All Posts By

Daphne

I got your back

May 14, 2014

Part of the reason why we love traveling with the kids is that we get to see the very best of their interactions. Instead of the usual bickering at home, they’re often extra sweet to each other when we’re on the road. It’s like they instinctively know that they’re supposed to have each other’s backs and they do it so spontaneously that it makes my heart go all mushy.

So this one night at Maldives, there was a torrential thunderstorm going on and we thought we’d brave the rain to head out for a quick dinner. I didn’t think to pack any jackets for the kids and all I had was a thin cotton cardigan that I draped over Kirsten’s shoulders. While we were waiting for the buggy to arrive, she saw Tru shivering in the cold and she immediately walked over to wrap him up with what was left of her little cardigan.

“Quick, snuggle in here with me, kor kor, I’ll keep you warm,” she told her brother while giving him a great big monster hug.

let me keep you warm

***

On the seaplane back to Male, they decided they’d rather sit together so they could have each other for company. Apparently it was more fun than being stuck with one parent each. Halfway through the 45-minute ride, Kirsten had a bit of tummy ache and she was starting to feel mildly crabby.

“Ok, you just put your head on my lap and try to sleep, you’ll feel much better,” Truett instructed her. And then he spent the next 20 minutes patting her head until we arrived.

i'm tired

Sometimes, these two make me feel like the most awesome mom in the world. But the truth is it’s all them. I honestly couldn’t ask for sweeter kids.

by Daphne

too awesome for words

And lo, it was good.

May 11, 2014

I’ve just been thinking that this is the year I’ve enjoyed motherhood the most. To be fair, I’ve always loved being a mom but there was always a feeling that I’m constantly being overwhelmed, like I’m struggling to keep on top of things and it’s all just one brief moment away from collapsing in on me.

Maybe it’s about learning not to be so hard on myself all the time because motherhood is already pretty hard and I don’t need to make it worse.

Maybe it’s about shaking off the downs before they get me and enjoying the ups because those are the moments that matter.

Maybe it’s about not having to look over my shoulder to see what other moms are doing because I’ll never be them and that’s ok.

Maybe it’s about looking at my kids and knowing that they are the awesome in my life.

Most mother’s days in years past, my wish list is usually about having a break from the monotony of diaper changes and tantrums and the thousand other kid demands that are so exhausting.

But then I realise that I’ve been looking at this all wrong. The best way to spend my mother’s day is to be right in the middle of the action, to be surrounded by these adorable squishy little happy faces and basking in the love from the 3 most amazing kids in the world.

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And lo, it was good.

by Daphne

travel

NIYAMA Resort Maldives – A Food Lover’s Heaven

May 9, 2014

As far as the food was concerned, we weren’t quite sure what to expect during our visit to Maldives. I’ve never had Maldivian cuisine nor had the faintest idea what it would consist of. Rice? Curries? Kebabs? Seafood?

Turns out that we didn’t have anything to worry about after all because the food we had at NIYAMA was one of the finest we’ve tasted anywhere in the world.

In the resort were 3 restaurants and 2 bars and a deli, each serving different cuisines to cater to a variety of tastes.

There’s Epicure, the main restaurant by the beach where a scrumptious breakfast buffet was served every morning. Continental breakfast buffets can be kind of meh, but the spread here was the kind that gave you a reason to smile and filled your day with happy thoughts.

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Most of our lunches were also taken in Epicure. At lunch, it’s all à la carte so the chefs would whip up your order according to individual preferences. I loved that they created fresh, tasty, healthy food for the kids during our entire stay. Even the chicken nuggets that Truett ordered were freshly prepared with minced chicken and tons of hidden vegetables.

lunch

epicure bread

carbonara lunch

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sushi lunch

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Pretty much everything we had was delicious, but special mention has to be made of this insane platter of seafood awesomeness that was lovingly grilled to perfection.

lobster lunch epicure

If you’re up for something different, just a short boat ride out from the main island is where Edge and Subsix are located. We headed out for drinks at Edge one evening and discovered that it was one of the best places to catch the sunset.

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truett

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kirsten

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Among all the restaurants, my absolute favourite has to be Tribal, an al fresco beachside campfire dining experience that combines the best of South American, African and Asian cuisine.

We had a pulled pork appetiser that was delightfully sublime and the mains, OMG the mains were two gigantic juicy, succulent lobsters that looked too good to be eaten. I almost passed out from happiness thanks to that one dinner alone.

Tribal (6) LR

Tribal Kitchen (2) LR

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***

So that about brings me to the end of our all-too-brief Maldives experience. After spending 4 days in paradise, all I can say is that NIYAMA Resort has been truly spectacular in every way. It’s one of those places I’ll never ever forget.

by Daphne

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