On Saturday before we left...

Darin gave me the day off for Mother's Day. It was sweet of him, he's good at stuff like that. I went up to Seoul with some ladies from Church. We were spiritually fed, and when we came home I got a pedicure. Then I was temporally fed. I said to Darin while we were on Jeju Island,

"Darin, if you want to know something about my happiness, it is very simple. At times, I require only two things to be happy. One is the sun. Two is a nice pedicure. You have given me both all within a weeks time. Thank you so much."

I hope he learned a little something about me on Jeju Island.

But while I was going to be gone for a full day, we discussed what Darin could do with the kids to fill up a long Saturday. Jane was coveting a Barbie Thumbelina doll. We don't have commercials on TV here in Korea. But on websites, they play commercials. That's crafty of those websites. And I would like to bear my testimony about it's efficacy. Jane wants everything that she sees a commercial for from the Barbie website. Everything.

The Thumbelina doll was the latest item that she needed for her true happiness to be complete. I totally lied to her.

I told her I would buy her a Thumbelina doll at the BX the next time we were there. And the only reason I did that was because I was 110% sure that we would never find such a doll at the Osan BX.

When Jane heard Darin and I discussing the plans for Saturday, and that a trip to the BX was on the docket she exploded with jubilation that she would get a Thumbelina doll that day. Darin began to protest, but I quietly pulled him aside and said, "We're totally safe. There won't be any Thumbelina dolls at the BX. Just tell her you'll buy one and she'll love you for the rest of her life."

Guess what they had at the Osan BX on Saturday?!

Seriously, I had no idea.

But I think I didn't lie about one thing, she really will love him for the rest of her life. Even though I am the one who got to pose in the pictures with the beloved dolls.









We will ALL love you for the rest of our lives, Darin.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Day 2 in Jeju (or Cheju for the locals) started with a trip to a Folk Village. I've discussed my feelings about folk villages before. This time the folk village just brought out the plain old silly in us:

After the folk village we headed over to this beautiful mountain and hiked to the top. It was a marathon of steps, but a good physical challenge worked into the day, all before lunch is always delightful.

View from the top

Celebratory self-portrait that we made it to the top!

Lunch followed the hike (don't get me started!).

Followed by a trip to this temple...

The best part of the temple visit was the fact that it started raining and gave me a perfect occasion to use my birthday parasol from my sister Sarah. And just as with all my gifts from my sisters, people started asking me about my cute umbrella. Thanks Sarah, none of the other umbrella were quite as beautiful as mine.



The trip was great. We'll miss our view from the hotel.


P.S. This is the actual view, taken from my actual camera. Not a postcard, or a photo found on Google images. I needed to type that out. I can hardly believe it myself. Being home now just over 24 hours, I look at this photo and wonder if maybe it was a dream. But it wasn't.

The "Hawaii" of Korea.

We left Monday afternoon in this aircraft...





Our seats...

And about an hour later we landed on Jeju Island...



The locals love to tell you it's like Hawaii in Korea. I'm not ready to substantiate that claim, but a free trip to a lovely island sans kids is surely very close to Paradise.

The Yongmeori Coast likened to a small version of the Grand Canyon, it was lovely.

Yum, an afternoon snack of sea cucumber and other various shell fish fresh from the sea, was surely hard to pass up. But believe it or not, I didn't eat any.


Couldn't pass up taking this picture. Apparently the jumping picture is an international photo sensation. I thought a few people I know would appreciate the global nature of the phenomenon.

Tomorrow is our last day in Jeju. A trip away always make you appreciate the hard work that goes into creating the joy and happiness that is our family. We'll enjoy our trip, but we are sure glad that normally we have more than just two subjects to photograph.

One sister sings, the other dances.

They make the perfect duo, go figure.

We try to encourage Jane as much as possible to sing along Karaoke style to her Barbie tunes online. With a bit more practice we'll have a real number ready to perform at the next talent show.

P.S. So much for posting one picture a day in May. I think I mostly liked that it rhymed. But seriously, every day since I wrote that down, I have tried to take a picture and dreamed of posting them. I have no idea where the plan fell apart.

P.P.S. The dresses showcased in the video are part of the Spring 2009 sewing Bonanza. I can tell I'm not done yet. That is both exciting and frightening all at the same time. Is it possible to sew too much? (Please don't really answer that question.)

The week before May...

Has been sunny and bright. Here are a few reasons why:

We successfully constructed another award winning Pinewood Derby car. Not quite the first place of last year, but second isn't bad considering we felt like we built it with hands tied behind our back, you know since we live in Korea and don't have Home Depot and all. Congrats to Henry and Darin. Job well done boys!


We got to babysit this cute dog Isabel. Not exactly my idea of fun, but a valuable lesson passed on from my own mother. My mother insisted that we would never own a dog, but she was always willing to babysit cute small dogs belonging to other people. It really is a brilliant idea. However, babysitting Isabel only confirmed to me all the more that indeed, "We will never own a dog." She followed me all around the house as if she was my own little toddler. At least she didn't whine or say "mom", but seriously, I don't need anymore shadows.


We had glorious weather for three days straight. My days consisted of offering to take the girls outside to each and every playground on base, where I would quickly find the direction the sun was shining and lay myself directly in it's cancer inducing rays. The vitamin D has never been so appreciate by any living soul. And my girls thought that all that laying down was part of the game, in every instance, talk about brilliant!

As a side note, one time this week when we were walking to a park, Ruby spotted a beautiful full azalea shrub. As we passed it she said to me, "Mom, when I die, will you lay me out here in these flowers?" I was so confused at first because I had no idea what the correct answer to that question was. But then a quick scan through the memory helped me recall that all of her favorite princesses at one time or another temporarily die and get laid out on a pile of beautiful flowers. I quickly reassured her that should she ever fall into an enchanted death, we would indeed find that particular patch of azalea to lay her in. She seemed completely satisfied.



A while back, somewhere after the green polka dot dress, but before the yellow one. Around the pajama bottoms but before a baby blanket, Ruby suggested that she needed a caterpillar shirt. Music to my ears! Late one night this week a caterpillar creation was constructed. And I do believe it is the exact shade of happiness and joy. I did that on purpose.

Darin always blames me for asking leading questions which result in statements like "Ruby wanted a caterpillar shirt". I swear, as God is my witness, that no such leading questions are ever asked. These girls are marrow from my bones, and requesting a caterpillar shirt is akin to any child requesting a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Fabric creations are now part of our daily colloquium.

Flip flops arrived in the mail. Hot Dog, was that a great day!

Much spontaneous crafting has occurred this week. And short of the laundry getting folded, or having fresh flowers on the kitchen table, nothing tickles me as much as walking past one of the children only to find them engaged in a creative pursuit:

Henry's new church clothes also arrived in the mail this week. I feel like he is growing right before my eyes. Have you ever seen such a fine young man?

and the matching yellow dress was lovingly made this week too. So a pair of spotted dresses, tied with bows, perfect for the first Sunday in May.

But capturing a posed picture of four children, not so perfect, this first Sunday in May.

And finally, here is what we woke up to on Sunday afternoon...

Kids being kids.

P.S. My sister Rachel has mentioned posting one picture a day in May. Maybe I should too?!

A Jane and Ruby Update...

because, they are growing up entirely too fast.  There, I have officially admitted it.  What if I forget what it was like when they were four?  I will now unabashedly post a bunch of pictures of them over the past few days.  

 

A birthday box arrived three months late.  But it was almost better to have it arrive at the end of April just when we were needing a bit of princess cheer for a day.  The dress-up dresses glittered up our house so profoundly that Darin banned them from future wear (well, he didn't actually ban them, but he wishes he could.  And they desperately want to wear them to church one Sunday, and I'm trying to figure out how I can let that happen, and still stay happily married...).  

 

And then one night this week after a bath, I was too tired to get out the blow dryer so that everyone could have dry hair to sleep on.  Somehow I thought it would be quicker to just throw sponge rollers in.  I also must have forgotten that it wasn't 1985 that night.  But whatever, you only have twin 4-year-old daughters once.  Know what I mean?  

 

The result, the next morning.  Not quite the coif we had all three dreamed of (Jane's fell out sometime during the night), but sponge rollers never really made all your dreams come true.  Some lessons we're still trying to learn, even when we are 31.  

 

(Love the look on Jane's face in the background here. )

There have been some late nights of spring sewing going on around here.  The green dress is number 1 of 2 that are going to be polka dotted and tied with a bow.  The second one is sitting cut out on the ironing board waiting for it's turn to come to life.  Ruby has claimed the green one and is now on day 3 of wearing it.  Somehow I don't mind.  It makes the lost sleep worth it when a dress is so loved that it is passes the test so thoroughly that it's worn repeatedly.  I have now hid it in the dirty basket.  I mean it's cute, but really, was it four days in a row cute?

Here it was on day 1 being modeled with the long sleeve shirt underneath.  

Here it was being modeled without the shirt, if that's more comfortable for you while you play the Wii.  

Here is Jane modeling the leg warmers lovingly sent from cousin Lisa.  We have a tube sock for leg warmers exchange thing going on right now.  I send her tube socks, I get back in return adorable leg warmers, you should try it.  Today was day one of leg warmers.  They were the perfect touch for this brisk April afternoon.  As I explained to Jane, if your legs are warm, you don't need a jacket, and that was all she needed to hear to be convinced of her love of the leg warmers.  Thanks cousin!

And now after all these photos, I think I'm seeing spots everywhere I look.  Perhaps that's why the other polka dotted bowed dress can't quite find a seamstress excited to bring it to life.  Do we really need more polka dots in our life?!  

Probably not, but we ALWAYS need more dresses.  And that's a Jane and Ruby update.  

Good night.