Haris, Adam, Novi & Amanda

Makin hari pertanyaan yang diajuin Adam semakin lucu dan rada rumit deh. Bener-bener bikin aku geleng-geleng kepala.

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"Kenapa setiap orang punya Ayah dan punya Ibu?"

"Kenapa ibu perempuan, dan kenapa ayah laki-laki?" (Nah lho, gimana coba jelasinnya?)

"Di mana rumahnya Allah?" (Haduuh, kok kepikiran sih nanya rumahnya Allah?)

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Selain ngasih pertanyaan, tentunya anak kecil seumuran Adam juga suka nyecer (ini bahasa Indonesianya apa ya?) dengan pertanyaan lanjutan karena ga puas sama jawaban yang kita kasih.

Misalnya nih, hari Senin kemarin Adam ngajak aku ke toko buku, padahal semua transportasi publik di Rotterdam sedang strike jadi kita ga bisa pergi ke mana-mana.

Adam: "Bu, hari ini kita ke toko buku yuuk.."

Ibu: "Wah, hari ini kita ga bisa pergi, nak. Soalnya semua bis lagi mogok"

Adam: "Kenapa bisnya mogok?" (mungkin dia pikir bisnya mogok physically)

Ibu: "Mungkin mesin bis-nya rusak" (sembari bingung gimana cara jelasin strike ke ni bocah)

Adam: "Kenapa mesin-nya bisa rusak?"

Ibu: "Hmmm, mungkin bis-nya sudah lama dan kuno, jadi mesinnya rusak"

Adam: "Kita jangan naik bis yang kuno dong bu. Kita naik bis yang baru saja!"

Ibu: "Bis yang baru juga mogok, nak"

Adam: "Kok bisa mogok? Kan bis baru, jadi mesinnya ga rusak dong bu!"

Ibu: "Yaa, mungkin montirnya ga pernah bersihin mesin bis baru. Jadi mesinnya kotor banget, terus rusak deh"  (Oalaah nak, kok ga selesai-selesai bertanya..)

Adam: "Kenapa kok montirnya ga pernah bersihin mesin bis baru itu?"

Ibu: "Mungkin montirnya lupa" (Sambil deg degan, pertanyaan berikutnya apa ya?)

Adam: "Oooh, montirnya lupa.."

Ibu: (Legaaa ga ada pertanyaan lanjutan..)

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Setelah itu aku mikir, kayaknya aku salah ngasih jawaban deh. Harusnya dari awal aku bilang aja kalo semua sopir bus pada libur, jadi ga ada bis yang lewat. Simpel gitu aja. Pasti Adam ga tanya-tanya lagi deh.

Hmmm, tapi anak kaya’ Adam pasti akan terus tanya deh, "kenapa sopirnya libur semua?", dst..dst.  Pasti sama aja akan ada pertanyaan lanjutan. Oalah, Adaaam Adam, kamu bikin ibu mikir terus nih..!

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Lalu kapan Adam ga tanya-tanya, ga ngoceh, atau ga nyerocos? Kalo lagi tidur pules seperti ini nih..

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Aha, jangan salah! Gado-gado komplit bukan gado-gado pake jagung, kentang, tahu, tempe, kacang panjang, kol, kangkung, pare, telur rebus dan lontong, yang dijual si abang di pojok jalan deket rumah nyokap di Duren Tiga. Tapi ini kejadian macem-macem yang terjadi selama beberapa minggu terakhir ini.

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Lagi seneng seri Shopaholicnya si Sophie Kinsella. Telat banget sih, tapi better late than never toch? Kelar baca Shopaholic & Sister, trus langsung senang seperti senangnya baca seri Harry Potter. Meskipun isi bukunya kadang rada norak, tapi keseluruhan isi bukunya lucu banget, tokohnya si Becky bener-bener pol doyan belanja, kadang sok pede, polos dan stupid. Kalo lagi ada waktu, ga rugi deh baca ini. Menghibur sekali :). Untung gue baru dapet budget buat beli buku (makasih buat tax return dari belastingdienst Belanda hihihi), jadi tentu saja gue akan pesan yang ada di rak buku ini.

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Adam masih (seperti biasa) banyak bertanya ini dan itu. Kemarin pas lagi dengerin lagunya Tasya ada lagu yang liriknya begini

"..kereta apiku lari dengan kencang, melintas sawah bukit serta ladang..".

Trus Adam tanya begini, "Bu, sawah - bukit - ladang itu apa sih?"

Oalah, anakku keciaaan deh ga tau sawah, ga tau bukit, ga tau ladang. Ya di sini mana ada sawah, bukit juga ga ada wong negaranya datar doang, kalo ladang sih masih ada, ladang gandum mungkin ya?  Ntar ya nak, kalo kita pulang kampung kita lihat semuanya di sana. Sementara ini ibu jelasin dulu sambil klik sana sini nyari gambar sawah, gambar bukit dan gambar ladang di internet

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Eva, sang dokter pribadi dan tante tersayangnya Adam, pamitan karena bentar lagi mau berangkat ke Montreal Canada untuk research PhD selama setahun. Eva itu ngetop sekali lho seantero Belanda, dari utara Groningen sampe selatan Maastricht siapa sih yang ga kenal dia? Namanya juga beredar di banyak milis di sini. Maka dari itu, keberangkatan Eva ke Canada bikin Belanda sepiiii. Terbayang deh, Belanda bakal tidak semeriah kala Eva masih di sini

Jangan lupa acara perpisahan kita eh.. acara until we meet again kita yang ala sinetron di Maashaven itu ya, Va

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Ada military and civilian street parade di Rotterdam hari ini. Maklum deh, gue rada kampungan ga pernah lihat marching band parade. Makanya kita ajak Adam lihat parade, biar dia bisa lihat orang main musik. Memang sih kalau marching band-nya dari Belanda, boring banget. Yang main musik banyakan opa-opa atau oma-oma, trus lagunya bolak balik lagu perjuangan melulu.

Tapi, kalau yang marching band dari luar Belanda seperti yang dari Canada itu, wah seru deh; seragamnya bagus warna warni, yang nge-band masih seger buger alias bukan oma atau opa, dan lagunya entertaining. Cihuy punya lah. Orang-orang pada tepuk tangan meriah dan dancing on the street beneran :) 

Sayangnya ga bisa taruh foto tentang marching band di sini, karena tadi kita foto pake tustel manual. Jadi musti nunggu selesai dicuci cetak dulu ya..

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Beberapa minggu terakhir ini Adam suka merasa dirinya sudah besar dan bukan anak kecil lagi. Dia juga kadang nagih minta adik (waduh, ini siapa yang ngajarin sih?). Mintanya spesifik begini: Adam pingin punya adik, tapi adik Adam sendiri yang keluar dari perut ibu, bukan adiknya orang lain, dan adiknya harus perempuan biar bisa dipakein baju pink. Hahaha.. lucu banget kan?

Trus kalau dijawab "..punya adiknya nanti ya, nak..". Eh, dia protes, "segera punya adiknya dong bu, kan Adam udah mau main sama adik sekarang.." Iya deh, nanti kalau ada toko di mall yang lagi obral jual adik, kita beli segera ya Adam?

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Rotterdam tambah sepi karena teman-teman di IHS - Qq, pak Loekman, Ibnu dkk - sudah kelar kuliah dan wisuda. Alhamdulilah, kita semua ikut ngerasa senang. Kabarnya pada langsung mau cabut ke Indonesia besok. Berarti Qq minggu depan sudah bisa buka puasa sama jajanan yang dijual di pasar Simpang Dago dong? Slurrp, kolak, cincau, es campur, batagor, martabak telur, gorengan, bubur ayam Pak Zaenal. Oooh, betapa irinya hatiku

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Last but not least, Ramadhan tlah tiba. Horee! Semoga selalu bisa dapat Ramadhan lagi di tahun-tahun (yang banyak) berikutnya. Supaya bisa puas beribadah.

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Met puasa buat yang menjalankan ibadah puasa. (kebetulan nasi di rice cooker sudah mateng, berarti sudah ada modal buat sahur besok pagi..hahaha..)

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Bulan ini aku sengaja cari buku yang isinya ringan alias bacanya ga pake mikir serius, lucu, dan tentu saja, menghibur. Buku ini juga untuk aku menghibur diri sejenak karena sedih kehilangan teman di dunia maya, Anna Siti Herdiyanti a.k.a Inong (wafat 2 minggu yang lalu). Dan juga untuk bacaan selama perjalanan Rotterdam-Vienna naik kereta api 15 jam (mateng di jalan ga sih..).

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Jadilah pilihan buku bulan ini jatuh ke bukunya Sophie Kinsella, Can You Keep A Secret? Tadinya mau mulai baca seri Shopaholic, tapi bingung dan ga tau mau mulai dari yang mana karena sepertinya semua buku di seri Shopaholic itu menarik! Jadilah mulai dulu dari yang non seri, ya itu tadi, Can You Keep A Secret? Yang mau baca excerpt-nya, silahkan klik di sini.

Buat para cewek yang mau haha hihi sendiri, ini buku cocok banget. Menghibur dan lucu. Dan aku juga ternyata jatuh hati sama tulisannya Sophie, dan untuk berikutnya so pasti bakal mulai baca seri Shopaholic-nya

Happy reading!

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*) Gambar diambil dari amazon.co.uk

This article is taken from ParentCenter

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Look for hidden waste
Can you find a cheaper cell-phone plan, long-distance phone service, or Internet service provider? Is it time to refinance your mortgage or car payments? Can you raise your insurance deductibles, which lowers your premiums? What about canceling your long distance and purchasing budget phone cards — or using a cell phone (with free long distance included) in off-peak hours? Are you getting your money’s worth from your gym membership, or could you walk, jog, or play basketball in the park instead? You may want to consider becoming a one-car family — you’ll save on gas, insurance, and car maintenance. And ask your utililty company how you can lower your payments. Even simple changes, like turning down the temperature on your water heater or installing energy-saving showerheads, can bring your monthly bills down.

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Watch those credit cards
If credit card charges are eating up a big chunk of your monthly budget, look into consolidating your balances or getting a lower interest rate. Examine your credit card statements: Are there automatic charges — subscriptions or monthly fees — that could be canceled? (Get more tips on easy ways to lower your credit card debt.)

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Plan low-cost family vacations
Instead of staying in hotels, consider traveling with friends and renting a house together. This is usually cheaper than hotel rooms, and it allows you to cook meals instead of going to restaurants. Other ideas: Travel locally so you can drive rather than fly. Carry a cooler full of snacks and sandwich ingredients so you don’t have to eat out for every meal. Pack up the tent and go camping. (Get more tips on saving big on family travel.)

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Go co-op crazy
Form a meal co-op with friends and neighbors — each family takes a night to make dinner for everyone. This saves time, builds community, introduces children to a broader variety of foods, and saves money by allowing participants to buy food in bulk (without having to eat the same food for weeks straight).

A babysitting co-op may also be a good idea. By trading babysitting duties with other families you’re close to, you can save money on childcare and know you’re leaving your child with people you trust.

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Avoid restaurants
The average American family eats out four times a week, which takes a big bite out of their budget, says Jonni McCoy, a mom and founder of the Miserly Moms Web site. You can save a lot by making relatively painless adjustments to your dining habits. On date night, leave the kids with friends and prepare a candlelight dinner at home instead of going out to eat. On workdays, bring your lunch to the office. On weekends, make a picnic and take your family to the park or the beach. Take snacks to the playground, zoo, or movie theater instead of visiting the snack bar. You can also save money by making coffee at home — those fancy coffee drinks really add up. Splurge on your favorite beans and a travel mug and take yours to go. (One Baby Center reader figured that by breaking their specialty coffee habit, she and her husband could shave $2,000 a year off their budget!)

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Find cheaper entertainment
Go to matinees or rent movies instead of heading to the theater, and try borrowing videos and DVDs from your local library rather than paying for rentals. And do you really need cable television when you can rent DVDs of your favorite premium channel shows?

You can also get creative about finding ways to cut costs and create family time. Organize a family game night instead of going out, or make holiday presents together to save on gift-giving.

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Become a smart shopper
Start with the food bill, McCoy advises. "This is usually the largest category of spending, and there are so many ways to whittle it down," she says. Buy in bulk, clip coupons, and mail in rebates. Generics and store-brand products are almost always cheaper than name brands. (Get more tips on trimming the fat from your food budget.)

For clothes, baby gear, furniture, and similar items, secondhand stores and resale shops have bargains galore, as do sites such as eBay and Craigslist. Or, if you’re buying new, purchase clothing for next year during end-of-season sales. For furniture or appliances, ask for floor models — you probably won’t notice a scratch on your new bed, but it could bring down the price significantly.

And finally, skip the pricey salon and become a beauty school drop-in. Beauty schools offer discounts on services such as haircuts, facials, and mani-pedis.

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Keep a tight rein on your budget
Stay-at-home mom Heather DeGeorge uses a simple envelope system: Every two weeks she takes the cash from her husband’s paycheck and divvies it up into envelopes marked for specific expenses. So if she has budgeted $400 a month for groceries, she puts $200 into the grocery envelope every two weeks. Then she knows she’ll have the money when it’s time to go to the store. DeGeorge has envelopes for other fixed costs, as well as for luxuries. "We budget a certain amount for eating out," she says. "If there’s no money in the ‘eating out’ envelope, we go to the pantry."

Similarly, you can use a separate bank account to make sure you have all the money you need tucked safely away for certain fixed monthly or yearly expenses. Add up the yearly total of all your fixed expenses, divide it by 12, and deposit that amount every month in your separate bill-paying account. Once you get going with this system, you’ll never have to scramble to pay your property taxes or any other regular expense.

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Put in the time
It’s time-consuming to develop and maintain a budget, find the lowest prices, collect coupons, and shop for the best deals. It takes still more time to shop and cook in bulk, and to make presents instead of buying them. McCoy figures that she devotes seven hours a week to keeping her household costs low. "That includes everything: meal planning, shopping, making meals from scratch, and keeping track of spending," she says. "When you consider the rewards, it really isn’t that much.

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Buat yang lagi ngajarin anak balita main musik, ini ada lagu yang gampang banget. Liriknya pake rhyme, seperti puisi gitu loh..

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Mary had a little lamb

Mary had a little lamb,

little lamb, little lamb,

Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went,

Mary went, Mary went,

and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day

school one day, school one day,

It followed her to school one day, which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,

laugh and play, laugh and play,

it made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,

turned it out, turned it out,

And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near,

And waited patiently about,

patiently about, patiently about,

And waited patiently about till Mary did appear.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"

Love Mary so? Love Mary so?

"Why does the lamb love Mary so," the eager children cry.

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."

The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know,

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know," the teacher did reply.

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Kalau si balita mau sambil karaoke, bisa klik di sini

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Atau kalau punya alat musik sederhana, dijamin pasti anak-anak bisa pencet-pencet tuts atau tiup-tiup alat musiknya sendiri. Ini not-nya :**

321 2333 222 355
321 2333 322 321

Kalau Adam, aku bikinin not sesuai warna tombol di saxophone mainan. Lumayan dia bisa tat-tat-tut-tut main saxophone sendiri. Meskipun lagunya terbatas, ya cuma Mary Had A Little Lamb doang Trus giliran disuruh coba pake harmonika, walah.. ngaco kemana-mana. Yang ada harmonika-nya penuh iler, karena Adam niup terlalu semangat hehehe.. Ga papa, namanya juga belajar, ya kan Dam?

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