We celebrated my birthday a week after, because my birthday was on Saturday, the memorial day weekend. We had a trip to Upper Michigan and had my own 12 am birthday celebration on my real birthday... then we celebrated it again, the week after at home with all my beloved friends and their families.

I just realized, when I blew the candle, I didn't make a wish at all, I guess I have it all and I couldn't think of anything this year. Pretty blessed with my life right now. Thank you, God.

Blissful food.... That's all I can say for our weekend experience. The kids and us ate so much that we could not imagine, even Aidan ate the whole food.

On Saturday I cooked, brunch and dinner. On Sunday, Ammar cooked. Oh my! The food we had for the last 2 days were beyond expectation.

Most importantly, we really enjoyed our time together as a family, away from Ammar's workload. Bliss.

I have been longing to have a maroon colored formal dining room, and finally since we know we are not moving for a while from this house, I decided to do my project to celebrate my birthday on the 24th.
I got to tell you, how hard it is to paint a really dark color, especially when the finish is satin. I lost hope, but when it got dried, it looks so much better. Phew!

This is the project since a year ago when my mother was still here. The upholstry of these breakfast table chairs were so due to be changed. My mother was planning to make the cover for this chair and it was never done, since the birth of Aidan took lots of my mom's time during her visit.
Here I went, trying something I have never done in my life, self taught, and I finally figured out how to do it, and it came out good. Ammar likes it. Yay, no more dirty chair.
PS: Mom, look, I finally did it!

Nadia and I decided to draw something for mother's day and we both colored it. Nadia colored the flowers, and I drew the outline and the letters. Happy mothers' Day, everyone. Hope you all had a wonderful one.
PS: Mom, especially for you... I love you so much, I miss you and happy mother's day

We decided that starting this year, the house and the yard don't own us... We owned them and we are going to spend our spare time (which is minimal) to hang out with kids and have a more quality time together as a family. 

I hired a landscape company to take care of our huge lawn and the flower beds, and I am quite surprise how good job they did so far and I am pleased.

There are total of 4 workers coming to our house every time, one is trimming the edges of the flower beds, one pulling out the weeds on the flower beds, 2 people with 2 zero rotation lawn mower mowed our lawn in less than 15 minutes (I usually do it in an hour or more). 

Today, I saw the boss came to check on their job.. and I am pretty happy that they value the quality, and I am blessed with my spare time with Aidan and Nadia, riding our lawn mower truck just drive around... fun!!!

Most importantly, when Ammar is home, he is just becoming all ours... no more lawn work. YAY!

Hm... my cousins are coming to NYC and I can't meet them up there. Why ? Just because I just can't leave the kids behind. Never! Never in my dictionary. Are they too attached to me ? Maybe, but I think I am the one who can't live at night without them. Other than that, too bad I have doctor's appointment on that friday afternoon. They are leaving on Sunday, and that Saturday will be my birthday (yeah.. happy birthday to me.... old mom!) and we are planning to go to Toronto for that long memorial day weekend. Lisa and Ima.. I am sorry, I can't see you guys there!

Now, giving the all recommendations of my favorite places in NYC, I just can't help not thinking about Gray's Papaya and their fresh squeezed orange juice.. mmmm.... yum!!! 

When I used to live in NYC for school, then worked in Central Park area, I used to go stop to Gray's Papaya on the way to work.. and it was always the best hotdog ever!!!!

Now.. I am really hungry

He is a great husband, after all :)

I cook special Syrian food today, after spending morning at the salon to trim my hair and straight to my favorite produce store far away from home, bringing the whole fridge full of veggies and fruits.

Ammar ate so much and kindly enough, he offered me to clean the kitchen and all the dishes and kids' after school dishes and bottles, too.

He has been so tired doing the extra works at the office and other stuff but he has been so sweet to me even more lately.

Thank you for helping, sayang!

I finally got myself to enjoy the hot tub jet tonight, after all the kids are in bed. Putting the music on, put the light on dim, it came to my mind how much I miss having a relaxing bath, by myself, and go to sleep peacefully. Joy! 

Readers, I am so sleepy now, tomorrow we have a busy day again.

Good night. I am going to sleep peacefully, happily and soundly.

Sharper Image stores and any others fun stores filed bankruptcy. The other which we really like is Bed Bath and Beyond.

I still have the picture of the Sharper Image store in New York City, on W 57th St between 5th and 6th ave. I used to go there with my friend, Cathy during my fellowship at NYU 1998-2000 and really fond of their gadgets. 

The economy is bad, worse, and getting worse, and I feel sad that even good stores can't keep up.

I am sorry that I keep thanking for what I have ... it is just that I am feeling so blessed with my life. I can't ask for more, everything relatively perfect, every single day.

I have Aidan with me whole day, and I really enjoyed playing with him, he was fully pampered today, I trimmed his toes and finger nails, then when he woke up, I cut his hair by strapping him on the trike and let him watch his movie.

I also enjoyed him by pushing him around the neighborhood with his trike, and have the afternoon bike ride with him... he enjoyed every minutes. We also played in the sand box, sitting on the grass and enjoyed the afternoon sun. My son totally turned to be brown/tanned. Still cute, according to me.

I enjoyed rocking him and played with him, holding him in my arms and watching those eyes went smaller, smaller, blink, he hugged me, and fell asleep hugging me. 

Nadia, she is such an angel, still. I drew for her, and she drew back for me, I have those pictures and I looked at it, it gave me very warm burst of feeling in my heart. I love my dear princess, and I enjoyed showering her before bed and dried her long beautiful straight hair in the real saloon style, blow dried it and she gave me a big kiss to thank me. 

Sometimes, I feel like I need a nanny or helper. Just like my previous life in Indonesia, I grew up living with 2-3 maids, gardener, cook, and drivers, and I have to admit, I sometimes miss it, but I realized that living like I have now, makes me more proud of what I am, what I do, and what I have. Nothing like the feeling of taking care of your own family (husband and 2 kids) with my only 2 hands, since day one.

I always go to bed exhausted, but the price you get, is worth every single time, when your husband came to your bed, giving you a kiss, and whispers, thanking me for what I did to him and the kids... and telling how wonderful I am....  don't you agree ?

I just spent almost 2 hours on the phone with Lisa... There is so much to discuss, mostly about life, relationship, and in laws. 

There is so much to share, and so much to learn from.

Life is beautiful, sometimes can get complicated, but we will survive, in any conditions and any circumstances, because we... are strong .... human is miracle.

Okay, got to do my errands!!!

Dalai Lama in Ann Arbor... Richard Gere, too!!!

Actor Richard Gere and acclaimed composer Philip Glass will join local Tibetan master Gelek Rimpoche for a discussion of Buddhism and art during a program that has been added as a prelude to the upcoming two-day visit of the Dalai Lama to Ann Arbor.

The program will be at Hill Auditorium on the University of Michigan campus on the evening of Friday, April 18. It was announced Wednesday by organizers planning the visit of the Dalai Lama on Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20.

Update on Aidan's health.

It turned out that when the Child Urologist wanted Aidan to come so much earlier due to my e-mail was after hours ... I came with Nadia and Aidan at 5.30 pm, no one was there, the receptionist even already closed her book that day, so I couldn't pay the co-payment. So he was so nice to see Aidan after office hours.

Ammar came to see us (he works at the same hospital), and after discussing what happened with Aidan. Nothing to worry about, he is fine. Great! I am relieved.

Dr. Bloom was so nice, he gave Nadia stickers and both of the kids the baseball trading cards.

I went home by my self because Ammar still have to see another patient that night (he works harder, doesn't he ?)

I took advantage from my husband's profession today.

Yesterday, Aidan was seen by his pediatrician and she referred him to see the pediatric urologist. They set up the appointment for Aidan and the first available was July 7th!!! It's 3 months from now!!!

This morning, I emailed the pediatric urologist, and just saying that I look forward to see him in July, and I have met him and found out he is such a super kind person (it's true, we met at the new faculty welcome party), and I just told him the short story about what happened with Aidan.

I got a phone call from his clinic... he moved Aidan's appointment for this Monday.

Well, I didn't ask bluntly that I want to see him earlier, but he made Aidan special by knowing Ammar works at the same hospital.

From Ammar's point of view : "Sari, it's not urgent.... you are asking between the line that you want the earlier appointment"

My point of view : "Hey, I am a mom and I am worry about my son.. hehe"

The truth : "Is it wrong or not using your husband's name in getting a better health care ?" 

After all, he treated patients, too and I think his family deserves to be treated well, too.

My three favorite cute faces, my world, and my hearts.

I am bit sad that we won't be able to go to Maui, Hawaii this year, as we always do for the last 6 years. This year, so much in our plate and we decided to put it for our friends to enjoyed it... just reimburse us with the maintenance fee this year. 

In the other hand, I feel so sorry for Aidan, he has never been to Hawaii and he has no idea how fun it is, while Nadia has been there twice and she enjoyed every minute of it. 

Oh well, maybe next year!! Nope.. next year will be filled of overseas traveling.. Here we come, Indonesia and Syria!!!

FREAKIN' AWESOME EASTER EGG HUNTING PARTY!!!

We had a 2 weeks later easter egg hunting party. Because this year we are hosting and we spent easter in Florida, we decided to make it 2 weeks later. Fortunately this weekend was sooo georgeous!!! Everyone enjoyed the weather outside just to sit down on the grass and hung out or they just rather standing up around the food table (the food were incredible!!!) or sitting in the sunroom and patio chatting and eat in the warmth of the sunny weather.

I was surprised that the party went so well, I made 3 dishes, and they were all gone by the end of the party and I had to prepare a day before because Ammar is on call and he worked the whole day on the weekend, and between taking care of the kids and cooking, preparing the house and the decoration.. I finished it up at by 10 pm and went to bed exhaustedly on Saturday night. I couldn't expect to have Ammar help me out because he went home crashing on Saturday, too, bringing Nadia to sleep with him (so he wouldn't read her story book hehe) and went to work again early in the morning on the party day.

Aidan surprisingly was so tired and wanted to nap earlier, 9.30 am, by the time all the guests came, he woke up, straightly went to the backyard to hunt for eggs.

It was so beautiful out, we enjoyed the sun in the backyard even after the guests left, that was when Ammar went home and played with the kids.

Nadia went to sleep happily, so did Aidan.. they got so happy after playing with the kids and of course, their favorite people on earth : Uncle Bill and Auntie Lisa.

Since we moved to Ann Arbor, I hardly drive Ammar's car. Today, without the kids, it feels so good to drive that powerful car and just press the gas, in 5 seconds, I reached 55 mph... WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!! It feels like it has been so long that I don't drive aggressively... not with the car I drive.. hehehe... Ammar's car is designed to speed.

Of course, driving his car was not for pleasure, I was assigned to bring the car back to the auto body store to fix some minor things... ended up going there twice because the problem was not all fixed. Ended up having to come back again later because they have to order the parts.

I remember.. when I was in Dental school, I always had race on General Sudirman Street.. to go to my university every single morning... that was when the street was not too crowded and you can speed on that straight, wide 8 miles road... oh Gosh.. that was long time ago.

I don't know,... it hit me today, how much I miss a speedy car... hehehe.... 

Now, having 2 kids and always on board, I drive like a girl scout. Although sometimes I got irritated with some people who drive like elderly...  on a one lane road. Sigh! 

I always enjoy driving, and today.. I really had a blast!!!!

If any girl who is crazy about cars, that's me... I used to just clean inside out by myself, although I don't like too much of washing the car from outside, my driver did that, but once, I even fix my beau's (at that time) car and brought it to the car dealer, and ended up going somewhere else and had better bargain, and of course, I picked him up at his work, with the stunning smelling good, immaculate car, inside out.. he hardly recognized his car.. well, I got a chocolate.. that's great! The price to fix it was fifth of the dealer quoted for. Yes, Sari was a tomboy! 

Still until now, the one who handles cleaning the car from inside is me... not Ammar.. he thinks I do great job so he doesn't bother to do it himself... well, I don't mind.. I love doing it (if I have time).

(PS: No wonder Ammar always speeds) ha ha ha

Update on Jalan Sesama.

Last night we watched the sample DVD the sesameworkshop, inc sent to us, it turned out that Beatrice made 2 episodes of Sesame Street in ARABIC!!!! Yay!!! That was very thoughtful of her.

When we talked on the phone, I mentioned that my husband speaks Arabic, so she said sesame street also makes in Arabic language. Now, we have 2 languages of sesame street movies....

Nadia eagerly watched the Jalan Sesama in Indonesian and I translated most of it, she now knows what "itu" (that), "tangan" (hand), "jabrik" (mohawk hair), "buku" (book), etc.

Fun..fun..fun.. 

PS: Thanks so much, my friend to give this information to me.