Tween?

See, I was thinking that Cora was just now a tween, having turned 10 last week, but I was wrong. According to the internet, the great perveyor of all wisdom, a tween is between the ages of 9-12, not 10-12. So apparantly, having a tween is not that big of a deal, because we've already had one for a year. Nothing to worry about.

Cora's birthday was on Monday, so she started in on me early on Sunday morning. "Mom, can you get me out of school early tomorrow, because it's my birthday" (cutest smile) - over, and over, and over again. On Sunday morning I had no intention of getting her out of school early the next day, but by the next day....well, it WAS her birthday. I took her out after lunch, and we went and got a manicure, a treat, and picked out her birthday present. It was fun spending time with her (Yay mom!).

Cora didn't want a cake for her birthday, she wanted to make a desert that she saw on Veggie Tales - one of those worms-in-the-dirt things. I didn't have the ingredients on Monday, but we made it the next day, and everyone liked it except for me (not my cup of tea).

The other thing that Cora wanted for her birthday was to go to Chili's. The only Chili's in Korea is down at Osan AFB which is south of here. We had to wait until the weekend to go, but we decided to spend Friday night there, and come back Saturday. It took us an hour and a half to get to our hotel. Usually we just turn on the DVD in the car, and entertain the kids that way, but this time we decided to just listen to music.....and Cora decided to talk. She talked NON-STOP for the whole hour and a half. Joe and I were laughing our heads of by the time we got there - not because of what she was saying, but just because we couldn't believe that she had never stopped:)

The only thing that I ever worry about Cora is ME. Sure, Cora as struggles in her life, and she's not actually perfect, but I'm pretty sure that I am often her biggest problem. I worry that I don't spend enough time with her, or that I get in the way of her creativity, or that I'm too.....you know. Cora is one of the most amazing people I've ever known, and I don't want to screw that up. So my biggest challenge with Cora is to just not screw her up. Okay, I guess that's any parents' biggest challenge with any child:) Seriously though, how do you do that?

Dear Cora, I'm trying. Just hang in there. Love, Mom. P.S. Happy Birthday!

When we got back from our weekend trip for Cora's birthday, I had to run from the car to the bathroom, and that is where I spent the next few days. It was horrible. I haven't been that sick for a long time. I was completely useless as a mother. My kids had to feed themselves (easy mac, sandwhiches, cold cereal, etc.), get themselves ready for school (it's a good thing that I wasn't behind on the laundry, or they would have been in big trouble), supervise themselves, and everything. Alex got into all kinds of stuff. Drew pictures on the walls. Tried to make himself a peanut butter sandwhich, and some other kind of sandwhich - I seriously don't know what was on the bread, I just couldn't tell. I'm used to JT making pickle sandwhiches (mayo, pickles and lettuce), but Madelyn made a mayo and jam sandwhich, and actually ate it. That would have sent me to the bathroom if I hadn't already been there. Food was left out, dishes piled up. There was a pretty funky smell. It didn't help that Joe was working until 8:30 at night. We were no match for 4 kids.

Now things are back to normal, and we are recovering from the damage. It's never boring;)

Getting Out of the House

Last week, our Seoul Searchers group went to an indoor play area called Kid's Cafe. I'm so glad we went, because I'm getting tired of winter, and hybernation, and laziness, and this place was fabulous. Complete with slides, climbing equipment, cars, a ball pit, bouncy house, carousel, and train, Alex was in HEAVEN:) Here's one half of it.

We went in the morning, and it wasn't crowded at all. Towards the end, there were a lot more people, but it still didn't fill crowded. As per the name (Kid's Cafe), it doubles as a restaurant, so we got lunch there too, which was pretty good, and not too expensive. In all, I think it cost me aobut 14,000 won, or $12.

Now, here's something interesting.

This area of the parking garage was for women only (hence the pink). I have heard of these, but never actually seen them until we went to Kid's Cafe. It is part of Seoul's goal to make the city more female friendly. Sorry guys:)

(In Stitches)

Yay, we had our first experience with getting stitches (warning - gross pictures to follow). This isn't necessarily because none of my kids have ever needed stitches, but because I don't think it's worth a trip to the ER (and the trauma that can accompany said trip) if the cut is small enough for only 1 or 2 stitches, or glue (as is the usual case) - I usually just slap on a bandaide and call it good (a little scar never hurt anyone). However, when JT tripped and fell (on the floor, on a toy, on a door handle? I just don't know) I knew as soon as I saw it that a bandaide wasn't going to do the trick (and it wasn't just because of all the screaming and wailing). So I had him hold a dishtowel to his chin, and off we went to the ER. He was pretty calm by the time we got there, and things went smoothly from there. When they got the cut good and cleaned out, I could see just how bad it was - nasty - but I was fascinated to watch them stitch it up. He came away with 5 stitches, and a "chick magnet" scar (so says the doctor - JT was just glad when he compared it to the scar on Indiana Jones' chin, which led to a whole lengthy discussion about Lego Indiana Jones). We'll go back in a week to get the stitches out. Here are before and after pictures (if you have the stomach for them).





In other news, Cora got a rose from a boy at school for Valentine's Day (and what's with all the parentheses in this post?)

New Year....late

So, I forgot that I was going to post this (specifically for my sisters). When we went home in December, they were amazed at how crazy-long my hair had gotten. Here's a picture that was taken a couple of months before that, so it was even longer than this.

My goal, when coming to Korea, was to grow my hair out the whole time I was here. I have not always had the best of luck with haircuts in Korea. Plus, the humidity in the summer makes me want to just keep it in a ponytail all the time anyway. However, after we got back here in December, my hair just started bugging me. It was crazy-long, and it was driving me crazy. Sooooooo, I decided to cut it on New Year's Day. New hair for a new year. Here it is.

The Ugly Truth

Here's what my day was like yesterday:
- I had been up all night with Cora, who was continuously throwing up everything that she had EVER eaten. Neither one of us had much sleep.
- Joe left for work at 5:30 in the morning, and didn't get back until 8:30 at night, so I was on my own.
- I did not take a shower. I didn't even brush my hair - just pulled it back in a ponytail. I wore pajamas the whole day until I had to pick up the kids from the bus. I did manage to brush my teeth.
- The only housework I did was one load of laundry, and it never even made it to the dryer. I'm pretty sure JT wore dirty socks to school. The kitchen floor desparately needed to be swept, and the living room vacuumed. The sink was piled high with dishes. The living room was littered with tissues, blankets, and toys.
- I pretty much spent the whole day watching X-files re-runs (while Alex and Cora watched movie after movie after movie...), and emptying the bowl that Cora kept throwing up in.
- We had leftovers for dinner.
- I yelled at my kids for, I don't even know what, and then felt horrible about it.
- When Joe got home he said he was sorry about my day, and appreciated all I had done.

So far today (it's just after lunch):
- Alex pooped in his underwear (what the? he never does that) and colored on the wall with crayon (seriously?).
- I had to wash toothpaste out of Madelyn's hair - quickly, because it was right before she was supposed to get on the bus.
- I've done the dishes and started on the laundry, and I'm pretty sure that I'll sweep at some point.
- Cora is still sick, but not throwing up as much.
- I'm going to go take a shower after I post this.

Yes, life is ugly, but it could be worse. Regardless, I am happy with my life. Oh, excuse me, I have to go empty the bowl.

I Do and I Don't

I DON'T like when people walk in the street when the sidewalk is RIGHT THERE!!! I don't want to hit you, but I really do, but I won't, but I could.

I DO like public restrooms with toilet seat covers...and toilet paper too...and toilets for that matter.

I DON'T like that obscure people in the fashion world think that they can tell me what's "in" or "out", and yet have the audacity to wear some of the things they wear. Seriously, have you seen them?

I DO like whoever invented the boyfriend cut, or curvey cut jeans for those of us with big bums, because we didn't need bigger jeans, just regular jeans with bigger bums.

I DON'T like how I didn't get a refund after watching the movie Skyline - sure, I saw it for free, but it still seems like I should have got a refund for it.

I DO like how the lady in the stall next to me, announced to her mother in the next stall over, "I'm going to be here for a while". She didn't even try to whisper.

I DON'T like how my GPS tells me to drive slowly when I'm already creeping along in slow traffic, or if I'm at a complete stop in a traffic jam it tells me I'm in a no parking zone.

I DO like Julian Smith videos on YouTube, but I LOVE this one. Seriously Mary, where did you find this?:)

I DON'T like how certain things are never around when you really need them, like pens and pencils, or fingernail clippers, or chocolate.

I DO like this one person in particular. He'll be a year older next week. Happy Birthday Dearest;)

What's Love Got To Do With It?

EVERYTHING?

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

- William Shakespeare

It just keeps getting better every year. Happy Anniversary Joe - You are my North Star and I LOVE YOU!!!