Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Finale (?)

They say February is a month of love. But I experienced broken heart several times instead.

I had to let go Peggy,  me beloved ride, for particular reason. She's healthy. There's nothing wrong with her, unless, we had to choose to keep her or Livy. We thought having two cars in a house would be too much. As we have 6 family members, Peggy would be to small for all. So we decided to keep Livy.

How ever it wasn't easy. We asked a friend to take care everything. The time I got the news, that Peggy was sold, I cried. She was more than a ride. She was a part of me. I and her understood each other. With her I could run fast and always feel safe. It's not that Livy is not safe. It's just, I don't feel any bond with it.



The other heart breaking moment is today as I visited Sunday Scribblings. It's February 2014 and I just found out that it has stopped prompting at December 2013. I know I haven't been participating for over two or three years. I some times stopped by and walk around the link. Today I'm doing it to find it's 400th post, that be the last.

I used to participate regularly around 2007-2008 when I started blogging. I needed some thing to start writing. And I needed to communicate with other bloggers, them who I found on the links. I can't remember exactly when I stopped participating. It's been a long time.

Still it is sad to see some thing good has to end up. I see many people have been 'faithful' being parts of the prompts. So far. Until 400.

***

Life wouldn't end up just because I lost Peggy, and Sunday Scribblings no longer prompting. This is my new part of life: without Peggy, nor, new prompts from Sunday Scribblings. An ending of a scene has always been a new beginning to a new one.

Friday, February 7, 2014

I hate it when...

...they wear the same clothes.


Most mothers would dress up their twins, or triplet, or more, with 'uniforms'. It's like every set of twin have to. Even my neighbor who has a set of boy-girl twin sew clothes for them herself. Because it is difficult to find same clothes for both boy and girl. Oh, c'mon.

While I, I chose to dress my twin different. I never bought them the same clothes. If those were the same model, they must be different color. Same color, different model. This is to ease myself identifying, as they are like congruent shapes. You barely can see the differences in a flash, or unless you look closely. So I've made a kind of code since they were babies. Ar doesn't have red clothes, Ir doesn't have blue ones. When you see one of them from afar, wearing red, it is Ir. 

But however, the thought that twins should wear uniforms keeps staying in most minds. My siblings, my parents, my in laws, my family; every time they bought my twins some clothes, they are always the same. Thank you very much. For that I made a rule. They can have same clothes but not to wear at the same time. That way, if we go together some where, and for any reason the children spread out or walk separate ways, I would know both twins are still around. Imagine they wear their uniform. You look one way and see one. Few minutes later you look the other way and see one. Can you be sure that you just have seen both? Not one kid who's just run from one spot to another?

Yes that's why I hate it when they wear the same clothes. I talk to Ar and he doesn't answer. Then I start adding my voice volume and that boy answer, "I am Ir. Ar is taking his bath." Ouch.

Now which one is Ar, which one Ir? Just call their names and they will answer :D


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Dek Aik's in Love with Numbers

This is what I hoped I would see when I gave him cards of numbers.

He might not be able, yet, to mention the words. Speaking is still his biggest problem we have to slowly together keep working on. But he now knows numbers from 1-10. I think it is a big achievement for him. Well, as most people around us have always underestimated him.

After this I hope he will understand the concept of numbers and amounts.


Friday, January 17, 2014

KEB di Mataku

Mungkin terdengar aneh, meskipun sudah ngeblog sejak 2007, baru beberapa bulan yang lalu aku gabung diKumpulan  Emak Blogger. Terus terang selama ini, aku ngeblog lebih untuk cuap-cuap sendiri. Interaksi dengan sesama blogger tidak terlalu luas dan intens. Bukan karena hal itu tidak menyenangkan. Justru karena sangat menyenangkan, sehingga aku takut lupa diri. Hahaha...

Dulu awal ngeblog itu, komunitas ibu-ibu blogger yang pertama kali kutemui adalah Mom's Blog. Isinya bule semua. Dari US, Kanada, Australi, Eropa... Nemunya juga dari klik random blog di homepage Blogger masa itu. Itu sebabnya postinganku di sini lebih banyak kubikin dwibahasa. Senangnya berkenalan dengan ibu-ibu dari seluruh penjuru dunia itu, kita jadi banyak tahu hal baru di luar yang kita lihat sehari-hari. Dan yang paling bermanfaat adalah, Kemampuan berbahasa Inggrisku meningkat. Mereka ngerti bahasa Inggrisku amburadul. Tapi tetap tahu maksudku dan selalu memberi masukan jika ada kekeliruan. Sayang teman-teman blogger bule itu sekarang jarang bahkan stop ngeblog. Lebih banyak aktif di Facebook. Damn. Haha.

Sebenarnya aku mulai mengenal KEB ketika ada wirawiri berita Srikandi Blogger tahun lalu di TL. Waktu itu belum tergerak untuk langsung ikut bergabung. Maklum lah aku ini pemalu. Jadi setelah mengenal beberapa teman di di grup lain yang juga member KEB, aku memberanikan diri bergabung. Kalau sudah kenal beberapa, paling enggak lebih terasa homy gitu... :D


Kita boleh bangga karena kita ngeblog. Menulis, berbagi, berdiskusi, dan sesekali pamer ini itu. Setidaknya kita punya aktivitas positif, lebih dari sekedar ngerumpi tak jelas, shopping, atau nonton acara-acara tivi yang tidak bermutu untuk membunuh waktu. Di KEB kita saling menularkan virus kebaikan. Membaca, menulis, memasak, mendidik anak, mengurus rumah. Which, untuk urusan terakhir itu terus terang aku masih sangat amburadul. Makjang, padahal sudah hampir 15 tahun jadi emak :)))

Kupikir emak-emak memang beginilah adanya. Mau di dunia 'nyata' mau di dunia 'maya' nyaris tak ada bedanya. Toh sekarang maya dan nyata nyaris tak jelas batasnya. Kumpulan emak-emak adalah sekumpulan berbagai warna pribadi. Bermacam sifat, latar belakang, kepribadian, pola pikir. Tak jarang satu sama lain bersimpangan, bergesekan, bahkan mungkin berbenturan. Tapi instead of ngurusi perbedaan yang tidak menyenangkan, aku senang bahwa kita memilih untuk lebih fokus berkembang bersama. Mengutamakan hal-hal yang membawa kebaikan dan mengabaikan yang merugikan.

Sejauh ini partisipasiku di KEB memang belum begitu terasa. Baru sesekali ikut even online (misalnya ini), ikut komen sana sini di grup FB, berkunjung ke beberapa blog kalau sempat (sok sibuk nian). Belum berkesempatan kopdar atau berkontribusi apa gitu yang bisa memberi kemajuan berarti. Malah kadang tanpa sengaja merusuh tak tentu...

Apa pun, bergabung di sebuah komunitas hendaklah membawa manfaat. Kalau endak sih tinggalkan saja. Dan sampai saat ini aku belum (semoga tidak) nemu alasan untuk cabut dari KEB. Namanya kumpul dengan orang banyak, nyaman tak nyaman dibikin nyaman saja. Kita tidak bisa minta orang lain untuk bersikap sesuai harapan kita, begitu pula sebaliknya. Yang ada kita saling bertoleransi, berempati, menahan diri. KEB adalah salah satu tempat yang tepat untuk terus mengasah kepekaan kita dalam bersosialisasi dengan sesama.

Lebih dari itu, aku berharap para emak yang tergabung di KEB tetap membuka diri, membuka wawasan dan kesempatan seluasnya di luar KEB. Tidak membatasi diri dalam lingkungan tertutup terlingkup, tidak cepat merasa puas dengan yang didapat selama ini. Terus berusaha mengembangkan diri di lebih banyak tempat dan waktu.

Selamat ulang tahun KEB. Semoga tetus membawa kebaikan untuk semesta. Amin.




Thursday, December 26, 2013

Not Normal

He is 'not normal' I know. Still I would get mad so bad if someone dare to say that before my face. It is very clear and I don't need any more people to tell. It doesn't help to make him 'normal'. It doesn't help at all. It doesn't make me feel better, at all. 

He's 'not normal' I know. And therefor my love for him is more than normal. And I would do anything I can to help him live normally.


It is boring to be normal, anyway. He's special like any other kids be. He's special and you can't deny it.




Sunday, December 1, 2013

The Media


It is always a little bit harder to find a method (and media) for Dek Ai to learn things. It is also a little bit harder to ask him to hold a pen or pencil and scratch.

I just found that this one works quite well. Pencils on floor and he started to 'draw' a ball. I drew some stuffs and numbers, and there he started to recognize number 1 to 3.

We'll keep working on this, for sure :D


Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Dilemma

"I wish Pak Toni has never told me about this contest, so I didn't need to have a dilemma, whether I had to join or not."
"Does it matter if you didn't join?"
"It doesn't. But it just don't feel right."
"I thought you joined it because you wanted to win the prize?"
"Yeah... but I know it's hard. The contestants are from all over province and they're all good. I just feel I had to join this."

"Andai Pak Toni tidak memberi tahu soal lomba ini, aku nggak perlu bingung, harus ikut atau enggak..."
"Memangnya kalau nggak ikut kenapa?"
"Nggak kenapa-kenapa. Tapi rasanya ada yang ngganjel..."
"Bukannya Adik pengin ikut karena mau dapat hadiahnya?"
"Iya sih. Tapi kayanya sulit. Pesertanya banyak, dari seluruh Jawa Tengah. Semua bagus-bagus. Aku merasa harus ikut aja sih..." 

Because for the last three years he has been chosen to represent his school in annual Macapat Singing Contest (Javanese traditional song) in the district. It wasn't his desire. It was just the school needed some one, and the teachers thought Ir could do it. So they had an instructor come to teach Ir. And he made it at least in the subdistrict level.

Karena tiga tahun terakhir ini, dia dipilih untuk mewakili sekolah di lomba Macapat yang rutin diadakan tiap tahun di Kabupaten. Bukan dia yang ingin. Tapi sekolah butuh anak yang bisa, dan para guru merasa Ir bisa. Maka mereka memanggil pelatih untuk mengajari Ir nembang Macapat. Hasilnya lumayan, bisa berhasil di tingkat kecamatan.

So he felt as he has the ability, a rare ability, it would be a lost to let a chance passing by.

Jadi karena dia merasa punya kemampuan itu, kemampuan yang sangat jarang, dia merasa eman kalau harus melewatkan kesempatan.

Though he knew he might not make it this time, he pushed him self to come and sing it. He let go a day he could go have a vacation with family. He chose to stand there in the line, waiting for his turn to perform. Number 31 of 35 contestants. In the pressure of nerves and be a witness to many gorgeous voices before him.

Meskipun sadar kali ini kesempatan untuk menang kecil, dia tetap memaksa diri untuk ikut. Dia melepaskan satu hari yang biasanya dipakai untuk berlibur bersama keluarga. Memilih menunggu giliran dia untuk tampil, urutan ke 31 dari 35 peserta. Merasa tertekan oleh rasa gugup dan menjadi saksi suara-suara peserta sebelum dia yang luar biasa.

He hugged me tight before walking to stage, and after stepping down of it. He realized a little mistake he made, and feel fine to accept that he wouldn't be able to win the prize.

Dia memeluk aku erat sebelum naik panggung, dan sesudah turun. Dia menyadari kesalahan kecil yang dia buat saat nembang, dan ikhlas menerima bahwa dia tidak akan bisa memenangi lomba.

Here is his perform, with a little drop down at the end of the song...
Ini penampilannya di tembang wajib, dengan sedikit nada yang anjlog di bagian akhirnya... 




"But it feels sooo right. I've done what I had to do." 

"Tapi rasanya lega. Nggak ngganjel lagi..."

And I am so proud of him.