Interview by Motherhood Magazine (Feb 2014 Issue)

Note from Kay: This is my favourite write-up about Milky Way because I appreciate how the article reflects   not just my journey as an entrepreneur, but more so as a wife and mum. Thank you, Motherhood magazine!

 

 

The Young Ones

The kids have grown, and so has the business. Yet in many ways, things have remained the same - their constant presence in the ins and outs of Milky Way.

Finger Painting with Auntie Addy

After witnessing Auntie Addy complete her painting titled "Something Beautiful", the kiddies couldn't wait to creat masterpieces of their own.

Photoshoot with baby in tow

We were reunited with the lovely Izabella for our CNY collection photoshoot. This time round, the shoot was even more special because we were joined by Izzy's adorable six-month-old baby. Modelling our range of toddler outfits, Euphorie was a superstar in front of the camera lens.

To those of our readers who celebrate it, Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

Wishing you peace and prosperity to you and your loved ones in the year of the snake. 

A Matter of Gender?

Dani seems to really enjoy bustling around the office, picking up and arranging things in place, helping me smooth away creases on the clothings as I take pictures.

Unlike her brother David who much prefers hiding himself inside the chests, losing his toy cars inside, pretending to be a pirate and generally making a mess of the place.

Can you see how different they are already?

Showroom Setting Up

I am thankful that the school holidays coincided with my setting up the showroom. This gives me more flexibility in planning my time around appointments and errands. All three kids tagged along everywhere I went. But it also meant that I had to put up with their incessant chatter and requests while I tried to get things done.

"Mummy, can this be my sword?"

"Mummy, can I go inside the cupboard?"

"Mummy, what's this?"

"Mummy, I'm HUUUUNGRY."

"Mummy, don't go back so early, we still wanna play..."

Okay. At least someone's having fun.

Photoshoot Oct 2009

I managed recently to organise yet another fun photoshoot with mummy Liching, seem here with her second daughter Jaimee.




Our older kids mucked around in the pool nearby while we worked. This is the one part of my job at Milky Way which I enjoy tremendously.

Motherhood Fair 2009

Joining the fair was a last minute decision as I did not make major plans for Milky Way this year in anticipation that I'd be tied up with the arrival of the new baby. As it turned out, Deb was such an easy-going baby that I found myself taking up on an invitation to share a store space with another mummy-entrepreneur.

I had everything planned out: I'd get help from my mother-in-law with the baby and express milk during the fair for baby. Everything was going as hoped until just a few days before the fair.

Baby Deb suddenly started rejecting the bottle.

No matter what I did, Deb either pushed away the bottle, played with the plastic teat, or, stared ahead of her with the teat inside her mouth but stubbornly refusing to suck.

This left me with no choice but to to bundle her along with me to the fair. Thankfully, the nursing rooms at the fair were very thoughtfully set up. There were six cubicles, each one featuring a comfortable armchair and with a free supply of wet wipes. It's the little things like this that make all the difference.

So Baby Deb, all two months of her, attended the fair throughout all four days.

I'd be bustling, attending to customers, and then making a beeline for the nursing room every few hours to breastfeed. The time spent in the nursing room turned out to be much needed respite for me --- feeding Deb in the room, resting my back, evaluating the day's work. It was all pretty surreal.


My mum sent her encouragement in the form of this homemade flower arrangement. I just had to smile each time I looked at the two little plush-toys. Was my mum thinking of me and my sister, working hard at the fair?

The highlight for me was naturally the visit of my two older kids at the booth. All bundled up in their sweaters by their doting grandma, the two burst into the scene with squeals of delight. Even in the small space they found their fun by exploring the changing room, and under the table for scraps of tidbits. Ah. They are the much-needed reminder of why I am doing what I am doing.

Open House May 2009

I decided to take full advantage of the presence of my confinement nanny who'd help look after the baby, to organize the one and only Open House I could probably manage this year.

I invited my dear friend Boon Kuan to come along to sell her beautiful hand-crafted jewellery and she gamely agreed, with her three-month-old son in tow.

Seen here - Boon Kuan taking time in between customers to breastfeed her baby. I really like this photo because of the tranquility it captures.

It was wonderful meeting up with mummies in person, as usual. What was unexpected, though, was that there were actually not one, but two homeschooling families that visited! I was always under the impression that homeschool mummies were among the most capable, dedicated and creative people. And that the homeschool kids were the most delightful to have around.  The nine lovely home schooled kiddies that passed through my door that afternoon certainly strengthened this impression.

Working with Babies

It's true that photographing kids and babies is one of the easiest ways to get flawless shots simply because the subjects themselves are flawless to begin with.

It's quite another thing to try to get their cooperation when we most need them to...

...because as we all know, the kids tend to have their own agenda and preferences.


Usually settling down for a feed is the last thing on their minds.


So our model mummies usually end up cajoling,


or even physically restraining them.


All in search for the perfect shot.

Runaway Boy

For the longest time, we've been working with a fashion dummy for displaying Milky Way pieces, so it was with more than a twinge of excitement that we planned for our first ever outdoor photoshoot.

While we were mentally prepared for the various logistical issues that were par for the course, a runaway toddler definitely stretched the limits of what was expected.

The tot in question was my son David who was 15 months old then.  He just kept practicing his newfound skill of walking. And so he kept walking away. And away again. Loitering everywhere except where we needed him to be.

Though not a mummy (yet) herself, Shennon sure shows the qualities of a patient and resourceful mummy dealing with a tot that kept running away!
 

He just kept walking away! It was a good thing David didn't tip over, because right beyond the edge is the deep blue waters of the marina. Looking back, I shudder at the thought of what could have happened.

Picking him up didn't help either.

In the end, there were plenty of photos taken that captured the little boy playing around but not many that could be used for the actual website itself. Ah well.

Family Togetherness

We were taking a break from our photoshoot in Amsterdam. There I was, checking the shots on my camera, when I looked up and spied this sweet little moment.