So it's time to wave goodbye to 2025 and usher in 2026. A new year, new beginning, new hope. There's so much I wanna try to do, change and accomplish this year, like trying new ventures, quitting bad habits, stepping out of my comfort zone and so much more.
I also wanna try to cultivate a close and healthy relationship with each of the kids, forge stronger bonds and just be a better mom and a person overall. In this post of "Happiness is...", it's about embracing a new chapter.
I now have two teens, one tween and one preschooler and even if it doesn't look like it, it is quite a handful to handle and some days are just harder than the rest. Sometimes, I really wonder how other mums do it because even if I try to hold it altogether, a part of me is falling apart and it only gets tougher over time. Still, as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going so I remind myself that I am stronger than I think and this will all pass.
Day 1 of 2026 was spent with my dear jie meis from secondary school and it's always nice to catch up with these girls who have been a huge part of my life. I was surprised that none of them stayed up to count down to the new year except for me, but it's a tradition with the kids so we always end up sleeping in the wee hours.
We even took out poppers - the little things that go 'Pop!' when you throw them on the floor - to celebrate and also shouted "Happy New Year" across the block to all our neighbours. Of course, we also watched fireworks on the TV and lots of song and dance performances too.
One thing I'm absolutely thankful for is that the kids stll make time to hang out together and join me for outings. We made it to Canopy Park at Jewel and had fun walking in the mirror maze and hedge maze, as well as the walking and running nets.
At the running net, we took turns to stand or sit in the middle while the rest just surrounded and jump as hard as possible so that the middle person bounces up high, which was hilarious and fun.The kids laid down together and I asked for a photo and was pleasantly surprised when they used their fingers to combine and make a star shape. Cute!
IKEA remains as one of our favorite places to visit and I love heading there for lunch with the little one. We will walk around the showrooms, enjoy the soft serve and have fun getting inspiration on how to revamp our house. This time, I surprised the kids by getting them some animal plushies and they were totally over the moon.
Awww, meet Raffey and Coca, our new friends and how the boys love to cuddle them. In case you think I ma biased, the firstborn also got a dog (she wanted it) and the sister got an otter. Yeap, life's fair.
It was late one night when we were returning home from our friend's house. But the kids say the exercise area and asked to stay and so we did till nearly midnight. The girls did this heart shaped pose by hanging upside down on the monkey bars and I thought that was pretty cool!
Back at home, I don't and I can't find the energy to cook every day and honestly, I'd much rather cook a soup and prepare a steamboat anyway. It's a bonus when all the kids are around to eat together and I love how we can hear about each other's day during mealtimes - provided they are not at each other's throats or quipping the whole time.
On days when I feel too tired to cook, the littlest and I will go out for meals and I'm not guilty of that since I think he is old enough now and doesn't need to eat bland, healthy, salt-less home cooked food anymore. We both love Japanese food and would be happy to tuck into a bowl of udon or ramen and a cup of chawanmushi.
The boys still like to dress up and play pretend fight complete with action and lots of interesting sound effects. It can be quite interesting to watch and every time I see them playing, I am just glad that these two have each other.
We still like to go for theater shows and this month, we watched Gruffalo's Child at KidsFest. A true Julia Donaldson classic and one of our favorite children's books to date. Ansel was so happy - check out his big smile after getting the cute tattoos - and I am thankful that he still gets to enjoy such opportunities.
The boys and I spend more time together these days as the teenager Jiejies get busier and busier with their school, CCAs and social circles. In our free time, we still head to the neighbourhood playground just to hang out for a while. One day when the kids are all grown up, I'll stop coming by and that part makes me feel a little sentimental just thinking about it.
Now that he is almost five, Ansel started swimming classes this month. He isn't as much of a water baby as his sister and brother and it can be a struggle getting him to change and go for his swim class. Still, with time and patience, I think it will get better and I can't wait to have him join us for snorkelling trips.
We checked out the Punggol Heritage Trail and I have to say we have been cycling, scooting and running quite often as a family, which I totally hope we can continue to do for years to come.
Staying fit is a benefit of it but the main point for me is how the whole family comes together and the precious bonding we have amidst it all. So one of my resolutions for 2026 is definitely to work out more in the hope of getting stronger and healthier, so that I can do more with the kids too.
Till sharing more snippets of our lives in the new year!
