Miracle Morning

Miracle morning is....

Having your son wake you up with noisy kisses and little cute voice. Unfortunately, AND fortunately at the same time, children are very determined, especially when waking up the parents. Ok, the mom, since Hubby is also an early riser. It means, Michael will open the curtain and let the bright rays of morning sunshine burst through the windows and explode in our bedroom. No more snoozing for sleepyhead Mommy. Let's wake up and embrace the day the Lord has given us!

On rare occasions that I managed to wake up earlier than Michael, I would be lucky to watch this live cartoon of father and son. It always makes my heart warm to see the loving relationship between these two!

Yep, Michael loves to play with his Dad. Even still half asleep.

And yep, I am a blessed wife and mom.

Ah, the miracle of a morning shower! Refreshing, energizing, invigorating morning shower! How blessed we are to live in an age where we can have clean, delicious, life-giving water, just with a turn of a knob. Especially to start the day sooo delightfully with moisturizing, sweet-scented cake of soap that comes in pretty packaging such as this one! Pure mommy bliss! What a luxury!

 

Wake up and make up! These are some objects that I deliberately place next to the beauty station where I get ready everyday. A father and son snail ceramic doll from my husband. Silly looking but meaningful to us. A hamburger shaped stuffed key chain that Michael got as a prize at school, which he gave to me as a present. And a colorful paper craft project that Michael made at school. He gave it to Mommy, since "I know you like girly stuff like this". Every morning, while putting on my make up, I would look at these cheerful objects, given with love by the men in my life, and smile. 

Thank you, Lord, for my loved ones, who love me very much. Thank you, Lord, for loving me.

Then off we go to start the day! The sky is the color of periwinkle, all over the city, people are bustling about to do their business. 

And I remember a line of a poem I once read of Robert Browning, 

"God is in Heaven. All's well with the world."

Sunday Market Momiform

One time I read a blog post titled "A Dapper Mom" about a mother who wore jeans, a nice T-shirt, a statement necklace, and a leopard-print flats to a children's birthday party, and she felt overdressed because other moms wore shorts and oversized T-shirts. And she said, "It took me five minutes to wear these ensemble, and I'm sure it also took them the same amount of time to wear what they wear, but at least I look like I'm making an effort." Btw, she did write that she didn't wear any makeup, just a dash of pink lipstick, because she didn't have time to put on full makeup. BUT the pink lipstick made a whole lot of difference.

I don't mean to be judgemental here, but I agree with her. After becoming a mother, I dress much simpler, with less frills and accessories. I don't change bags everyday like I used to. I avoid complicated style like special layering that needs a lots of tucking in. I no longer wear stockings everyday. BUT I DO care on the image I project to the world. So does my husband.

So I chose to be smarter about dressing up. I choose simpler lines now. I choose comfortable clothes. I choose momiforms that will look good on me and are comfortable to wear and take very little time and energy to put on in the morning. Instead of frumpy ensembles, I choose cute pairs like this pink T-shirt and skirt with rose prints on it. The secret to its comfy factor? The skirt has elastic waistband, making it a breeze to put on and off, very very quickly.

Another tool of trade? Extra comfy flat with thick rubber soles with rose on them. Very cute, very comfy, very casual, and they look very good. 

I don't care to look like Posh Spice, VIctoria Beckham. I admire her style, but there's no way I will trade the comfy factor with stiletto heels after trans-Atlantic flights like she usually does. She inspires me to make an effort not to look like "I'm a mom and I let myself go"; but I don't need to reach for her perfection. I mean, looking ultra-groomed is her job, and she makes millions doing it. Not me!

Anyway, one Sunday we went to a wet market, to buy some fish, fresh ground gourmet coffee for Hubby, and some other fresh produce for the family. And this mom proudly and comfortably rocked this real-life, real-mom momiform!

Highlights of 2016: Travel

In 2016…

Traveling is something that I love to do to enrich the tapestry of life. I am basically a homebody who love to beautify my house. I love puttering and enjoy staying at home, taking delights at the lovely detail of my dwelling: a new picture hanging on the wall, ray of sunshine coming through the sparkling, clean windows, colorful objects set up carefully with a lot of love on my corner piece.

But several times a year, I make journeys to different places to refresh my mind, widen my thoughts, and with each travel I found out that I always, always, came home somehow learning something brand new, motivated to be a better person, and more in awe of the wonderful planet that the Lord has blessed us with. When I travel, I marvel not only on the landscape and beauty of the place, but also the people, the history of the place, I embrace the culture, the personality, the sense of wander, and what that particular place has gone through that made it such it is today.

I was blessed to be able to visit the following wonderful places…

Singapore

Hong Kong

Tasmania

From each, I learned the long and magnificent history of people with vision, hardwork, and luck, that built all three places into what they are today.

The mosquito infested swamp that – by the power of vision of one man, Lee Kuan Yew – turned into the main hub and financial capital of South East Asia named Singapore. A land so small and without no natural resources whatsoever that even drinking water has to be imported from the neighboring country Malaysia, yet so rich, safe, stable and modern that multinational companies placed the regional offices – and therefore park their money – there, instead of their big market such as – sadly – my country Indonesia.

The exotic Hong Kong, raised from poor fisherman village into giant economic powerhouse of Asia. Its skyline is unbeatable even by Manhattan. Over the years, it transformed itself into a sophisticated, ultra modern city that boast one of most expensive property prices in the world. With all its glamour and sophistication, who ever thought that less than a century ago, Hong Kong was only a gateway for people who ran away from Communist China? Of course, when it was returned to China in 1997, China was smart enough, and forward thinking enough not to change anything – including the currency – of Hong Kong, that it stays as a safe banking and corporation haven that it is today.

 The beautiful Tasmania. Many years ago, some visionary government people of Great Britain, thinking that they needed cheap labor to build and develop the new world, the new colony for England, decided to send their “most dangerous convicts” to Tasmania. There they are required to work like slaves to pay for their freedom. Those convicts would never know that they take part in a much bigger scheme that turned Tasmania into what it is today: state with the highest economic growth in Australia. Not to mention the gorgeous sceneries and majestic landscapes!

Everybody is different. I am not into shopping nor glamorous lifestyle, but I would be willing to spend a lot of money if necessary, for traveling. Just like some fashionista ladies take delight in carrying an Hermes birkin bag, I take delight in spoiling all the five senses in exploring the world.

And I thank God that He has given me the opportunity.