A letter to myself at the beginning of the homeschool year

I hope I never forget, the simple wonders that can catch the attention of a child.
I hope that I don't lose sight of what's important, because what's important to the small child is truly important according to their time, not necessarily according to our own adult time. That feelings matter, no matter what the cause. That the abstract scribbles have an important story. That crazy thoughts are a sign of rich imagination at work.
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I hope that I don't get too caught up in "curriculum", "academics", or how other kids are doing. I hope I remember that life is a neverending learning process. That "school" is not the only education there is. That the "classroom" is not the only socialization that exists. That methods of learning are merely tools to choose from, try out, and customize to the best fit.
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I hope I remember that I'm facilitating a human being--- not a robot, not an object, not a compilation of grades, not just some trophy waiting to be shown off. Planting the seeds of character... and enjoying the lifelong process of them getting to know about themselves and the world around them. .
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Most of all, I hope I remember that this raising and educating kids thing takes time-- life-long, in fact. So I hope I don't forget to enjoy the ride with them, be thankful for every moment I'm blessed to be with them. The days are long but the years are short. May Allah grant us a grateful heart and guidance in putting the best effort we can to raise our kids ❤

Arum_ourlearningfamily | ourlearningfamily.blogspot.co.id | July 17, 2018
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#ourlearningfamilyvalues
#homeschoolingmultiplechildren

Parent check: Whose life are you helping to manage, yours or your kids?

By Arum Budiani | ig: arum_ourlearningfamily |  ourlearningfamily.blogspot.co.id 

Pilihan baju kakak-kakak ketika kami  menginap. Saya hanya memberikan mereka jumlah setiap jenis baju yg butuh disiapkan beserta keperluannya buat apa. Sisanya ya mereka yg pilih with no intervention from us parents (pun ada, berupa saran, dan berhak ditolak oleh mereka)

Ada seorang teman yg baru2 ini posting soal anaknya yg mulai negosiasi macam2. Lalu saya ikut berkomentar kalau nggak usah nunggu remaja, punya anak tween (pre-teen) aja udah macam2 negosiasinya, apalagi yang punya siblings, the whole negotiation thing goes up into peace-treaty-level negotiations all.the.time. *endless drama here folks, move along* 😂😂😂


Meski pas ngadepin itu berasa gregetan, gemesan n kremesan pake sambel level jontor to the max, tapi kalau dipikir-pikir setelahnya, it's so very heartwarming to see the kids growing and learning to manage their lives according to how they see fit. Kadang kita lupa, it's *their* lives (in the long run) that we are helping them manage, not ours. We are but only facilitators in helping them figure our their world, teaching them the rules/boundaries/limitations, but the rest is basically up to them, helping them figure out what works best for *them*, which might not necessarily works best for us, haha  Enter negotiations, discussions, win-win solutions..  (and a whole lot of chocolate for me) 😆 ... just hang in there and make sure to do things keep your sanity😂😂😂


On that note, might I say that learning to live together as a family *takes a lot of hard work*, a whole lot of negotiation, and a lifetime of doing it. With the end goal in mind, you want family to be a sanctuary and roots to come home to, right? Semangat yaa! You're not alone... all of us parents are in the same boat, and we're all learning together!  May Allah ease the way for you to achieve peace within your families and yourselves ❤.


#ourlearningfamilyvalues

Shimajiro Kodomo Challenge: A Treasure Worth Waiting For!

Ditulis oleh Arum Budiani, pemilik akun ig @arum_ourlearningfamily

Semenjak keluarga kami tinggal di Jepang dulu, saya sudah jatuh hati dengan Shimajiro & Kodomo Challenge dari Benesse Corporation, Japan. Sayang karena satu dan lain hal, tidak memungkinkan bagi kami untuk berlangganan Kodomo Challenge pada saat itu.... Akan tetapi, saya tidak ingin menyerah, saya selalu berburu mainan dan buku-buku Kodomo Challenge preloved setiap ada flea market (bursa barang bekas) bulanan di kota tempat tinggal kami dulu. Alhamdulillah, semua hasil buruan saya dan suami bisa dibawa pulang ke Indonesia dan terpakai oleh anak pertama dan kedua kami (hingga saat ini masih bertahan), meski tidak lengkap set mainan/buku/dvd dan dalam Bhs. Jepang pula, hahaha! Buat kami saat itu, yang penting ada dan dalam kondisi baik, karena manfaatnya benar-benar menjadi harta karun buat kami, biarpun dapatnya hanya sebagian-sebagian hehehe!  

Nah, ketika saya tahu bahwa Kodomo Challenge hadir di Indonesia, langsung deh saya daftar buat trial kit untuk si bungsu (yang saat ini berusia hampir 2thn) dan selanjutnya InsyaaAllah untuk berlangganan 1 tahun full. Selain lebih hemat (biasalah perhitungan ibu-ibu, hahaha), saya percaya dengan kualitas isi setiap paket mainan edukasi yang akan didapatkan setiap bulannya. Saya ingin untuk *akhirnya* (setelah kurang lebih 8 tahun menanti Kodomo Challenge masuk Indonesia) bisa mendapatkan sebuah pengalaman bermain dan belajar yang lengkap dan runut, tidak sebagian-sebagian seperti yang saya dapatkan di Jepang dulu. Alhamdulillah, penantian berbuah manis, hehehe.... Meskipun saya sudah punya beberapa buku dan mainan dalam Bhs. Jepang, tapi pengalaman ketika mendapatkan paket mainan edukasi, buku, dan dvd penyerta secara lengkap dalam Bhs. Indonesia ituuuu sama sekali berbeda dengan ketika dulu hanya bisa menikmati sepotong-sepotong saja.

Set mainan edukasi, buku bergambar dan DVD penyerta itu saling melengkapi, membuat pengalaman bermain dan belajar lebih seru, serta memudahkan anak memahami dengan lebih menyeluruh. Benar-benar memudahkan keluarga bermain dan belajar bersama anak!

Setelah dicoba untuk July Launch Set, alhamdulillah bisa memberikan pemahaman yang lebih utuh serta pengalaman bermain dan belajar yang lebih menyeluruh buat anak bungsu kami. Ketika dia menonton DVD penyerta July Launch Set, si bungsu bisa langsung memegang mainan fisik (Bis Tintin Berbicara dan binatang-binatangnya) serta juga menunjuk kepada gambar terkait di dalam buku bergambar edisi bulan ini. Jadinya semua media yang didapatkan (mainan edukasi + buku bergambar + dvd penyerta) saling melengkapi sehingga anak-anak bisa lebih paham mengenai konsep yang sedang dibahas atau diajarkan. Membantu pekerjaan saya nih, nggak perlu repot-repot nyari materi pelengkap terlebih dahulu, bisa langsung main! Arigatou!

Kakak-kakak yang ikut menyerbu ketika Kodomo Challenge launch set & July set datang. Ada yg memasangkan batere (sudah termasuk lho, jadi nggak repot-repot beli batere dulu, yeay!), ada yang langsung ngajak main si bungsu pakai boneka Shimajiro, lalu ujung-ujungnya main bareng semua deh! 

Oh ya, hampir lupa cerita, ketika paket Kodomo Challenge datang, langsung diserbu oleh *semua* anak saya, meski yg memenuhi target usia ya hanya si bungsu yg sebentar lagi InsyaaAllah mau 2 tahun. Si sulung (9thn) bersemangat membantu memasangkan baterai pada mainan Bis TinTin sedangkan si tengah (6thn) langsung mengajak main si bungsu dengan boneka Shimajiro yang baru. Begitu terpasang semua baterai dan komponen mainan pelengkap Bis TinTin, langsung deh dimainkan oleh si bungsu *dan* kakak-kakaknya. Hahaha, you know a toy is good when even the bigger kids can't help to join in and play! Ketika diputarkan DVD penyertanya juga pada ikut berjoget semua di tarian gajah, bagian tepuk ritmik, dan kami semua tertawa geli mendengar Lagu Toilet (yang akan sangat penting buat proses toilet training nanti).

Special launch promo set & July launch set dari Kodomo Challenge. Lengkap, terbuat dari bahan berkualitas, didesain batita-friendly yg aman  buat mereka, plus yg terpenting isinya menarik  dan relevan sesuai usia anak.

Di sisi lain yang lebih *ehem* serius (buat para ibu-ibu, yang biasanya super cerewet soal kualitas sebuah barang), sewaktu memeriksa kualitas dan keamanan mainan, tas, dan buku bergambar dari Special Launch Promo Set dan July Launch Set, saya langsung lega karena sama kualitasnya dengan yang dulu saya kumpulkan di Jepang. Bahkan suami saya berkomentar kalau kakak di DVD Shimajiro itu suara dan ekspresinya "mirip orang Jepang yang di acara TV anak-anak di Jepang", hahaha... sampai segitu miripnya!

Semua part mainan berukuran besar sehingga tidak akan rawan tertelan oleh anak batita yang kadang masih suka iseng memasukkan benda ke mulutnya ataupun rawan terperangkap ke dalam celah lainnya pada mukanya (hidung & telinga). Mainannya terbuat dari bahan yang kokoh sehingga diharapkan tahan banting jika terjatuh, mengingat anak batita lagi senang-senangnya *bereksplorasi* dengan aneka benda maupun mainan mereka.  Buku bergambarnya juga terbuat dari karton tebal yang kuat dan tidak mudah robek, kalau kecipratan air tinggal dilap saja hehehe.

Hal yang dari duluuu sewaktu di Jepang membuat saya suka  Kodomo Challenge adalah mainannya yang multifungsi, bisa dimainkan dengan beragam cara. Misalnya Bis Tintin berbicara, selain jadi mobil-mobilan, hewan-hewannya juga bisa jadi puzzle memasangkan hewan dengan dudukannya yang memiliki gambar masing-masing. Semakin besar anak, semakin banyak unsur yang bisa dijadikan challenge dalam bermain. Sesuai arti "kodomo challenge", yaitu "tantangan anak-anak"! Oh iya, ternyata mainan bulan ini juga nyambung dengan mainan-mainan di bulan berikutnya lho! Jadi nggak  hanya sekali pakai lalu teronggok begitu saja, masih akan terus dipakai... Hanya perlu sabar menunggu datangnya mainan  di bulan selanjutnya, hehe!


Unsur penting lainnya, tema dan isi materi yang diberikan menarik dan relevan dengan usia anak. Sudah meliputi berbagai  aspek perkembangan anak plus ada panduannya juga di buku bergambarnya, jadi kita nggak bingung bagaimana menghubungkan penggunaan mainan edukatif, buku bergambar dan DVD penyertanya. Karakternya lucu, lagu-lagunya sederhana namun "catchy" (mudah dihafal, sehingga kami sekeluarga dalam waktu singkat sudah hafal semua hahaha), serta materi yg disampaikan beragam namun semuanya saling berhubungan dan cukup sederhana sehingga mudah dipahami anak. Sangat memudahkan buat sekeluarga bermain bersama anak, tanpa perlu menyiapkan materi lainnya terlebih dahulu. Tinggal  main deh!

Ini nih tas pembawa Shimajiro yg didesain batita-friendly, super mudah dipakai sendiri (buat si anak mandiri yang apa-apa maunya sendiri) dan aman dari risiko tercekik/nyangkut ke dalam strap bahu. Love! 

Lalu, tas khusus buat Shimajiro yang didapatkan dari Special Launch Promo Set memang didesain buat batita friendly---- pakai perekat velcro sehingga mudah dibuka-tutup sendiri oleh anak-anak yang baru belajar mandiri, apa-apa maunya sendiri, termasuk pastinya nanti menyiapkan tas khusus Shimajiro-nya sendiri, hehehe! Nilai keamanannya lagi adalah strap bahu yang disambung dengan velcro di tengah-tengahnya, sehingga bisa menghindari bahaya tercekik atau terperangkap saat mengenakan tas dengan cara yang belum benar (namanya juga masih belajar, terima kasih ya Kodomo Challenge sudah memikirkan sejauh ini! Love it!).

Secara keseluruhan, kami sekeluarga merasa puas dengan Kodomo Challenge Special Launch Promo Set dan July Launch Set... nggak sabar menunggu paket mainan edukasi bulan berikutnya!  Paketnya memang ditujukan buat batita, tapi pada prakteknya sih seluruh keluarga ikut bermain dan belajar bersama si bungsu. How lucky he is to have the whole family playing together with him!

Hontou ni arigatou Shimajiro & Kodomo Challenge for making this possible here in Indonesia. Semoga semakin banyak anak-anak dan keluarga Indonesia yang bisa merasakan manfaat dari paket mainan edukasi ini.. ditunggu untuk level-level selanjutnya ya! Untuk informasi lebih lanjut mengenai produk Kodomo Challenge, bisa langsung kunjungi website Kodomo Challenge buat Indonesia. Yuk ikutan bermain dan belajar bersama Shimajiro! ❤

Tulisan ini merupakan review yang jujur dari penulis, sebagai bentuk keikutsertaan  dalam Kodomo Challenge Blog Competition. Doakan kami terpilih sebagai salah satu  pemenangnya yaa! Arigatou!

Nouman Ali Khan in Jakarta: Reconnect With Quran

Bismillahirrohmaanirrohiim.

Yesterday, alhamdulillah I got the chance to go to Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan's lecture at the Istiqlal Mosque. It was my time for recharging my spiritual battery. Here I share my notes and understandings, I hope this can help you reconnect to the Quran. If there are any wrong understandings, it is my own fault and may Allah forgive me and accept my niat to do my best to spread His love through the Quran.

*disclaimer: there are 2 sessions of NAK's lecture. The video of the 1st session is already available on Youtube, so I was able to cross check my notes with the video replay. Until now, the video of the 2nd session hasn't been uploaded, so I haven't cross checked my notes with the video replay. InsyaaAllah I'll cross check my notes after the video is available. *

-1st session

- Reconnecting with Quran starts with Ibrahim AS. 

- Ibrahim AS was the only one who accepted the faith in Allah. He stood by his faith. He had to leave his society. As he leaves, he makes a speech/statement/dua to Allah. 

- Ibrahim AS is different from other prophets coz you find more dua from him than from any other prophet. This is important because Islam has many names, and 1 of them is "the legacy of Ibrahim AS" and at the heart of that religon is making a lot of dua. 

- Part 1 of Ibrahim's dua to Allah as he is leaving his society/home (because he was confronted with what he believed in, so he had to leave):

 
- (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:78)
"The One who makes me and then Who guides me" -- Allah not only created us but gives us guidance on how to live our lives. At that time, only Ibrahim AS that understood and believed this. (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:79)

- After that, he said that "(Allah) is the One who gave us food and drink", *after* he mentioned about guidance. So guidance from Allah is the 1st thing we need after being created, and after that comes the need for food & drink to survive.

- We don't need food & drink all the time. But Ibrahim AS put guidance as the 1st need after being created by Allah, to imply that we need guidance more regularly/constantly than we need food & drink. 

-Ibrahim AS has a sense of gratitude that we don't usually think of, he's thinking constantly Allah is providing food & drink for me. (For example like where food comes from and how extensive the process of putting food on the table actually is ---> from a plant seed to our plate)

- Ibrahim AS was expelled from his home for standing up to his belief in Allah. He had no family, no posessions, no home, no people, no country/citizenship. And he's the one who turns to Allah and says "I'm okay coz I have Allah."

- We often don't realize how powerful Ibrahim AS's words were because we forgot about the situation he was facing when he said those words. That's the legacy of Ibrahim AS.

- We know we are following his legacy when we can rely on Allah's guidance the way Ibrahim AS did. 

- Every human being has a chance for guidance in this life. But in the 2nd life, no more guidance. The 1st time Allah created us, our first important need was guidance. The 2nd time when Allah wakes us up (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:81), our most important need is to face Allah with a clean heart  "qolbi saliim" (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:89)

- On judgement day, we're not gonna be judging anyone else but ourselves. We're only gonna be worried about ourselves. 

- That's why Ibrahim AS asked for Allah to forgive his sins on judgment day (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:82) , instead of asking for justice against people who wronged him.

(All the other prophets are also thinking about their own sins instead of asking for Allah to give revenge for all the injustice they received).

- To this day, when we think about judgment day, we don't think about our own mistakes. We're too focused on everybody else's wrongdoings towards us.

- Ibrahim AS understood that on that judgement day, nothing will matter except his own mistakes.

- What mistakes could Ibrahim AS have made?  Why is he worried? Because we human beings don't remember when we make mistakes. 

- Guidance is part 1 of Ibrahim AS's dua as he is leaving his home (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:78) 

- Part 2 of Ibrahim AS's dua as he is leaving his home: 
(QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:83)
Ibrahim AS asks Allah for strong decision making power (hukma).

- The ability to make the right decision when it's very hard. 

- We might have gotten guidance (know what we should do), but we might not have the willpower/strength to do it. 

- Ibrahim AS got a lot of tests from Allah and had to have strength to do those commands from Allah. (Like jump into the fire, leave his family in the dessert, and slay his son, Ismail AS).

- After asking for hukma, Ibrahim AS then asks Allah to join him with good people. ("...Wa alhiqni bish shoolihiin" ---- QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:83). 

- Ibrahim AS knows human beings need other human beings for support. You can't hold on to your iman all alone. You need other people for support.

- We have to ask ourselves, "we are people of the religion of Ibrahim AS and the month of Ramadhan is coming... Who is our company?" Do our friends make us into better people? Do they bring us closer to Allah? When you see them, do they remind you of guidance, or the opposite?

- If Ibrahim AS himself prayed for good company, then we ourselves definitely need it, too! 

- Part 3 of Ibrahim AS's dua as he is leaving his home: 
(QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:84)
"Waj'al lii lisaana shidqin fil aakhiriin.." "Give me someone who will speak the truth about me in the last generations"

- Ibrahim AS was alone in the desert. He was a nobody (not a scholar nor king, nor someone people will be interested in writing history about).

-  Basically he was saying, "Ya Allah, You put me through a lot of tests. And people should learn about those tests because it will make their iman strong. But when I die, alone, no one will know my name and remember the tests You gave me, then they will not be able to get this guidance."

- He asks Allah, "Ya Allah, make me an example that someone in the later time will tell the truth about me."  (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:84)

- Thousands of years later, we get Rasulullah SAW + the Quran and Allah puts Ibrahim AS's story in the Quran for everyone to know & learn til the end of time. Allah repeated Ibrahim AS's duas and made it part of the Quran. 

- When the Quran tells the story of Ibrahim AS, it is actually answering that dua of Ibrahim AS  (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:84)

- And he continues the dua
(QS Asy-syuaro 26:85):
"Waj'alnii miw warotsati jannatinna'iim"

- Inheritance is something you get from your deceased parents. Ibrahim AS didn't want to inherit "syirik" from his parents since it's a crime against Allah. So he asks Allah for inheritance of jannah. 

- He also asks Allah to forgive his father  (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:86)

- Last part of Ibrahim AS prayer: (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:87): don't humiliate me on judgement day

- Judgment day: the day on which money and children will be no good  (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:88)

- ****Only thing of value in front of Allah on judgment day: (QS Asy-Syu'ara 26:89) whoever comes in front of Allah with a clean----safe sound healthy----heart (qolbi saliim)*** important!!! 

- This is the only thing Ibrahim AS was worried about

- You have to have your *own* clean heart, not dependent on other's achievements (for example, someone who does whatever they like coz they think their hafidz children are their 'ticket to heaven'.)

- We have to connect to Allah in Ramadhan ---> meaning, we have to get a good heart in ramadhan.

.... Towards the conclusion of 1st session: 

- Many years later, Ibrahim had children, When he was building the Kabah with Ismail AS, he made the dua (from QS Al Baqoroh 2:128-129).

- Ayat 128 is a dua for Muslim children, even though he previously said that children don't have any benefit on judgement day. Why the dua, then? 

- He made this dua for children coz he needs the kind of children that are of benefit ---> what kind of children that have benefit?

- If you have a good heart and your children also have a good heart, then they will benefit to you. 

- How will children have a good heart? Prophet Ibrahim AS prayed (QS Al Baqarah ayat 129) for 1 messenger/rasul from among them to recite the ayat, to teach Allah's book, the wisdom, and will purify them. 

- ***The purpose of the ayat: to give us a good heart.***

- Allah describes the Quran as a reminder for people who actually still have a heart.

---> Quran is meant for our hearts!!!

 
- Thousands of years ago, Ibrahim AS made that dua ---> thousands of years later, Allah sent Jibril AS to Rasulullah SAW --> the answer to Prophet Ibrahim AS's dua.

- The month of Ramadhan: we are celebrating that Allah accepted the dua of Ibrahim AS.

- You can not understand what it means to connect with the Quran if you don't understand what it means to connect with your father, Ibrahim AS.

- We would not have Quran if Ibrahim AS hadn't made the dua.

- Ibrahim AS also gave us the purpose of Qur'an : so our heart would be safe!

- Quran in your eyes, ears, tongue, and mind is easy. (We recite it, read the translation, listen to it, memorize it, do art of the Quran, etc)

- But, the quran is actually meant for your HEART.

- It's possible that someone might know a lot about the Quran in their head and NOT have a connection in their heart.

- Quran in your heart--> very difficult! 

- What it means to connect to the Quran is to allow your *heart* to connect to the Quran. It's not easy! 

- This dua made by Ibrahim AS was not easy. He made the dua *after* he passed all the tests from Allah (going against his father, leaving his family in the desert, almost slaying his son). He asked for the Quran. 

- In our case, it will take a lot of effort to connect the Quran to your heart!

- How can we connect to the Quran the way we are supposed to be connected?

-Everyone has the same problem, whether or not he knows a lot / a little about the Quran:  there's a distance between our heart and the Quran!

- We need to put an effort to connect ourselves to the Quran, no matter how much of the Quran we know/don't know.

- Sometimes, someone tells us something we already know (not new information) but it hits us really hard.

- *****Sometimes when we hear some words, they don't go to your head but straight to your heart. And you need to hear those words, even though you already know them. You need them again and again. That is Quran!!!  *****

-end of 1st session- 

-2nd session-

(Note: I haven't double checked my noted with the video replay of the 2nd session, so these are temporary notes that I took directly while listening to the lecture. InsyaaAllah I'll double check my notes when a video of the 2nd session is available on Youtube).

- The Quran can give us the strength if we approach it the right way.

- The 5 pilars of Islam all go back to Ibrahim AS:

1. Syahadat: Ibrahim was the only one to reject believing in anything other than Allah

2. Shalat: He built the Kabah for us to pray to

3. Zakat: Ismail AS taught about doing  zakat 

4. Fasting: we celebrate ramadhan as the month the Quran came down ---> Ibrahim AS prayed for the Quran (as mentioned in the 1st session)

5. Hajj --> everything goes back to Ibrahim AS.

- Dont forget our connection to Ibrahim AS ---> Our identity comes from our fathers. We should identify our identity also with Ibrahim AS, since we are following his legacy (another name for Islam)

- Connecting with Quran-

- We have to have positive feelings towards something if we want to connect with it.

- We have to connect to the Quran with our heart

- Feelings are not the same as information --- information can be stored for a long time, but as for feelings, we have to refresh them continually

- Allah told us how to feel about the Quran

 
- Allah describes his love for us with Ar-Rahman

- Allah uses "Ar-Rahman" when teaching Quran (QS Ar-Rahman 55:1-2)

- Ar-Rahman ---> love like the mother's womb. It protects the baby from any harm, takes care of all of the baby's needs, while the baby doesn't realize it).

- Quran is love letters for us from Allah

- But if the Quran is love letters, why in some parts of the Quran, Allah is angry?

- Allah is angry towards the worst of people like firaun, not to us! 

- Allah wants to give you rahmah (His love), not punishments! 

- The more you learn Quran, the more you will feel Allah's love

- QS Al-Anbiya 

- The quran has *our* story in it. 

- All of the stories, history, etc applies to us in some way. We have to find out how.

- The Quran is a book. The purpose is for it to be understood (by us). 

- If so, for example, how can we understand "alif lam mim"???

-  The answer is that there are some things we will never know, only Allah knows. Allah decides what we know and don't know. Allah fixes our attitude. 

- We have to come to the Quran with humility. And begging Allah to give us guidance. 

- The Quran is light. Without it is darkness. The idea is that we are in darkness and we have to turn on the light again and again. 

- QS Yunus

- The Quran is advice that goes into the heart.

- Allah who loves us and understands us is giving us advice.

- Before you seek advice from someone, you have to trust and respect them. we only seek advice from those people that we trust and respect, right? So, we have to trust Allah so we can willingly accept & follow His advice.

- Allah doesn't want to punish us, he wants to lighten our burden. 

- Quran is a healing for our heart's problems. Anger, sadness, anxiety, fear, all negative feelings inside our heart.

- Allah tells us to open the Quran and ask for Him to heal our heart.

- Quran has all of these connections that are ready to be made. You have to truly believe and give yourself. Completely believe that Quran will heal you. 

- Ramadhan & The Quran

- Allah only talks about Ramadhan in 1 place in the Quran, QS. Al Baqarah. 

- Ramadhan is important because of the Quran.

- Allah intends to reintroduce us to the Quran during Ramdahan. We have to approach it as if its the 1st time we are reading it, even though we might have read it many times. Its our chance to reconnect with the Quran!

- Ramadhan is also our chance to connect other people to Quran, through us.

- Share about the Quran to other people little by little, gently, lovingly, smartly. It's the right time to do it since syaithan is chained for the month. 

- Learning Quran is for the sake of ourself!!! It's talking about us, so don't mind anyone's matters but ours.

- When we are full with the goodness from the Quran, then share that goodness with others. 

**** Don't use the Quran to insult/criticize/judge others. That's disrespect. Allah gave it to us with love (QS Ar-Rahman ayat 1-2) so we should also use the Quran with love. Allah gets to judge, not us! Who are we to judge in place of Allah? The Quran came to heal hearts, not break hearts. If we use the Quran against someone, Allah will ask us at judgement day, "Why did you use My book to push My slave away from My love???" ----> and we do NOT want to be in that situation, do we?  

- After we connect to the Quran, something should change in us.

- The best connection to the Quran: dua! We will make a lot more dua in our lives, because..  

- *****Dua is us speaking to Allah. Quran is Allah speaking to us. A connection is when 2 sides are speaking to each other!****
 

- The Quran begins and ends with a dua.(begins with Al Fatihah and ends with An Naas).

- We can look at the whole Quran like a dua. How? 

- For example: "Alif lam mim": Ya Allah, You know and I don't know. 

- When you read the Quran, think about how can you turn the ayat into a dua for you? What am I gonna ask Allah in the next ayat? You think about it continuously and that is connecting!!! 

- How to practice connecting to the Quran:

1. Listen/read an explanation of some part of Quran.
2. Then listen to the recitation all day. Repeat.
3.Think about the meaning of what you are reading/hearing, and how it applies to you, how you can turn it into a dua for you.

- You don't have to finish the Quran or memorize it.

****But you *do* have to CONNECT with it everyday, little by little.****

- You have to come up with some way to connect to the Quran each day, so that little by little that connection is made and strengthened. 

- Allah cleans our heart with Quran.

- Allah gives us Quran with love.

- Quran should be positive. Quran should not make us angry. Quran should make us full of hapiness.

- The Quran is better than anything you can collect ----> Coz we need a clean heart before Allah on judgement day. 

- The only purpose of knowledge is to help us connect the Quran to our heart! 

- Quran is called the rope of Allah. 1 end of it is with us, the other is Allah. The more you hold on to it, the more Allah will elevate us.

- The stronger one (Allah) pulls us up, we just have to hold on tight!

- If yo're holding on to the rope of Allah, you're holding on to Allah. The tighter we hold, the closer we get.

- Hold on to the Quran to save our life.  

- The closer the ummah becomes to the Quran, the closer we all are. It's the only way to be united. Everything else you can use to separate ummah (differences in fikh, etc). But not with the Quran! 

- When the ummah fights within, that is proof we are *not* connected to the Quran. 

- Share good things about the Quran. Share with our family & friends the goodness & positivity that we found.

- Nobody can connect to the Quran except by themselves. We have to make that effort to connect to the Quran and spread that positivity, hoping that others will try to make the connection, too! 

1st world problem: ART or no ART?

Bismillah, pertama kali nih ikutan posting bertema tentang #Modyarhood. Sekalian udah lama nggak nulis2 di blog, seringnya langsung nulis di ig karena dapet wangsit, eh, waktu buat nulis yg nggak terdistraksi itu very unexpected. Kasian blog ini, lama gak tersentuh haha, maaf ya blogku sayang *peluk* 

Anyways, pertama kali baca tagar #modyarhood, saya langsung senyum. Istilah yg tepat banget buat motherhood yg meskipun suka berasa bikin modyar, tapi tetep yahood (seenggaknya, dibuat se-yahood mungkin lah ya). Tema kali ini tentang ART, wah pas banget nih bisa nulis ketika saya lagi ngadepin drama ART (yg neverending, ngalahin semua sinetron yg ada, hahaha). Ketika awal menikah dulu, saya langsung nemenin Si Hubs yg lagi belajar di negeri seberang, jadi otomatis nggak pakai ART. Sejak kecil pun mama saya nggak pakai ART, jadi saya udah ada basic ngerjain household chores. Sebaliknya, keluarga suami tipikal yg pakai ART, meski ibu mertua tetap turun tangan buat supervisi plus anak2nya tetap diharuskan beberes rumah. Dari 2 latar belakang upbringing yg berbeda, ketika kami sudah pulang ke Indonesia, bentrok deh soal ART ini. Saya nggak nyaman dgn ART full (wong rumah cilik) tapi doi "kasihan" sama saya kalau nggak ada yg bantuin. Lah kan waktu di negeri orang baik2 aja tuh tanpa ART, kenapa di sini mendadak beda?

Penyebab utama: commute dan beban kerja Si Hubs yg berat. Masa iya udah sktr 3-4 jam pp tiap hari, saya masih tega minta tolong cuci piring? Kalau di negeri orang kan commutenya cuma pake sepeda 15 menit.. Dengan riang hati lah doi bantu membantu, bagi2 tugas rumah. Tapi setelah pulang ke Indonesia, faktor macet dan jauhnya rumah-kantor bikin nggak tega minta bantuin macam2 setelah doi sampai rumah. Mending waktu dan sisa2 tenaganya dipakai buat main sama anak2 yg kangen papanya setiap kali pulang kerja :) Berhubung si sulung waktu itu masih batita dan saya lagi hamil anak ke-2, jadi kami ambil jalan tengah dengan hiring ART pulang hari. Kerjaan rumah beres, saya juga nggak terganggu dengan adanya orang luar di rumah. 

Jadi, endingnya happily ever after dong? Nope. Namanya ART pp ya kadang suka tiba2 gak masuk tanpa kabar/pemberitahuan terlebih dahulu (meski udah diminta berkali2, tetep ajaaa begini, hayati lelah deh). Jadilah kerjaan rumah numpuk, padahal kalau tahu beliau akan izin,  pasti beres deh semua kerjaan ama Nyonya. Kadang mau saya yg ngerjain semuanya, tapi trus mikir, lah ngapain eijke bayar mahal2 buat ART? Duitnya mending buat Nyonya pijet badan tiap minggu gegara encok jemur2 baju hahaha 😂 Tapi oh tetapi, mau diberhentikan juga sayang, krn 'beliau ini baik dan jujur. Itu ngalahin faktor sakit hati akibat di-PHP tiap kali beliau tiba2 nggak masuk tanpa kabar, bahkan kadang hanya karena alasan yg non-kesehatan seperti kondangan, ada tamu, sampai jagain bayinya ponakannya 😅 

Berhubung anak2 sekarang udah besar dan bisa dipekerjakan, eh maksudnya diberikan tanggung jawab tugas rumah sesuai usia/kemampuan mereka, jadinya moga2 kami menuju ke titik tidak adanya ketergantungan terhadap ART. Dengan kata lain, mau ada syukur, nggak ada ya "I will survive" (yuk nyanyi bareng, "At first I was afraid, I was petrified.."). 

Ketika ART nggak masuk selama 2 minggu dikarenakan sakit, anak2 rajin banget membantu pekerjaan rumah. Ehh ketika ART sudah masuk kembali, bubar jalan deh rutinitas kami, plus ART sungkan kalau anak2 bantuin tugas2nya (padahal anak2 mau). Jadi menjawab pertanyaan ART or no ART, lebih kepada tidak bergantung pada ART (nah lho, ini jadinya plihan yg mana ya???) 

Persepsi ini sedang saya tanamkam di anak2, bahwa ART itu helper aja, bukan pengganti tanggung jawab kita menjaga kebersihan & kelancaran aktivitas di rumah. Si Hubs kedapatan pembagian kerja rumah di saat weekend dan saat kami "overload" dikarenakan ART nya tau2 nggak masuk tanpa pemberitahuan terlebih dahulu. Kami membagi tugas berdasarkan kesukaan aja.. Misalnya, Doi suka banget nyapu dan nyuci piring--- 2 hal yg saya nggak sukaaa, hahaha. 

Mau pakai ART maupun nggak pakai, Intinya sih pintu komunikasi harus terbuka antara kita dan suami. Ekspektansi dan standar2 mengenai kebersihan rumah, pembagian tugas, dsb kudu wajib disamakan. Biasanya perbedaan ekspektansi/persepsi terhadap kebersihan rumah akan berakhir dalam argumen, so i highly recommend to do this step ya 😆 Whichever choice you make, pastikan nyaman di hati, di dompet (haha), dan paling support kondisi keluarga kita ❤

#modyarhood #ourlearningfamily 

Turun Gunung

October 13, 2017

Hello... apa kabar? Kangen nulis... :)

Terakhir sempat menulis blog itu... ketika sedang awal-awal berjuang menghadapi alergi Baby Squirrel. Sejak usia 4-5 bulan, alergi makanannya timbul berupa dermatitis atopi. It’s the rash on the cheek that everyone says “Ahhh, pasti kena ASI ya?”--- and then I have to explain to them what it’s all about. Awalnya masih santai, lama-lama pegel juga menjelaskan ke setiap orang yang ditemui di jalan, bahkan yg nggak saya kenal. Belum lagi yang memberikan unsolicited advice mengenai penanganan alergi pada Baby Squirrel. Dan makin lengkap kalau dapat judgement atau komentar yang melebar mengenai hal-hal yang nggak ada kaitannya sama sekali dengan topik alergi. Jadilah saya memutuskan untuk sementara hanya fokus pada urusan keluarga kecil saya saja. Sementara “menghilang” dari keramaian social media. They needed me. And I was determined to give them my 200%.

Dealing with food allergies benar-benar menjungkirbalikkan kehidupan seluruh keluarga kami, but only for the better. Only for the better? Yes, I can say that now. Setelah bertapa di atas gunung menghadapi perubahan dalam keluarga kami, mamak yang satu ini sudah bisa turun gunung dengan wangsit lengkap buat menata kembali kehidupan keluarga dan berbagi cerita.  No, Baby Squirrel still has his allergies, but alhamdulillah not as bad as before. You could say that the whole allergy episode brought our whole family to a new chapter of life, hard yet better for all of us, insyaaAllah.

“The only thing constant in life is change.” –Heraclitus

Saya menganggap bahwa Allah menyentil saya untuk berubah menjadi lebih baik melalui alergi makanannya Baby Squirrel. Tekanan yang begitu besar untuk mengubah pola makan malah menjadikan seluruh keluarga lebih “sadar diri” dalam hal makanan. Bahan makanan yang menimbulkan alergi bukannya dipaksakan untuk diberikan, melainkan dicari penggantinya. Do you know how hard it is to change your own eating mindset? Bahwa orang Indonesia nggak akan kenyang sebelum makan nasi? Nah kalau anaknya alergi sama beras putih, gimana? Jeng jeng jeng  jenggggg.... *cue horror music*

Menghadapi alergi makanan ini, saya sepertinya melalui “the 5 stages of grief” dari Kubler-Ross:

1. Denial (Ah, masa ini bikin dia alergi sih? Makan aja terus supaya nanti lama-lama kebal. Nanti juga alerginya hilang kalau sudah makin besar.)

2. Anger (Kenapa obat ini nggak ada efeknya? Kenapa anak ini harus alergi sama makanan favorit saya? kenapa ini terjadi sama anak saya? kenapa semua orang bisa makan seenaknya dan nggak ada yang mengingat bahwa saya sedang bersusah payah menghindari makanan itu? Kenapa saya tadi makan makanan itu, setelahnya si kecil jadi merah-merah lagi deh pipinya.. )

3. Bargaining (dulu waktu hamil saya makan apa yang menyebabkan alergi ini ya? Kalau saja saya bisa mengulang kembali waktu? Berusaha mencari cara buat mengurangi atau mengobati alergi dengan hasil yang sesegera mungkin.)

4. Depression (nggak kepingin makan karena takut menimbulkan alergi. Merasa bersalah karena makan seenaknya. Merasa bersalah karena memberikan macam-macam obat anti-alergi untuk anak padahal masih bayi.)

5. Acceptance (menerima bahwa komposisi makanan keluarga harus berubah dan mencari alternatif pengganti bahan makanan tertentu; menerima bahwa alergi tidak akan hilang begitu saja dan mencari celah supaya bisa sesekali mencicipi makanan yang membuat alergi; bersyukur bahwa reaksi alergi hanya berupa ruam di pipi---bukan anaphylactic shock yang mengancam jiwa. Terus mengingat bahwa yang penting anak sehat dan ceria dan kita berusaha sebaik mungkin buat menjaganya agar tumbuh sehat. Mengambil hikmah dari semua ini).

“We think about our problems all the time, but we don’t think about all the problems Allah saved us from.” – Nouman Ali Khan

Quote di atas benar-benar membuat saya tersadar akan betapa beruntungnya kami sekeluarga. Yes, food allergies are hard. Akan tetapi, masih jauh lebih banyak hal yang patut disyukuri dengan hadirnya tantangan alergi ini. Seluruh keluarga jadi lebih bervariasi jenis makanannya, terutama untuk jenis sumber karbohidratnya. Sejauh ini kami sudah mencoba beras analog jagung, sorghum, quinoa, dan buckwheat.. belum lagi aneka superfood seperti chia seed, nutritional yeast, serta aneka pemanis non-gula tebu seperti gula singkong, gula aren, maupun gula sorghum. Para kakak juga sudah belajar untuk memikirkan apakah mama dan adiknya bisa makan suatu makanan serta mendapat kosa kata baru seperti gluten-free, allergen, refined sugar, dkk. Sungguh pembelajaran yang luar biasa.. dari yang tadinya asal makan malah menjadi makan yang tidak asal-asalan. #Gratefuleating as I like to call it. Sebab, hadirnya alergi makanan ini mengingatkan saya untuk lebih mensyukuri makanan yang bisa saya makan. Makan secara sadar dan benar-benar berusaha untuk menyiapkan makanan yang lebih sehat. Keluar dari zona nyaman bernama nasi putih, tepung terigu, fasto food, dan processed food. Kembali berjibaku di dapur, mencoba aneka resep meskipun gagal. Berdamai dengan keadaan tanpa hanya pasrah semata... tetap berusaha membuat makan menjadi hal yang menyenangkan dan mendekatkan seluruh keluarga.

Yoshhh... lega deh udah curhat. I know I’m not alone on this allergy thingy, so that’s why I’m telling you my story. Just to let you know that you are not alone, just in case you have a similar situation like mine. In any case, be thankful with everything and keep on fighting, Momma!

  

Back To The Kitchen

"Orang bisa karena terpaksa.." --- itulah motto yang sering saya gunakan ketika bercanda mengenai kemampuan memasak saya. Berawal dari kepindahan saya ke negeri orang untuk menemani suami melanjutkan studi, di situlah saya "dipaksa" mengasah keterampilan memasak saya. Pada waktu itu, sebagai pengantin baru, kemampuan memasak saya terbatas pada merebus air, membuat mie instan, nasi putih, telur ceplok, dan bonus sop sayur! Kalau menu makannya itu-itu saja gawat kan.. apalagi untuk membeli makanan jadi takut tidak halal dan lebih boros di kantong, haha! Jadilah persahabatan saya dengan masak-memasak dimulai di apartemen mungil dengan dapur yang lebih mungil lagi! Dari belajar memasak yang sederhana, lambat laun saya jadi berani untuk berkreasi aneka masakan yang lebih kompleks dari tanah air maupun luar negeri. Dari yang tadinya nggak pernah masuk dapur, jadi betah deh di dapur!

Nah, pulang ke tanah air membawa godaan tersendiri untuk urusan masak. Paling besar adalah kemudahan untuk memesan makanan dengan delivery atau beli makanan jadi. Apalagi dengan kehadiran bayi baru, sepertinya memasak menjadi prioritas ke-sekian setelah mengurus anak-anak dan rumah. Dapur berubah fungsi dari pusat insipirasi menjadi sekedar tempat “transit” makanan sementara atau hanya digunakan untuk membuat masakan ala kadarnya.

Akan tetapi, menjelang usia 5 bulan, ternyata si bungsu memiliki alergi makanan! Pipi bayinya yang mulus menjadi merah, padahal dia masih full minum ASI. Setelah didiagnosis, ternyata alerginya cukup banyak, di antaranya tepung terigu, kedelai, telur, coklat, dan gula pasir. Jadi, sayalah yang harus diet supaya ASI yang diminum si bungsu tidak mengandung bahan-bahan yang mengundang reaksi alergi. Dengan kata lain, tidak mungkin untuk bisa asal beli makanan jadi—sebaiknya harus masak semuanya di rumah!

Jungkir balik rasanya di awal-awal ketika menyesuaikan keseharian menu makanan kami dengan apa yang bisa dimakan oleh si bungsu. Saya dan suami yang hobi mencicipi kuliner baru harus mengerem hobi kami dan ke mana-mana harus membawa bekal makanan. Masakan kesukaan juga harus saya modifikasi bahan-bahan maupun bumbu-bumbunya agar aman buat si bungsu.

Saya jadi kembali menghabiskan banyak waktu di dapur sehingga membutuhkan pengaturan dapur yang nyaman, efisien, dan terorganisir rapi. Ukuran dapur mungil tidak menghambat kita berkarya asal kita bisa mengorganisir semua “peralatan perang” dengan rapi, mudah terjangkau dan terlihat. Karena biasanya "out of sight, out of mind".. yg tidak keliatan suka terlupakan sehingga akhirnya tidak bisa menginspirasi buat mencoba berbagai macam resep.

Untung di dekat rumah ada toko Ace Hardware yang lengkap dan sangat membantu kami ketika kami bingung harus bagaimana untuk mengatur peralatan dapur kami. Karyawan Ace Hardware  dengan sigap membantu kami memilih susunan rak besi serbaguna, yang semua bagian-bagiannya bisa dipilih sesuai kebutuhan kami! Kokoh, multifungsi, dan custom-made, harganya juga jauh lebih murah daripada renovasi 1 dapur, hehehe!

Alhamdulillah, serasa dapat semangat baru dalam perjuangan mengatasi alergi si bungsu. Karena peralatan memasak sudah rapi dan mudah dijangkau, jadi semakin menginspirasi untuk mencoba aneka resep baru. Dapur kami kembali menjadi pusat kehangatan keluarga dan inspirasi keluarga untuk hidup lebih sehat. Suami yang tadinya sudah jarang memasak jadi kembali menyalurkan hobi memasaknya ketika akhir pekan. Anak-anak juga jadi lebih sering ikut membantu di dapur karena sudah lebih lega ruangannya, jadi muat semua deh di dapur hehehe!

Terima kasih Ace Hardware the #HelpfulPlace sudah membantu kami untuk mengembalikan dapur  kami menjadi ruangan yang nyaman dan menginspirasi kami semua untuk hidup lebih sehat. Meskipun masih panjang perjuangan untuk mengatasi alergi si bungsu, namun insyaaAllah kami akan kuat mengatasinya bersama-sama, dimulai dari dapur kami sendiri! 

#HelpfulPlace