Packing up the dreams…

In the midst of carton boxes and masking tapes galore, there is a sense of both nostalgia and reminiscing as we pack to vacate our 5-room flat. Suddenly, my spacious house seems even more so.

I had always known we won’t be staying long. Five years, and maybe we would move on to another place. In moving in, we didn’t do any renovation work – and the only thing we did was to repaint the walls, get a flat screen TV, new beds, and a new toilet. Yeap, that was about it. The old owners were happy to leave behind their sofa set, dining table, fridge, washing machine and other furniture (even a massage chair!), and we were also happy to inherit them – knowing full well we just wanted to stay for a short term.

But short now seems shorter than I expected.

With two kids and one more on the way, it was perhaps the most logical move for me to move back in with my parents while Nic makes his way to Sydney to start his school term. And so we’ve packed up our luggage, clothes, toys and other things that make a home worth living… and we bid adieu to our home for the last 2.5 years.

Our sons, while they understand the move, are taking things much better than I. Obviously.

The thing about having kids… is having perspective. And knowing how to live and love the moment.

  Empty carton boxes make for great hide-outs.

Check out his gleeful expression!

  Jay was having such LOUD fun that it was inevitable for Xav to also drag over an empty box for some fun of his own.

A plane, a bird, a car… It is a wonder what the kids came up with!

In fact, when my helper used one of the boxes to pack some other items, Jay was so upset with her – till I pointed out the 4 other empty (and unassembled) boxes that were still lying around.

Good bye old house… and we look forward to creating new memories as a household together in Sydney… at least for the next 2 years!

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Mmmm, yummy…

Here’s what I get when I ask Jay to “cook” for me.

Mmmm…. Yummy. :P

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Happiness is…

… Spinning around with your bro.

… Overcoming obstacles yourself.

… Scaling to new heights.  

… Knowing the end of the tunnel is nigh.

… Finger-lickin’ good chips.

… Getting a scoop of yummy yogurt fed to you.

Life with two boys. Doesn’t get much better that this.

Special thanks to Polliwogs at Robertson Walk for the invite for Jay and Xav for a morning of fun!

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Kids Talk

What is the most interesting conversation you’ve had with your kid recently?

As a mummy, I often find myself amused, bemused, amazed (or all three at the same time) at what my two little boys say.

On patience & taking turns
After a short tussle with Xav over a toy that they both want to play, Jay eventually gives in. He walks up to me and tells me solemnly.

Jay: “Mummy, I am learning patience. See? I let Xavier play with the toy even though I want to play with it too. I am learning to be patient. But it is difficult, you know.”

Short pause.

Jay: “Mummy, is it Xavier’s turn to learn patience now?”

On becoming a superhero (some day)
Statements Jay has made recently…

“Daddy! Do you know I now have 2 muscles? Soon it will be 3!” (as he flexes his arms proudly)

“Look at me! I’m like Incredible Hulk!” (When he changes and is just in pants)

“You look like Incredible Hulk! Haha… Like Fat Incredible Hulk!” (Seeing someone, who-shall-remain-unnamed-for fear-of-reprisals :P)

On IT and other stuff
“Mummy, can I play with your iPhone?”

“It isn’t an iPhone.”

“HAH???”

“It’s called a Samsung Note.”

“HAH???”

Sigh. “Never mind.” Passes him the darn phone.

On obedience
It doesn’t matter what the question or statement is.

Let’s go sleep now. Do you want ice-cream? Do you want sliced fish noodles? Do you want a lollipop? Can you share that biscuit with Mummy? Say “goodbye” to your grandmother. Give Mummy a kiss! Where’s my kiss? I want my kiss NOW!

My 18 month old will tell me emphatically… “No!” Followed by a shake of the head.

~~~

The fun thing about having kids… is the funny things they say! Come and link up your Talkative Thursday posts, I’d love to read them!

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Lessons learnt from a holiday

We are back – from a fabulously lovely Bangkok family holiday. There are so many photos, I have not even begun to look through my camera SD card to sort them out. Bangkok, to me, was a great experience of shopping, feasting and awesomely affordable massages! (My Bangkok posts WILL come, I promise!)

I am in a pseudo-theme of writing on creating memories for the kids. We went for the photoshoots. And now this trip with Jay. More than the purchases, we were happy to have a chance to also teach him some real-life lessons.

Of toys and beggars

Jay was pretty excited to get some new toys. We had a part to play in that expectation, naturally, as we kept telling him he could get some (cheaper) toys in Bangkok rather than the usual pricier ones in Singapore. So he waited. The first day went by, and nary a toy. The whole of the second day was largely spent in the 7-storey Platinum Mall, which I was repeatedly assured by my travelling mates would have some toys for Jay... On the fifth floor. Well, to future kid-lugging parents after me, let me tell you. There are HARDLY any toy shops in the Platinum mall. HARDLY. Sure, we saw a small stall soon after we got there, but when Jay started fiddling with the toy machine gun, I gently reminded him of our my "No toy guns" policy. The shop owner probably understood English, as she curtly told Jay to stop touching the toy. Well, that struck me as being rude, given he was merely pulling the trigger, and while I was resistant about toy guns, I was in the market for a toy for Jay. Her sour attitude stopped me from purchasing any other toy from there! Unfortunately…  there was barely another half decent toy shop! We only managed to get some toys for him the next day at Chatuchak Market... And on the last day, as we were walking around another mall, he turned and asked the hubby, "Why are there so little toy shops in Bangkok?"

Now most of us are used to toy shops around every corner, but we also used it as a chance to tell Jay the reason for the lack of toy shops was probably due to the fact the Thai didn't buy toys that often for their kids (I don’t know how true that is, but to us it kinda made a little sense! Haha...) Nevertheless, Jay understood, and for all the times we have reminded him how fortunate we are to be living in a country like Singapore, and how some kids really get by with hardly any toys at all, this little object lesson was a real eye-opener for him!

Walking down the streets, we also had the chance to see beggars on the street. We also took the chance to teach Jay about how there are so many less fortunate than we are. Empathy, kindness and contentedness are some things that we want to build in the kids, and sometimes in the luxury of life that we live in Singapore, we can often overlook these areas. It just takes a simple trip to give some object lessons that beats just describing it.

So apart from spending the whole weekend together (and having a blast!), I am really thankful to also be given the opportunity to instill and reinforce certain values in Jay.

Have a Talkative Thursday post? Link up today! :)

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Humour from a 4-year-old

It’s Teacher’s Day, a day to celebrate all educators – and a day when most childcare centres close. This time round, Daddy decided to take a day’s leave to spend time with Jay.  Daddy brought him to the beach for a Burger King breakfast followed by some fun at the sandy beach!

For some reason, Jay decided to pick up these little casuarina seeds that littered the East Coast beach area.

Jay: Daddy, look how many acorns I have collected!

Daddy: Wow. There must be at least 70 here.

Jay: Yeah! I am going to collect them all and bring them home!

Daddy: No! You can’t bring them home.

Jay: Haha! I’m just joking.

Daddy: =.=” (and promptly messaged me this conversation via Whatsapp.)

I was so tickled by Jay’s response, I told the hubs to take a photo of him with the casuarina seeds so I can blog. And when Jay heard that, he decided to collect MORE seeds for me. And there you have it. And no, the seeds didn’t come home with Jay.

At home, my little boy had to poop, and while he was on the toilet bowl, he also decided to ask his Daddy some biology questions.

*Graphic details ahead, you have been warned*

Jay: Daddy, why do we need to open our legs for the poo poo to come out?

Daddy: That is where the poo poo is supposed to come out.

Jay: “Ok. So the backside is the poo poo house?”

*pauses and then continues*

Jay: Is it like someone wants to go shopping, they come out of the house? So poo poo wants to go shopping so they come out?

~~

When the hubs told me his very interesting and talkative day with Jay, I must admit I was getting a little green with envy! Jay is at the age where he is engaging, responsive, inquisitive, and yes I admit he may be a tad draining, but I really won’t have it any other way.

Which is making me very glad we have booked a family vacation to Bangkok – and we’re leaving this Friday! A 3-night and 4-day trip with just Jay (with Xav stays back in Singapore with his grandma), and I am looking forward to some quality time with my soon-to-be-not-that-little prince!

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Besties!

The best thing about siblings… they go through weal or woe with you.

Or in their case, fun and food, and MacDonald’s and marshmallows.

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Of a mummy and Neoprint machine

It was one of our usual Thursday nights. Bringing the kids out for dinner. We ended up at 112 Katong’s Charly T’s again (I missed the juicy chicken so!), and after dinner, we all casually wandered into the TimeZone arcade that was just beside the restaurant.

And lo-and-behold, we saw a blast from our past. Okay, the word “past” might not really cut it. History – maybe more like it.

A neoprint machine.

Gosh, I wish I took a photo of it! Haha! But with hands encumbered with an active four-year-old and a newly walking almost-two-year-old, it is hard to even whip out my handphone for a quick snap. In fact, it is hard to even pick up calls from the time I get off work to the time the kids call it a night. My very own “blackout” period.

And on the spur of the moment, I turned to my younger sis and told her we’re going to take a neoprint!

Xavier was the easier prey target. I just grabbed him into the spacious booth. Jay was happily jumping around outside the booth, and my hubby took the opportunity to also bow out. Humph… But it was so… youthful just choosing which psychedelic and neon-coloured backgrounds to have!

In the end, we chose 8 different backgrounds and had to take 8 different shots.

And with a wriggly boy and Jay running in and out of the booth, it was tougher than it looks.

Out of 8 shots, we finally managed to catch one with half of Jay in! He even “decorated” the photo with his name.

Parenting milestone… the kids’ first neoprint! (At least I had one semi-willing, not-much-choice-anyway boy)

Now… for a family neoprint shot? Hahaha!

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My cheeky boys!

Spending time with my two cheeky boys gives me such great pleasure! It is a joy to see them interact, fight, bicker, fight, scream, laugh… but no matter what, doing it together.

I’ve had friends ask if Jay wants to play or spend time with Xav. Well the answer to that is a definite YES. He adores his younger brother, and always asks to do things with him. From taking naps together to bathing together, and yes, even during playtime, the cheeky older brother is always ready to spend time with the younger one. But do they squabble? Oh definitely as well! Haha!

Being the “leader” that Jay naturally is, he expects to be listened to, all the time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Xav is much of a follower-type himself. In fact, if anything, X can be fiercer than his older brother.

Jay typically is more peaceable. When he is confronted, he usually doesn’t retaliate straight away. When Xav is confronted, he fights back. I brought him to a playground just the other day, and an older kid came by and wanted to play the “wheel” Xav was on, and the moment the kid laid his hands on the wheel, my feisty 14-month-old immediately slapped the offending hand away and gave a warning shriek.

Well, at least I know he won’t be bullied. But the bully? Aah… that remains to be seen.

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Night-night time

One of my favourite Mummy moments is bed-time with the kids. Those last-minute hugs & kisses. Listening to Jayvon relate hilarious snippets of his day at school or the interesting dinosaur fact he dug up earlier. Hearing Jayvon pray the funniest things that only such a young mind can conjure up. Watching as Xavier starts "zoning out" minutes before falling asleep. Tickled by how my two boys attempt to play peek-a-boo over the mountain that is Mummy, and how they make each other squeal in laughter over through tiniest burp and hiccup. Watching over my two princes as they finally succumb to their fatigue... And praying for them to grow up healthy and happy, and to love & serve God.

One of my dreaded Mummy moments is bed-time with the kids. The never-ending cheeky one-liners. The stern look I have to give them that oozes, "You'd better be asleep in 10 minutes buddy or else..." The constant reminders to stop fidgeting. And to stop talking. And that peek-a-boo thing's fun... For the first 5 minutes. And then I remember the work waiting for me to do AFTER they turn in for the night... And it ain't as fun anymore.

Parenting is one wild ride, to say the least!

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Counting my blessings

Having one kid was rough and tough, and when we decided to have the second, we anticipated the toughness and the roughness…

The sleepless nights, the wallet strains, the mucus-wiping and butt-cleaning. The fatigue, the body aches (oh wait, that might be just the age), and did I mention the mucus-wiping and the butt-cleaning? Oh, I did? Yes, and the mummy-nesia that seals the whole deal.

But nothing really prepares us for this.

 

Two sleepy smiles that greet us each morning.

Peals of shared laughter over ice-cream and biscuits.

Matching clothes.

Long strolls on the beach, hand in hand, enjoying the breeze.

Watching back-to-back episodes of Dinosaur Train on the telly.

Makes up for my cutbacks in shopping (sob!) and overseas travels (double sob!)… but hey, when we see the two kiddos together, it kinda makes it all worthwhile.

Seeing my two boys interact make me roll me eyes and roll on the floor in laughter alternatively. No one ever said motherhood was good for one’s mental health. Haha!

And so I am counting my blessings today.

Two huge ones, to be exact. Healthy, happy, chatty, endearing.

Thank you, God.

I love it whenever Jay randomly, in the middle of doing something else, looks up, looks at me and goes, “I love you, Mummy.” Like totally unsolicited. My jaw kinda drops, my heart stops a second, and I smile back, “I love you too, baby!” I used to have to squeeeeeze those “I love yous” out of him like nobody’s business. And now he doles it out when I least expect it. Of course, doing so gets him a “free pass” whenever he does something naughty. Which for a 4-year-old is about… everyday. Oh, and when Xav gets in on this trick, I expect some fun times ahead.

Singles may think hearing those three magical words from that special someone is the be-all-and-end-all. Wait till you become a parent.

And of course now the question on everyone’s mind is… “So when’s your number 3 coming?”

Linking up with…

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Two is better than one

And in a blinking of an eye, the long Chinese New Year holidays are gone, but boy it was such a fun and yet VERY exhausting time with the two boys.

And yes, my name is Sandra and I am a tad obsessed with buying Jay & Xav matching clothes! (& pyjamas… but that’s a whole different support group, methinks. LOL!)

At 10 months, Xav can do a mean leopard crawl but prefers to stand, loves to bite on fingers (his own, his brother’s, his parents… anything goes. He is easy that way), loves to snack on his Gerber’s stars (or anything that Mummy is munching on), and adores his older brother. Any silly noise Jay makes breaks Xav up into peals of laughter. At 4 years, Jay can talk. And talk. And talk. He has a wildly vivid imagination, and his love for dinosaurs has spread to Xav… who now adorably growls “aaaaahhhhh…… aaaaahhhhhh….” at the dinos himself.

The disciplining has also begun for my littlest one. But seriously, it is pretty hard to be stern, the moment he turns his Puss-in-Boots stare at you, grandmas and mummies alike turn to putty. The force is strong with this one.

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Bedtime with Mummy

Bedtime duty used to be pretty equally shared between Daddy & I.

And I don't know when my prince decided that MUMMY and MUMMY alone should the one to make him sleep. He'd even bargain with us. "Mummy make me sleep at night, and Daddy'll make me sleep in the afternoon." Knowing full well that he is in school on weekdays (and on weekends, he'd happily forget this bargain as well)



It used to be a 45-60 minute struggle to make him sleep. But thankfully nowadays it's SO much easier! All he needs is a good 5 minute talk on any topic under the sun, a prayer, and he would turn to me, smile and say "Goodnight Mummy!"

Aaaah.... Bliss.

It also helps he never fails to bring a smile to my face with his before-bedtime antics.

Like belting out songs from Bruno Mars. "When I see your face, there's not a thing that would change cos u're AMAZING.... JUST THE WAY YOU ARRREEEEEEE...."

Jay (unfortunately) seems to have inherited my pitching. Which sad to say is barely tolerable. Which gives Daddy MORE motivation to send bum for some formal music training. Some things need to be rescued from young. Haha!

O, and prayer time. I love praying with Jay (or rather, hearing his prayers).

And if you follow my tweets, you'd have read his recent prayers... Here's a sampling.

"Dear Jesus, thank you for a wonderful day at the beach! I played the car, had prawns and ice-cream. Jesus please take away Xavier's cough and phlegm. Can u please make him healthy... (pause) and can you make him walk so he can run with me? In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN!"

"Thank You God for a wonderful day. Bless Mummy, bless Daddy, bless Didi, bless Titah. Amen."

"Jesus, please make Christmas come faster. I want to open all my presents. Please tell Mummy & Daddy to buy more dinosaurs for me. I already have e brachiosaurus, the triceratops, the T-Rex and the stegosaurus. I want the velociraptor & the spinning dinosaur, and ALL the dinosaurs in the world. All twenty thousand!!!"
(well, God apparently answered his prayer cos he managed to convince all and sundry to buy dinosaurs for him! Haha!)

And yes... He's just about to turn four. Only. Yikes...

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All grown up, all too soon

My little prince has his big brother’s crazy antics. Even though he is not even ten months old.

Sitting docilely one second…

and cheekily lunging forward the very next.

When you have no kids… nothing can really prepare you for the first kid.

When you have 1 kid… I realise now, nothing really prepares you for the second as well!

Will it get better with #3? (Erm, I think I will leave THAT question to others to answer! Haha!)

All I know is… my hands are full, feet tired, and eyebags a-plenty with the two little fellas on my plate already! Still, I’d trade nothing for the joy of seeing my two boys growing up happy & healthy together!

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2011 in review… through my blog posts!

I’ve always said blogging is a way for me to pen down memories, and hopefully once Jay & Xav get a bit older, they can have a laugh at the entries, and also realise what a blessed childhood they have had! Haha…

January 2011
We went for a family vacation to Bali, Indonesia, and spent half a week in this gorgeous island! And after that, we celebrated Jay’s third birthday… and started thinking and preparing about Xav’s impending arrival! What an exciting month that was! Haha…

February 2011
As Jay entered into his third year, he soon exhibited his streak of well, boyish stubborness behaviour. By going through a very disagreeable stage. Oh, that was a tough period. Which basically lasted through the whole year, but tapered off with the help of our trusty Mr. Cane, and also because he soon could understand some reasoning. Some. One has to manage one’s expectations when it comes to a toddler.

March 2011
We watched The Lion King! Yes, even Jay! It was wonderful! Definitely a highlight of my entire year! Apart from making those final ounces of preparation for my new little prince, it was also a period of “turmoil” as my domestic helper bid her final farewell to us, and we welcomed a new person to our household.

April 2011
I popped. And then I was confined. In one of the balmiest months of the year. *shudder!* But with the addition of my new little one, it was time for Daddy & Mummy to also talk to our own “house rules”… Haha!

May 2011
May was the month of the Singapore General Elections. Having just come out of my confinement, I was still kept in the loop about the “goings-on”, and I recall numerous heated and worked up talks and arguments and what-nots both online and in the coffeeshops amongst friends and foes and Singaporeans alike. Here was my very subtle contribution to this whole furore… Haha! Oh, and May was the beginning of another milestone… Jay’s first dinosaur toy, before he began his whole obsession with these prehistoric animals.

June 2011
The month of June saw a couple of outings, to the Science Centre, the Bird Park and even a ride down the Singapore River! Oh, it was also the month I was nominated as a Top 10 Finalist in the Best Family Blog category in the Singapore Blog Awards. Didn’t win, but it was sure a fun ride, and I got to know other Parent Bloggers like Maryann, Kelvin, Yvonne & Corsage. A fellow blogger I met once commented that mummy (and I’m sure he meant daddy too) bloggers are very powerful since we appeal to a very specific crowd of people. True, because we also can “see” the light in our own situations by reading other parent bloggers!

July 2011
I muse a bit about disciplinary actions… balance is always the key. While we are stern with Jay (and Xav in the near future), we also make sure we bring them out for truck loads of FUN! In July, courtesy of Disney Junior, we were transported to Never Land for a morning of fun.

August 2011
More antics by my funny little boy that cracked me up, but August was such a busy month for me, work-wise, we hardly went anywhere, save for a brunch at the now-defunct Tanglin Tree! Sad to see that place go, but at least we managed to squeeze in a visit before it breathed its last.

September 2011
This month, Jay introduced Blackie Smurf to the world. Erm, at least to my blogosphere. Couldn’t resist re-posting Blackie here… He now has a place of “honour” at the top of Jay’s toy cabinet! Haha!

His very own creation, of which I am super proud of him!

Probably why I started sending him for more art classes this month – courtesy of the Art Bug and WOWArt Studios!

 

 

 

October 2011
Jay’s first attempt at being a page boy, and I am still tickled whenever I think of how he went down the aisle. Or to be exact, jumped up and down as he went down the aisle.

November 2011
As Xav gets older, it also means more opportunities for “equal” playtime with Jay. By equal I mean times for play where Jay has a lower risk of accidentally hurting his younger brother. Or crushing him. And when Xav finally sprouted some teeth, it meant more opportunity to share food.

December 2011
And before I could hardly catch my breath, in the blink of an eye, 2012 is a few hours away, and I can only whine reminisce about where my 2011 went to!

Now, in the last few hours of this year, here’s wishing you an AWESOME 2012 ahead. I feel it in my bones, and trust & pray for a good year ahead. 2011 had its challenges, especially because I had to juggle two kids and a full-time job… but at least now that both my kids are getting older, I think (hope/pray) that 2012 will be a smoother ride ahead! :) For the New Year, I pray for:

• Good health for my kids, and Nic and myself… and all our extended family & loved ones
• Strong & loving relationship amongst my 2 boys
• Wisdom on Nic & I to balance and handle the 2 kids well… training them to be godly boy and later men of God
• To do and achieve more in our own individual careers
• More time spent with friends and family!

What’s your New Year wish?

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Bonding over some stars

Now that Xavier has entered into his seventh month and always giving us the hungrrrrry look whenever he spots us eating, I decided to introduce him to one of Jayvon’s favourite snacks – the Gerber’s star-shaped puffs!

See the anticipation all over his face?

Jay also decided to rediscover his love for these puffs and quickly polished off more than half of this bottle.

 

Xav was “fighting” for it every step of the way.

But there is the advantage of being the older (and more mobile) brother, as Jay decided to sit on the sofa (and further out of his baby brother’s reach).

But all in all, both had their fair share of the puffs, as refereed by Mummy.

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My cute babies!

For a lark, I decided to enter both Jay & Xav for CozyCot’s 100 Cutest Babies contest…

Time for you to help me exercise some “clicking” power… by  Facebook “liking” their photos.

Heh heh… thanks in advance, yeah?

Click on their photos to get to the page to vote!

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Five months ago…

My Xavier…

Just five months back, we first met. While you came three weeks earlier than expected, and threw a lot of Mummy’s work in a tailspin (and Mummy’s poor colleagues left to continue the juggling), you have made an indelible imprint into our lives.

And how he has grown. Into a cheery boy with a loud laugh that warms me to my toes.

He is such an angel. He sleeps by about 830 p.m. each night, and slept through the night (90% of the time, which to any parent is a miracle from God) by the time he was about 6 weeks old. Which also explains why I stopped my breastfeeding duty waaaaaay earlier as compared to Jay.  As a baby, Jay didn’t like the bottle at all. It would take a good half-hour to feed a wriggling, struggling, protesting Jay a mere 60 ml of milk (be it formula or expressed BM). Xav, on the totally opposite spectrum, took easily to the bottle, and “accepted” the milk, whether it was formula or breastmilk. He also accepted the pacifier, and whenever he was a tad fussy and struggling to sleep, it just took a few suckles of that pacifier for him to placate himself. Like I said. Angel.

 

My two princes. :)

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