How To Survive a TDY 101: Week 2

This week has been a mixture of ups and downs.  The kids are going through the daddy isn't home - ACK!!!  stage.  Meaning that we're whiny and sensitive.  But we are pressing on to keep them occupied.  Here's the lowdown on how we did:

1.  Red White and Boom - Monday was the 4th of July and the base went all out for us.  First we took advantage of a trip through the A&FRC and checked out one of the Korean Spas (ie. waterpark).  The girls and I splashed around all day, getting back in time to clean up and head to Liberty Fest.  There were a lot of great performances this year (read: no Korean bands playing Freebird) and the fireworks were fantastic! 

2.  No Cooking for you!  I just can't seem to get motivated to make full dinners while Ronnie is gone.  I think I've cooked maybe three times since he's left, and I always have more than enough leftovers to feed us for a few days.  That being said, the best way to enjoy a meal is with friends.  I invited the ladies over for a taco night. We talked and ate while the kiddos played.  After dinner, I got the Wii going for the kids and we played Mario Cart and Guitar Hero.  So much fun! 

3.  Okay, Baking is exempted from that rule.  So, I get this email from Ronnie saying he ripped his shoes while playing basketball and didn't have a pair of running shoes.  We were asked to send him his spare pair, since the spare pair I sent was the wrong pair.  Great excuse to pack the box with extras.  The girls decided to make lemon cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for daddy.  We sent them off and are anxiously awaiting their arrival. 

4.  Getting Cultured - I had found out that the Seoul Art Center was having a kid-friendly opera.  Unfortunately, they were sold out.  So what to do...   Well, at the same time, I also found that there was a Disney exhibit in town "Dreams Come True: The Art of Disney's Classic Fairy Tales".  We switched gears and went to check it out with some friends in tow.  And what a treat it was!  The exhibit focused on animation, how the movie was made, the equipment and technology they used.  We walked through time with Walt Disney and were treated to the shorts as well as snippets of the movies.  We saw the making of Snow White all the way through Tangled.  It was wonderful to share some of the magic behind the movies with the girls.  Highly recommend this if it comes to a museum near you!

Afterwards, I had shared my piece of information about a Johnny Rockets in Seoul with Kim and Carrie.  Their immediate reaction was is it a real Johnny Rockets or not?  See, Korean companies tend to buy American franchises to Korea, but the bulk of the menu items aren't that franchise at all.  For example, a stuffed potato does not involve a sweet potato or whipped cream.  I assured them that my tried-and-true expat bloggers have reviewed Johnny Rockets and declared that they deliver the goods. We all agreed that would be the perfect place for dinner.  And that it was!  The girls and I enjoyed fresh onion rings, burgers and a shake.  I even got a Vanilla-Diet Coke and it was Oh-so-tasty! 

We've had a fantastic week with some wonderful friends!   I hope we have more of these to come this summer!

When I Get Big Like You Mommy

The girls and I have all sorts of conversations on things they are (or are not) going to do when they are X-age or "big like me".  Holly gets that there are privileges tied with age; Sarah not-so-much, so it's just adulthood in general.  Here are a few choice ones from this weekend:

Holly:  When I'm 18, I'm going to college.
Me:  Yep, that's right. 
H:  And...  I'm not going to live in your house anymore. 
Me:  Do you promise?  Kidding Holly....  But really, my favorite child is the one who moves out and never moves back in [classic line borrowed from my dad].
H:  Good thing I'm your favorite then huh mommy. 


Sarah:  When I'm big like you mommy, I'm going to have babies in my tummy.
Me, unsure if she's talking about age or size (Sarah is pretty blunt about how fluffy my tummy is compared to Ronnie's):  How do you mean Sarah.
S: When I'm old like you, I'm going to be a mommy too.
M:  Oh good, I can't wait to be a grandma, Sarah.  How many babies. 
S:  I'm going to have four babies.  Two girls and two boys. 
M:  What are you going to name them?
S:  The girls will be named Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash [note, this is after My Little Pony ponies].  The boys will be named Eric and Ken.
M:  Interesting, where did you get the names for the boys?
S:  It's Ariel's prince and Barbie's boyfriend mommy (with a duh tone in her voice). 


So there you have it...  one is already planning to leave me for college, the other is wanting to be a mommy.  

How to Survive a TDY 101: Week 1

You read that right.  We are 90+ days from moving and Ronnie is TDY to Alaska.  *sigh*  The girls and I have been left to our own devices in the middle of monsoon season.  We've had 11" of rain for June and 4" thus far in July.  If you should find yourself in this predicament, here are some pointers to follow (i.e. how we're coping):

1.  Send a kid to camp:   Holly is in enrichment school that lasts four weeks.  It's designed to develop her language arts and math skills.  Thus far, I'm impressed with what she's learning.   I also have the girls enrolled in swimming lessons.  We go once a week to an indoor swimming pool.  They are focusing more on water safety, but I can tell Holly is really improving in the few lessons we've had.  They keep Sarah in a life jacket (the pool is 4' deep in the shallows), but she's more excited to work with me without one on when we go do our "lessons."
2.  Plan multiple outings with friends:  The weather was really cooperative once or twice this week, so we headed down to Splish 'n Splash at Humphreys with a group of ladies and their children.  A few weeks ago, I went ahead and bought the season passes so we can go enjoy it anytime the sun is out it isn't raining.   We also went to Chili's to help Ava celebrate her birthday!  Then Friday, we had Erica and Ava over for dinner and princess movies.  It was a nice relaxing night and the girls had a blast playing in the dress up and watching movies. 

3.  Distract them with shows:  The USO and Sesame Street have a wonderful partnership and they visit bases all over the world to entertain the families.  Of course, it wouldn't be a Sesame Street show without a lesson.  This year's lesson was moving...  talk about poignant.  I teared up at what the character was saying " I have to move and leave all of my friends and go to a new school and a new house and I won't know anyone."  Of course it was entertaining for the kids, but I've said my fair share of so-longs lately so it struck a cord with me.  Top that off with, I was sitting by one of the ladies that welcomed me almost two years ago who was about to leave the ROK.  

We also went to see Cars 2 today. We LOVED it!   It was so much fun to watch with the kids and a few friends.  Not to mention some fresh popcorn and a large Diet Coke all to myself.  There might be something to not having to share a drink with Ronnie, hmmmm.......

4.  Plan multiple things for the upcoming weeks:  Like any good planner, you have to have your calendar rolling constantly....   This next week we have the 4th of July, several dinners planed. 

So there you have it, lesson one of a multi-part series on how to distract your kids.  Have a great week ya'll!

Summer School

Nice moms let their children stay home all summer and do whatever they want.  And why not, they deserve it right?  Mean moms sign their kids up for summer school - not because they need it but because it will further their learning.  Or maybe that's the beginnings of an American Tiger mom (or the discovery that there is a Southern version of one...) 

Holly is attending an enrichment program this summer at her school.  It focuses on language arts and mathematics and is a 2nd/3rd grade level program.  The idea is not for her to ace it, but to push her learning and bring her up a few notches.  (see Tiger mom....)

But the program is not the focus of this post...  The focus is the picture below of day three when I let her walk in by herself.   

Yep...  that's Holly, skipping away from me to the door of school.  She kissed and hugged me goodbye, got out of the car, and just be-bopped her way to school.  Just.like.that.   A part of me is so proud of her that she can get to her classroom and not be distracted by something shiny and sparkly, but the other part of me died a little bit because she's not my little girl anymore. 

*sigh* 

School's Out For Summer!

Last Thursday was the last day of first grade for Holly.  I can't believe I have a second grader with the potential of a kindergartner on my hands.  They are growing up fast!  One of the things I've not yet done with the girls is the end of the school year "lets pack up and head to the beach" trip.  I'm a working mom so it didn't happen last year.  (was a working mom, soon to be a working mom again?)  But this year, we didn't let it slide.  We packed up the girls and our good friends the Milks and headed to Jeju Island for a long weekend. 

We landed in a rather soggy Jeju Thursday night.  Unfortunately, not all trips to the beach include sun.  After finding a rental car, explaining that you cannot fit 8 people plus an infant along with their luggage in a small van to the rental car agency, and getting a bigger van, we set off for our pension for the trip.  Jenn and I found a lovely seaside pension (Korean for small family owned hotel) and our view the next morning confirmed it.  The pension was off of a beach road and had fantastic views of Udo Island and Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak). 

Our first day, we sized up the weather and decided to head to the north part of the island.  First we hit up Dragon Head rock and fun playing in the tide pools and looking at all the lava rocks.  Before we knew it, it was lunch time.  After a quick lunch at Paris Baguette, we visited Samyang Prehistoric Site. This site is currently the earliest example of a large-scale settlement’s appearance not only in Jeju but also in Korea and dates from the Bronze Age through the early Iron Age. We spent time looking at the artifacts and exploring life on the island before there were condos everywhere.   The girls took to peering into every nook and cranny the site had to offer, especially the thatched huts. 

Leaving the site, we headed to Manjang Cave.  The cave is 7,416-meter long and has been officially recognized as the longest lava tube in the world.  Ronnie, Holly, Mike and his girls explored it, while Jenn and I tended to the sleeping little ones in the car.  Luckily they woke up in time for the fun - there was a Maze Park right around the corner from the caves.  The maze was so much fun - running in the hedgerows and trying to not get turned around.  We came out in 15 minutes.  The kids decided they wanted another try at it and came out in 12 minutes.  Not too shabby.

Saturday brought us even gloomier skies than Friday.  So, still, no beach.  The Olivers were up bright and early, so we headed to explore Seongsan park , which means "castle hill'' in Korean.  The structure is a lava cone created by a submarine volcanic eruption some 5,000 years ago.  It was named Castle hill because of its sloping form resembling a grand castle.  We enjoyed a snack and coffee while taking in the view.  Then we returned to the hotel, packed up a picnic lunch, and decided to head south for the day.  We visited Pacific Land and  the Chocolate Museum before heading to Jeju City for dinner.  Again, we went to bed with hopes of better weather....

But it wasn't to be.  Sunday was Father's Day, so we cooked up some breakfast and lounged around.  Right before lunch, we took off for points unknown, while the Milks decided to hang back at the hotel for the day.  First up was the Haenyeo Museum. 

Haenyeo refers to female divers who dive into the ocean water to gather various shellfish, seaweed, etc, without using any underwater diving equipment. When diving underwater, a haenyeo carries only a pair of goggles, a round ball-like tube to keep her balance, and a basket to put her collections in.  Of course, it is interesting to note that women have been doing this job since the early 1900s, which is in direct conflict with Confucian principles.  Until the 19th century, diving was mostly done by men. The job became unprofitable for men since they had to pay heavy taxes, unlike women who did not. Women took over the diving (which was considered the lowest of jobs) and, because of the great dependence on sea products in most places on Jeju, became the main breadwinners. With that, they often became "the head" of their family. 

After the Haenyeo Museum and a fantastic lunch, we started to head around the island looking for something to do.  We stopped for gas when a sign for "CharacWorld" caught our eye.  So off we went to find this "CharacWorld."  And boy was it a find!  Characworld is a theme park museum that has all things character.  Koreans love their characters - they are on everything everywhere, and I'm not just talking about for kids.  The museum showed some of the traditional Korean characters; I would say they would be equal to Looney Toons and Hanna Barbara for us.  I would say the highlight for Ronnie and I was this:

I don't know what it is, but they love poop.  It's normally drawn like a soft chocolate ice cream which makes it look really cute.  But it's poop and it's hilarious - and yes, my girls went down the poop shoot.   We watched the robot show and played with the sand art display before moving on (and secretly hoping for a break in the weather).  When we exited Characworld, the weather was holding (meaning not raining too bad) so we headed down the road to Seongpanak, one of the parasitic volcanoes on Jeju.  Again, it wasn't to be.  We got up to the admissions and the ajima had a sign written in English that said, "No view due to thick fog.  Would you still like to go in?"  We decided no and drove down the road to find another sign for something to do. 

We were driving around trying to find the Mongolian Horse Show but instead found the Jeju Trick Art Museum.  Trick art renders two dimensional paintings in three dimensions by creating illusion. Each work looks differently when seen from different angles or spots. Its magic magnifies when seen from camera lenses. We had so much fun playing with the different paintings, taking pictures and looking at them on the display. 

After the museum it was time to head back to our neck of the woods.  We went into the town south of our hotel, and made one last valiant attempt at going to the beach.  We dipped our toes in quickly, but it was drizzly, windy and cold. We found dinner at a great beef on a leaf place and then settled in for the night. 

The next day, we returned to the mainland to bright sunny skies and hot weather.  But we had fun exploring the nooks and crannies of Jeju, even if none of it included the beach.  Ronnie and I have decided that we are just going to have to plan a last minute trip to Jeju where we can confirm the weather right before we hop on the plane.

Birds and Indians

I love being a parent!  There are just some things that are too funny to not write down for all of the internet to read.  So here was our pre-dinner conversation today:

Sarah:  Why is that bird like that [pointing to the roast chicken Ronnie was cutting up]? 
Chris:  Because that's what's for dinner.
S: Where did it come from? 
C:  Daddy went out and killed a chicken for us. 
S:  Daddy, did you bring us home a bird? 
Ronnie: Yes I did. 
C:  And he even went ahead and cooked it for us, Sarah.
R:  I plucked the feathers too.

Holly entered the room curious about the conversation.  Sarah explained to her the conversation thus far. 

Holly:  What kind of chicken was it daddy?
R:  It was a chicken with red and white feathers. 
H:  Where did the feathers go?
C:  Daddy made an Indian headdress out of it.
H:  But where is it?
R:  I sold it to an Indian Chief.
H:  How did you cook the chicken so fast daddy?
C:  It got sucked down the engine of daddy's plane and we didn't want it to go to waste. 
[Holly was all wide-eyed about that part...]
R:  Sometimes things like that happen, but it was good and cooked so I brought it home.  Now, go get washed up for dinner. 

Okay, so if that little vignette into our lives around the Oliver household isn't enough, this next little bit should get you going.   We had a sitter "O" come over tonight because there was a squadron thing to go to.  Anyway, I was filling our sitter in on the rouse when I decided it would be best if the girls helped.  Sarah was finishing up her dinner so I started:

C:  Sarah, how's your dinner?
S:  Good.
C:  Tell O how your chicken is.
S:  It's good.  Daddy made it for us.
O:  Really.
S:  Yeah, he killed the chicken with his airplane.
O:  That's amazing (while trying to keep a straight face)
H (from the living room):  Yeah, and he even made an Indian a headdress to wear out of the feathers. 

O near about spit water all over the kitchen. 

Boxes and Crates and Trucks

Osan has sure changed in the 3 weeks we went on vacation.  I've said it before, but it's worth mentioning, Osan is like a small town.  You can't go anywhere without running into someone you know. I went to the BX yesterday to get mail and pick up a few things and didn't recognize a soul until I was walking out.  It's really sad...  Great friends are leaving, others have already left, even more are evacuating the ROK for the summer...  it's just been a series of goodbye-see you soons.  Granted it will be our time soon enough, but I can't help but feel sad about the so longs. 

So goodbye my Osan family.  I'll miss running into you at the post office, commissary, BX, gym, oh-who am I kidding - anywhere and everywhere on base.  Hope you have safe travels, get settled in soon and most of all, we hope to see you in future assignments.