ok, so this isn’t as romantic as that john legend song, you know, the one about kissing underneath the stars and not caring about going too far in public, etc. (seriously, where got time to be romantic nowadays?? ceh.)

…

so, every place we go to now has to fulfil a certain criteria.

the first question we’ll invariably ask is: “is it family-friendly?”

whenever we go to restaurants and other eateries, the first thing we look for are high chairs for The Royal Highness. if they do not furnish us with one, we’d scoff at them with a “huh! so un-family-friendly!” rant and turn away with our noses in the air. (hey, if simpang bedok/hawa restaurant/et al have them, you air-conditioned food courts should jolly well have them too.)

shopping malls are judged by whether they have nursing or diaper-changing rooms. if they make us go through an entire maze of escalators and fire escape routes without finding even a broom closet with a handwritten cardboard sign that says “Baby Room”, we’d throw our hands up in the air in exasperation and nevermore swipe our visa/master/nets cards there again.

anyway, back to the park.

it can’t get any more family-friendly than this.

(well, in the day-time, anyway. come night-time, i’m sure other kinds of ‘family-making activities’ take place… *cue that john legend song*)

wide open space, green grass, blue sky, balls, bicycles, and best of all… horseys and ponies! wahhh… (yes, i AM very jakun like that. lol)

you know, i don’t think i did or went out much as a child. my parents aren’t exactly the outdoors sort, and i didn’t have anyone to run around with. (which probably explains my aversion to P.E and ECAs that required any outdoor activities.) i don’t even remember what toys i had, except girly ones like strawberry shortcake or barbie. i tried asking mum at what age i did what, but she didn’t exactly have a blog or a digital camera or anything back then. :p

so, yeah, i really don’t remember much about my childhood. all those stories other people have about climbing trees, catching spiders, playing chapteh, sound like cliched fairytales to me.

nevermind playgrounds, i was terrified of sliding down the pole, and disgusted by the sand which smelled of cat’s pee.

cycling? can’t!

throw me a ball? i’ll duck!

and you know that game you used to play during recess, where you jump over a string of rubber bands (see, i can’t even remember what it’s called), forgeddit! i was hopeless, and it didn’t help that i was the size of a hobbit child.

my gross motor skills, as you can tell, are almost zero.

but looking at the little boy, i’m amazed. i’m not sure, though, if i should be too smug at the rate they’re developing. i heard something about kids who start walking at an early age being more stubborn or headstrong or belligerent or… something when they’re older. i don’t know. (in any case, i think any stubborn streak should come from me, his motor-challenged mother.)

nevermind. let me be amazed now (“you mean one-year-olds can do THAT??”) and worry later.

i just hope one day he’ll look back and remember the fabulous times he had as a child.

and i’ll look back and remember the fabulous times i had with him.

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