Happiness is... loving the simple days

It's been getting a little harder to find time to sit down to blog these days. With the proliferation of social media tools like Instagram and TikTok, it also seems like less and less people are taking the time to blog. I mean, do people even still read blogs or is it getting a little out of touch and seems too long-winded for most people who only have a couple of minutes to spare each day?

As the kids grow up, it also seems like I should respect and protect their privacy and not put everything out in public. I face ups and downs in my life as a mum every single day and it seems unfair and untrue if I only write about the happy stuff. So how do I strike a balance and remain true to self?

These things have been weighing on my mind and since being a stay-at-home mum of four kids still keeps me pretty much busy 24/7, I haven't been writing as much as I used to. That said, I am not ready to give up on this blog because it has become a part of my life and I always remind myself of why I started it in the first place. It's a place for me to share my thoughts on parenting, for my kids to remember and look back on their growing up years and for us to be reminded of how simple yet happy life can be. 

Yup, I do think our life is pretty ordinary, straightforward and perhaps even mundane at times. That is because we keep repeating things like going grocery shopping, tackling piles of laundry, nagging at the kids to do their homework, chasing them to bed at night, cooking meals, washing up, watching family-friendly movies, dining out, exploring parks and so on. But the thing is, I love our life the way it is. 

In this post of "Happiness is...", it's about loving the simple days.

In the month of February, we were still very much in the CNY mood and I must tell you I love lohei very much! On my father-in-law's birthday, we did our last lohei for the year and the kids helped to arrange it in the shape of a cute bunny. The hubby was out of town but I am glad we still came together to do this.

We love going for theatrical productions and are always glad to lend our support to these awesome shows. The kids, even Angel who is now a teen, still like to watch these plays as they are usually very engaging and meaningful.

We watched Fly High at Singapore Repertory Theatre and everyone enjoyed it tremendously, even Ansel. The songs were catchy, the conversations were hilarious, the dance steps were easy to follow and most of all, the message about the power of yet was strong and meaningful. "It's not that I can't do it, I just can't do it yet."

Back at home, having a hot steamboat dinner is one of my favourite things to do with the kids because it is so delicious yet so easy to prepare. Looking at their happy faces, it makes it easy to ignore the constant state of mess the house is in, haha, because family bonding and bliss is way more important than that.

Weekday dinners are usually just the five of us but I hope they grow up to love such moments and hold these memories of warm, home cooked meals in their hearts always.

The girls like to try cooking once in a while so I let them too. Well, it is mainly because the big sister needs to practise cooking for her Food and Consumer Education (like our Home Econs) class so she found the motivation to go get the ingredients. I'm not sure when they can whip up an entire meal for the family but for now, I am happy to try out their creations. Just remember to clean up the mess when you are done and not leave it for Mama, okay? You will both be better chefs than me next time!

Bedtime reading is still a habit in our household for the younger ones and we always come together to read before we go to bed. While Ariel likes to read her own novel, I still read to the boys and Ansel especially enjoys it nowadays. We have a pretty good collection of books in our library and I am glad that the kids are growing up to love reading and see the wonder in books.

Theatre again? Yes, we love KidsFest and this year, we watched Stick Man which was a hit and we enjoyed the show. The songs stayed in our mind and we kept singing them too. I bought a hardcover book for Ansel since he loves the story and we've been reading about the adventures of Stick Man regularly.

Some friends tell me that it is my good fortune that the kids still like to hang out together, especially the older ones. They said most of their teenager kids stopped going out with them as time passed and family outings became much scarce. I am not sure how it will be for our family but I am very thankful that Angel still likes to go out with us and a big part of the credit goes to Ansel because she loves to take care and be with him. Family sticks together, always and forever, right?

Indoor playgrounds are still a favourite and the kids love playing here together. Even though they bicker at times when they play tag, it is still nice that they get to be each other's play mate and are never lonely. Ansel is also getting better at climbing ladders even though he is still a little afraid of tall slides. Way to go, my dear!

Here's a close up of him and his long hair before it gets trimmed... by me! Yup, I am still his hairdresser and it will probably be so for a couple more years to come. Well, at least he gets less comments on that he is a girl these days because his boyish features are more prominent now. Still my little cutie pie!

The biggest highlight of the month was Ansel's second birthday and how we threw a DIY Cocomelon themed party for him. Read more about it here. He was such a happy boy that day and I am just happy to see him full of smiles, especially how he loves his cardboard Cocomelon house and schoolbus, his Cocomelon figurines and his ice cream cake with rainbow sprinkles.

I love to bring the kids out on my own and that is something that will not change. We headed to the Night Safari on a Friday night and the kids had fun watching the Creatures of the Night show at the newly revamped amphitheatre, seeing the Tasmanian Devils up close, taking the tram ride, exploring on foot and eating fresh strawberries and cut apples that we had brought along.

The fennec foxes were one of favourites too because they are just too cute! We didn't take too many photos this time because firstly it was too dark and secondly, I just wanted to be more present with the kids and cherish that feeling.

On Ansel's birthday weekend, we had a gathering with the extended family and while the hubby whipped up a nice Teppanyaki dinner for the teenagers and grown ups, the younger ones went for a swim and had a splashing good time.

Last but not least, the kids are still going strong for their Taekwondo lessons and all of them have achieved their green belts already, woohoo! It's nice that they get to attend class together as a trio and they are lucky to get nice coaches too. This has been a learning journey for them and I am excited to see where it brings them next.

I do hope that Ansel can join them too but the age gap is too big so he will probably have to learn it himself next time, haha. It's like how he will be in Primary School on his own too while the rest have moved on but it is okay, baby boy, Mama will be here with you every step of the way.

That marks the end of our February and we still have so many more family stories, experiences and adventures to share with you so stay tuned. A simple life is a happy life, I truly think so!