Happiness is... toasting to a fresh start

January is always a month filled with hope and joy because it marks a fresh start and a new beginning. It's like, no matter how many mistakes we made in the previous year, this is our chance to let go of the past, have renewed opportunities to try again and hopefully make things right this time round.

I knew this year would be a tough one for me because, well let's see, the eldest will be taking her 'O' Levels and right now, she has zero motivation to study, the secondborn will be embarking on a brand new journey in her secondary school, the thirdborn is entering upper primary and is struggling with a couple of subjects, and the youngest is still clinging to me everyday and while he may be turning four, he is still breastfeeding — which probably explains why he is like a koala and I'm his eucalyptus.

Nonetheless, as we step into 2025, my heart is full of hope, my soul revitalised and my positive mindset empowering. In this post of "Happiness is...", it's about toasting to a fresh start and embracing the beginning of this new year.

What is one festival that I always look forward to?

CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Even though it means we usually spend a bomb on ang baos and reunions, the good thing is the kids get to collect ang baos and we get to feast a lot with our family. Yes, I love the feeling of 一家人吃团圆饭，and how we go around to 拜年，how we will 守岁 by watching the CNY show on Ch 8 and count down together to a prosperous new year.

It is also a cherished time where we gather with our loved ones to bond and celebrate. We are very blessed that our parents still cook 团圆饭 and prepare 火锅 for us every year, and it's not something that I take for granted.

As we march into the Year of the Snake, I hope my kids can learn to be grateful and be able to cherish their blessings more. They are well loved by their grandparents and it's a privilege that should be tightly embraced and deeply treasured. Chinese New Year makes me miss my Popo so, so very much and I can vividly remember how this was always a special time because I got to sit beside her at reunions, talk to her, play mahjong with her and just be with her. 

婆婆，无论您在天堂何处，希望您知道我有多么思念您，也但愿有朝一日能和您团聚。

Check out our CNY matching tops! We travelled to JB at the start of the year and while the boys played at an indoor playground with Papa, the girls went on a shopping spree with me, haha. I was so happy that we got this matching top in three different colours but all in S size, haha. Yeah, it was the smallest size if not Ariel would have taken XS. As for Angel, we are kind of at around the same height and nearly same weight now too. How time flies, right?

She might be 15 already and while some might that teens this age are independent and don't need mums to hover over them or take care of them anymore, it's not the case here and in fact, teenagehood might just be the most challenging phase I have to battle so far. This girl makes me 揪心 and often leaves me wondering what I did wrong as a mum, but I can only pick myself up and tell myself to try again and try harder the next day.

So nope, parenting duties and motherhood don't stop, not even when the little ones turn 15.

There's something I've been wanting to do for a couple of years and I finally got down to doing it. Check out my customised photo pearl portrait collection of the kids, woohoo! I did the first one in Sweden 15 years ago and I am glad that the last one is now done too — and that they fit nicely side by side on top of our TV cabinet.

They might seem easy to make but each takes time and one portrait comprises of 3,600 beads. It takes time to generate and finetune every portrait and I would constantly be making changes, switching this bead colour for that, to try to make it look more realistic and maximise the resemblance.

Morever, these beads were bought in Sweden so for some of the colours I required, I couldn't get them anywhere locally and had to order from a Swedish supplier to get them to do a special package for me and ship over. So I am just happy that everything is finally done and my collection is now complete.

While the girls feel that they are too big to wear cheongsams to school for CNY celebrations, they boys still like to do it and I am cherishing these years before they outgrow it too. Look how cute they are side by side, right? The korkor took a bus over after his school ended and since it was early dismissal, he was able to pick the younger brother up which delighted him to the max.

Besides shopping in JB, we also checked out some of the festive decor, tried to queue up for freshly made pineapple tarts but failed cos' the queue was snakingly long, went to the book store and played in an indoor playground too.

Oh, we also drank this fresh yoghurt with fruits which was delicious, visited a pet store to get supplies for our hamster, and at night, the hubby brought us to this nearby restaurant where we had a super nice Lala hotpot dinner.

The ingredients were fresh, there were even marshmallows for you to toast, and the soup was finger licking good. Or maybe, everything just tastes better when the family is together.

Do you love car rides? Well, we enjoy them because we get to talk, sing, snack and then sleep on the road. Well, the hubby doesn't get to sleep but then again, he also doesn't need to let a toddler sit on his lap throughout. I kind of love having Ansel close to me like that though, because we all know it won't be long before he can't fit and gets too tall and heavy. I hope we will still go on road trips even when the kids are older and that they will still make time amidst their busy schedules to go travelling and sightseeing with Papa and Mama.

We were lucky to be able to catch a dragon dance performance during the CNY period. I always try to bring the kids to watch lion dance performances too but I think the girls have outgrown that and the Korkor usually has school so it's only the youngest who can pontang class and go with me. He still loves it though and I will do it for a couple more years before he goes to Primary school. We love the festive ambience, the drums, the exciting performance and can only imagine how much effort goes into all the trainings and rehearsals.

Meet CHIP and DALE - our newest additions to the family!

Yes, the kids love hamsters and after a hiatus, we decided to get two new hamsters to join our big family. Although the kids have promised that they will help to look after and care for them, I've a feeling I will be the one who ends up cleaning their cages while they will just feed and play with them. Haha. Still, we are loving these adorable animals and they bring a smile on our faces whenever we see them.

We still love going to pasar malams and arcades as the kids like to play the games there. I always have to remind them that we cannot go frequently as the games are not cheap, and we usually wait till there is promotion (for instance Timezone regularly has school holiday promos) before we get to play.

Still, I love seeing their happy faces and the good thing is even the teens still enjoy arcade games and claw machines. So we let them indulge from time to time in the hope that they will 相亲相爱 and be 乖乖 after that. Haha. Yup, fat hope, I know.

These memories of playing together as a family will hopefully stay in their hearts even when they are all grown up. Yes, I hope they will remember how Papa and Mama tried to join them and play together instead of merely watching and following them around or waiting outside for them to be done.

Movies continue to be a big part of our lives. Though it is increasingly costly to visit the cinema now that the kids are bigger and can't sit on our laps for long, we still hope to do it every once in a while. I guess I should be thankful that the older kids still tag along to watch animated or kiddy films whenever we get invited to a preview. It mean a lot to me and to the brothers too. That said, our weekly movie nights still continue at home but we mostly watch on Netflix or Disney+ instead.

The kids started their Taekwondo journey in December 2021 and this month, they concluded it with their last lesson and graduated with their black/junior black belts. It's been a fun learning experience for them and they are blessed to have met nice coaches who genuinely care for them and have their best interests at heart. I'm thankful that the three of them did it together though a part of me wonder if Ansel will wanna pick up the sport next time too and if so, would he feel alone? Well, that would be another worry for another day.

For now, we are thankful for how the year had begun and can't wait to see what else lies ahead of us in the months to come. Till more updates soon!

Happiness is... creating core memories

December is always the most happening month of the year for our family.

While we celebrate the birthdays of our two middle children, we also usually go on an overseas trip, have plenty of family outings, gather with our loved ones to have a gift exchange and celebrate Christmas, and wrap up the year as we end it on a happy note.

The last month of 2024 was no exception. We went on two trips, first to Legoland and then with the extended family to Bali, we went on mum-and-kids adventures, we explored, we did things we never did before, we went for camps, we had an mishap and we also cherished the time we had together.

In this last post of "Happiness is" for the year, it's all about making core memories that will last us for a lifetime.

******

I wanted to do something adventurous with the kids so we decided to go and rent bicycles at Pasir Ris beach. The plan was to cycle from there to Jurassic Mile and return the bikes at another rental kiosk since it was permitted.

After some time trying out the height, we found bikes for everyone and since Ansel couldn't ride yet, he was to sit on a baby chair behind me. We tasked the eldest to help to navigate — I even bought this phone holder from Decathlon just for this — and off we went!

All was good at first and we cycled steadily for an hour or so till we got to Tampines. There were crowded pavements, slopes and construction barricades but we took our time to overcome each and every obstacle. Then the unexpected happened. The map told us to take the highway! We took a look and there was no pedestrian pavement, meaning we would have to ride on the road. That was a no-no because I am not confident of myself nor was I willing to take the risk and let my kids do that.

So....

We decided to take a U-turn and ride back to Pasir Ris. That was when the sun set, things became dark and the youngest actually fell asleep. His head was bobbing from side to side and I tried to steady it with my hand but that made cycling difficult. So we had to go a little slower as we made our way back the road we took to get here.

We overshot the 3-hour time limit we had on our bikes but thankfully, we made it back in one piece and just had to pay a late return penalty. Well, since we didn't stop to grab a bite nor did we get off our bikes, that means we all cycled for over three hours consecutively and that is still an achievement in itself, right?

Arcades are always fun to hang out but I always tell the kids that is is expensive fun. I usually wait till the holidays to top up our Timezone cards because they would have this 'top up $100 to get $200 credits' promotion which makes everything seem more worthwhile.

Since it was the long year end holiday, the kids were allowed to indulge, let loose and play! It's always nice to see them playing with each other and having a good time.

So I mentioned mishap at the start, right? Well, the night before we left for Legoland, we were busying packing at 11ish at night and that was when our little one fell and hurt himself.

How did it happen? Well, even the doctor laughed when he heard. Apparently, this boy likes to hide in one corner when he poops so that night, he was under the dining table when he decided to do a planking pose. It must have been a short distance from the floor only, right? But well, he lost his balance, fell and busted his chin.

From our experience with the sister, we knew stitches were going to be needed. So we left the half packed luggage and made our way to the hospital. We didn't wanna incur a hefty cost to get a cosmetic surgeon which would require us to wait for hours, so we just did the normal stitches. The doctor told me to be prepared that Ansel would cry, struggle and make a fuss and he roped in two nurses to swaddle and hold him down.

But guess what? This boy didn't move, didn't shed a tear and didn't flinch for the entire stitching process. The doctor told me this was unseen before and he had stitched hundreds, if not thousands, of kids in his lifetime. Oh wow, though my heart was aching for this boy, I also beamed with pride.

I used to blame myself a lot for the stitches that the sisters had to endure, one on the ear and the other on the chin too. It was always a case of "What did I do wrong?", "Why didn't I think of it?" and "I'm such a terrible mum". But this one with Ansel, everyone was at home when the accident happened and it was totally unexpected. The doctor told me in such cases, it couldn't be prevented and was fated to happen. He himself suffered stitches as a kid too when he was jumping on a bench and fell.

So you know what? I decided to spare myself the torment and learnt to accept it, move on and just see what I could do to make him feel better. I cleaned his wound and changed his bandage, put antiseptic cream for him, showered him with love and assured him that our holiday plans would still go on.

And so we drove to Legoland early next morning and it was a good way to cheer this boy up. He was happy to go on the rides and most of the time, he couldn't even remember that he had bandage on his chin.

The only thing he had to miss out on was the water park as his wound was supposed to stay dry. So while the siblings played with Papa and Ah Gong, I had one-on-one time with this darling as we built Lego, went for kiddy rides and enjoyed our time together.

We were thankful to have this getaway and I am glad that the kids still love to visit Legoland. I always wonder if the girls find it too childish but they are more than willing to accompany the 小弟. Yes, Ansel, please know that you are very deeply loved and that you will get well in no time, yar?

The kids had so much fun at Chow Q 2.0 cafe the last time so we decided to go back again. The dogs here are really adorable, especially the tiny dogs, and active as well. So we had a good time feeding, patting and interacting with them once more.

We haven't been to the Museum of Ice Cream but we saw the pop-up at Plaza Singapura and decided to take some very pink photos and also let the boys jump into the sprinkle pool. It's all these unexpected surprises in our life that brings about nuggets of joy every now and then.

Amidst the very busy and somewhat chaotic daily life in December, we also reminded ourselves to slow down. To go to the park for a breath of fresh air, to lay in bed and not do anything, to sit on the swing and enjoy each other's company. There's so much good and joy in the world, as long as we open our hearts and allow ourselves to soak it all in.

The two boys also went for their first ever Science camp, thanks to Cognitive Whizz, and they had a blast doing experiments, learning new theories and making new friends.

We still like to go for shows and one that thrilled the younger ones was Paw Patrol Live! Yup, it didn't thrill Ariel as much, haha — I mean, she is 12yo after all — but she was okay to just tag along with us and enjoy an afternoon out. I would rather my teens do that than to be stuck to their devices all day long at home, but I also understand that they've outgrown some stuff and would like to have their freedom and privacy. It's such a delicate job for parents to learn to let go yet hold on at the same time, right?

Movies are still very much loved and enjoyed by the entire family so we will try to head to the cinema whenever we receive an invite or spend money once in a while to catch the latest hit in town. Other than that, we still keep our weekly Friday movie nights going and will choose a movie on Netflix or Disney+ to watch together as we laze on the couch and feast on our favourite snacks.

A huge highlight for 2025 was our 5D4N 17-pax trip to Bali where we spent every day playing, laughing and bonding with each other. Read all about our trip here. With the kids growing up, the teens going to army and uni, and the elderly ageing, we are not sure how many more family trips we can fulfill but we will definitely try to plan for the next one again soon.

I've also shared about Asher's and Ariel's birthday celebrations in detail previously. Even though the kids are growing up fast and they do not request for any fanciful or over the top celebration, their birthdays are special to me and I hope to make them feel extra loved on this day. 

Even if it's a simple birthday wish like going to rollerblade in the park or having Teochew porridge for dinner, It's a way to remind them that no matter what happens, the family is here to support, love and encourage them in all they do too.

Besides spending time with the kids, we also make sure to spend lots of quality time with our parents too. Even if it's just eating a simple meal together, chatting over soju and beer and desserts or holding a barbeque session, it's always nice to come together and just have some family time.

This being the festive season, we also held our annual gift exchange where the adults will each prepare a gift and then do random draws so that we will end up exchanging presents.

We always go out during the holidays so that gives me a good reason not to be able to cook at home, and we end up dining out more than usual. Some of the kids' favourite food include Japanese ramen, xiao long baos from Ding Tai Fung, pasta at Saizeriya, fried chicken at Jollibee and more. I try my best to enforce the rule of not using electronic devices during mealtimes and constantly remind teens to put their phones away. Because to me, mealtimes are the one of the best time to bond, talk, share and understand more about each other.

IKEA is one of our favourite places to visit because not only do we love the food and soft serve, we also like to explore the showrooms and see what we can get to upgrade or refurbish our home. This month, we finally got a study chair for the big girls who have been using a half-spoilt kids' chair for the longest time.

It's so important to teach my kids that staying fit and working out regularly should be a way of life, starting from a young age. But we can't just talk the talk, we need to walk the walk and be role models for them. So I've been exercising weekly and love it when my daughters join in for a workout at the gym. Isn't it an awesome feeling just to sweat it out together?

We also like to try out new things so this month, we had our first mum-and-kids aerial hoop session. It was really fun trying to learn the basics and do some easy poses together and I hope we will always make time for new experiences and remember these fun, memorable moments. That is also why I film down so much of our lives. To remember.

Another fun thing we did was visiting Adventure HQ at HomeTeam NS Khatib. We accomplished so much in one evening, including whizzing down firemen slides, conquering Ninja obstacle courses, mounting difficult climbing walls, finding our way out in a labyrinth of caves, zipping down the roll glider and more.

While we were busy doing that, the hubby was also busy playing with the youngest who was more than happy to explore and play in an indoor playground suitable for his age. T-Play is just close by to AdventureHQ so though we split up, all the kids had lots of fun that day. Awesome day out!

When it was time for Christmas, the kids went through our annual tradition of opening their presents underneath the tree on the day itself and they were over the moon. Since they love rainbow sponge cake, I also bought two slices just for us to have a simple cake cutting and candle blowing ceremomy to celebrate Christmas.

In our home, the magic still lives on and we still believe that Santa Claus visits every Christmas and leave presents for the good kids. The kids will leave cookies, a glass of milk and a handwritten thank you note to him every single year. Yup, very sweet. Thank you, Santa, for bringing joy to the kids and to our home.

All in all, December was truly a good month filled with joy, family bliss, fun and we made lots of happy, core memories that will last in our hearts for years to come.

With this, we have come to the end of the year 2024 and wrapped up our "Happiness is..." posts for the year. I can't wait to start sharing more about the new year with you and hope that our family story brings you joy, hope or relief in one way or another.

Remember, we are all in this parenting journey together and you are never, ever alone.