Yesterday was Mika’s first day as first year elementary student and I am pleased to say that it went well. Mika seemed to be at ease and happy to meet his old buddies. I was the one who was a bit nervous…well, very nervous to be honest. My boy is an elementary student now. He will be expected to be more independent and more ’student’. My little baby boy had grown into a big kid!

Being a little bit paranoid Mom, I checked the toilet, make sure Mika know where it is and how it is. Fortunately, they do have sitting toilet instead of the other one (the jongkok one). This was my biggest fear and I had him trained using our maid’s toilet to overcome this. I asked him whether he can go there without any help and he is adamant that he could. I have also managed to speak with Mika’s new teachers, Mrs. Erna and Miss Feby, and they seemed like nice women. I felt more comfortable and hang around to chat with other Mothers. Tried to see whether I missed anything. Not long after that, the bell rang and the students had their first Monday ceremony. The first graders marched together with the towering sixth graders and I kept on looking for Mika. My little boy seemed fine. Chatting and giggling happily with his friends. I waited until they went into class then I left.

And today is Pascal’s first day and it went well too. At first he was still clinging to hubby, but once they went into the playground, he slided down and was on his own. He painted, hopped around, slide down and managed to follow the activity. Pascal was also responsive to the teachers, which is very heartening. I compared him to Mika, and Pascal’s first day was so much easier than his brother.  I believe that he will have no serious problem.  First day at school for Pascal lasted for 1 hour. He went home sleepily and went to bed directly for a nap.

I am so happy that both of my boys are at school now. But on the other hand, I have always feel a bit sad that they both have grown so fast! There goes my little baby boys…I sometimes secretly wish that I could freeze the time to have them forever be my babies. I love you, boys…

As always, whenever I returned from holiday or long weekend I have always feel a little bit depressed. Not only because of the mountain of pending work but also because if you have tasted something so good, the day to day live seemed worse than before.

My theory goes like this:

- More fun, more misery

- Little fun, little misery

- No fun, no misery. Because how would know that it is a misery if you never taste what fun is.

I-could-start-feeling-depression-gripping-me-pulling-me-under. It-made-me-difficult-to-breath. All I want to do right now is go back to my unmade bed and crying my eye balls out. I feel like quit this job and stay home forever and ever spending my time playing with the kids. Can I be more pathetic than this?

OK for crying outloud, enough self pity! Get a grip. I’d better make my self some coffe…

We have been planning to celebrate Mika’s birthday somewhere other than home. We were thinking to spend couple of days in Ancol. Unfortunately due to holiday season, all hotel in Ancol are full until next week. So we decided to stay home and have small celebration instead.

However, 2 days before the Birthday, we got formal notification from the idiotic State Electricity that there will be black out in our area on the 5th of July. Damn! Damn! Damn! The timing could have not been better. So in panic, we look for another hotel. And a day before the Birthday, we managed to make booking in Atlet Century Park Hotel which is like 500 meter from my office building. That’s right, it’s pathetic. But it’s save haven nevertheless. All I have to do just pray to no document will be send over for my review.

Anyway, after small party at home (where Mika and Pascal fought endlessly about who should blow the candle), we went to Atlet and dropped our luggage before we went to Senayan City. After having quick lunch at the food court, we played in Sponge Bob Bubble Splash Play Ground. That’s right. I swam in the ball pool holding Pascal so he won’t be drowned whilst Mika busied somersaulting and splattered the balls every where. We went jelly fish bouncing and bubble bursting. It was great.

After that we went to Putt Putt golf. I was so tired and could not do anything but watch Mika playing golf with his nanny and Pascal riding his bike chased by his sitter. Aren’t helpers great? We left the place when Pascal started to park his bike on top of the holes and annoyed another bunch of (a lot bigger) kids. Therefore, for safety reason (as if not to have Pascal’s stubborn head hit by the golf balls by some angry mob) I removed them and took a horse riding around Senayan. That’s right. Horse riding around Senayan. We can not be more tourist than that. But the important thing is that the kids enjoy it and it actually feel good to do something different.

We then return to the hotel for dinner. We waited until the kids got drowsy then hubby and I sneak out to watch the 9 pm Die Hard 4.0 in Plaza Senayan. The movie was truly entertaining and it has been a while since hubby and I went for movie that late. If it had not been because it fast pace action, I would have had fallen asleep. It was finished around 11 pm and I was so drop dead tired when we reach the hotel. I fell asleep once I hit the sack.

We spent the next day at the hotel. Pascal riding his bike and Mika went swimming. The day was wonderful. It was cloudy and the air was clearer than usual. We had lunch at the hotel before we went home and oh guess what, there has never been a black out at all. We have spent almost 2 million for nothing. Nah, we spent to have good time away from home. Nevertheless, I was happy to return home and surrounded by things that I am familiar with.

Happy birthday, Mikhail. I was having Lupus flare when you were inside me. Therefore the pregnancy was everything but easy. I am so happy that everything turn out to be all right. I hope you will grow into a fine gentleman. I love you and I love your brother more than anything else in the world. Love, Mommy.