SUPER MOM

Hi... I've read this writing in Inspired Kids magazine yesterday. I just want to share in my blog...
I know some of you will agree, some won't.
Please read this......

Become a MOM, have thousand jobs
Bringing up the kids, keep our shape to stay slim and fit
Be beautiful and be updated

24 hours seems not enough !
They said, "If you're tired, then stop being a MOM"
So we have to pump up the energy, be cheerful, be fit and full of knowledge,
to always give the best for our kids and family,
to make our kid number 1,
to keep our family healthy and fun,
and of course...
to keep ourselves beautiful and forever young.

So...what do you think ?

Bananas in Pajamas

One afternoon, my 4th years old kid was watching TV. I know at that time there always be a movie for preschoolers. I was busy at the kitchen, preparing dinner. Suddenly I saw him running to the kitchen, looking for something at the refrigerator. "What are you looking for, Ian?", I tried to help him.Without looked at me, he hurried back to his seat while his hand hold a banana.
After a while, I saw him run again to the kitchen, open the refrigerator and get another banana.

Full of curiousity, I went to the living room to see what was he doing. Aha... Ian was eating his banana while watching 'Bananas in Pajamas' !

A Story of Easter Egg

Today, the children at CERIA preschool (that’s the name of the school which I managed) celebrating Easter before they will get Easter holiday from tomorrow until Monday the next week. The teacher has planned that they want to make special Easter egg’s basket.
I found the hildren were very excited with the hustle bustle activities in the craft & art class. We gave them one boiled egg each to put in their Easter basket.
One thing that I noticed, a child that doesn’t like to eat boiled egg will happily eat it together with his friends.
That’s the same story with vegetables…
One day when we made vegetable soup together, the children made big sliced cutting of carrot, broccoli and onion and finally after the soup has cooked they ate the entirely vegetables! Their mom usually surprised when we tell them about it.
I had learned when the children get involved in preparing meal -included kind of meal they usually don’t like-, they used to eat happily after that. Other important thing is children aged 2 – 6 would ‘more listen’ to what their teacher said than to their mother. Maybe you could guess… since then the teacher often received ‘secret message’ from moms about their kid, like tell them to drink milk, tidy up the mess after play, etc.

Musical Awareness For Children

These are tips how to built musical environment around the children.

We try these at the preschool ....

• ear cleaning : ask children to be silence or a moment and try to hear what kind of noises around them.
• Recording their own voice. Let them free to express their feeling at that moment, they can talk, sing or just mumble, even if they want to scream is ok : children will love to hear their own voice.
  
• Building their awareness to the nature voice around them, like copied the fallen leaves Createsound, waves sound, winds, etc with their body movements and voices.
• Never hesitate for introducing a new song every week.
  
• Telling the story of the song or maybe its theme.
  
• Singing the rhytim songs like Jack and Jill, etc.
• Try one of this musical games ..... : turn on the music from tape recorder, but before set some chairs, be sure the sum of chairs should not the same with sum of children. Minus one of the chair. You could turn of the song anytime and let the children get the chairs. There will be one child couldn't get one. That's the game. Repeat again until there is no cair anymore.

Is That A Spiderman Cookie ?

Last month one of my staff that taught at the Kindergarten class, made a funny cookies day at her class.

We prepared some butter, chocolate, cheese, raisin, dried cherries, many kinds of cookies.

On that day the children could make anykind of imaginative cookies they wanted.

I like Keisha's cookie. Look at the picture...

She said she made a spiderman cookie with big smile because today spiderman had no work to do for helping people. "He is in my class, so he smile... No work, no job, no tired"

Gee, children never run out of ideas !

Having 3 Children

Is 3 a MAGIC Number ?

5 years ago I’ve already had 2 children (Dea, a girl aged 7 and Adit, a boy aged 5 ½). My husband and I thought 2 is an ideal number for having kids. I started to have my own time in more relaxing way than ever. But then my feelings hit rock-bottom when I knew I was pregnant again. That was really out of our planning. I was wondering how it will be in the years ahead. How would I cope? We knew our life wouldn’t be the same again after the third child become a reality…
So when you’re considering having a third child, here’s my experience with Dea, Adit and Ian.

Take a deep, deep breath before you start ‘the three child family’ in real. Jumping from 2 to 3 children always produces an extra workload of cooking, shopping, cleaning and plenty of works. So you will need all the patience, tolerance and ENERGY for doing all…the work!

For me the job of watching children grow and change is always delightful while the job of caring little children and running a household is the opposite one. There always be stressful times and never ending tiredness in the first or two years of having 3 children. The tiredness depends on the temperaments of your kids, the age gap between them and the important thing is how much help you’ve got from your partner. In this way, my husband was really helpful. There were many times when I felt tired and bored -everything turned out wrong to me-, he took over my job, let me alone for a while and that was really soothe my nerves.

This is my 3rd child, IAN
Now when I think back to what ever happened to me, I’m surprised I could go through the first or two “messy” years that full of bad sleeping – breastfeeding – napkin changing and sibling rivalry. I didn’t say that now we’re free from sibling rivalry. There always be at least seven possibility of “fighting” : Dea vs Adit, Dea vs Ian, Adit vs Ian, Dea + Adit vs Ian, Adit + Ian vs Dea, Ian + Dea vs Adit, Dea + Adit + Ian vs Mom …. And you could add Dad to this possibility.

A Tip From Me
* Don’t ever hesitate about employing someone to help you for the first few months of having three children. She could help you cleaning, washing, cooking, etc to save your energy.

* Get a bigger car ! This is still our future planning…
* Be friend with other moms of three. Sometimes it was really helpful.
* Regularly take the children going out with you separately, one by one in a time.
I always have nice talks and happy good times when I go out only with Dea or Adit or Ian.

* Find “me time”. You will need quality “time out” to be still a good and sane mother.
Find a way to spend at least an hour a week for doing what you wanted and liked. I used to go to a bookstore or take a course in making handy craft or just washing my
hair and take a hair spa.

NOW……
With Dea aged 12 1/2, Adit aged 11 and Ian, 4, there are fewer stressful times. Now I think we’re better balanced family, they’re better balance children. They learn to share more quickly. There’s more excitement about birthdays, holidays, Christmas….a ‘richer’ interactions of family life. After the first or two difficult years, I’m totally in favor of the three child family.
3 is really a 'magic number' to me!

These are Dea and Adit, Ian's brother and sister.

Kid's First Writing

My 3rd kid, Ian, has tried to write "Merry Christmas" last Dec.

Look at Ian's writing. I remember, he was very proud after write his own name.

Do you know that writing stage in every child is different? I mean, for one child could be on his 3rd years old, for other child maybe on his 5th year. How we could know he/she has reached the writing stage? As long as my experience, when he starting to like pencil or crayon, that’s the time he is ready to learn writing. Just try to give him some papers for scratching first, it’s ok. First time, ‘erase’ the meaning of writing in our mind, if we mentioned writing in his stage is like the way we write letter. It doesn’t valid for him.
Let him explore. Never push him to do something we liked. Almost all the kids don’t like to follow our ‘order’ how to write alphabet a, b, c, etc like the way we did.

How to introduce him about letter and word?
I would share my simple tips.
Prepare white paper and round big tip red marker (I choose red because it’s the most eye catching color), cut the paper into 10 cm wide (the long of the paper depends on the words you write). Look around to every room at your house; write down the name of furniture /things in the paper (small letter, please, not capital). You can attach the paper to the furniture. For example: attached the word “refrigerator” in the refrigerator’s door, etc. For the first time we could give him a short ‘tour’, ask him to follow you to see the words and letters. You can read for him every paper you attached, “This is refrigerator, this is…..” later when our kids see the words, every time he passed the refrigerator, we hope he could familiar with the word. Repeat it only when he likes. Other time ask him to play “guess and point”. You asked, ”Where’s the refrigerator?”, You know what, he could point it!

What the first letter he should write down? His NAME
(I read this from some books about how to teach children write.)
Write down his and your names in a post-it paper, stick to his and your chest and tell him, ”You are IAN , I’m MOMMY” while you point the word. Prepare one sheet of paper, write again his name slowly and let him write too. No matter what he will write down, give him an appreciation. After that, every time he want to draw or ‘write’, don’t forget for always write down his name at the corner of the paper and spell the letter, IAN : I-A-N. You could write down first for him, as time goes by he will naturally copy what you did. Usually kids will write and spell his name not in order, IAN could be A-I-N, and it’s ok. You don’t have to make it a serious problem because it’s natural. The important thing is he has already known which alphabet that composed his name and…he write down the first important word!
As a mother always be proud of him.

A Possibly Hot Fettuccine

A month ago we went to 'Brux the Bistro', one of my favorite and cozy place to eat in Semarang.
I try a new menu there, and all of my kids like it.
The important thing is..
It's really easy to prepare and cook (and my kids like it)
Only need a few minutes, that's why I love it. I hate to stay in the kitchen for hours...
I will share the recipe for you.

A could be POSSIBLY 'HOT' FETTUCCINE

You could 'erase' the made 'hot' item, if your kid doesn't like it.
(but my kids 'love' it!)

All you need is ....

Fettuccine, boiled/cooked first of course...
Olive oil

Chooped garlic and onion

Dried basil leaves & oregano

or

Italian mix herbs

Salt ( you can add a little bit of Chicken Maggi Blok if you liked)

Black pepper

Smoked beef, sliced

and this is the one that could be made your fettuccine 'HOT'

an extra "irisan cabe rawit" (chopped green little chili?)

These are the step to cook it ....

Heat the olive oil in a fry pan,add garlic and onion and cook over until soft and golden brown

Add the boiled fettuccine and the Italian mix herbs, black pepper and salt and maggi blok

Don't forget the smoked beef....

Stir well and cook for 2 minutes

Taste it...

As a finishing touch

as I told you, put the chopped 'cabe rawit'

Place the fettuccine in a stylist plate.

Bon apetit....