Here’s a bit about our Jakarta trip
Gee. I really don’t know how to begin. There’s so much to tell.
I guess I’ll start from the time I left for Jakarta with the kids and sort of go from there.
Traveling alone with just the two kids
Both kids were awake when we’re on board. I had snacks, small toys (even playdoh and crayons!) packed in my bag, just in case they got bored and went on doing undesirable stuff.
But hey, apparently they’re both quite okay throughout the plane trip!
[To begin with, I kept my standard pretty low, ie. as long as they didn’t cry, run around or kick a fuss, I’m a happy mom!]
We sat near the window and Vai sat on my lap. And when the seat belt sign was off, Vai went and played with Anya and with whatever stuff he could find nearby!
He wiped the tables and walls. Sat on the floor and played with his toy cars. Held toys with his teeth and did his “Mommy look! No hands!” stuff.
(Good thing we’re placed towards the ‘front’ – where no other passengers were ‘in front of us’!)
During take off and landing, they’re both okay too (ie. no ‘ear pain’ from the change in air pressure). Thanks to the continuous biscuit feeding and water drinking, I guess?
When we reached Jakarta and got our luggage, Anya helped push the pram with Vai sitting on it, while I dragged our baggage with one hand and pushed the pram with the other.
It was all good. Phew.
Mosquitoes
Ah now, our little flying friends.
I have to say, they’re EVERYWHERE. And somehow they seem to love kids more than us adults!
I put on anti-mosquito lotion on the kids almost all the time, BUT obviously it’s not possible to cover ALL parts of their body ALL THE TIME.
And so yes, the kids did get bitten and they (especially Vai) ended up having quite a few red and swollen marks here and there (read: cheeks, ear, temple, neck, arms, legs, you name it).
Oh btw, Vai got bitten just under his left eye too, and it got so swollen that for two days he looked like he’s been punched in the eye!
Sigh. I told myself, at least none of us got denque!
Family get-together
The reunion itself was nice. We went to the mountains (read: Puncak) and stayed at our villa there for a few days.
We had our family photo done in the outdoors, and the kids had fun amongst themselves. They swam, played with their cousins, rode their tricycle, ran around barefooted, and so on.
And this is a shot of my grandparents posing with their ‘great grandkids’! Oh btw, they’re 88 and 84 years old!
[And to think that Vai and my grandpa are EIGHTY SIX years apart in age is just too amazing!]
And yes, as there were some twenty of us, mealtimes together almost always looked like a busy affair!
…
For two weeks we’re surrounded with family members. Lots of them. And one of the good things about that is I (finally) managed to do bits of stuff ‘for myself’, like having my hair done and getting a nice full body massage (my first time!)
It was goooood.
