Have you ever wondered what bum cream tastes like? Just ask Dave because he attempted to brush with it the other night. He says it's not as sweet and slightly gritty. Yum Yum!
Friday, October 31, 2008
On the lighter side of things...
Please notice in the picture below how similar our toothpaste and diaper rash cream tubes appear:
Have you ever wondered what bum cream tastes like? Just ask Dave because he attempted to brush with it the other night. He says it's not as sweet and slightly gritty. Yum Yum!
Have you ever wondered what bum cream tastes like? Just ask Dave because he attempted to brush with it the other night. He says it's not as sweet and slightly gritty. Yum Yum!
Happy Halloween!
Dressing Up and getting ready...
Knock Knock Knock...
Trick or Treat...
A one year old kitten only really needs to trick or treat one door anyway! Happy Halloween even in Korea! (Dave wouldn't let me change out of the funny shirt I have on. He says I was a Korean Mom for Halloween because it is totally their style)
So, after hearing all my sulking about Halloween in my last post, you will be happy to know that it is a Happy Halloween after all! After thinking we would be spending Halloween in the hospital, a one door trick or treating experience with Lucy felt like heaven! Last night (October 30) Lucy was discharged from the Hospital after a 3 night 4 day luxury stay. She is feeling good, running around like her old self again, and I personally couldn't have been happier than to wake up in my own bed, (be it on the floor, it don't matter) on October 31! I guess the annual Pendergrass Halloween Party happened at the hospital this year! I am so sorry you weren't invited!
So I bet that paragraph sparked your interest a little. Yeah, don't worry, I'll give you the low down. Last week starting Thursday (October 23) Lucy came down with what I thought was the Flu. She had the classic symptoms: Vomiting, Diarrhea and Fever. On Friday, she was completely kaput, and at one point had tears streaming down her face, but she hardly had the energy to cry, and at this very point is when I realized the wonders of T.V. Up until this point Lucy has hardly watched any in her life, but I turned it on to distract her and it was the first smile I saw in days as she tried to "meow" like the Kitties in "Aristocats" and then next we watched the original "Whinnie the Pooh" and I don't know if me or Lucy enjoyed it more (I must have watched it a lot as a kid because I know it has been years, but I still had half the lines memorized...what a great show!). That night when I checked her temperature it was 104.3! Yikes! We were getting ready to head to the hospital, but after a Father's Blessing and some Tylenol, her fever dropped a couple degrees and she actually started crawling around and playing so I thought she was okay and our testimony's were strengthened by the immediate improvement following the blessing.
This was really Lucy's first illness, other than a small cold back in April, so I was learning lots about how amazing mothers, and especially mine, really are. There is some sort of magical endurance that the Lord fortifies mothers with during these kind of times and you begin to realize just how much you love your child and although you might have said it before, now you know there isn't anything you wouldn't do for your precious little one. Well, after a long weekend, Lucy woke up Monday morning with blood in her diaper and so without further thought, we were off to the Hospital. We decided to take her to the hospital in Seoul, even though it was an hour and a half Subway ride, because they have an international hospital and supposedly it is the best in Korea.
We got off the Subway, Dave grabbed a cab for me and Lucy and then headed straight back on the Subway on his way to work, while I took Lucy to the hospital. After a quick pediatric doctor visit, we were sent to the ER which as you can imagine just filled me with joy! After some X-rays, blood tests, urine samples (doesn't sound bad, but those are just a lot harder to get out of a dehydrated baby than a normal person), an IV and an Ultrasound, Lucy was admitted to the hospital. Yay! I remained strong and only cried twice through the ordeal (once when they were inserting the IV and attempted both hands and finally moved down to her foot, and another time when a lady put her hand on my shoulder and said "Korean Mom understand" ) I was very confused, not to mention frightened, although the Doctors spoke some English and gave very earnest attempts to explain what was going on. Being at a hospital and not speaking the language with a sweet little suffering child is just not easy. Before the ultrasound they told me she might need an operation because some of her symptoms suggested she had Intussusception ( click here for details about this illness) a serious and life threatening emergency. All I really understood were intestines, emergency and operation, so I was beyond worried and definitely praying my little heart right out of my chest. I guess somehow the utlrasound showed that this was not the problem, although she did have a swollen section of the intestines and one lymph node (but if I remember right the lymph nodes always swell when you have an infection, so I don't know what that really says).
Here is my sad little Lu on the second day in the hospital (I took Lucy cruising the hospital in this little crib on wheels so she wouldn't be so sad):
By the next day in the hospital, Lucy seemed to be perking up a bit (although she freaked whenever the nurses or doctors came by. She was quick to figure out who took the blood samples) at least she was sitting up and not completely miserable (she was completely dehydrated when we arrived at the hospital, poor girl, so I am sure that IV did wonders for her little body) and by Thursday evening when we were discharged, she was her happy self again.
2nd day on her little hospital gurney:
As you can imagine, it wasn't exactly an easy week. Dave traveled back and forth from work every day and slept on a hospital cot that was at least a foot too short for him, with my sweatshirt for a pillow and I snuggled up on the narrow twin sized hospital gurney with Lucy. The room was designed for 6 patients, but the most that were ever there was four, so we were lucky to have a little space from all the other kids that were hacking all night with Pneumonia like symptoms. I am really still not sure what Lucy had, but they let her go since she seemed to feel better and no longer had blood in her diapers (with some antibiotics to be administered over the next 4 days). They mentioned the words bacteria, stool culture, still waiting, possibly salmonella, and other bacterial names I can't remember, so for now I guess we are calling it Salmonella Food Poisoning, but to be honest I really have no idea if that is what she had or if that was just a possibility at one point and that is the only word I can remember the doctor saying.
Here's Lucy a few hours before she was discharged cruising the hospital grounds (They took her IV out the night before and then changed their minds about her being discharged and put another one in her on Thursday for a few hours and then changed their minds again and decided to let her go home. Luckily they got it in her hand so she could still walk. Her arm isn't through her jacket because it is pretty complicated to get the whole IV bag through the coat arm.)
The experience wasn't all bad, we made some wonderful friends in the hospital. By the end of our stay, random people I met there were bringing us gifts (like bath and body works type stuff, children's books, balloons, etc.) and one nurse brought us the most wonderful croissant sandwiches and bananas all on her off day!
Lucy enjoying her balloon presents, hoping to take a bite. She has started saying "Ball" whenever she sees balloons. I think it is pretty cute.
The nurses adored Lucy and probably gave her a total of 200 stickers while we were there. In fact, the whole place adored Lucy and she became the star of the hospital as we went on our daily cruise around the hospital with her little portable crib and mini wheel chair. I watched so many sad faces light up as they little Lucy. We talked a lot with one thyroid cancer patient who spoke English and were reminded to appreciate every day of our life! We were able to watch a wonderful choir performance one night and while I was thanking them afterward they gave Lucy a couple of their CD's, and they were really good, so I was excited! I was even able to talk about the gospel to one special family I really connected with, so maybe we were sent to the hospital for a reason (I can't even begin to explain how wonderful this family was. We were roommates and they shared everything they had with me from bottles of juice, gum and Choco Pies to pizza. They were positive through there trials and it was completely contagious. They told me they were Christian, but I already knew that every fiber of their family sought Chirst and lived after his example, to make a long story short). I mean, of course, we were sent for a reason because I know the Lord has a plan for each of his children, whether it was to share the gospel or just become a stronger, better mother, or just to appreciate a little more every day that I am blessed to share with my precious little girl. So, although it was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, we did have some good experiences and hopefully our family learned whatever lessons were necessary so we don't have to go through that again!
Happy Lucy Again:
Basically had this been a few weeks ago I would have summed it up: foreign country plus hospital equals misery. Luckily, I made a goal two weeks ago to be happy no matter what, so between our bikes getting stolen and our hospital experience all within those two weeks, I have had some quite immediate practice and now should be able to make it through any trial with a smile! Okay, so I wasn't smiling the whole time, but I sure tried. There were many moments I just wanted my mom, because I knew she would know what to do, but then it dawned on me that it was a culmination of these kind of experiences over the last 24 years of her life raising children that have shaped my mom into the all knowing person that she is, so maybe this is just a baby step to becoming the one who knows everything, at least in Lucy's eyes.
And so I will have to finish by saying Thank You Mom, I just never realized how you got to be such an amazing and all knowing Mother, but now I think of how many times I was sick, times 5 for number of kids, and well, you are definitely over 100% amazing and I sure hope I can grow up to be just as amazing someday! In fact, really this goes for all the Mom's in the audience, you are stronger than you realize and I know our calling as mothers is the greatest on this earth. Keep persevering, keep caring, keep striving, keep teaching and this generation will definitely still have a chance even amidst the evil of these times. If there are still good mothers, there will always be hope for the world!
Knock Knock Knock...
Trick or Treat...
A one year old kitten only really needs to trick or treat one door anyway! Happy Halloween even in Korea! (Dave wouldn't let me change out of the funny shirt I have on. He says I was a Korean Mom for Halloween because it is totally their style)
So, after hearing all my sulking about Halloween in my last post, you will be happy to know that it is a Happy Halloween after all! After thinking we would be spending Halloween in the hospital, a one door trick or treating experience with Lucy felt like heaven! Last night (October 30) Lucy was discharged from the Hospital after a 3 night 4 day luxury stay. She is feeling good, running around like her old self again, and I personally couldn't have been happier than to wake up in my own bed, (be it on the floor, it don't matter) on October 31! I guess the annual Pendergrass Halloween Party happened at the hospital this year! I am so sorry you weren't invited!
So I bet that paragraph sparked your interest a little. Yeah, don't worry, I'll give you the low down. Last week starting Thursday (October 23) Lucy came down with what I thought was the Flu. She had the classic symptoms: Vomiting, Diarrhea and Fever. On Friday, she was completely kaput, and at one point had tears streaming down her face, but she hardly had the energy to cry, and at this very point is when I realized the wonders of T.V. Up until this point Lucy has hardly watched any in her life, but I turned it on to distract her and it was the first smile I saw in days as she tried to "meow" like the Kitties in "Aristocats" and then next we watched the original "Whinnie the Pooh" and I don't know if me or Lucy enjoyed it more (I must have watched it a lot as a kid because I know it has been years, but I still had half the lines memorized...what a great show!). That night when I checked her temperature it was 104.3! Yikes! We were getting ready to head to the hospital, but after a Father's Blessing and some Tylenol, her fever dropped a couple degrees and she actually started crawling around and playing so I thought she was okay and our testimony's were strengthened by the immediate improvement following the blessing.
This was really Lucy's first illness, other than a small cold back in April, so I was learning lots about how amazing mothers, and especially mine, really are. There is some sort of magical endurance that the Lord fortifies mothers with during these kind of times and you begin to realize just how much you love your child and although you might have said it before, now you know there isn't anything you wouldn't do for your precious little one. Well, after a long weekend, Lucy woke up Monday morning with blood in her diaper and so without further thought, we were off to the Hospital. We decided to take her to the hospital in Seoul, even though it was an hour and a half Subway ride, because they have an international hospital and supposedly it is the best in Korea.
We got off the Subway, Dave grabbed a cab for me and Lucy and then headed straight back on the Subway on his way to work, while I took Lucy to the hospital. After a quick pediatric doctor visit, we were sent to the ER which as you can imagine just filled me with joy! After some X-rays, blood tests, urine samples (doesn't sound bad, but those are just a lot harder to get out of a dehydrated baby than a normal person), an IV and an Ultrasound, Lucy was admitted to the hospital. Yay! I remained strong and only cried twice through the ordeal (once when they were inserting the IV and attempted both hands and finally moved down to her foot, and another time when a lady put her hand on my shoulder and said "Korean Mom understand" ) I was very confused, not to mention frightened, although the Doctors spoke some English and gave very earnest attempts to explain what was going on. Being at a hospital and not speaking the language with a sweet little suffering child is just not easy. Before the ultrasound they told me she might need an operation because some of her symptoms suggested she had Intussusception ( click here for details about this illness) a serious and life threatening emergency. All I really understood were intestines, emergency and operation, so I was beyond worried and definitely praying my little heart right out of my chest. I guess somehow the utlrasound showed that this was not the problem, although she did have a swollen section of the intestines and one lymph node (but if I remember right the lymph nodes always swell when you have an infection, so I don't know what that really says).
Here is my sad little Lu on the second day in the hospital (I took Lucy cruising the hospital in this little crib on wheels so she wouldn't be so sad):
By the next day in the hospital, Lucy seemed to be perking up a bit (although she freaked whenever the nurses or doctors came by. She was quick to figure out who took the blood samples) at least she was sitting up and not completely miserable (she was completely dehydrated when we arrived at the hospital, poor girl, so I am sure that IV did wonders for her little body) and by Thursday evening when we were discharged, she was her happy self again.
2nd day on her little hospital gurney:
As you can imagine, it wasn't exactly an easy week. Dave traveled back and forth from work every day and slept on a hospital cot that was at least a foot too short for him, with my sweatshirt for a pillow and I snuggled up on the narrow twin sized hospital gurney with Lucy. The room was designed for 6 patients, but the most that were ever there was four, so we were lucky to have a little space from all the other kids that were hacking all night with Pneumonia like symptoms. I am really still not sure what Lucy had, but they let her go since she seemed to feel better and no longer had blood in her diapers (with some antibiotics to be administered over the next 4 days). They mentioned the words bacteria, stool culture, still waiting, possibly salmonella, and other bacterial names I can't remember, so for now I guess we are calling it Salmonella Food Poisoning, but to be honest I really have no idea if that is what she had or if that was just a possibility at one point and that is the only word I can remember the doctor saying.
Here's Lucy a few hours before she was discharged cruising the hospital grounds (They took her IV out the night before and then changed their minds about her being discharged and put another one in her on Thursday for a few hours and then changed their minds again and decided to let her go home. Luckily they got it in her hand so she could still walk. Her arm isn't through her jacket because it is pretty complicated to get the whole IV bag through the coat arm.)
The experience wasn't all bad, we made some wonderful friends in the hospital. By the end of our stay, random people I met there were bringing us gifts (like bath and body works type stuff, children's books, balloons, etc.) and one nurse brought us the most wonderful croissant sandwiches and bananas all on her off day!
Lucy enjoying her balloon presents, hoping to take a bite. She has started saying "Ball" whenever she sees balloons. I think it is pretty cute.
The nurses adored Lucy and probably gave her a total of 200 stickers while we were there. In fact, the whole place adored Lucy and she became the star of the hospital as we went on our daily cruise around the hospital with her little portable crib and mini wheel chair. I watched so many sad faces light up as they little Lucy. We talked a lot with one thyroid cancer patient who spoke English and were reminded to appreciate every day of our life! We were able to watch a wonderful choir performance one night and while I was thanking them afterward they gave Lucy a couple of their CD's, and they were really good, so I was excited! I was even able to talk about the gospel to one special family I really connected with, so maybe we were sent to the hospital for a reason (I can't even begin to explain how wonderful this family was. We were roommates and they shared everything they had with me from bottles of juice, gum and Choco Pies to pizza. They were positive through there trials and it was completely contagious. They told me they were Christian, but I already knew that every fiber of their family sought Chirst and lived after his example, to make a long story short). I mean, of course, we were sent for a reason because I know the Lord has a plan for each of his children, whether it was to share the gospel or just become a stronger, better mother, or just to appreciate a little more every day that I am blessed to share with my precious little girl. So, although it was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, we did have some good experiences and hopefully our family learned whatever lessons were necessary so we don't have to go through that again!Happy Lucy Again:
Basically had this been a few weeks ago I would have summed it up: foreign country plus hospital equals misery. Luckily, I made a goal two weeks ago to be happy no matter what, so between our bikes getting stolen and our hospital experience all within those two weeks, I have had some quite immediate practice and now should be able to make it through any trial with a smile! Okay, so I wasn't smiling the whole time, but I sure tried. There were many moments I just wanted my mom, because I knew she would know what to do, but then it dawned on me that it was a culmination of these kind of experiences over the last 24 years of her life raising children that have shaped my mom into the all knowing person that she is, so maybe this is just a baby step to becoming the one who knows everything, at least in Lucy's eyes.And so I will have to finish by saying Thank You Mom, I just never realized how you got to be such an amazing and all knowing Mother, but now I think of how many times I was sick, times 5 for number of kids, and well, you are definitely over 100% amazing and I sure hope I can grow up to be just as amazing someday! In fact, really this goes for all the Mom's in the audience, you are stronger than you realize and I know our calling as mothers is the greatest on this earth. Keep persevering, keep caring, keep striving, keep teaching and this generation will definitely still have a chance even amidst the evil of these times. If there are still good mothers, there will always be hope for the world!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
My Pumpkin
For those of you who don't know, I love Halloween! Dressing up... creepy murder mystery parties... and of course, let's not forget pumpkins! Eating pumpkin cookies or carving them up for decorations...I just love 'em! Now, don't get me wrong, there are soooooooo many things I love about living abroad, but American Holidays are not one of them. Let's just say I practically tear up every time I see all of you great bloggers' pumpkin patch pictures! Can you all just stop taking such cute pictures of your kids with pumpkins already? I've got it so bad, I even know exactly which outfit I would put Lucy in for the pumpkin patch experience (green corduroy overalls, talk about made for a pumpkin patch! I mean when else am I going to put this outfit on her?). Oh well. I guess it's not the end of the world if Lucy is two years old at her first trip to a pumpkin patch.
Okay, so I will stop dwelling on the negative, they do have pumpkins here (wait, one last dwell... I can't even dress Lucy up in her Halloween Kitty costume that I brought all the way to Korea because the English ward Halloween Party is today and Lucy has the Flu, and next year she will be too big for it! Woe is me. I know. By now you must be thinking my life can't possibly get any worse! Okay, now I am done dwelling). The pumpkins here are green, but they taste good and are orange on the inside, so it's okay. They are a little small and would be hard to carve, so instead, on Wednesday, we decided to make the ever so enchanting Korean dish, Pumpkin Porridge, in honor of my Halloween emotions (okay, so I can't lie, there was really no "we" involved. I pretty much soaked the rice and washed the pumpkin and then my sweetie pumpkin pie, took it from there...but I won't gush about how wonderful my husband is, primarily because he is a humble sort of guy and wouldn't like it, and besides if you've met him you already know he is the most amazing slice of cornbread this side of the Mississippi! I'm trying to keep with the Halloween theme here, but I don't know if using "cornbread" to describe my hubby is cutting it. I thought about saying "Candy Corn," but let's face it that is definitely too "corny." Sorry for my lack of perfect wording and please do share if you have a better Halloween adjective for my wonderful husband). As you may recall this is my favorite Korean food (see post "October I Welcome You" for way too many details about this soup).
Anyway, homemade wasn't so bad! Albeit a little chunky (we don't have a blender, or anything that can refine consistency, for that matter), it definitely passed the Wendy Yummy Test. What's more...it passed the Lucy Yummy Test! Hooray! I was just ecstatic because the last few times Lucy tried the store bought kind, it was complete rejection. She either has really refined tastebuds (which would coincide with all of her previous eating patterns) or it's because I let her self feed (which for Lucy, usually turns the concotions of her nightmares into something as delightful as a sweet cherry pie, or I guess I should be saying pumpkin pie during this post, my bad.) Anyway enough about pumpkins! Let's get to the good stuff, (pictures of Lucy, duh!) This was a messy affair, but I got some good shots out of it. I realize it's kind of gross looking, although funny, so I'm sorry for those of you with a weak stomach! And since I am still struggling to post videos, I will just do a narrated picture movie strip of this event. I guess this is as Halloweenish as it is going to get around here this year, so enjoy!
Before I go into the Lucy narrative, let me just mention at the point this slideshow begins, Lucy had already dipped all of her bangs into the cup, so I cliped back her pumpkin bangs, although you can't really tell how much pumpkin is in her hair from the pictures.
Oh Boy! I've got the spoon. I've the got a cup. There is orange goo all over! Does it get any better?
Okay, I take that back. This orange goo is hardly even close to edible. What are you guys feeding me?
On second thought, not so bad. Has a nice texture. So I missed my mouth...give me a break!
Well, it was fun and all guys...but, "Chuck" I'm done with the spoon. I so have better methods...
Just drink it, duh!
Well, I only got it on my forehead, so once again I will have to rely on the only truly reliable source...
...thank you fingers!
Hmmmm, maybe I could market this as the latest Halloween Hand Cream?
Hey Mom....I'm done! I've got my pumpkin costume on and I'm ready to go Trick or Treating! I'll even show you my scary Halloween face!
(By the way, since I thought you might wonder after seeing the pictures, Lucy officially eats in what I call a Low Chair, as opposed to the infamous American High Chair. Since we Koreans eat on the ground, I took Lucy's walker, put it on the lowest setting so she is sitting on the ground, and Voila, you can have your very own Low Chair too! Okay so really we were just too cheep to buy one over here and this really doesn't beat the $5 Gerber High Chair I snagged at a yard sale and used to use in America, but it's got a tray and holds her in one spot so it works! Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!)
And that's all for the Lucy show today! You can't even see in the pictures what a great radius she affected, so just imagine this orange goo in a circle with a diameter of at least 5 feet... oh how I love this girl and what a fun lunchtime experience we had! I was entertained, and I hope you are too. Stay tuned for more great pumpkin adventures by Lucy!
Okay, so I will stop dwelling on the negative, they do have pumpkins here (wait, one last dwell... I can't even dress Lucy up in her Halloween Kitty costume that I brought all the way to Korea because the English ward Halloween Party is today and Lucy has the Flu, and next year she will be too big for it! Woe is me. I know. By now you must be thinking my life can't possibly get any worse! Okay, now I am done dwelling). The pumpkins here are green, but they taste good and are orange on the inside, so it's okay. They are a little small and would be hard to carve, so instead, on Wednesday, we decided to make the ever so enchanting Korean dish, Pumpkin Porridge, in honor of my Halloween emotions (okay, so I can't lie, there was really no "we" involved. I pretty much soaked the rice and washed the pumpkin and then my sweetie pumpkin pie, took it from there...but I won't gush about how wonderful my husband is, primarily because he is a humble sort of guy and wouldn't like it, and besides if you've met him you already know he is the most amazing slice of cornbread this side of the Mississippi! I'm trying to keep with the Halloween theme here, but I don't know if using "cornbread" to describe my hubby is cutting it. I thought about saying "Candy Corn," but let's face it that is definitely too "corny." Sorry for my lack of perfect wording and please do share if you have a better Halloween adjective for my wonderful husband). As you may recall this is my favorite Korean food (see post "October I Welcome You" for way too many details about this soup).
Anyway, homemade wasn't so bad! Albeit a little chunky (we don't have a blender, or anything that can refine consistency, for that matter), it definitely passed the Wendy Yummy Test. What's more...it passed the Lucy Yummy Test! Hooray! I was just ecstatic because the last few times Lucy tried the store bought kind, it was complete rejection. She either has really refined tastebuds (which would coincide with all of her previous eating patterns) or it's because I let her self feed (which for Lucy, usually turns the concotions of her nightmares into something as delightful as a sweet cherry pie, or I guess I should be saying pumpkin pie during this post, my bad.) Anyway enough about pumpkins! Let's get to the good stuff, (pictures of Lucy, duh!) This was a messy affair, but I got some good shots out of it. I realize it's kind of gross looking, although funny, so I'm sorry for those of you with a weak stomach! And since I am still struggling to post videos, I will just do a narrated picture movie strip of this event. I guess this is as Halloweenish as it is going to get around here this year, so enjoy!
Before I go into the Lucy narrative, let me just mention at the point this slideshow begins, Lucy had already dipped all of her bangs into the cup, so I cliped back her pumpkin bangs, although you can't really tell how much pumpkin is in her hair from the pictures.
Oh Boy! I've got the spoon. I've the got a cup. There is orange goo all over! Does it get any better?
Okay, I take that back. This orange goo is hardly even close to edible. What are you guys feeding me?
On second thought, not so bad. Has a nice texture. So I missed my mouth...give me a break!
Well, it was fun and all guys...but, "Chuck" I'm done with the spoon. I so have better methods...
Just drink it, duh!
Well, I only got it on my forehead, so once again I will have to rely on the only truly reliable source...
...thank you fingers!
Hmmmm, maybe I could market this as the latest Halloween Hand Cream?
Hey Mom....I'm done! I've got my pumpkin costume on and I'm ready to go Trick or Treating! I'll even show you my scary Halloween face!(By the way, since I thought you might wonder after seeing the pictures, Lucy officially eats in what I call a Low Chair, as opposed to the infamous American High Chair. Since we Koreans eat on the ground, I took Lucy's walker, put it on the lowest setting so she is sitting on the ground, and Voila, you can have your very own Low Chair too! Okay so really we were just too cheep to buy one over here and this really doesn't beat the $5 Gerber High Chair I snagged at a yard sale and used to use in America, but it's got a tray and holds her in one spot so it works! Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!)
And that's all for the Lucy show today! You can't even see in the pictures what a great radius she affected, so just imagine this orange goo in a circle with a diameter of at least 5 feet... oh how I love this girl and what a fun lunchtime experience we had! I was entertained, and I hope you are too. Stay tuned for more great pumpkin adventures by Lucy!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tagged by Renee-My Favorite 6's
6 TV Shows: (I'm kind of more of a movie person, but here you go:)
American Idol (I started watching halfway through last season and am so addicted I wish I never started!)
MASH
Perry Mason
Sherlock Holmes (just started this one! We have all the episodes on our prerecorded free TV service)
Andy Griffith Show
Beverly Hillbillies
(Thank you late night KBYU for introducing me to the oldies!)
6 Favorite Restaurants:
Olive Garden
Shabu Shabu (Popular Restaurant all over Asia, and I don't know how it is spelled, but it is the best tasting healthy food ever!)
Tuscanos
Cafe Rios
Thai Ruby (all Thai food floats my boat!)
The Mayan (Grown ups Chucky Cheese! Live diving show, rain forest atmosphere....)
6 Things that happened today:
Started off with some spit ups in the wee hours (Lucy, not me, she has the flu if you can't tell from the days events).
Watched the original "Whinnie the Pooh," as well as "Aristocats"
Took Lucy's temperature (and it dropped thank goodness)
Talked with my wonderful in laws, live via Skype (feel free to give us a call!)
Ate French Toast, compliments to my loving husband
Listened to the pounding rain and thunderstorm of Korea
6 Things I am looking forward to:
Halloween 2009 (I guess you could throw in Thanksgiving and Christmas 2009 as well)
Seeing what a cute old man Dave is going to be
Spring (as always until I live in San Diego again)
Lucy... and the rest of my life with her, need I say more?
To see if Lani is going to marry Brock (my totally cute college sister and her missionary)
Traveling to church in under 20 minutes, and by car (so strangers can't fuss over my adorable child)
6 Things on my wish list:
Being a little bit better (as my Grandpa Bruce used to answer when asked how he was doing: "Better," and then often someone would ask "were you not well?" and he would respond "I'm just always getting a little better, thanks for asking")
To find my stolen bike
A nice jacuzzi bath tub
Own our own small home in San Diego
Starting my own income generating website
My family to visit us in Korea
6 People to tag:
Lani
Sierra
Brian
Heidi
Nick
Jenny
American Idol (I started watching halfway through last season and am so addicted I wish I never started!)
MASH
Perry Mason
Sherlock Holmes (just started this one! We have all the episodes on our prerecorded free TV service)
Andy Griffith Show
Beverly Hillbillies
(Thank you late night KBYU for introducing me to the oldies!)
6 Favorite Restaurants:
Olive Garden
Shabu Shabu (Popular Restaurant all over Asia, and I don't know how it is spelled, but it is the best tasting healthy food ever!)
Tuscanos
Cafe Rios
Thai Ruby (all Thai food floats my boat!)
The Mayan (Grown ups Chucky Cheese! Live diving show, rain forest atmosphere....)
6 Things that happened today:
Started off with some spit ups in the wee hours (Lucy, not me, she has the flu if you can't tell from the days events).
Watched the original "Whinnie the Pooh," as well as "Aristocats"
Took Lucy's temperature (and it dropped thank goodness)
Talked with my wonderful in laws, live via Skype (feel free to give us a call!)
Ate French Toast, compliments to my loving husband
Listened to the pounding rain and thunderstorm of Korea
6 Things I am looking forward to:
Halloween 2009 (I guess you could throw in Thanksgiving and Christmas 2009 as well)
Seeing what a cute old man Dave is going to be
Spring (as always until I live in San Diego again)
Lucy... and the rest of my life with her, need I say more?
To see if Lani is going to marry Brock (my totally cute college sister and her missionary)
Traveling to church in under 20 minutes, and by car (so strangers can't fuss over my adorable child)
6 Things on my wish list:
Being a little bit better (as my Grandpa Bruce used to answer when asked how he was doing: "Better," and then often someone would ask "were you not well?" and he would respond "I'm just always getting a little better, thanks for asking")
To find my stolen bike
A nice jacuzzi bath tub
Own our own small home in San Diego
Starting my own income generating website
My family to visit us in Korea
6 People to tag:
Lani
Sierra
Brian
Heidi
Nick
Jenny
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
My Very Own Angel
Sunday we went to the English branch in Seoul so that I could get a little something out of church (I feel the spirit at the Korean ward and love the members, but I guess I just don't have the gift of tongues quite yet!). It took us about an hour and a half both ways to get there. I thought we were awesome for traveling that far by subway, especially with a little one. Okay, more than awesome, I thought we were pretty much close to pioneer status, but just as I began wallowing in my pride, the branch president asked us how long it took us to get there. We answered "An hour and a half" and he replied "Oh good, I thought it would take longer from where you live" and then explained that half of the ward travels that far and one man travels three hours both ways (don't worry, they gave him the gospel doctrine calling so he can prepare and have something to do along the way). So never be prideful, never complain, and go to church no matter how far away it is. But this isn't the point of my post. Really the point of this post is to tell a sweet story about Lucy. (who is just waking up from a nap at 8:30 p.m....yes I know...regular sleep times are good for children, but do you know how hard it is to put Lucy to sleep at the same time every day? When she is tired she is tired and if you don't put her down she is a crank, so if it is 7:00 p.m. and you see tiredness cues you just put her down for a nap. So I'll be right back).
(Okay I'm back and Lucy is sitting beside me busily eating her peaches and rice. I thought I might be able to get her back to sleep for the night, but just as she closed her eyes and was nodding back off she surprised me with wide open eyes and a beautiful chorus of "lener lener lener," that noise where they stick there tongue in and out. Totally Cute! Oh well, now I don't have to await Dave's arrival all by my lonesome. Lucy is absolutely thrilled because I just gave her the spoon and let her go to town which only happens when we are not about to go somewhere or already out somewhere (which is surprisingly very rare). I'm all for messes, but timing is key and if you let them make a huge mess of themselves before you leave you'll never get out the door).
Well, half way through church Lucy really needed a nap, so I found a quiet room to try to rock her to sleep. Just as she nodded off, some loud people came by and woke her up, but now I am grateful she did. She saw a picture of Jesus with the children on the door and started signing "come to me" so I brought her close and explained that it was Jesus (The picture to the right is the picture we saw). She looked mesmerized. Then I told her that Jesus loved the little children in the picture and he also loved her and so she gave him a kiss. I smiled and told her good job, so she just kept wanting to kiss the picture of Jesus. Oh, it melted my heart. It was as if she could hear Christ's plea, "suffer the children to come to me." I hope she always knows she is a precious child of God and just how very very loved she is. Little children definitely enter this world with the Light of Christ and a heart full of love. Just when I start to think it's my mission in life to take care of this little girl, I realize she was really sent here to take care of me. She takes care of my spirit and my testimony and reminds me of what is really important in life. She is the light of my life. My very own little angel to dance with, and laugh with and hold and kiss and snuggle and love. So far in my life there is no experience with a higher reward than to be a Mother. And so although it cost time and money to get to church this Sunday, the experience was priceless.
(Okay I'm back and Lucy is sitting beside me busily eating her peaches and rice. I thought I might be able to get her back to sleep for the night, but just as she closed her eyes and was nodding back off she surprised me with wide open eyes and a beautiful chorus of "lener lener lener," that noise where they stick there tongue in and out. Totally Cute! Oh well, now I don't have to await Dave's arrival all by my lonesome. Lucy is absolutely thrilled because I just gave her the spoon and let her go to town which only happens when we are not about to go somewhere or already out somewhere (which is surprisingly very rare). I'm all for messes, but timing is key and if you let them make a huge mess of themselves before you leave you'll never get out the door).
Well, half way through church Lucy really needed a nap, so I found a quiet room to try to rock her to sleep. Just as she nodded off, some loud people came by and woke her up, but now I am grateful she did. She saw a picture of Jesus with the children on the door and started signing "come to me" so I brought her close and explained that it was Jesus (The picture to the right is the picture we saw). She looked mesmerized. Then I told her that Jesus loved the little children in the picture and he also loved her and so she gave him a kiss. I smiled and told her good job, so she just kept wanting to kiss the picture of Jesus. Oh, it melted my heart. It was as if she could hear Christ's plea, "suffer the children to come to me." I hope she always knows she is a precious child of God and just how very very loved she is. Little children definitely enter this world with the Light of Christ and a heart full of love. Just when I start to think it's my mission in life to take care of this little girl, I realize she was really sent here to take care of me. She takes care of my spirit and my testimony and reminds me of what is really important in life. She is the light of my life. My very own little angel to dance with, and laugh with and hold and kiss and snuggle and love. So far in my life there is no experience with a higher reward than to be a Mother. And so although it cost time and money to get to church this Sunday, the experience was priceless.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A very merry unbirthday to You!
In honor of your un-birthday today (and for those of you whose birthday it really is, realize we are practically a day ahead in Korea, so it isn't really your birthday anymore, complaints will do you no good), I put together a special surprise! Yes, I finally got my rear in gear to post Lucy's 1st Birthday Portraits (we got them taken the week of her Birthday, but got the shots back a few weeks ago and I am slow, so now she is almost 14 months and doesn't really look like this anymore, but here you go, cuz' they are cute anyway!). Koreans are really into photography (talking to one of my friends, she said you can actually rent the studio and take your own pictures, cool idea, huh?). They had a million different little sets in this studio and we got a screamin' deal (probably just because the photographer wanted our cute baby on his wall). Lucy, of course, posed like the star she is here. She was really into this cute little fake crinkle nosed grin whenever we said "one two three...smile!" You will have to congratulate me for posting so few poses from the photoshoot, I wanted to post every single one, but narrowed it down for your viewing pleasure!
A big real 3 tooth Lucy grin! (Of course, she has four now).
Her Daddy's favorite shot...Dave loves those little Lucy smirks.
Oh the nose crinkle just melts my heart!
"Romeo, Oh Romeo, wherfore art thou Romeo?"
The is Lucy's "Oooohhhhh" face. We chose this as our 8 by 10 because it is so much of her personality. She is so wowed by the world. She sits there and contemplates things so hard and then makes this "ah ha" face that is just lit up with wonder.
And last, but not least a little humor for your day! Mom....get me outta here! If anyone wonders what my life looks like when Lucy's teething...this sums it up! She always does this face and makes her head shake (shake isn't really the right word, but I don't know how to describe it. It is what happens if you bite down really hard, so hard that your jaw and face start to vibrate. That is the best I can explain). Lucy says "My whole head explode!" You people who don't even know your child is teething until they have a tooth...I will have to say "bless you," only because I am working on loving and blessing my enemies!
A big real 3 tooth Lucy grin! (Of course, she has four now).
Her Daddy's favorite shot...Dave loves those little Lucy smirks.
Oh the nose crinkle just melts my heart!
"Romeo, Oh Romeo, wherfore art thou Romeo?"
The is Lucy's "Oooohhhhh" face. We chose this as our 8 by 10 because it is so much of her personality. She is so wowed by the world. She sits there and contemplates things so hard and then makes this "ah ha" face that is just lit up with wonder.
And last, but not least a little humor for your day! Mom....get me outta here! If anyone wonders what my life looks like when Lucy's teething...this sums it up! She always does this face and makes her head shake (shake isn't really the right word, but I don't know how to describe it. It is what happens if you bite down really hard, so hard that your jaw and face start to vibrate. That is the best I can explain). Lucy says "My whole head explode!" You people who don't even know your child is teething until they have a tooth...I will have to say "bless you," only because I am working on loving and blessing my enemies!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Osan Airshow
Osan Airbase Airshow...In other words, a little boy's paradise! Dave just drooled over all these amazing airplanes and stunts that he only dreamed of on his calender as a little boy. Welcome to the "Danger Zone." As for me, watching "choppers" fly over the fields of Korea, left me feeling like I was right there on the set of M*A*S*H* alongside Hawkeye and Honeycut ready to run in for Triage (I'm usually not a big T.V. watcher, but when I was pregnant with Lucy, Dave was always gone with the Track Team and I didn't feel so hot, so I got really into MASH and watched almost every episode. In fact, I watched it so much I bet Lucy would recognize the theme song). Not only did we get to go to the Airshow, but we pretty much had a personal tour from a member we met at church the week before. He was in charge of all North and South Korea combat missions, so he knew all about the planes and knew most of the pilots as well. We were defintely spoiled to be there with him and such great knowledge. Listening to him gave me a much greater appreciation for airplanes and especially those who fly them and fight for our country. We also got to tour the base, which was very exciting to say the least. It is easy to say we are grateful for those who protect us, but being here after living away from our country for nearly 3 months, completely endeared me to America and those who fight for it. Hearing our National Anthem, watching an American Football game (and I have never even been a serious football fan), and speaking English without pausing to help others comprehend, moved me to tears at varying times throughout the day. And so I feel like singing "God Bless America," and I know that he does.
Here is a little picture tour of the Airshow. Sadly, I don't remember all the names of these cool airplanes, but I suppose if you are really into this kind of thing you would know the names by the pictures anyway:
Lucy exploring the in's and out's of this plane
I like this picture because it gives you feel for how windy it was. It just seems so perfect to watch airplanes fly about with the wind whipping at your hair.
Lucy and Dave snuggling up for the Demo
Ah, now this is my sweet M*A*S*H* shot for all the other fans out there
I think these planes were called the "Flying V." They were eight really fast, really loud planes flying in awesome formations together.
Dave took this perfect shot, capturing the moment as a plane let dropped a bomb (This was part of a rescue mission demo)
Two cute ponytales watching the show
Up close and personal with the choppers
It's big, it's dangerous, it flys and its got lots of buttons. Let me at it Mama, this is my kind of machine!
Here is the wonderful family we spent the day with.
I know it is a small thing, but we have been white washed out here and it felt strangely exciting to hang out with another American Family, not to mention another blond child.
A wonderful day to remember!
Here is a little picture tour of the Airshow. Sadly, I don't remember all the names of these cool airplanes, but I suppose if you are really into this kind of thing you would know the names by the pictures anyway:
Lucy exploring the in's and out's of this plane
I like this picture because it gives you feel for how windy it was. It just seems so perfect to watch airplanes fly about with the wind whipping at your hair.
Lucy and Dave snuggling up for the Demo
Ah, now this is my sweet M*A*S*H* shot for all the other fans out there
I think these planes were called the "Flying V." They were eight really fast, really loud planes flying in awesome formations together.
Dave took this perfect shot, capturing the moment as a plane let dropped a bomb (This was part of a rescue mission demo)
Two cute ponytales watching the show
Up close and personal with the choppers
It's big, it's dangerous, it flys and its got lots of buttons. Let me at it Mama, this is my kind of machine!
Here is the wonderful family we spent the day with.
I know it is a small thing, but we have been white washed out here and it felt strangely exciting to hang out with another American Family, not to mention another blond child. A wonderful day to remember!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Graduation Day
That's right folks! Lucy has graduated from Wheelchair to Walker!
Big Girl Lucy doesn't think she has to ride in her stroller anymore. She found a little bar the perfect height on the back of her stroller and now she has claimed it is her personal walker. It doesn't matter how tired this little cutie gets, there is no slowing her down and absolutely no buckling her up in the stroller! (Usually I help her push a little, although no adult is pictured above)
On Friday we went to the park to exercise and Little Lucy just took off running. ( I was drooling over these pictures and realized I should explain Lucy's waterspout. Lucy's bangs are really long, but I don't have any scissors, so by default Lucy is growing out her bangs. Thus the waterspout. No we are not that poor, we just didn't bring very much here and we want to save the most money possible. I can't bear to waste the money when I know I have two pairs at home)
I was surprised because although she started taking a few steps 2 months ago and could do about 10 at one point, the last few weeks she wouldn't even try walking by herself. It was as if something had really scared her and she wouldn't even walk a few steps from me to Dave anymore (although she loved to walk around town holding my hand). Friday she just took off without looking back, no need for a destination and ever since then she has been running away whenever she gets the chance. It's made it a lot easier to exercise because we just go to the park and she runs around while Dave and I do our pull ups and squats and stuff, instead of her wanting to hold my hand and walk with her to what she wants to do, while trying to sneak in a push up or two (although I do miss her wanting to hold my hand a little bit). I guess the whole time she was holding my hand she was just practicing, because like magic she can run, navigate little hills and even some little steps without help. She could even do the sand at the playground last night! It's cute when she falls, she gets really frustrated if I pick her up and comfort her. She wants right back down so she can show me she can do it, even if she whacks her little noggin pretty hard. It hurts me so much every time she falls and gets hurt. I want to hover and be there to catch her if she trips, but I also want her to know that I am confident in her, such tough choices as a mother.
Anyway, while I am in the mood to go on about Lucy I will give you a few quick cute Lucy moments and updates.
Yesterday Lucy cried for the first time when Dave left to go to work. When he said "goodbye" she started crying and signing "come here." Then she kept blowing him kisses through her tears and waving "Bye Bye." What a touching scene, I hope I will never forget. Those two are really starting to bond. Every morning Lucy shows it by crawling over to her sleeping Daddy and waking him up with a big Lucy kiss. Too Cute!
Speaking of Kissing, Lucy is really into kissing lately. She used to give us kisses, but then she figured out how to blow kisses and she always wanted to blow kisses and didn't want to give real kisses. This week she figured out that she could do both kinds, so we have been enjoying lots of Lucy kisses. She walks around and then comes over to you and says "mmmmm" which means she wants to kiss you and then if you give her your cheek, she'll give you a good one. Then she just walks off and plays and then comes back and gives you another one. I love it and can never get enough!
She also learned how to blow raspberries on my stomach and loves it! I love it too, but sometimes she takes a little unexpected bite that I could do without.
One of the sweetest things Lucy learned in the last 2 weeks was how to sign "baby." You put your arms together and rock like you are holding a baby. She loves to point out babies and do the sign, but the cutest is when she sees her picture on the wall or her reflection in the mirror she signs "baby." It is adorable and I wish I could share the video of it with you, but I am really struggling to post videos these days. She also got a new baby doll and has learned to rock her, give her the bottle and burp her, so I guess we might as well have another one and Lucy can just do all the work! Are you up for some midnight feedings Lucy? She said "no, I am the only one doing any eating in the middle of the night around here." Okay, so that plan might not work. It's still sweet. She will even come burp me or Dave if we ask her to.
She also learned to sign Come Here, Help Me, Daddy, Airplane (we went to an Airshow on Saturday, keep watch for a post about it)Train, One (we are working on two and three, but you try it, those ones take extreme finger coordination) Book, Moon, Sky and Stars this week (I guess some of these she learned more than a week ago). She is thrilled whenever she sees the moon and can point it out to me. She signs "stars" when I point them out in her books, but I still don't think she grasps the concept of them in the real night sky because we usually can only see a few. She also insists on grabbing her book and making it hop whenever we get to the part about the bunnies.
Lucy really enjoys singing right now. If you ask her to sing she will enchant you with a few notes and then clap for herself. Her dancing skills are also taking off and she clearly has the beat!
Last, but not least, Lucy has perfected her throwing skills from every once in a while releasing at the right time, to being able to throw pretty perfectly, and far, whenever she wants. Sadly, we are starting to notice a tendency to be right handed, even though her left handed Daddy always puts the ball in her left hand. Sorry Lucy, I guess you might not have that awesome competitive edge and surprise attack in sports that your father has. Still she seems to have inherited Dave's running and jumping abilities so she might be able to still manage a scholarship (come on baby!).
Wow, it seems like everyday she learns a new skill, so I will either have to learn to condense my posts or post everyday if I want to keep an accurate update on this kid! TTFN Ta Ta For Now!
Big Girl Lucy doesn't think she has to ride in her stroller anymore. She found a little bar the perfect height on the back of her stroller and now she has claimed it is her personal walker. It doesn't matter how tired this little cutie gets, there is no slowing her down and absolutely no buckling her up in the stroller! (Usually I help her push a little, although no adult is pictured above)
On Friday we went to the park to exercise and Little Lucy just took off running. ( I was drooling over these pictures and realized I should explain Lucy's waterspout. Lucy's bangs are really long, but I don't have any scissors, so by default Lucy is growing out her bangs. Thus the waterspout. No we are not that poor, we just didn't bring very much here and we want to save the most money possible. I can't bear to waste the money when I know I have two pairs at home)
I was surprised because although she started taking a few steps 2 months ago and could do about 10 at one point, the last few weeks she wouldn't even try walking by herself. It was as if something had really scared her and she wouldn't even walk a few steps from me to Dave anymore (although she loved to walk around town holding my hand). Friday she just took off without looking back, no need for a destination and ever since then she has been running away whenever she gets the chance. It's made it a lot easier to exercise because we just go to the park and she runs around while Dave and I do our pull ups and squats and stuff, instead of her wanting to hold my hand and walk with her to what she wants to do, while trying to sneak in a push up or two (although I do miss her wanting to hold my hand a little bit). I guess the whole time she was holding my hand she was just practicing, because like magic she can run, navigate little hills and even some little steps without help. She could even do the sand at the playground last night! It's cute when she falls, she gets really frustrated if I pick her up and comfort her. She wants right back down so she can show me she can do it, even if she whacks her little noggin pretty hard. It hurts me so much every time she falls and gets hurt. I want to hover and be there to catch her if she trips, but I also want her to know that I am confident in her, such tough choices as a mother.Anyway, while I am in the mood to go on about Lucy I will give you a few quick cute Lucy moments and updates.
Yesterday Lucy cried for the first time when Dave left to go to work. When he said "goodbye" she started crying and signing "come here." Then she kept blowing him kisses through her tears and waving "Bye Bye." What a touching scene, I hope I will never forget. Those two are really starting to bond. Every morning Lucy shows it by crawling over to her sleeping Daddy and waking him up with a big Lucy kiss. Too Cute!
Speaking of Kissing, Lucy is really into kissing lately. She used to give us kisses, but then she figured out how to blow kisses and she always wanted to blow kisses and didn't want to give real kisses. This week she figured out that she could do both kinds, so we have been enjoying lots of Lucy kisses. She walks around and then comes over to you and says "mmmmm" which means she wants to kiss you and then if you give her your cheek, she'll give you a good one. Then she just walks off and plays and then comes back and gives you another one. I love it and can never get enough!
She also learned how to blow raspberries on my stomach and loves it! I love it too, but sometimes she takes a little unexpected bite that I could do without.
One of the sweetest things Lucy learned in the last 2 weeks was how to sign "baby." You put your arms together and rock like you are holding a baby. She loves to point out babies and do the sign, but the cutest is when she sees her picture on the wall or her reflection in the mirror she signs "baby." It is adorable and I wish I could share the video of it with you, but I am really struggling to post videos these days. She also got a new baby doll and has learned to rock her, give her the bottle and burp her, so I guess we might as well have another one and Lucy can just do all the work! Are you up for some midnight feedings Lucy? She said "no, I am the only one doing any eating in the middle of the night around here." Okay, so that plan might not work. It's still sweet. She will even come burp me or Dave if we ask her to.
She also learned to sign Come Here, Help Me, Daddy, Airplane (we went to an Airshow on Saturday, keep watch for a post about it)Train, One (we are working on two and three, but you try it, those ones take extreme finger coordination) Book, Moon, Sky and Stars this week (I guess some of these she learned more than a week ago). She is thrilled whenever she sees the moon and can point it out to me. She signs "stars" when I point them out in her books, but I still don't think she grasps the concept of them in the real night sky because we usually can only see a few. She also insists on grabbing her book and making it hop whenever we get to the part about the bunnies.
Lucy really enjoys singing right now. If you ask her to sing she will enchant you with a few notes and then clap for herself. Her dancing skills are also taking off and she clearly has the beat!
Last, but not least, Lucy has perfected her throwing skills from every once in a while releasing at the right time, to being able to throw pretty perfectly, and far, whenever she wants. Sadly, we are starting to notice a tendency to be right handed, even though her left handed Daddy always puts the ball in her left hand. Sorry Lucy, I guess you might not have that awesome competitive edge and surprise attack in sports that your father has. Still she seems to have inherited Dave's running and jumping abilities so she might be able to still manage a scholarship (come on baby!).
Wow, it seems like everyday she learns a new skill, so I will either have to learn to condense my posts or post everyday if I want to keep an accurate update on this kid! TTFN Ta Ta For Now!
A Little Weighed Down
Lucy has been gaining excessive weight lately...
Wait, look a little closer and surprise!
She is not getting any chubbier, she just stuffed about 10 balls down her shirt. Half of them she even got down her onesie.
Look at this little muscle woman pose!
Do you think I can fit a few more down there?
This experience struck me as quite hilarious. I introduced you to our new Ball Hut via a long story last post (see post "Mom Thoughts" for pictures and details)...well let's just say so far it has been a very good purchase. She loves to go play inside her Ball Hut and so it buys me a little more time on the computer...he he he (thus the excessive posting)! Today she stepped inside and was thoroughly occupied for at least 10 minutes...she even pulled the little screen down so I couldn't see what she was doing in there. When she crawled out, she had shoved at least 10 balls down her shirt. This little woman just cracks me up! She looked like she wanted help taking them out and I figured it would be uncomfortable, so I tried to help her take them out and she got really sad, so I put them back and everything was okay in her world again. Oh the stresses a child must endure! What if my mom takes the balls out of my shirt that I worked so hard to put in here? One thing is for sure, they start making goals, be it baby goals, but goals nonetheless, at quite an early age. Eventually we both ended up with big lumpy ball bellies that were jiggling with laughter. Anyway, I finally took them out when we left to go out to dinner (we usually go out to dinner...so spoiled, I know) and when we got back she immediately started stuffing them down her shirt again. Funny Girl. I Guess she just wants to pretend to have a sweet six pack like her Daddy. Keep trying sweetie. Maybe someday...
Wait, look a little closer and surprise!
She is not getting any chubbier, she just stuffed about 10 balls down her shirt. Half of them she even got down her onesie.Look at this little muscle woman pose!
Do you think I can fit a few more down there?
This experience struck me as quite hilarious. I introduced you to our new Ball Hut via a long story last post (see post "Mom Thoughts" for pictures and details)...well let's just say so far it has been a very good purchase. She loves to go play inside her Ball Hut and so it buys me a little more time on the computer...he he he (thus the excessive posting)! Today she stepped inside and was thoroughly occupied for at least 10 minutes...she even pulled the little screen down so I couldn't see what she was doing in there. When she crawled out, she had shoved at least 10 balls down her shirt. This little woman just cracks me up! She looked like she wanted help taking them out and I figured it would be uncomfortable, so I tried to help her take them out and she got really sad, so I put them back and everything was okay in her world again. Oh the stresses a child must endure! What if my mom takes the balls out of my shirt that I worked so hard to put in here? One thing is for sure, they start making goals, be it baby goals, but goals nonetheless, at quite an early age. Eventually we both ended up with big lumpy ball bellies that were jiggling with laughter. Anyway, I finally took them out when we left to go out to dinner (we usually go out to dinner...so spoiled, I know) and when we got back she immediately started stuffing them down her shirt again. Funny Girl. I Guess she just wants to pretend to have a sweet six pack like her Daddy. Keep trying sweetie. Maybe someday...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Mom Thoughts: Article 1
So, I finally decided what I want to be when I grow up...a writer! Congratulations on deciding, I know. I informed my family a few days ago to get some praise and talk of how wonderful I would be at it and although my parents encouraged me, as usual (I call often and announce my "new" calling in life) my youngest sister, Heidi (14 yrs) was quick to clue me in on the fact that I was already grown up. So she says to me "Wow. You are married, have a Bachelor's degree and a one year old daughter. I am pretty sure you passed the grown up milestone a while ago Wendy." So, my dreams were shattered...all this planning and thinking and it's too late, I'm already grown up. Who me? Never. I shutter to think of a person who doesn't keep making goals and dreaming, for aren't we all still growing up? Of course, we cease to grow vertically at some point, but we are always growing and I hope it is upward. I hope we are learning, maturing, becoming better people, trying out new talent's, figuring out how to get a little more out of life everyday, as well as giving back 100 fold. (Didn't know this would turn into such a sermon.lol) So I change hobbies every couple months...you could say I don't know who I am, a misguided soul, who gets bored way too easily and obviously heading nowhere with frivolous ideas...or as I prefer to think, I just have too many talents and if I don't change hobbies every couple months, I will never perfect them all!
With all of this being said, now the meat of my story. A writer I will be...but of what? A novelist? A Journalist? What do I know? What can I write? Well, it is all fine and good to want to write, but you have to have something to write about. As I daydreamed I realized, all I ever want to write about is Lucy, but there just isn't an audience for my love poetry about my daughter. Every now and then I'm sure you love to hear about her, but no one wants to hear how my daughter is a genius, excels in every way, and is clearly the most brilliant child to have walked the planet, not to mention, most likely to win a Nobel Prize (especially if you have your own little joys to dote on). Is there any way to generalize my experiences to gain an audience? And then it dawned on me, I could write Mom Advice. That would be really fun! I love giving advice to new Moms... but then again, so does everybody else that has ever been through labor. Clearly moms already get enough advice from their friends, neighbors, parents, and random strangers, so that option is ruled out...besides with the fact that my daughter still wakes up a few times a night, who would listen to me? I know I wouldn't. There are enough sleep books that don't work and pages of info on feeding your child, so what could I offer anyway? Maybe I could write a column with advice on how to love being a mother. How to enjoy every day. Okay, I'm not all the way there yet, but I would definitely benefit from the research and be able to practice before I preach. So here goes my first writing assignment as an officially declared writer, writing practical advice to help moms keep their spirits up, brought to you today, free of charge for visiting my blog.
A little mess, A little moment. Enjoy the messes. All kids make them, you will inevitably have to clean them, so why not let your kids enjoy it before you clean it up? Better yet, why not join the fun and remember what it feels like to get sticky? But I wouldn't throw out some nonsense like "completely mess up your house" without testing it, so naturally I had to make a mess. Just when I started to get into a bored sort of mood the other day I thought "what an opportunity, why don't Lucy and I make a mess?
" So you can see the Ball Hut pictured to the right (we bought it with a gift certificate Dave's Boss gave us for Lucy's birthday, so now she is totally spoiled, but as long as she doesn't know it, it doesn't hurt right?). 200 balls in that hut. Sound like fun? The answer is yes. Could it be more fun? 200 balls later, all over the kitchen floor, the answer is yes. Lucy and I literally had a ball rolling in these balls throwing them all over the house. The only problem was, we did have to pick them all up, and since Lucy only managed to put about 5 balls away (you gotta give her props for trying) 195 balls rolling all over can take a little while. So I don't recommend looking for and creating messy situations everyday. If you are up for it, go for it and have the time of your life. If you aren't up for making messes, no worries, I am sure they will find you. For example, when your child is attacking the spoon you are trying to feed them with and accidentally gets the baby food all over your clothes, her hair, and the floor, you have a choice. You can sigh, and start wiping it up. You can curse the baby food, bibs and Gerber altogether and then start wiping it up. 
Or you can take your baby's clothes off, give her the spoon and the food, let her do what she likes with it. Take some pictures. Let her try to feed you. Laugh Laugh Laugh and then start wiping it up. Those are the memories you will love. Those are the times you will miss when they are all grown up, but you could have just wiped the mess up right away and never had a memory, only added a metaphorical rock to your "Being a Mom is hard" pocket. One of my favorite childhood pictures that always hung on our wall was of me and my little brother covered from head to toe in flour lying, probably in an entire bag of flour, on the kitchen floor. I am glad my Mom had the wisdom to laugh about the mess and preserve such a fun childhood experience I could always look back on. I don't even remember the experience, but I think I remember it because I have seen that picture so many times. The truth of the matter is, we are women and so sometimes we get a little hormonal. Maybe our outlook on life isn't always shining, and we definitely all have a "Being a Mom is hard" pocket that has at least a few pebbles in there weighing us down. But we must never forget to continue emptying that pocket and filling our "Being a Mom is the most fun, fulfilling and worthwhile thing I could be doing" pocket, even amidst sleep deprivation, messes and more. These are our angels. These little mess machines are the ones who will be changing the world. Taking a little time to enjoy a mess every now and then is just one small way we can live in the moment while our precious jewels are so young. These moments are the ones that build your child's character, and teach them what to do when life takes unexpected turns. Will they laugh or cry? Give up or brave the storm? When you think of it that way, enjoying a little mess here and there, is all worth it, for them and for you.
A short little article, but what do you think? Could I make a hobby of giving tips to uplift mother's everyday life or should I just stick to writing in my journal? Okay, so I won't quit my day job or anything. If you are worried that you will have to read more long, articles by Wendy to do your duty as a friend to me, no worries. This will most likely be my only article (unless the crowds swarm me and beg for more advice by Wendy), but since it was on my mind and I had already dreamed it all up and taken pictures, I had to write it and share my new insights on loving motherhood. Besides, you had to hear the whole long story about why I took a picture of Lucy on our floor with 200 balls...I couldn't just post the picture and say "Yeah, I'm a nut. I made this mess on purpose." The truth of it is, I guess I am a nut, but as a newfound writer, I at least did have just cause. The question is, how do you feel following the blog of such a nut?
" So you can see the Ball Hut pictured to the right (we bought it with a gift certificate Dave's Boss gave us for Lucy's birthday, so now she is totally spoiled, but as long as she doesn't know it, it doesn't hurt right?). 200 balls in that hut. Sound like fun? The answer is yes. Could it be more fun? 200 balls later, all over the kitchen floor, the answer is yes. Lucy and I literally had a ball rolling in these balls throwing them all over the house. The only problem was, we did have to pick them all up, and since Lucy only managed to put about 5 balls away (you gotta give her props for trying) 195 balls rolling all over can take a little while. So I don't recommend looking for and creating messy situations everyday. If you are up for it, go for it and have the time of your life. If you aren't up for making messes, no worries, I am sure they will find you. For example, when your child is attacking the spoon you are trying to feed them with and accidentally gets the baby food all over your clothes, her hair, and the floor, you have a choice. You can sigh, and start wiping it up. You can curse the baby food, bibs and Gerber altogether and then start wiping it up. 
Or you can take your baby's clothes off, give her the spoon and the food, let her do what she likes with it. Take some pictures. Let her try to feed you. Laugh Laugh Laugh and then start wiping it up. Those are the memories you will love. Those are the times you will miss when they are all grown up, but you could have just wiped the mess up right away and never had a memory, only added a metaphorical rock to your "Being a Mom is hard" pocket. One of my favorite childhood pictures that always hung on our wall was of me and my little brother covered from head to toe in flour lying, probably in an entire bag of flour, on the kitchen floor. I am glad my Mom had the wisdom to laugh about the mess and preserve such a fun childhood experience I could always look back on. I don't even remember the experience, but I think I remember it because I have seen that picture so many times. The truth of the matter is, we are women and so sometimes we get a little hormonal. Maybe our outlook on life isn't always shining, and we definitely all have a "Being a Mom is hard" pocket that has at least a few pebbles in there weighing us down. But we must never forget to continue emptying that pocket and filling our "Being a Mom is the most fun, fulfilling and worthwhile thing I could be doing" pocket, even amidst sleep deprivation, messes and more. These are our angels. These little mess machines are the ones who will be changing the world. Taking a little time to enjoy a mess every now and then is just one small way we can live in the moment while our precious jewels are so young. These moments are the ones that build your child's character, and teach them what to do when life takes unexpected turns. Will they laugh or cry? Give up or brave the storm? When you think of it that way, enjoying a little mess here and there, is all worth it, for them and for you.A short little article, but what do you think? Could I make a hobby of giving tips to uplift mother's everyday life or should I just stick to writing in my journal? Okay, so I won't quit my day job or anything. If you are worried that you will have to read more long, articles by Wendy to do your duty as a friend to me, no worries. This will most likely be my only article (unless the crowds swarm me and beg for more advice by Wendy), but since it was on my mind and I had already dreamed it all up and taken pictures, I had to write it and share my new insights on loving motherhood. Besides, you had to hear the whole long story about why I took a picture of Lucy on our floor with 200 balls...I couldn't just post the picture and say "Yeah, I'm a nut. I made this mess on purpose." The truth of it is, I guess I am a nut, but as a newfound writer, I at least did have just cause. The question is, how do you feel following the blog of such a nut?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Twins
Well, with a title like that you just had to click and find out...sorry to burst your bubble, no I'm not pregnant with twins (well, hopefully I didn't just jinx myself)...Lucy and I were just wandering the streets looking for our twins...this was the closest we could find...
Bet you can't guess which baby belongs to which mother?
Bet you can't guess which baby belongs to which mother?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
How would you respond?
Lucy gets it all. I am pretty much used to walking around while hearing "beautiful, cute, look at the baby, she looks like a doll" all in Korean, of course. Then some brave souls come up to me so kindly and translate for me, "She says your daughter looks like a doll," of course I reply "thank you," but think "Yes, I know the words for she looks like a doll, and you have no idea how many people have said that today," but they don't know, they think they are the first to fall in love with her, so I remain polite. Then there are those who just come take her out of her stroller without asking me and depending on my mood, I either give a smile that might be considered a grimace, or say "we have to go" and take my daughter. And there are those who ask to take pictures of her, and those who don't bother asking. Sometimes I get the urge to start taking pictures of them so they can see how it feels, but I resist and remind myself "well you can't blame them, Lucy is awfully cute." One of my favorite responses is that of the school girls, with their matching uniforms and matching haircuts. In unison they give a big "ahhhhhh, oh aigi, nomu cue (baby very cute)!" You would think the star of the in boy band had just walked by the way they yell, giggle, and sigh! But the reason I am writing this post is actually because I had a very unusual response the other day. Definitely a new one. We were walking in the park and a motorcycyle drove up (motorcycles here seem to be able to ride wherever they want, with cars or with pedestrians makes little difference). He looked at Lucy and immediately stopped his motorcycle, pointed at Lucy and just started laughing. I don't really know what I should have felt watching someone point at my child and laugh. Then he said "baby" and started to laugh harder, like the whole novelty of it was just too much to handle. I asked Lucy to say "hello" because it was a little awkward just standing there without saying anything to the laughing man. When she waved he laughed even harder, a deep belly laugh as if he was Santa Clause and someone had just told the best elf joke he had ever heard. Finally realizing he wasn't going to leave, I said "Lucy wave Bye Bye" and we started to walk away. Being in the good mood I was in I just laughed as I walked away. The more I thought about what had just happened, the more I laughed. What a scene? And who does that? Just gawk at a child pointing and laughing. Who does that? But, I knew it wasn't with mean intentions, we was just dumbstruck by the uniqueness of my child. So I guess his laugh was contagious, and now I have quite a memory of a funny little scene with a blond baby on the streets of Korea.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
October I welcome you...
(sigh) October...this wondrous time of year, when orange scatters the horizon and pumpkin is the popular flavor. I realize not everyone celebrates the first day of October. Maybe it's because of my Birthday in October, which subsequently influenced my love of the Halloween Holiday, or because of my love for cats, even black ones, or the joy of crunchy leaves, (oh wait, I grew up in San Diego, where there is no such thing as seasons and falling leaves, now I am just getting carried away!). Today, my joy increases for the first day of October, let me tell you... I have been craving one of my favorite Korean meals that I was actually introduced to in the states (I tried to go back for more, but the management was changed and this item taken off the menu, hence my tastebud's dying quest to find it somewhere), and strangely hadn't had since coming to Korea and have been looking for just the excuse (it is a little high in price for our currently budget happy mentality). Happily, I found an occasion, October 1st. Oh glorious October 1st, please let me indulge in some Pumpkin Porridge (pronounced Hobak Jook in Korean). Ground up rice, pumpkin, sweet red bean, and "rice balls," (picture pumpkin, cream of wheat style) Hobak Jook, you make my October 1st complete! And who could resist after just one look...
Okay, I realize it doesn't look very appetizing, but I knew it would help you visualize my favorite Korean Meal of all times! I absolutely love pumpkin...pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin porridge...you name it! In fact, just for being the loving friend that you are and taking the time to read my post, I will indulge you with my favorite and easiest pumpkin dish: Pumpkin Pudding. 2 cups of pumpkin, 1 instant pudding package, 12 oz can of evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice and voila this delight can be yours! Whisk pudding package and evap. milk, stir in pumpkin and spice (sometimes I just use Cinnamon and Nutmeg or Allspice if I don't have pumpkin pie spice), put this blessed treat in the refrigerator and prepare for a pumpkin lovers paradise! You may not know it now, but once you prepare this dish, you will realize your life has just been deeply enriched!
While we are on the topic, a perfect pumpkin picture worth posting twice...
And then it was over, another perfect day passed by and soon this month will be over... you know a day has reached perfection when... you forget that weather exists... the air is so perfect you can't even feel it...you are taking pictures of the back of your child's head at a playground...you couldn't help it... the glow of the sunshine is hitting her little curls just so...you are wandering slowly because you finally remembered to enjoy the moment...hold her little hand...let her run wherever she wants to go...
Such a perfect day your heart is aching...if only Winter didn't come after Fall... a lingering sad thought that all days couldn't be this wonderful...and will you remember how perfect Lucy is today? or will you forget...please don't forget...oh please October 1st live on in my memory...
Okay, I realize it doesn't look very appetizing, but I knew it would help you visualize my favorite Korean Meal of all times! I absolutely love pumpkin...pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin porridge...you name it! In fact, just for being the loving friend that you are and taking the time to read my post, I will indulge you with my favorite and easiest pumpkin dish: Pumpkin Pudding. 2 cups of pumpkin, 1 instant pudding package, 12 oz can of evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice and voila this delight can be yours! Whisk pudding package and evap. milk, stir in pumpkin and spice (sometimes I just use Cinnamon and Nutmeg or Allspice if I don't have pumpkin pie spice), put this blessed treat in the refrigerator and prepare for a pumpkin lovers paradise! You may not know it now, but once you prepare this dish, you will realize your life has just been deeply enriched!While we are on the topic, a perfect pumpkin picture worth posting twice...
And then it was over, another perfect day passed by and soon this month will be over... you know a day has reached perfection when... you forget that weather exists... the air is so perfect you can't even feel it...you are taking pictures of the back of your child's head at a playground...you couldn't help it... the glow of the sunshine is hitting her little curls just so...you are wandering slowly because you finally remembered to enjoy the moment...hold her little hand...let her run wherever she wants to go...
Such a perfect day your heart is aching...if only Winter didn't come after Fall... a lingering sad thought that all days couldn't be this wonderful...and will you remember how perfect Lucy is today? or will you forget...please don't forget...oh please October 1st live on in my memory...
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