G'bye 2011, Hello 2012!

Well. That was a really rough ride that lasted 365 days.

2011 wasn't exactly easy for me and there were countless humps and bumps along the way. I'd to deal with numerous issues at work and with the family. The usual stuff, really. But upon looking back at my tweets and FB status updates, I realised that 70% of them were angst-ridden, edgy, morbid, futile and downright depressing.

I've stopped making New Year resolutions a looooooooooooooong time ago because I break them no sooner than I've made them. So in 2012, I'm not going to hold myself to my own words because I know the effort will prove futile.

However, I'm going to TRY and curb my temper this year and keep chanting "patience" whenever I feel my fuse is about to get blown. That's not a resolution. It's just a "note-to-self".

I have come to a realisation that what matters most in my life right now is my family - the hub and my 3 girls. Together, they've brought me much pain, heartache and joy. And I'm glad that we all managed to make time for each other before 2011 ended.

Our family of 5 enjoyed a little staycation at Carlton Hotel From 30 December 2011 to 1 January 2012. Much like last year, our main aim was to enjoy the breathtaking "live" display.

But before that, the hub and I managed to re-live our pre-kids days by checking in on Friday first because we'd bought tickets to watch Wicked (undoubtedly the most wickedly awesome musical I've watched so far) at Marina Bay Sands.

Just the Two of Us

Room 971

All dressed up for a WICKED night out!

Being the scrooges that we've evolved into (bringing up 3 kids can be a huge strain to the finances), we actually walked back to the hotel after the musical. On foot, it was about 4km. Plus I wore 4-inch heels.

Super Ouch.

The next morning we drove back home to pick up the super-excited kids. With the exception of Xian who'd travelled to Taiwan with my parents, the rest of us didn't get a chance to go overseas on a holiday in 2011, so this staycation at Carlton was the highlight of our year-end celebrations.

After splashing and thrashing in the hotel pool and taking an early 5pm dinner at Raffles City's Din Tai Fung, we got the girls to take a nap so that they could stay up late to catch the fireworks. As usual, resistance from Wei the Terrorliza proved to be the most ferocious - she threw a tantrum and insisted on sleeping on the floor (a surefire sign she's REALLY sleepy). We left her alone as she fussed before she eventually she fell asleep and I carried her to bed.

We also stocked up on snacks, fruits, drinks, sausages, honey-glazed ribs, yogurt and donuts just in case the kids got hungry late in the night.

The 2 hour nap definitely recharged their batteries! Here's what a brief photo-log of our New Year's Eve celebration:

Wei's an angel when she's asleep...

Xian munches on potato chips!

Snack after the nap

Watching The Prince of Persia on TV

Wei's awake! Love the drowsy look... 

After freshening up, this lil' firecracker's keen to catch fireworks

Xian's wearing MY shoes! Her feet's only 1 size smaller than mine! 

The hub dances with the girls on the way out of the hotel 

Waiting (impatiently) for the fireworks display

Waiting, waiting, waiting... 

Someone's getting bored 

"Mummy! Why so long?!??!?!" 

Finally, a photo with my girls! 

The smoky sky after 10 minutes of impressive fireworks 

Back at the hotel, wearing my heels and joking around 

Let's toast to 2012! Non-alcoholic sparkling juice, of course! 

Cheers!

The girls are clearly exhausted after a really long day (and night)

Our usual family photo - last picture for the album!

I suppose this will continue to be a family tradition until such time when the girls would most likely opt to spend New Year's Eve with their friends and ditch their boring, uncool parents. (They do grow so fast. Too fast for my liking.)

But I am contented. All the accumulated misery and bitterness in me dissolved in those two days and the realisation dawned on me that my hub and children are the most important people in my life. Everything else is a distant second. Whatever sacrifices I've made and whatever inconveniences I've to put up with for their sake are worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears I've shed in the past decade or so.

Only because they mean the world to me. :)

So here's my wish for everyone in 2012: Happy New Year! Have a wonderful 2012 packed with laughter, happiness, good fortune and great health, and may all your dreams be fulfilled!