Anyway, most people tell me to take it easy in the last stage of the pregnancy but it's probably something I will never used to or can never accomplish when I have two other lively, bubbly kids to look and run after. So, while I cherish the wait and look forward to the big day, I took a look back at November and discovered we actually did so many things!
In November's "Happiness is...", we share with you our activity-packed and fun-filled month as all of us look forward to the joyous, life-changing year end.
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I brought the girls to their friend's birthday party and it was a big scale Frozen themed one complete with face painting, magician, games, buffet and goodies held at the new Civil Service Club in Changi. The kids were delighted to be Queen Elsa and Princess Anna and we had a jolly good time. The only thing I had to remind them was that we would not have such a grand kind of celebration because we didn't have the budget!
It's been ages since the hubby and I visited Farmart, which we did during NTU days and went prawning, but we did so this month together with some friends. The girls were excited to see so many animals, including goats, rabbits, fish, birds, turtles, guinea pigs, and even more thrilled to know that they could feed each of them.
It was also the first time we brought the kids to the very place where the hubby and I first knew each other - NTU Hall 6! Yes, it was at this fateful place that our love story began which eventually led to marriage and a family. We played softball and darts and just talked about the orientation camp, the hostel rooms, the late night suppers, the friends and all the little things we did back then. Despite the fact that over a decade has passed, the memories were still so vivid in every corner and every step we took that it was quite a nostalgic experience for me.
One night, we also went on an impromptu outing and brought our parents to Satay by the Bay for dinner followed a walk in the Gardens. The kids enjoyed themselves by counting the number of insects they found, from frogs and butterflies to snails and spiders, and squealed in delight when we blew bubbles for them to chase.
For the past many months, these two have diligently kept to the routine of talking and singing to their little brother every night at bedtime while helping Mama to apply anti-stretch mark cream. Yes, how lucky of me, right? I find it so sweet and heartwarming, especially when they feel didi's punches and kicks and will go "I feel him!", "He's here!", "He heard my voice", "I think it's his head", "Or maybe buttock", "Is this his tiny hand" and the cute toddler will even say things like "He just called me jiejie". Awwww. Thank you, my dears, for this sweet gesture and for the hundred of hugs and kisses you've given to the baby and I.
During the Deepavali holiday, we also made a trip the Coney Island and I was so glad that I brought along their balance bike and scooter. You should have seen the unbelievable long queue at the bicycle rental shop! Anyway, we managed to go right after a rain and the weather was perfect for a couple of hours before it started drizzling again. We had fun exploring the place and the kids were most thrilled by the fact that they managed to hold grasshoppers in their hands and touched butterflies too! The hubby was commenting that he had a couple of friends who were also pregnant and they didn't look forward to going outdoors or for long walks. For me, it was exactly the opposite and I usually can't wait to get out of the house. Well, walking is good for the baby and makes delivery easier, right? Anyway, I just think it would be unfair to the other two if I stopped going out so I made sure I kept up with their high energy levels and continued with our adventurous family excursions.
On one weekend, we were thinking of where to head to and decided to visit the Home Team exhibition which was held in Expo. It was amazingly well-organised and the girls had fun pretending to be the police catching the bad guys, the CSI team solving crime, the firemen extinguising real fire and the civil defence giving CPR. Okay, they did enjoy all of these though I think their favorite part was going on the bouncy castle.
I also managed to get a couple of hours of me time this month and went for a haircut at Kim Robinson. I was contemplating whether to cut it even shorter or to leave it at shoulder length. Eventually, I decided to leave it at a length where it can still be tied because I was afraid that Ariel, who likes to pull and twirl my hair before she sleeps, will be devastated. It turned out that my worry was correct because she came up and say to me "Mummy, you cannot cut any shorter or I will be sad, ok?"
This month, we also watched a handful of shows and movies, including Sessucial the Musical, The Enormous Turnip, Spectre and The Good Dinosaur. The two of them do seem to enjoy these and I'm only hoping that we can continue to do so even when the baby is here.
We also went on a girly night out where I brought them to watch the awe-inspiring Totem by Cirque Du Soleil! It was seriously good and we were all blown away by some of the breathtaking acts. It was such a treat and entertaining show for all three of us!
On another weekend night, we had yet another girly outing as the hubby was at work and I brought the girls to Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival as a surprise treat to celebrate the big girl's birthday. Although the show was considerably short, we enjoyed the singing and dancing and the girls were captivated throughout the whole show! What was memorable for me was that we alighted at the wrong corner of MBS and in order to find the theatre, the three of us held hands and ran for a good ten minutes just so we could make it just in time. We were panting and all but relieved when we reached because guess what, the lights dimmed within five seconds after we sat down. Phew!
It was also the first time I did a maternity photo shoot, thanks to Orange Studios, and we absolutely loved all the precious moments captured. From couple shots of me and the hubby, solo shots of my tummy, family shots and shots of just me and the girls, I'm really grateful that things went so smoothly and we can now keep these memories for life. I thought it was a good way to prepare the girls for the arrival of their baby brother and make all of us even more excited to be counting down to the big day when we can finally cradle him, look at him in the eyes and kiss on the cheek.
I also accompanied the little one on her first school excursion and we explored Bollywood Veggies for the first time. Our favorite part was when we were able to go for a potting session and made pandan plant pot to bring home!
To get into the festive mood, we also visited a couple of Christmas displays and took pictures with every Christmas tree we saw! I really loved the ones we saw in the skating rink in MBS and rooftop in VivoCity!
November also marks a milestone for my big girl who passed her first ever swimming test! It makes me really proud to see how she has progressed after just four months of classes and even though she might not be the best or strongest swimmer for her age, she has definitely come far from not knowing how to swim to now being to dive into the pool and do her freestyle and backstroke. Way to go, my dear! Now I know that bringing you and meimei to the pool weekly is definitely worth the effort, yippie!
On yet another big day for her, we went for the Primary 1 Orientation and brought the big girl to meet her form teacher and classmates. We also bought all the books, like dozens of them, stationery, school uniforms, PE attires, socks and shoes and I am very much looking forward to moving on into her next phase of life with her.
Last week, we also brought the kids and parents for the RSN Family Day where we visited Madame Tussauds, Images of Singapore and watched Wings of Time in Sentosa. We left the house before 11am and came back past 11pm, so it was really a long but fun-filled day for everyone. I was initially a little worried if the kids would be able to enjoy but seeing how they wanted to pose with almost every wax figure in the museum and would happily help themselves to the props provided, I guess they had as much fun as we did too!
Last but not least, November was also a time of celebration! We went to Angel's school to have a cake cutting ceremony with her classmates and teacher, and she was so happy that she got to give out goodie bags as well as take a picture with every of her friends in the K2 class, to whom she will be bidding farewell to very soon.
On her actual day, we had a family steamboat dinner at home where her cousins and grandparents celebrated this special occasion with her. We played Win, Lose or Draw for the first time and everyone was rolling in laughter during the game. We were amused by some of the things the kids drew and amazed by how they could guess the answers correctly at times. Ariel was also surprisingly very sporting during the game and was brave enough to come up to draw! She drew a sun, eggs and a hand and was so proud when someone managed to guess them!
The next day, we went out for another celebration at Swensen's with my niece who was also turning a year older in the same week. Instead of cake, it was nice to have an ice cream treat instead and my favorite part was seeing the three of them make a wish and blow the candle together! Another thing that delighted the kids that day was that they saw a dancing Spiderman! Yes, this Spiderman was also making balloon models to give out to the kids in the shopping mall and the girls were happy to receive a pink panther and a pink poodle.
And of course, we had a combined Sofia the First birthday party for the girls over the weekend and it was a blast! They had so much fun and I knew my efforts all paid off when I saw those smiles on their faces. I will be sharing more on the party real soon so do stay tuned for that!
P.S. We did have a terrible episode on the last day of November when the girls suffered from a viral infection and started taking turns to cry and vomit in the middle of the night. Non-stop! The hubby and I took them out in the wee hours when it was raining and it all felt so dramatic. We brought them to a 24-hour clinic because they seemed to be in pain which in turn pained our hearts. Thankfully, we survived the night despite a smelly mattress, smelly car and smelly clothes and they recovered the next day. Phew! We learn through every ordeal and bond closer after overcoming every hurdle, don't you think so?
How did the month of November go for you?
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What are you HAPPY for this month?
Happy memories have a special way of touching our hearts every time we think about them. Join in my linky party at the end of every month and let us smile, rejoice and share the simple joys of life. Highlight and press Ctrl + C to copy my button above, include it in your post/sidebar and add your link below. For happiness is all around us.