Alfie is cleaning up

One lesson that we always enforce our kids to follow is cleaning up their toys after playing. One day, after messing up the toys with his bro Alwyn, Alfie just left the room. Of course I asked him to clean up. "Alfie, please clean up" then continue with the usual song "I see Alfie cleaning up, I see Alwyn cleaning up..." In a second, Alfie picked up the song and sang together with me. But he didn't start cleaning up. So I asked "Alfie, why don't you clean up?" And he answered "I am singing, so I don't have to clean up." Oh, kids...

Welcoming Tiger Year

Nadia: Gong Xi Gong Xi

Alfie: Aku dah gaya belum?

Alwyn: (cool aja deh)

Vanessa: Aku dong dah kayak putri Chen Ie

Phoebe: ?

... and laughing

Seriously watching tv

Nite, ewwewone!

Alfie and Ben

Alwyn reads Barney

Alwyn and the shade

Embracing 2010

Wow. It feels just like yesterday. And today we're entering yet another new year. We wish you all a happy 2010. May the coming year be at least as wonderful as the best so far.

We don't have a Guinness record class of stuff in 2009. We enjoyed it, nevertheless. Well, not really all the time, maybe. Anna was surely suffering during the Lebaran holidays, as the nannies left for good. And boy, what a pain finding their replacements. It was really trial-and-error at work. I did try to help. But I guess my contribution was marginal, though. The two boys knew full well, I'm not their mother.

I was busy, too. The transition at office took more time and energy than we had expected before. That included the hefty and slow bureaucracy at the university and faculty levels. As a consequence, I was without any designated position (and hence task) for nearly three months. The upside of that is I was able to publish a couple of papers. Life is fair, I guess.

For the two boys, well, of course they enjoyed every single day of the year. Alfie is almost 3 and a half now. This year he performed twice at school. Once as a giraffe and the other time he was a hoola-hoola dancer (the teacher told us, the theme wasLilo and Stitch -- we couldn't find any right costume, so we agreed to his teacher: make him a hawaiian dancer). Alfie has started his Yamaha music school this year. Oh, he also got a special present from Tante Fifi, a set of Lego blocks. He keeps his new assembled house close to his Ben-10 stuff.

Alwyn, on the other hand, is 1 year and 5 month. He can walk -- I guess 'run' is more appropriate: he walks so fast, he falls down many times. But he's made of iron and steel, that's what we think. Alwyn likes to come to Alfie's school. One day he insisted to join the big(ger) kids club and thought he could do trampoline bouncing -- he fell down successfully with his face on the carpet. No tears nor cry whatsoever.

Happy new year, everyone!

Alfie is rehearsing and Alwyn is disturbing him

Override my preference

A: Mama, where is your javelin?
M: It’s over here, what are you going to do Alfie?
A: I am going to change your Javelin colour
M: why?
A: I don’t like black, I like green
M: You don’t like black, why?
A: Because black is not nice, green is nice
M: ???

A quarrel with 3 years old boy

Alfie: Mama, can I have your “dompet”?
Mama: No Alfie, you cannot have my dompet
I grabbed the purse from Alfie’s hand
A: why?
M: Because it belongs to me
A (with upset tone): Mama, don’t do that, I don’t like this
M (angry): You don’t like what?
A: I don’t like this, I am going outside
M: Listen you cannot have my dompet
A: OK, I am going to buy one

Colorful Alwyn

Alfie and the Blue Gene

Happy 1st Birthday Alwyn!

Happy birthday, Dear Alwyn. Papa, Mama, and your brother Alfie are very grateful to have you with us for one year now. And no doubt, for many, many years to come.

As what happened to Alfie , now you've got four big teeth. You're still struggling to walk by yourself, but that's okay. Don't be too quick to run, 'cause you can't even walk properly yet. Remember when you fell? Yes, that's what you get if you're impatient.

But thank you for bringing yet another cheerful factor in the house. Yes, the house is now too small for us (when Papa told Mama to prepare a space for Aline -- that's the name for your future baby sister in Papa's imagination -- Mama looked at Papa as if he were crazy). But don't you worry. Alfie has been so kind to let you occupy Papa and Mama's bed. He has his own kingdom in the living room, just by the tv set.

Alwyn, sorry that some of your toys are actually Alfie's. Even some of your clothes were used by your brother some time ago. That's what people call the curse of the second child. You get used stuff. Of course not all of them are old. That Dinosaur t-shirt is new, so is the little submarine toy (that makes your brother envious). But, as we also keep telling your brother, share. You can borrow Alfie's toys, but you should also let him play with yours.

Once again, happy birthday.

Alfie's 3rd Birthday

Alfie was very happy and proud with his Ben10 cake.

His friends couldn't help to touch it :)

Happy birthday Alfie, may you always be a good and happy kid.

Alfie and Alwyn

Dynamic Duo

alwyn 8-month

10.5kg

Tangerang's ATV

"Ma, we're there already, stop the becak"
"Ugh, I'm trying... Can't stop it"
"What? Hit the brake, Ma! Hit the brake!"
"Huh? This thing's got a brake? Where's the damn brake?"
"Oh, Mama, you're a lousy driver..."