Dorothy, and Glinda, a Zombie and Yugi, oh my!

Good morning November 2nd!! We survived another year of Halloween. But like I say every year on the Monday after Halloween, "good riddance Halloween, we will not miss you for these intervening twelve months. You were good while you lasted, but good bye now. " And least you think that is a bad attitude, I will let you know that it did not in the least prevent us from fully celebrating almost everyday of last week.


Dorothy, Yugi, Zomumbie (say it out loud, it's the combination of a zombie and a mummy, although the mumminess didn't really get added until the next party!), and Glinda the good witch, were all dressed and ready for the Tuesday night PTO Halloween party.

On Friday we successfully attended the pre-school class party, without a camera, and the elementary school wide parade. Later that night we made it to our church Truck-or-Treat, again without a camera but with a winning pot of chili (although it won for most "unusual", so is that really winning?!).

On Saturday we (maybe it was mostly Darin?) managed to carve four pumpkins. George vowing this year to be able to pull out the pumpkin guts, and carve his own jack-o-lantern face, all without loosing his cookies. Happy to report no cookies were lost, but neither were very many guts extracted without parental involvement!

Carving pumpkins somehow turned into roasting mini marshmallows over candles. The candles were burning in an attempt to help Ruby stay in the same room as the pumpkins. Have I mentioned yet that we are an extremely smell sensitive group of people?!

Later on, dressing up for the final time to go trick-or-treating. And I'm pretty sure that by this point I was not the only one getting tired of this routine. But I am positive that I was the ONLY one in this house who was getting tired of eating candy. These kids (and maybe Darin too?) were eating it like it was the very manna from Heaven. The candy monster may or may not be coming here VERY soon to snatch all the candy from the children while they are sleeping some sad night this week...

trick-or-treating

candy inventory, weighing and sorting.

So you see, it was fun while it lasted, but it's time to move on. The girls are 100% focused on their birthday. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day are all just road blocks to their ever important birthday. This morning on our way to school they were down right jubilant as they announced to me, "Mom, it's almost Christmas now, and that means it's almost our birthday!!"

Slow down ladies, we all just need to slow down.

We never had this happen before!!

We were inside our apartment this afternoon doing the regular late afternoon routine. I was tired of the girls being on the computer, so when I heard voices outside at the playground, I tried to encouraged them to go play with their friends. Sure, I noticed there was a firetruck parked in front of the playground, but I didn't think anything of it.

But suddenly, the Fire Chief saw me standing on my balcony (because I was watching to make sure Ruby got down to the playground safely) and he says:

"Don't worry ma'am this is just an exercise. We're practicing."

And I yell back to him from my balcony:

"Okay, that's great."

And then I gave him a friendly wave. Mostly I was so happy because Ruby had run outside to play in the real world, instead of on the computer.

But then, I see him talk to his partner for a moment and suddenly he's yelling at me again saying,:

"Actually ma'am, can we land the bucket on your balcony?"

And I yell back without even a moments pause,

"Oh sure!"

Like we do this every afternoon at 4:25pm.

So before I could even realize what was happening, the firetruck bucket was swinging up in the air coming over to our balcony. And George even quicker, ran inside to put his shoes on. The idea had already occurred to him that he might be going for a ride in that bucket!



Because he's George, so OF COURSE he was about to go for a ride in the firetruck bucket off of our third story balcony!









And then when he landed, he was the biggest playground celebrity you have ever seen, at 4:35pm on a Thursday.

It was actually really awesome. I'm not sure who was smiling more, me or him! It was by far the funniest thing that has happened to us while living in an apartment in Korea.

Double digits at last.

While I am into celebrating single digits of time left in Korea, Henry has been anticipating his first double digit birthday with an anticipation that was great. Nerve wracking to be quite honest. Since Henry had a grand birthday party last year, this was his "off" year to just celebrate with the family. And his birthday was going to fall on a Sunday, so the big question was, were we going to be able to make it fun enough? I am happy to report that due to Henry's tremendous personality he turned 10 on a Sunday like a pro.



We went bowling and out to dinner to Chili's on Saturday night. We made him endure the entire waitressing staff coming over to the table to sing to him "happy birthday". An event which we all got a good laugh out of, but which Henry might have wished never happened.

Then he got a traditional Earnest Family 7am birthday party to open Part 1 of his presents. And then a less traditional, "cake is for lunch" birthday party at noon, where he opened Part 2 of his presents. Then to solidify how truly mature Henry really is now that he's 10, his feelings weren't even a little bit hurt when BOTH of his parents fell asleep shortly after the party at noon. It was after all, still a Sunday afternoon, and these parents don't frequently stay awake all the Sunday long. It's how we honor the Sabbath around here!





But never fear for Henry's personal pleasure and well being while we slumbered. He was TOO busy with his various new video game options to even know how long our nap actually was.





Then on Monday, came the event he had been anticipating the most of all, the issuing of his very first military ID card!! We were told when we arrived in Korea that the kids wouldn't get cards until they turned 10. It didn't take Henry very long to realize that that meant he would get his card while we were here. And while I seem to be not fully comprehending what it means to a young boy to receive his very first bona fide ID card, I was sensitive enough to understand that it was very exciting, so I pulled him out of school on Monday, where he met up with our favorite Major who helped make him ID card official. The biggest concern on the young lads mind while he waited in line... "...should I smile or not. Most of the time when I smile it turned out really bad. I think I shouldn't smile. Do you think I should smile?" And so the conversation went, around and around, with the Major and I weighing in with our varying opinions about the age old dilemma that our man had to face at the tender age of 10.

He settled upon smiling. Oh how he loves his mother! What a sweetheart. I am honored to be his mother. He makes me proud on so many levels. I simply don't know what our lives would be like without him. He sets a tone among his siblings and his peers alike that is one of measured and quiet kindness. When he was a baby people sometimes told me that he looked like an old man. And I think it was my Grandma Z. who told me he looked like he arrived on earth wise from the beginning. I think my Grandma was onto something. I am nothing but optimistic when I look at him and think of the future for all of us. My Henry makes me know that goodness is a virtue, and I thank God everyday that he is mine.

Happy Birthday to my 10 year old "little man." We love you.





P.S. It wouldn't be a birthday report without a tiny shout out to the sewing that the occasion inspired:

New fabric streamers in more "boyish" colors. Jane wanted to take photos all day long on Sunday. I like her angle. And oh how I love fabric streamers. I'm about to make enough to stream through the whole house!

Pajama bottoms. I can't seem to make them long enough for Henry! He grows seemingly, every other week. He told me these ones were a bit too long. And I said, "just wait a week, they'll be just right."

With love, from Ruby.

Hi everyone,


I was having such a busy morning, running around in my pajamas, watching TV, playing with Jane. It was really exhausting, so I got in my swimsuit to lay out for a while under my new Asian umbrella. I asked my mom 57 times to take my picture. I knew I looked good, but I have to admit, I didn't know I looked this good!




Then Jane needed to have her picture taken since I was getting mine taken, but she wasn't even in her swimming suit, so I thought it was kind of lame. But whatever, she's still my BFF.


Don't forget to take time in your day to lay out for a bit. It's really refreshing. And don't forget to have a "party drink" close by. You never know when you're going to get thirsty, just laying around and stuff.

Have a great day.

Love,
Ruby.

some good times.

We've had some good times recently. And with the exception of one, the best part of all of them is that they've been unplanned. They have been moments that just evolved and ended up being really good. I'm happy to report upon such event, and document them. Good times happen all around us, and frequently we don't fully appreciate them, until we are not having a good time anymore!

(red eyes included for a more spooky effect!)

One night this week, the boys were off doing something right before dinner. Which left me and the girls home getting things ready for dinner. I had already started cooking dinner, but then somehow the girls got the big idea that they wanted to decorate for dinner. With a few little suggestions on my part, they pulled it all together and called it a "spooky feast". Although, Ruby did no appreciate the spooky music that Darin found to accompany the meal. She said the music made it entirely too spooky, and made him turn it off! None of it had been a plan, even fifteen minutes before it happened. But when the boys walked in to a dark house and a candle on the dining room table, it instantly meant dinner was going to be "fun". And it was!

Then one day after school this week, I noticed the house was so totally peaceful. Everyone was quietly engaged in something and no one was arguing or complaining. I grabbed my camera right there and then and caught a glimpse of what each one of them was doing. I wanted to remember that moment forever. The word "bliss" came to mind as I approached each kid and photographed.

Henry curled up with the sun and a good book on the couch. I personally think he nailed the blissful moment perfectly. What more could someone ask for?!

Ruby on the computer, happily and quietly playing some game, and smiling to the camera!

George likewise on the computer. And Jane making a book.

Notice there is stuff scattered about. The house was not in perfect order. Things surely were supposed to be happening. But to have all four kids in the exact same moment having such satisfaction in what they were doing, just made me feel so happy.

Then came Saturday with the Saber Run 2009 Half Marathon that had my stomach tossing and turning for days leading up to it. I was going for a PR and it was about to do me in. To push yourself and stretch yourself, and set expectation for yourself. I almost wanted to call in sick! But I couldn't have done that to myself either. You have to show up to your event and see what you're made of.
And thankfully, I didn't disappoint myself. I repeated the mantra over and over again in my head, "leave it all on the course". That's what I wanted to do on Saturday. I wanted to run as if that was the only thing I was going to do, therefore saving NOTHING for afterward. And I came pretty close!

My friend and new running partner Kim took first in the women's field with a 1:40 finish. I came in second in 1:42!!

The airplane trophy really made it all worth it in the end. And still today as I am hobbling about, painfully sitting and standing, I just look at that airplane on a stick and KNOW it was all totally worth it!!

Well, you know I'm kidding about that. But it's always worth it to show up for yourself when you've challenged yourself to a duel. The mind is our most powerful athletic tool. I find it somewhat shocking that as I've been planning for this race the number 1:42 was in my head all along. As if my mind was just waiting for my body to catch up. Powerful lesson indeed. PR achieved most gratefully.

And since we were going to be sticking around for the awards ceremony we were happy that there were all kinds of fun things for the kids to do too. I told George that there was going to be a kids race, so starting on Tuesday, he would come home from school, do his homework, practice the piano, and then watch Pokemon on the TV while running on the treadmill! He completely shocked me the first day when he walked out at the end of Pokemon having just run two miles! That's impressive, in case you were wondering. Then he came home and did that again on Wednesday and Thursday. Then he rested after that in order to be ready to run for Saturday. It was a neck and neck race between him and a little Korean kid, and in the end, I think he took second, just like his mother! Way to go George!!!



Henry didn't feel like racing was his cup of tea. But sumo wrestling appealed to him indeed. We all got a good laugh out of Henry in his sumo suit! That was totally a good time!

Henry fighting the good fight.

The ladies? Well, you know they can never be upstaged. They jumped into the 4 and under race, Halloween skirts and all. No matter that they didn't have tennis shoes on, there was a race to be run, and they were going to do it!

Love Jane's starting line pose. She thinks every moment of her life is an opportunity for a photo shoot. But is she wrong?!

So anyway, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. As any mother well knows, no victory is ever hers alone. Wherever I go, my crew follows. And to be running around a corner during the race, to catch a glimpse of Darin with the kids parked 1/2 mile up the road always made me get a bit choked up. I couldn't do it without their support. They encourage me, and love me, and show up for me when I need them. And most of all, they always think I'm the winner! I love them all.

Yep, we've totally had some good times.