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September 2014

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Got Milk? Why yes, yes we got.

September 30, 2014

In this house, we drink lots of milk. My kids are like super duper milk-drinking machines; and you know what milk they really like? MARIGOLD UHT Chocolate Milk.

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These guys can power through a litre a day, which is pretty impressive, if you ask me. They start off their mornings with a glass of… that’s right, MARIGOLD UHT Chocolate Milk

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I make it a point to prepare a healthy, nutritious breakfast for the kids every morning. Only thing is that my kids aren’t very adventurous when it comes to food. I tried experimenting with fun recipes like breakfast pizzas, omelettes, rolled oats, blueberry pancakes and granola parfaits but all my attempts were met with diplomatic comments like “uhh, it’s quite special but I think I don’t like that…just give me a sandwich.”

These days, we’ve settled on a breakfast routine of cheese toast, tuna sandwiches, ham sandwiches, or butter and jam sandwiches (on wholemeal bread YAY!) and always with a glass of chocolate milk.

So even if they make vomit faces at organic rolled oats with flax seeds and agave, I feel better that they’re drinking lots of milk. Milk provides them with calcium, vitamin D and energy to help them remain focused, alert, energetic and healthy throughout the day. It’s brain food for their growing little brains. Plus, MARIGOLD UHT Milk is enriched with a unique BonePlus^TM formulation that helps to increase calcium absorption and build strong teeth and bones.

In the evenings, they wrap up the day with another glass of MARIGOLD UHT Chocolate Milk. Ever since they’ve been weaned off formula milk, they’ve been drinking a glass of milk before bed at night. It’s part of our bedtime routine to help them to wind down and prepare for a good night’s rest.

Milk time + Reading time + Bed time = Awesome sleep

Ready!

Cheers!

Drink!

Since we’re such big fans of MARIGOLD UHT Milk around here, we were really thrilled to learn that MARIGOLD would be celebrating World School Milk Day with a fun and creative contest in the preschools, closing with a finale at eXplorerkid last Friday. A special day to celebrate drinking delicious milk with super fun activities? COUNT US IN!

World School Milk Day falls on the last Wednesday in September to celebrate the health benefits of school milk programmes. It’s a wonderful initiative that engages schools to promote the importance of drinking milk in a fun, memorable and educational way.

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About 200 students from 4 preschools were invited for a morning of fun together with the enthusiastically cute mascot – Happy Cow from MARIGOLD. The schools were selected based on the amazing art pieces they created with MARIGOLD UHT Milk packs.

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Check out this really impressive cow structure.

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The kids enjoyed 4 different stations of interactive play, like this massive play area…

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this ball machine area…

ball machine

this rock climbing area…

rock climbing

and a storytelling session with The Happy Cow.

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There were also MARIGOLD UHT Milk goodie bags for the kids. Kirsten was obviously thrilled with her chocolate milk. She was all “WHATTT?? I get to drink extra chocolate milk?? Today is the best day ever!”

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Aaaand I’m just gonna let the pictures do the talking.

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Daphne's Blog Picture

kids

We had lots of fun celebrating World School Milk Day with MARIGOLD and learning about the benefits of MARIGOLD UHT Milk. Looking at all the smiles, all the kids from the childcare centres had a fabulous time too!

MARIGOLD UHT Milk – Drink one for a good day, another for a good night!

*MARIGOLD UHT MILK is available at all leading supermarkets, hypermarts, convenience stores, petrol marts, minimarts and provision stores. MARIGOLD UHT Milk is sold at a recommended retail price of $2.30 for 1-litre packs and $4.40 for a 6’s pack, and MARIGOLD UHT Fresh Milk at $2.50 a pack.

by Daphne

motherhood

The end of babymaking

September 29, 2014

I’ve been thinking about it a lot – not having any more babies – and for the first time, it finally feels right. With the other kids, I always knew there’d be more babies on the horizon. My ovaries weren’t done. NEED MORE BABIES!

Last weekend, we were in the car on the way to church and I said to the husband, “You know babe, I think we’re done.” Without even missing a beat, he replied, “Are you talking about babies? Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

So that’s it. The end of babymaking where this babymaking factory is concerned. This uterus has done its job (a fine job too!) and it’s time to power things down for good.

Since I’m already oversharing here, let’s go all the way with this. Right up to the day when Theo was born, we were still open to the idea of #5 because come on, another girl would be so dorbs right? I know Kirsten would love to have a little sister to get her girly on with. While he was delivering my placenta, my OBGYN asked if I wanted a ligation since I was already pumped with epidural – two birds with one stone, that sort of thing. We were so close to going ahead with it but truth be told, right up to that point, we were still toying with the idea of a fifth kid. I know how insane it sounds, there I was in the labor ward just delivering a fourth baby and already contemplating a fifth, that’s how hardcore we are. To be fair, it was 85-15. We were 85% sure we were done but that 15% seemed huge and I was too hormonal too make life-changing decisions I might have a 15% chance of regretting.

2 months in with Theo, this 15% is down to 0. I’ve been spending a lot of time hanging out with my 4 babies and I’ve never been more sure that we’re done. It feels like all the missing pieces of the puzzle are now in place and our little family is complete. I look at these fab kids and I’m so jazzed that I get to be a part of this family of 6.

We have a good thing going here, I’m so grateful for it.

And it feels right to be moving on from making babies. My uterus just did a celebratory dance upon hearing the news. In a couple of months when baby Theo weans, my body will finally go back to just functioning for one human being. I’ll mark that day by knocking back 5 fully caffeinated lattes in a row. No more of this decaf nonsense.

But more importantly, we’ll get to properly enjoy these kids, to watch them grow up and have fun with them. Instead of operating at intense full battle mode all the time (so exhausting!), we’ll finally be able to take things down a few notches. There are so many things I miss doing – read a book, go for a leisurely brunch, eat food at a normal speed where I can actually taste them, binge on The Good Wife, go for concerts. One of these days we might even get to go crazy and sleep in till noon!!

It’s a little bittersweet to know that Theo will be my last baby but I’m feeling good about this. Does looking at this dreamboat baby change my mind? Not even a little. Maybe a little bit. SNAP OUT OF IT! Okayy no.

theo 1

I guess this little guy is feeling good about it too. It’s the most fun being the baby of the family.

the baby

by Daphne

picture perfect

What happens when you have an overriding gene

September 26, 2014

I came upon some old baby photos yesterday and you know what I usually do whenever I see my old baby photos? I think to myself, “NO WAY, THAT IS ONE CUTE BABY.” And then right after, I think, “wait a minute, that looks exactly like MY baby.”

That’s what you get when you have an overriding gene.

C’mon, join me for a throwback.

daf kirsten

Cloning exists, people! That’s all the proof you need. Same hair, same eyes, same nose, same mouth, same ears, same droopy cheeks – it’s like I’m looking at the same person, right down to the rolls of arm fats and tubby fingers.

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Remember how I said that Kirsten didn’t get her girly girl genes from me? I take it back, I take it all back. Look at this proud wearer of pouty red lipstick; it’s about as girly girl as they come.

And that pose?!! It’s horrifying.

me + daddy

And my favourite photo of all…that’s me being a daddy’s girl, which is the best thing I could have passed on to my little girl.

My daddy’s all like “you’re on a time out, young lady” and I’m like “hahaha heehee haha…time out…dad, you’re funny!”

by Daphne

Theo

Suddenly, 2 months!

September 24, 2014

Baby Theo turns 2 months old today. 2 whole months, how about that?

theo 2 months

Caring for a newborn for the fourth time has been quite the adventure. You’d think all babies are the same but they’re not. I mean, they all need the same things, like nappy changes, feeds, burps, cuddles and naps, but so differently. With each baby, it’s like learning a new dance and we’re slowly discovering our rhythm; a little twirl here, a step there, a double reverse spin finale. Each one is always new and exciting.

But you know what’s always the same? How intense it is. You get to the end of every day feeling tired to the bone and all your days and nights roll into one endless whirlwind of non-stop baby duty.

You’ll just be doing your thing, trying to find your groove and suddenly, they’ll decide to grow up on you. One day they’re all glassy eyes and skinny chicken legs and next thing you know, they’re a squishy ball of yummy baby fats.

I don’t know if this makes sense but babies, they take a long time to grow up suddenly.

Here’s a little bit about my littlest man Theo, at exactly two months old.

He’s developed a very respectable set of chubby thigh folds. You know how my mission with each newborn baby is to fatten them up for chewing? Fat baby thigh folds are the measure of my success. This baby at 2 months? SUCCESS.
Coos and gurgles at everyone. If you talk to him, he’ll respond with his special brand of baby gurgling, maybe even throw in a smile. He’s going to be a talker, this one.
Most definitely loves his daddy more than any other human in the world, including the one person who carried him for nine months and gave birth to him. His lovestruck gazes and sweetest smiles are reserved for his papa. What? No, I’m not bummed, why would you think that? No, not bummed at all…
Because the only exception to the favourite daddy rule is when he’s hungry. Or tired. Or needs momma’s cuddles. Then it’s mom time only.
After a rocky start to nursing, he’s latching on like a pro. We’ve got a great system in place now, and a firm understanding of how this works. I bring the boobs and he brings the hungry baby tummy.
Slept for 5 hours straight a total of 1 time. It just happened one night and I woke up feeling like it was my birthday and christmas and all the awesome days in the world smooshed together. It hasn’t happened again since – I’ve tried replicating everything I did that night but I guess it’s just not meant to be.
Motor function at about 30% tops. He tries to bat at toys but usually ends up smacking himself in the face, poor kid.
Most of all, adores his siblings. He knows they’re his people and loves watching them run around the house like he can’t wait to be part of the gang. Patience, young padawan, you’ll be trained in the way of the force soon enough.

by Daphne

kids in motion

From the weekend

September 22, 2014

1. Parks are more fun with friends.

It’s been too long since we had park day and I’ve missed park day. The kids get to run around climbing and swinging and sliding till their cheeks get all rosy and it’s all just a whole lot of fun.

But what’s even more fun? Park day with friends. LOOK, FRIENDS!!

park day

2. Baby Theo had his first park day and he loved it! He spent most of it on the mat watching kids zip around him doing fun park stuff with great interest. And then he started flailing his arms and legs wildly like he was trying to get in on some of the action.

“WHY IS THIS NOT WORKING?? MOVE, LEGS, MOVE!!”

theo

Also, is it me or is this baby getting deliciously chubby? Fat babies are so nom. Or as Kirsten says, “he’s so juicy I can’t even stand it.”

3. Finn and Theo = BBFs = Best Bros Forever.

It’s so sweet that these two littlest ones are getting along so brilliantly.

theo finn

Not like it’s a competition or anything but if there was a competition about who’s best bros with whom, these two would also be in the running.

finn tru

And wait, sisters are super rad too. I once asked Kirsten if she had a favourite brother and she said “I have 3 favourite brothers!”

tru finn kirsten

4. How do I know this kid is mine? Finn took one step in the sand and immediately scrunched up his face, yelling “It’s so dirty, MOMMA IT’S SO DIRTY, MOMMA CARRY CARRY HELPPP!!!”

No prizes for guessing who he got that from. Ewww, sand is so gross.

eww sand

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That’s all for now. Peace out, yo!

peace out

by Daphne

Kirsten

The proud wearer of sparkly pink earrings

September 19, 2014

So hey, guess who went to have her ears pierced?

Good try, but not me – I’ve already got mine done some 20 over years ago. Never mind that I haven’t worn earrings for the past 20 years, the important thing here is that I could if I wanted to. My mom was a visionary because it’s a good skill to have, if you can call it a skill. The ability to put sharp objects through my earlobes. I’m sure it’ll come in handy someday.

Right, yeah, this sweet little girl is now the proud wearer of these dainty earrings. And yes, they had to be pink, it’s not up for discussion. The only question was whether she wanted them pink AND sparkly, and pay attention, y’all, when given a choice between boring or sparkly, the correct answer is sparkly. Always sparkly.

pretty ears

ready for earrings

Seriously, how pleased does she look? I consider it my life’s greatest achievement that I produced a daughter who’s waaaay into pink and sparkly earrings.

It’s like a personal growth opportunity for me here, learning to appreciate the pink and sparkly things in life. Maybe one day, I might even sport a matching pair. One day, that is not today…let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.

She teared up during her last vaccination so I was half expecting that there’d be some tears during the ear-piercing but she took it like a champ. Truett, who was there to provide moral support, was all nervy for her (and covering his own ears) but she just furrowed her brow and put on her game face. She looks so grown up here, I think I’m the one tearing up a little.

ear piecing in action

On a sort of related note, I had no idea how difficult it was to find a ear-piercing place around here. We went around asking the shops in the Tampines area and the only 2 we found were kind of dodgy.

One was a charming (and also dusty) little shop along Tampines central. There was a huge sign (it was so old the edges were turning yellow) that said something like “Safe and Hygienic ear piercing, no Hep B or other viruses” which unfortunately, didn’t inspire a great deal of confidence. In fact, it seemed exactly like the kind of place one would go to if one wanted to get Hep B or other viruses.

The other shop was less germy and I’d probably hit that joint if I was in search of a row of nose studs plus a belly ring. I wanted neither of those things.

My sister finally found a place in town that seemed least likely to cause a horrible infection. It was also the most extortionate but like I always say, there’a price to pay if you don’t want to get syphilis.

by Daphne

Theo

Hey, sleepyhead

September 17, 2014

Sometimes, after a rough night where baby Theo wakes up every hour for a feed, I try to return the favour in the morning by putting him on my bed and kissing his eyelids and cheeks and nose and fingers and toes until he wakes up.

Struggling to open his eyes, he’ll make the cutest sleepy baby face like “help…eyelids. too. heavy…” and I’ll be all “hahahahah welcome to the club, sunshine. I know the feeling, momma’s been making that face all night.”

theo

After a minute (or 15, depending), he’ll finally open his eyes and gaze at me sleepily and his little sleepyhead face will light up with a killer smile like “ohai it’s you, my favourite human! yeah okay, I guess you’re worth waking up for…” and I’ll be all “GAH! That’s exactly how I feel too, you tiny little demanding person.”

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You’re exhausting but so worth waking up for.

by Daphne

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