First Grade!!!!

We have a first grader in our house!!!!   I still can't believe Holly is six, let alone a first grader.  Last week, Holly and I went out and bought a first day of school outfit, her choice.  It's the only time I'll buy something at full price, but you only go to the first day of First Grade once (hopefully at least).  Here are some pics from our big day:

Living in the Fringe

Hi, my name is Chris and I am a theatre junkie.   No that word isn't misspelled - I love the theatre!   So much, that my internship in college was with a Shakespeare Festival!  I don't get to go as often as I like because, well, Ronnie has moved me all over the place and most of these places don't have multiple performance facilities. *sigh* 

So I take what I can get and enjoy every bit of it.  I'm blessed with two little girls who also seem to enjoy my indulgence in the performing arts.  Thus, you can imagine my exhiliration when they announced there was a Fringe Festival in Seoul! 

I scoured the Fringe website to find the free performances and music and scored a few late Saturday afternoon performances.  Yeah, I'm cheap and usually love seeing the paid events, but it was so the girls and I could wander in and out as we wished (and as their attention demanded).  Being that nothing started before 4:30, I had the rest of the day to fill with other fun things. 

We headed out Saturday morning and went to the Chosun gift shop.  If I haven't mentioned this place before, it is a gift shop on Yongsan that is run by their spouses group.  They bring in items from all over Asia, put them up for sale, and the profits go towards their scholarship program.  Yes, shopping for a good cause, plus you get all sorts of fun stuff.  They had just gotten a shipment in from the Philippines and Thailand.  I bought the girls their own Mud Ladies, some new chairs for our porch, and a few Christmas presents. 

The girls Mud Ladies.  Holly's is on the left, Sarahs' on the right

After shopping the Chosun, we decided to head to Hongdae and get aquainted with where the Fringe areas were.   Plus, I had a surprise up my sleeve for the girls - snacktime at the Hello Kitty Cafe.  You can imagine how they reacted when I told them where we were heading!  A quick drive (and nap for the girls) later, we arrived in Hongdae and found a parking spot relatively easily.  I had bookmarked the area on my iTouch so I would know where to head and didn't have to wander aimlessly if I didn't want to.  

They were so excited to get out of the car and find the cafe!  When we turned the corner into the alley where the cafe was, the girls screamed "There it is!!!!"   It is really cute and is decorated with Hello Kitty inside and out.  We ordered a chocolate shaved ice drink, pink lemonade, and some sweets and then settled into a cozy corner to enjoy them. 

After our snack, we wandered in and out of the shops in the area.  Hongdae is the college area of town, so there was lots of fun stuff to look at.  We eventually made our way over to the Fringe information area and confirmed performance times and directions.  We hung out and caught a few dance performances, some live music and a mime performance.  The girls really enjoyed the festival and were asking when can we go again.  Guess there are two more theatre junkies in the house!  

Holly by the Fringe booth; Sarah enjoying the interpretive dance.

Sitting Down for Supper

Growing up, sitting down for dinner was very important in my family.  My mom would fix dinner and call us in there to set the table.  My sister and/or I would normally linger and chat about our day.  We would have to drag my dad in from whatever yard work or garage piddling he was doing and we would sit and eat dinner as a family.  Again, we would chat about our days, debate about whatever Dan Rather was talking about on the news, and who was doing what the next day. 

Of course I'm probably romanticizing this, but I do remember that being the way it was, regardless of if my mom remembers me as a sullen teen. 

Now that I'm the mom, and as much as we can, we sit down to dinner as a family and chat about our day.  We learn about who did what to whom, who got in trouble and what they did to get in trouble, and talk about what we want to do over the weekend.  But sometimes, we have rare learning moments. 

But tonight I had one from Holly that really made me sit and think.  I know these days and conversations are going to happen, but man, she's only six. 

In the past, we've been shocked with "Mom, did you know that so-and-so doesn't believe in God?!?"  I handled that one pretty well I think.  Tonight's random Holly thought topped that one...  well, at least it did in my book.  So here is our conversation:

Holly: Mom, did you know that, in Korea, they don't do marriage like we do. It is SO unfair!

Chris: How do you mean?

H: Well, whoever has the power, like, says you are going to marry him. 

C: Really?

H: Yeah.  So they have to get married.  And they're not even in LOVE.  That is SO unfair!  Don't you think?

C: Yeah, I do think that's unfair Holly. 

H:  Because when I get married, I'm going to be in LOVE.  Like you and Daddy are in love, right?

C:  That is absolutely right honey.


Seriously, she's six.....   going on sixteen!    I really wish I could capture the attitude, inflection, and nonverbal gestures during this conversation. 

Celebrating Six!

Holly's birthday has came and went but not without a little celebration!   Unfortunately, Ronnie had to go TDY to Davis-Monthan and left the weekend before Holly's birthday.  But no worries, we celebrated properly before he got out of town.

To kick off the festivities, Ronnie and I took some time off of work last Friday.  From some of my travel and tourism sites, I found that the St. Petersburg State Ballet was coming to Seoul and putting on Cinderella on Ice.  Score!   Holly loves ballet, Cinderella and figure skating! And it was worth every penny.  Holly was mesmerized by the performance.  Sarah learned that if you act up, you leave the theatre and they don't let you back in until intermission.  We chose the matinee so the odds of having more children than adults would work in our favor (and it did).   All in all, a fabulous time was had by all!

The next day we dropped Ronnie off at the airport.  The girls and I bummed around Seoul and piddled our way back home.  Sunday we headed to Splish 'N Splash with the Haugh family.  The girls had a great time running around with Skylar. 

Tuesday finally came and we started our morning with our birthday tradition - a cupcake for breakfast.  Funny thing how traditions come about...  this one was started because we didn't like the fact that Holly would have to wait until late at night to have cake on her first birthday.  Much better to wear off the sugar buzz during the day. 

Holly decided she wanted to have her birthday party at the bowling alley with a few of her friends.  She was overly excited when I agreed; apparently, it is "THE" place to have a party.  We had a great time dodging the rain and playing inside for a few hours. The girls were worn out by the time we got home.  I tried to keep up with our other tradition of getting a special kiss and hug right at the moment of birth, but by 8:15 EST/9:15 local, Holly was passed out cold.

Happy Birthday Hurricane!

I put off posting this until it was the right day/time on the East Coast.  But, no matter what I did, the time still came....   It is officially my baby's sixth birthday.  That's right, the hurricane is now the big 6!   She's been counting the days down until her birthday for the last month. 

Holly woke up this morning with a big smile on her face.  After I gave her a big snuggle, she told me, "Mommy, I don't feel six."  I told her I didn't feel like I should have a six year old and gave her another big hug and kiss.  We sat down and sang happy birthday to her and started on our cupcake breakfast. 

And in true Holly-hurricane fashion, a typhoon popped up in the Yellow Sea.  That kid and her magnetic attraction of tropical storms!

Happy Birthday sweet girl!   We love you!

Once Upon a Time....

Six years ago, Ronnie and I were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby girl.  July 31st was my due date and I was ready to pop.  I had been kicked out of work for having Braxton-Hicks, but considering it was my due date and all my maternity leave needed to start anyhow.  I had grown out of my maternity clothes as my belly had swollen to epic proportions.  Watermelons had nothing on my roundness. 

July 31st, 2004 was a long day of hurry up and wait.  I had a doctor's appointment, and they declared that I had effaced some and baby girl was in position, but it just wasn't time yet.  And there was no talk of induction, as Fort Bragg and Womack were delivering enough babies who were coming on their own.  Nope, the doctor explained, the baby just needed to cook a few more days and we could talk induction at my next appointment.  So I left Womack without a baby in my arms. 

Looking back now, I clearly see this was the beginning of the Mother's Curse. You know what I'm talking about, the utterances your own mother screamed at the top of her lungs, whispered under her breath, or just thought while you were growing up.  Mine had started alright... because the one thing I heard my mom say to me more than anything else.....  The one thing that drove her absolutely crazy...

"Hurry Up Chris!"

Yes, that would be me.  I run on my own clock.  I stop to enjoy my surroundings.  I'm not a morning person and will stay in bed until I absolutely have to get up so I can brush my teeth, wash my face, fix my hair, grab a cup of coffee and get out of the house with seconds to spare.   I'm constantly 5 minutes late for everything.  I get absolutely lost in books, movies, conversations with friends, or my own thoughts and completely lose all track of time.  

We had to wait to finally meet our baby girl, Holly Grace.  I was scheduled for induction on August 10th, but Holly decided to start the process a little early on August 8th.  But she still didn't make her entrance until August 10th, because she is her mother's child.  That was the deadline, so that's when she got it done.

And just as my mother promised, I was to have a little one just like me.  She stops and smells the flowers, finds the most interesting things on the ground, and gets lost in books and movies.  She is the one I have to drag out of bed in the morning to get moving, the one I have to drag her out of rooms and places with friends because she has to hug everyone goodbye, and the one who is most like her momma. 

Tick Tock

I'm really starting to feel the time slipping away from me.  Can you believe next week is our 10 month point in Korea?  The girls and I really only have a year left - depending on our assignment that is.  When I first got here, someone told me that the time tends to go by quickly and they are right.  Of course working and "counting days until" doesn't help slow anything down. 

But such is life right???  

Hopefully, I'm slowing down enough to stop and smell the Korean flowers.  I guess only time will tell if I get to a year from now and still have a laundry list of things to do and see.....