah. Arguing in a high-pitch voice with her will not resulting anything good. But with her father's calm tone, sometimes the voice that showed a controlled anger, will usually do better result. I really hope the good relationship among my husband and children will last until forever.