Korea

Surely, you know by now, that I am not one to let moss grow under my feet. Thankfully, my husband (and little wonders) are amazing at indulging me on my quests for adventure.

This time, though, maybe we took it to the extreme?

Eh, probably not.

We were so blessed to be able to go visit my sister and her family in Korea. It was an unbelievable trip. First and foremost, so so so good to see Sarah, Joe and the Fab5. They took such great care of us, from meeting us at the terminal to taking us to their favorite places in the ROK (that's Republic of Korea). It was amazing to see their everyday life, and see the sights in Korea.

[One side note: going to Korea also marks a huge milestone for me. Visiting all continents, except Antarctic, by 30! It's a big deal. And while I still contend that I haven't really been to Africa, for this milestone, I'll take the small part of water/beach that I visited while in Malta years ago. But don't fret, African continent: I'll get to you more, too.]

Okay, back to Korea.

We went for 10 days, and hit the ground running. Thankfully the jet-lag wasn't too bad going there. We arrived around dinner time, and since the kids pushed through most of the flights to stay awake (because an airplane ride is super exciting!!), they were ready for bed at a normal bed time.

We walked with the Fab5 to school, we ate Korean for lunch, we shopped, and had things made for us (really, just luggage tags, name badges for flight suits, and sports jerseys. That whole process is really overwhelming. Unless you go with specific of what you want, the options and limit-less choices are incredible, as is the turnaround for getting things made. Remarkable.)

We visited the fortress in Suwon (which is half way between where Sarah lives in Osan and Seoul, and once - centuries ago - an emperor was trying to move the capital to Suwon from Seoul. No avail, but the result is a stunning walled city with a spectacular fortress.)   

We went to the Korean Folk Village. It's a bit like a real Epcot. They have created a mini-South Korea, showcasing all the regions of the country including various architecture, crops and farming styles, food, traditional dances, tightrope walking (by a guy who was like 80. Really!), and animal

showmanship ... It was pretty cool. 

Oddly, I felt like we were almost as much of an attraction for the (hundreds?) of Korean school children there on a field trip. Sarah was sharing with us that it's such a homogenous country that seeing blonde hair and blue eyes is a rarity (and I can truly vouch for that.) Literally, Korean school kids were staring at our kids for minutes. As you would look at the tigers at the zoo. Just. Staring. It was crazy.

We went to a Korean Professional Baseball game, which was wild, but so cool. The atmosphere is so much different that a game in the states - it was almost like being at a European soccer match! Chanting, songs, flags waving... it was impressive. And almost like the actual baseball game was an after thought!

Greg and I went to the Demilitarized Zone (the buffer zone of the border between South and North Korea) and visited the Joint Security Area, literally coming feet from the border to North Korea. We learned about history that seems like we barely brushed over in school, and saw how real the conflict is still today. It was humbling to have a tour guided by a soldier who talked about his tour of duty on the DMZ, and to learn about the impact that the conflict still has on daily life in Korea. 

We spent two days in Seoul, and visited Itawon (the international district), a palace to see the

changing of the guards, Insadong (the traditional part of town to buy artsy souvenirs), Old Town Seoul, N Seoul Town (complete with a cable car ride!), the fish market - it was more like an aquarium!, and walked by/through the Korean War museum, where they commemorate all Korean wars.

We watched Seth run a cross country meet, and Lance and JP play soccer and test for their brown belts in Taekwondo. We hiked Buraksan, the local mountain near Sarah and Joe's house, and we went to the Korea Dollar Store (it was a stunning display of using every.inch.of.space).

It was in a word, amazing. And the kids were troopers and tried (and loved!) bulgogi, and these walnut beanpaste cakes, and Korean style moon pies.

Truly, it was once in a lifetime. And made so much more special that I could share it with my sister.

Plus, I think the kids have the total travel bug, like I do. They were so excited to get passport stamps.

Stories of Brooke

Our sweet girl is turning TWO on Monday. 2. Two. Deux. It doesn't matter how you say it, it all means this: Little Miss Independence is reigning in our house, and her insistence on things her way is making her look, walk, and talk less like a little baby, and so much more like a little lady!

In honor of our very passionate little lady, here are some stories that just about sum up who she is these days.

Brooke, in Monterey, CA. Loving sunshine and the beach.

On our recent road trip (see another post. It was epic. And wonderful. And totally spontaneous. No really spontaneous. Not just "Colleen-style" spontaneous):

We stopped on I-5 in the middle of NoWhere, California to stretch legs, take a potty break, and 
switch drivers. Greg and Nate went to use the bathroom, while I changed Brooke's diaper in the car. I let her hold the keys while I scrambled to find things in our much-too-quickly-pack-for-the-road car. While I dashed from side door to trunk (literally, 4 steps), Brooke managed to close all the doors on the key fob, and lock them.

[Here's what you should be picturing right now: Brooke, clad in a clean diaper (thanks goodness!) triumphantly parading around the van. And me on the outside. Locked out].

Meanwhile Greg and Nate return from the bathroom, to find me knocking (sweetly?) on the door asking Brooke "Can you open the door? Push the button that opens the door, sis. It's that one right there... Brooke, can you push the button?"

Three minutes, five minutes... nothing. Even Nate joins in, "Brookie, can you push the button? Yeah, can you open the door? Push the button Brooke. Sis. The button."

Thankfully, she loves to "drive" (already!) so, once Greg got her int he drivers seat it was only a matter of time before she push all of the buttons - even the unlock button. Whew.

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We managed to have a day at the San Diego Zoo on our epic road trip, and while we were eating lunch, Brooke declared that she had a stink in her pants. As I shovel in one last bite of my salad, I tell her that I'll changer her diaper now.

As I reach for the diaper bag, she continues to exclaim "Poopie! I have a stink!" (Thanks, San Diego Zoo, for your pateince with our public service announcement.)

And before I can reassured her that I am working on getting a clean diaper for her, she sticks her hand down the back of her pants, as if she needed to prove to us that she did in fact have a poopie, and pulls her hand out of her pants, completely covered with,  well you've guessed it, right?, poop.

This want not a rabbit-turd poop diaper. No, friends, that would have been too kind on all of us. This was more like peanut butter.

Greg totally flipped out. Completely went into germ-attack mode. Could not find the Purell hand sanitizer fast enough. And once she was in a clean diaper, could not bolt with her to the bathroom to wash hands 50 times fast enough.

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Brooke soaking up the sun at the beach

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She is also talking up a storm. I know that there is plenty said about how girls develop language more quickly than boys, but it is really astounding. She's parroting what we say, singing all kinds of songs, and chatting so much with her collection of stuffed animals, baby dolls, trucks and cars (that Nate has figured out she's managed to capture yet!)... really anything.

In the car the other night, she came up with this ditty: "What does the fox say? Chicka chicka boom boom, chicka chicka boom boom. Fox say?"

Yes, her own mash up of a children's book classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the new YouTube sensation song What Does the Fox Say?




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We have really been drilling the please and thank you business with both Nate and Brooke. Last night, unprompted, Brooke said "Thanks for the awesome dinner, mom!" (Golden words to my ears!)

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She is, already, quite emphatic about her style. I'll pick out an outfit (honestly, usually what ever is on top of the pile in her dresser, because let's face it: all of her clothes are pretty stinkin' cute), and she will either exclaim with excitement (mostly for shirts that have a kitty or a dog on them. She's an animal lover! But also for shirts that I tell her used to be her cousin Trinity's - currently, that seems to be Brooke's fashion influence) or, in her deepest voice tell me, "No, I don't like it! That's not cute!"

Perfect. Looks like a school uniform would be perfect for us in about 4 years!

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Greg and Brooke in Seoul, Korea at the palace.

You know that Brooke is Greg's daughter because...
She loves, LOVES berries of all kinds. She enjoys grapefruit, and pickles, and prefers her cereal (almost every morning) with milk (Nate doesn't). She can't get enough bacon. She'll eat fruit at every meal (and in between meals, too), and for as much as she eats... she is still a dainty little lady.