We went to Kallang Wave Mall for dinner and a countdown party in the evening. We were ecstatic to catch 5-star Mew and Zygarde Pokémon Gaole and a 4-star chip in a single game using the leftover chips that others had discarded on the machine. Our joy was through the roof!
Finally, we went to the riverside to wait for the fireworks. I told the boys about the Orion Belt, Canis Major, and Canopus in the night sky, and they were intrigued by what I taught them. When the fireworks started, we enjoyed every moment of the 15-minute display. It was a wonderful New Year’s Eve for us.
On the first day of 2025, our whole family 自然醒 at nearly 11 a.m. after seeing our countdown fireworks last night. We relaxed at home, and I decided to go for art appreciation, just like we did on the last day of 2023 a year ago. This time, I brought my family to the exhibition "Monet Inside: An Immersive Art Experience" at Parkview Square. Over 200 masterpieces from Claude Monet come alive through immersive, large-scale projections and an enchanting musical soundtrack. We all enjoyed it.
The boys celebrated their birthdays this year by having a Yakiniku dinner with my parents on Friday. Yakiniku has always been one of their favourite dishes. On Saturday, they went to Tampines to watch Sonic 3, followed by a dumpling dinner at Tracy's house as a pre-birthday celebration. The adults seemed more enthusiastic than the kids while singing the birthday song!
For their actual birthday today, we invited a few of their friends to join them at Cow Play Cow Moo and play Pokémon Gaole at Downtown East. This was the first time these friends had visited an arcade, and none had ever played Gaole. Their parents have done a great job guiding them, as these games can be time-consuming and costly. We felt a bit guilty for introducing them to such distractions, but we decided to let them enjoy themselves today.
After their game, we went to Swensens for dinner, where they enjoyed pizza, fish and chips, and ice cream. After dinner, the boys requested one last game of Gaole, and they all went crazy with excitement. Eventually, we returned home and unboxed their presents. It was a simple birthday, but I had been thinking for weeks about how to celebrate this year.
After New Year, I cracked my head over how to celebrate their 10th Birthday.
The birthday celebration was chaotic, but eventually, all still went well.
