Happiness is... showing your support

“If you don’t have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, 

you don’t have much at all.” 

~ Morrie Schwartz

It wasn't easy to get our engines started again after the intensive, fun-filled school holidays. Seeing how the big girl has homework to do on every school day, I make it a point to bring her out on weekends so that she has ample time to rest, relax and just enjoy. Never mind that we have not done much revision this year or that the assessment books I bought are still untouched after six months, I want her to understand that academics and grades are not everything and will never be anything more than a small part of her life. I want her to know how much more important it is to be with your family, to do the things that you enjoy, to play and bond with your siblings, and to learn to be a good, kind, honest and down-to-earth individual. I want her to know that she is never alone in this world and that she will always have our troop by her side to back her up.

I might be long-winded and naggy at times because hey, I'm a mum after all and I swear sometimes the kids just don't listen. Nonetheless, no matter what happens, I hope my kids know that I will always support them in every way I can, be it cheering them for them in competitions, encouraging them to chase after their dreams or just being here when they need me. In July's "Happiness is...", it's about showing your support.

Supporting someone doesn't mean you don't let them try conquering their obstacles on their own, but it does mean that you lend a helping hand when he/she is stuck or on the verge of falling. We were at the rock wall in Westgate and despite the scorching heat and burning handholds,  the kids still wanted to try climbing. Why not, right?

While the girls could scale the wall easily with minimal effort, the boy could barely climb to the middle because the footholds were spaced too far apart for him. It was a heartwarming sight for me to see the two sisters jumping off from where they were, springing up to him and said "Didi, come, I'll help you." The firstborn held him up and gave him a lift when he needed while the secondborn patiently guided him where to place his hands and feet next. Awww, this boy is definitely so lucky to have two sisters who dote on him so much. My hope as a mum is that no matter how they might get into arguments from time to time, they will always remember to help, protect and care for each other.

We will be going for our second Skechers Friendship Walk on 31 August! Yup, we might be going as a family instead of with friends but the way I see it, my hubby is my best friend and my kids will also grow up to be my best buddies (I hope). We've been supporting Skechers over the years because it's a name we love and trust and I'm thankful to have built up an amiable working relationship with the people behind the brand. All my kids have been wearing Skechers shoes since they could walk because they also love how comfortable it feels and how the we keep seeing trendy, stylish designs to choose from.

To the hubby and kids, big thanks for supporting Mama's photoshoots and for playing huge roles in every one of it too. I wouldn't be able to continue doing what I do without your help and cooperation all this while so thank you for putting up with my endless requests without (too many) complaints. I know, right? It really isn't easy being a blogger's kid and sometimes I think you wish you needn't have to take any photos at all and that Mama could put down her camera and join you wholeheartedly in playing. It's something I'm working on and reminding myself from time to time too, so let's make sure we only take on projects that we really love and would like to support.

One of the things that we will always love is a spectacular circus show! KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities took our breath away (read my review here) and left me dumbfounded when I saw what the superhumans in the cast were capable of. Cirque du Soleil is simply awesome! We will always support their shows because not only do they entertain and amaze us, they also constantly inspire us to reach greater heights in our daily lives too.

Being 'friends' with our local attractions is our way of showing our support too. Let's see, we are Friends of the Gardens and we have the 4-park passes under Wildlife Reserves Singapore which means we are free to hop by any of these parks on weekends. Woohoo! We made an impromptu trip to the Flower Dome one day and brought our sketch books along so that the kids could make drawings of their favourite flowers too. It was the first time we did and I wondered why we didn't do it earlier! The kids felt relaxed and were free to choose which flowers to draw and it was a good way to encourage them to keep on loving and making art too.

Another attraction that we totally love and have visited several times is Jewel Changi Airport! Since we came for the preview, we've subsequently made many more trips here, be it to catch a movie, grab some food, admire the Rain Vortex or check out new offerings like Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio. I've always loved our Changi Airport and now because of Jewel, I love it even more. One thing's for sure, we will be back soon again!

The big girl took part in her first dance competition and we were all so excited for her! On the day of the event, we had to wait patiently for nearly three hours at the venue before it was her turn to perform. Yup, three long hours! Plus, in order to chope a spot with a good view, that meant we couldn't move around but had to stay put. The hubby took away our lunch so we could sit down there and eat while waiting. My mum had come with us and I kept telling her to go and find a seat and I would call her over when it was the girl's turn. However, she insisted it was okay and ended up standing for so many hours too. Awww, all out of love for this girl and a desire to support and cheer her on. Even though they didn't emerge as the champion, it was still a great effort put in by the team and we are so proud of all of them.

On the topic of support, I've been in the Parent Support Group committee for nearly two years in the girls' primary school. Currently, we are working on the Teacher's Day gifts after completing our biggest event - Family Day - earlier this month which made it to the news and saw over thousands of participants. Yup, there's always so much work to do and somebody has to do it eventually. I'm glad to be a part of my kampong or factory production line, knowing that I've done the best in my capacity to contribute and support the school.

We made a trip to the Animal Resort this month because it's been too long since we last visited. My in-laws had a chat with the owners and they talked about the rent and how it's not easy to keep the place going. I'm hoping that we can continue to support local businesses like this which doesn't seek to earn much profit but more of to provide a safe haven for the animals and a kid-friendly spot for families in Singapore.

I know I know, we are so very blessed to be able to watch the NDP previews or NE shows year after year. Thank you, RSN! That's also because the hubby does his utmost to protect our nation and a little privilege we get to enjoy in return. Would I sacrifice watching NDP just so to have a hubby who doesn't need to sail and can come home for dinner with us? Yes, I would. Still, that doesn't mean we are not proud of his job. On the contrary, we are very proud of him being a submariner and me holding the fort at home while he battles out in the sea is best way I can support him. Read more about the truths of being a navy wife here.

It's nice to have kids who tell me they love my cooking even though I only cook simple dishes and keep repeating them over and over again. Haha. These three are my biggest fans and my little helpers in the kitchen too. Thank you for all your support, my dears! It's one of my biggest motivation to continue being a SAHM, seeing how they can feel the love from our homecooked meals and being able to sit down and eat together for every meal (even though Papa is always missing). Now, kids, shall we do something about our super messy living room at the back? Hee.

This boy tells me that I must call him 'Baby' instead of Didi or Asher. Haha. Yup, he's the only one who still talks and behaves like a baby, I guess, even though he's also growing out of it too quickly for my liking. Can't these cuties remain tiny, huggable and easy to carry for a while longer? Anyway, we went on a school excursion and visited Lee Kong Chian Musuem for the first time ever. It's obvious how much my presence means to my little man and I love how we will sit side by side on the bus, how he holds my hand tightly and how he lies on my lap when he's tired. I will definitely support and go on every excursion we can because we only have a couple of years left before he moves on to primary school too.  Haiyoh, time flies too, too fast sometimes.

This art piece was done by the big girl at heART Studio, which is also her only paid enrichment class outside of school. Right, we are still trying to stay on the no-tuition and minimal-enrichment-classes route because I want us to have more free time to play, to bond and to enjoy the simple joys in life. Art is something she loves to do and helps her to feel free and creative, so if she wishes to stick to it, we'll try our best to support her too. So far, all the three kids are loving their classes at heART because the teachers are really awesome and caring too.

The little sister made this for me and told me the three words I love the most in this world - "I love you". Awwwww. It's moments like this that remind me for all the wrongs I did, hurtful words I've said, punishments I've executed, these kids still love me to the moon and back and I must have done something right in my past life to have them in this life. 拥有你们是我这一生最大的幸福, I can only hope to be a better mum, a trusted friend and your most supportive cheerleader in the years to come. Thank you for being my best motivation to keep on doing what I do too.

Till more updates in August!