Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema (1836 - 1912)

For some reason, this painting took my breath away....

.......

As of this moment, My Ming, Felicia, along with my sister Vini and her son, Keito, are not feeling well from either sore throat/runny nose or both.

And I have a nasty feeling that I will be the next victim.

My head felt heavy and my throat doesn't feel good....

Oh dear.

Glimpse of Married life (Wife's perspective) Part 2

On answering a simple question...

V(ivi) :honey, can we talk?

M(ing) (groan): sure

V: so, how do you know that I'm the one?

M: (sigh) isn't it a bit too late to wonder?

V (swatting him on the shoulder): I'm serious. After all, you have just broken up with your ex of four years, then within a week you're going out with me and within five months you ...

M: ask you to marry me?

V: TELL me to marry you, you never really ask me, remember?

M: are you regretting it?

V: don't change the subject dear, I'm asking you a question. Quite simple really, how do you know?

M (start to get annoyed): I don't know! I can't point out exactly when or where or how!! No man can! it doesn't make any sense! You read too much romance !!

V: Come on honey, it's really simple question.

M: No it's not! It's a trap question I tell you! why don't you shoot me in the head instead?!

V: hhhh.....

Disclaimer:
Based on actual event happening less than 24 hours ago actually...

Glimpse of Married LIfe (Husband Perspective)

explanation: actions written between * are done in my head and not to be known by persons outside

Incident 1 (aka trap question 1):

V: Honey, do I look fat to you?
M: errr..... *glance over to make sure*.... of course not honey.... *prays that the delay in answering is just enough so it doesn't sound like automatic defense mechanism was activated*...
V: awwwww.... so sweet!
M: *whew, passed this time!*

Incident 2 (aka trap question 2):

V: Honey, do you love me?
M: errr.... *appears to think the answer carefully* .... of course honey..... *prays that the delay in answering is just enough so it doesn't sound like automatic defense mechanism was activated*...
V: awwwww.... so sweet!
M: *whew, passed this time!*

Incident 3 (aka trap question 3):

V: Honey, how can you be sure that you picked the right person when you chose me? Are you sure that I'm the one for you? (or anything that resembles this statement in spirit)
M: errr.... *appears to think the answer carefully* .... of course honey..... *prays that the delay in answering is just enough so it doesn't sound like automatic defense mechanism was activated*...
V: awwwww.... so sweet!
M: *whew, passed this time!*

Incident 4:
please look at Incident 1

Incident 5:
please look at Incident 2

Incident 6:
please look at Incident 3

Incident 7:
rinse and repeat

Incident 8:
repeat the rinsing

Incident 9:
you get the idea
and so on and so forth, the terrorized life of a husband ever so fearful of that wrong answer....

disclaimer:
The names mentioned in this story are purely fictional and any resemblance to any real persons MUST BE incidental. This story is just that, a story with no historical basis and should be treated as such. M stands for Mars and V stands for Venus, you know, those planets orbiting the sun, yay!

*riiiiight*

Glimpse of Married LIfe (Wife Perspective)

On trying to come to term with the fact that your beloved husband spent hours playing game:

V(ivi): Honey, Can I ask you something?

M(ing): Sure

V: When you spend hours and hours playing game, was it because before you got married and still living with your parents, you're too anxious and not pleased with the whole situation and couldn't find a moment's peace there so that after you got married, you're content with having your own family and just want to enjoy yourself and play games?

M: err.....what was the question again?

V: I mean, are you so happily married to me that you feel you can spend hours playing game because you're just that content ?

M: Of course

V (Smiling happily): that it makes you happy just staying at home with me, not doing anything, playing your game and knowing I'm around?

M: Yes, that too.

V (Smiling more): So, it's not that you ignoring me when you play games?

M: Don't be ridiculous.....

V (Smiling -if that's possible-- even widely more)

M: ......I Ignore everybody when I play games

V (NOT smiling): .........

Happy Valentine!!

Today is the fourth Valentine I have with Ming, but it is the FIRST time we celebrate it.

Well, I have to add that since yesterday was the day Ming returned from a week long trip abroad, we did have an impromptu "early" celebration.  If you know what I mean.

But, Ming has, or at least, had, always been somewhat an opponent of Valentine's Day.  As a matter of fact 14 February 2006, our first Valentine when we're still dating, was the only day when we did not go out to eat/watch movie/ window shopping (yup, while we're dating, we went out EVERY single day until 19 May 2006, when I was not supposed to meet him until 21 May 2006 when we got married).  

In fact, we spent that day watching Star Wars III (pirated CD, of course) from a laptop in my house, while at the same time listening to his many complaints on the commercialized, overrated, Valentine's Day.

I didn't mind, am not an over the top romantic myself, and we did go out so much that it was actually a relieve just staying home then.

And last year, Ming was abroad during Valentine.  I forgot what we did in 2007.

Anyway, so this morning when I woke up, he just said, "Happy Valentine!" and I said the same to him, thinking that was it.  And probably a nice dinner later on.

I took a shower and got ready... looked up in my wardrobe for a shirt, and then look down to find a matching skirt, and I thought, hm...that's weird...how come my skirts was pushed to the left side?  and then, I saw it.

A very pretty flower pot with heart-shaped chocolates at the bottom and a nice stuffed animal next to it...

and the first thing, THE VERY FIRST THING that came to my mind was.... "Who's having a new baby?  Who's sending the first-month-new-baby-celebration-package to me and more importantly, what the fu$% is it doing in my wardrobe??  and what were those maids thinking, placing an edible package here?  Are they so unbelievably...."

Oh.

OH (loud Gasp)

Then I heard Ming from our bedroom next door, "HAPPY VALENTINE!!"

I ran and jumped on our bed like a silly sixteen year old girl and hugged him and kissed him and just lying next to him, curled on the crook of his arm for the next five minutes.  Smiling giddily and feeling....content.  

Fine.  I got teary-eyed too.  There, i admitted it.  Am a girl after all, and this is certainly a heart-warming surprise.  

Of course, Ming tried to say his annoying joke, but I cut him off and said, "You will not ruin this perfect moment for me!" and returned next to him blissfully.  He didn't say a word after that.  He didn't need to.  He just hugged me.  

Until he told me, "Honey, I can't feel my arm"

hihihihihi....I know I have to get up then....

We arrived in the office pretty late.  

Neither of us care.

Can't stop smiling since....

Dimarahi Felicia....

Kemarin aku pura pura tidur diranjange felicia sambil meluk "guweng" e.  Although I don't think she considers her guling as sort of security blanket, she's still a bit more touchy about her guling more than she is about her other belongings, including her "(Th)Omas".  

Anyhow, true enough, she screamed, but i ignored her.  After all, I want to point out to her that screaming won't get her anything nor anywhere, at least with me.  She screamed twice more. I still ignored her, pretending to sleep.

Then she smacked me in the head, waved her forefinger in front of me, tilt her head to the side a bit, looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Vi, No!"

I looked at her.  Shocked.  Dumbfounded.  Astonished.  Rendered speechless.

Then she said again, "Viiii, no no no no!" with more determination.

and she's not even 1.5 years yet!

Have I told you that my daughter is a genius?

Felicia...at sixteen months!

Yesterday Felicia was exactly 16 months young....

But I didn't get to see her until 8:30 pm since I have to work overtime, and Lawrence is also away to India until the end of the week (but will be back in town just in time for Valentine!! -- not that we have any special plan...)

Anyway, Just few days ago I woke up in the morning and when I saw Felicia, I realized that my lil daughter is getting prettier!!! hihihi....she is, truly.  I love the way her face lit up when she smile, the sparkle in her eyes can brightened my day anytime!.

She learns so many new words, she can pronounce my name perfectly: "Vivi", not pipi.  She sometimes called me like that, "Vivi!!" instead of "mama" hihihi....her naughty dad tought her that, and my mom encouraged her sometimes....I honestly don't mind, because she only said it when she was teasing me while playing Peek A Boo...only this time she did the hiding behind the door then said "Baaa!!" to me and if I didn't notice her, she'd said "Vi!!" hehehehe....And when I asked her what's her dad's name, she answered, "Ming (M)ing"

Last time I asked her, "Felicia, how old are you?"  and she said, "Dua!"  I tried to correct her, saying that she's only one year old, but she wouldn't have it.  

Then I asked her again, "Felicia, mau adik?"  She was quiet for a while, then said, "Mau".  I'm not so sure if she knows what is the meaning of "Adik", so I asked her, "Felicia, Adik kalo nangis gimana?"  She said, "Oek oek".  "Jadi Felicia mau adik ya?"  "Iya"  and at that time, she's not even 16 months yet!!!

She can also said (Se)peda, Tu(r)un, Tas, Hat, Buang, Ambi(l), (Em)peng, Cucu, Mo wes....And she's now in that stage where if she didn't get what she wants, she'd screamed till your ear hurts.  

I tried to teach her to say "No!" if she doesn't like something.  However, usually she only remembered to say "No!" (complete with waving her index finger, copying me when I told her "No!") only after she screamed her lungs out.

I'm teaching her to say "Please" now, but not yet successful, although if she's in a good mood, she'd automatically said "S(hi)e  S(hi)e" if her nanny gave her something she asked (her pacifier, her toys)

She also LOVES high-fiving us hehehehe....but this is purely based on her mood.  She has no particular reasons or under no special circumstances...I think she considered it a game...in which when the nanny didn't high-fiving her on time, she'll smack her nanny instead....

Another favorite past time is to push one of the plastic chair around, and lifting the other...her nanny once said, "Felicia, jangan diangkat, nggak kuat" and she looked pretty much incensed at the suggestion that she's not strong enough that she said "kuat!" while lifting the chair to prove it.

She can't take "No!" for an answer though, we have to explain to her why she can't go to the front terrace after dark, why I can't let her walk (because she hasn't put on her shoes yet), and she'd think about it for a while and only then she agreed.

Oh, and my daughter now is trying to deceive us!!! I should not be proud of this trait, but it never cease to amaze me!!.  It happened first time when she threw up one day and I took her to a doctor and he prescribed a medicine.  The next day while she's playing on her bed, her nanny and I told her that it was time to take her medicine, and immediately, she hugged her "guweng" -- guling--. and said, "Tatuk, tatuk" -- ngantuk, ngantuk.  

I thought it was funny and just a rare event, but then she applied that to my mom when she's giving her dinner, and fooled her!  My mom stopped giving her dinner and asked my nanny to change her clothing, ready for her bed.  

My mom told me that Felicia's sleepy and she didn't finish her dinner.  Of course I told her about the other day incident, so now when Felicia claimed to be "Tatuk" during her meal, her nanny and my mom knows better.  And rightly so, immediately after she finished her meal, she'd asked for her favourite toy, "(Th)omas!!"

Yup, despite the plenty of stuffed animals she has and enjoys playing with occasionally, and despite my efforts to introduce her to Barbie (which she couldn't care less), she's now quite obsessed with Thomas & His Friends.

She's frantic and kept picking up the plenty Thomas toys in the stores and she looked quite unsure when both her hands were full but she saw another Thomas toys that she'd love to have.  She kept pointing out "Thomas!!" to Lawrence and me and giggling...

Already she got two almost identical Thomas (one is bigger than the other and the bigger one can roll his eyes!!), and three Thomas CDs.  I got her the CD after she kept whining after the Thomas episodes finished in the cable TV.

I know, I spoil her.  

Can't help it though, it breaks my heart when she said "uuuuuuu....." and her nose and eyes are getting red...

Anyhow, she loves Thomas so much that when we asked her to copy Thomas rolling his eyes, She did!! Well, not rolling her eyes, only blinking repeatedly...

Oh, and she also know how to handle a pen, she'd asked to "Tuwis" -- Tulis -- and then grab the pen, and if she's holding too far from the tip, she'd adjust her hand and starts scribbling on the paper.  

She also knows "phone"  and always pretends as if she's talking with someone, only she's holding the phone backward, and she'd say "(H)alo ... iya..." and proceed with the intelligent baby talks I don't quite understand -- I'm not that smart, but she's a genius!! hehehehe....

I've decided to send her to school when she's 2 years old, a pre-school/nursery school, but have not quite made up my mind between a Montessori School and another school associated with FunGates

Both use English and neither offer program in Chinese (at least not the FunGates here in Indonesia), but I believe Felicia would do just fine learning Chinese in kindergarten later on.  Another school, Surabaya Children Academy, offered both Chinese and English, but it was so far away on the other side of the city.  Their closer branch is not so good i think.

Anyhow...have started to blabber here....

I'll ask Ming to post the pictures later on...as for now...I really have to start earning my salary instead of writing blogs and reading e-books during office hour!!