June 14- Pino's backwards

Michael and I decided late this afternoon that we’d take the kids over to Pino’s and let them play while we enjoyed a glass of wine and dessert. Well, that plan worked out marvelously. The kids had fun on the play gym while we enjoyed the late afternoon breeze coming out of the mountains. The kids had fun sampling our desserts and we were all in a cheerful mood. Then we started to smell dinner cooking, and man did it smell good! So, we decided to move our party inside and eat dinner! Who knew how well you can still eat, even if you have your cake first? The kids still put away a plate full of pasta and broccoli. Oh, and Ella drank out of a big girl water cup! Aunt Jenn would be so proud of her girl!

June 12- Another King Songdok Bell

Today we checked out the bell by the park. I’ve been meaning walk up there just because I’ve never seen it before. Sadly, I think if you see one bell in Korea, you’ve seen them all. I’m afraid one looks just like the next. Oh well, it was a nice little walk for the kids.
After the bell we hopped on over to the park to play with our friends.
Talk about an all American boy! Looks like he’s ready to go in, coach!

June 11- Eating with chopsticks

Look at those skills with chopsticks! She’s become the little pro with chopsticks and prefers to eat everything from cereal to Korean food with her little trainer chopsticks. We went to lunch at a duck restaurant with Ms. Eu today. I would love to tell you about how wonderful the food was, but I choked (literally) on my first bite and spent the rest of lunch trying to dislodge the duck from my throat. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Yes, it was all coming to an end in a rice field.

June 8- Girls wear pink!

She’s such a girly girl! Grand-Mere sent this darling dress last week, but none of us took into consideration that Ella might be starting to have color preferences. This morning I had to all but beg and bribe her to get dressed. She didn’t believe the dress was hers…because it’s blue! She kept saying, “No! No! Sterling’s shirt!” I eventually convinced her she could wear it because the fish had pretty flowers on it, but man, I’m afraid I see some fashion battles in our future.
Now, just the opposite of his sister, Sterling is nothing but boy and wouldn’t care if he was wearing a paper sack as long as he could run and play!
And they're off! It's a race to the summit and Sterling is in the lead!
After our trip to the park, we stopped by Camp Long to have lunch with Daddy at the Katusa snack bar (Korean food for the Korean National workers on base). Yum, dak gulgi!
Get your own seat!

June 6- Friends and games

We started our Saturday morning off with a trip to our favorite (okay, only) park. After nap time Heather and Luter came over. We ate chips and salsa and played Uncle Tom’s game.
The objective is really very simple. Players take turns jabbing swords into the barrel until the Uncle Tom (the pirate) pop up. Ella and Sterling weren’t as interested in the game, but they loved, loved, loved the chips and salsa!
Just had to include this picture of those stunning blue eyes!
We love our bubbles from the ahjeemah!
What was it Popeye said? Shiver me timbers?

June 5- Hail and farewell and cake, too!

Today Michael welcomed the new commander, Capt. Stephens, to the company and said goodbye to Capt. Stogner. Ella, Sterling and I joined the celebration for some cake and ice cream.
Sterling LOVES cake! Can you tell?
You would think after eating ice cream at lunch time that would be it for the day. Obviously you don’t know what a bad mom I am. After the hail and farewell we went home for our regularly scheduled nap time. After the kids woke up we had to pick Michael up from work…with a pit stop at Baskin Robbins!
Full of sugar.

June 3- Bubbles and bunnies

We’ve found one more reason to love the park. The little old lady who keeps a juice stand in the park has started selling bubbles. The kids love it! The bubbles have the neatest little wand. You actually put the wand in your mouth like a horn to blow bubbles. Makes great bubbles! Needless to say, making bubbles is a great way to draw other kiddos to you. Ella and Sterling had lots of fun making bubbles for their little friends at the park this afternoon. It’s so fun watching them really interact and play with other kids. Poor things, I need to find a day school for them to attend so they can have consistent socializing.
If you ask Sterling what you say on the slide, he’ll raise his arms and say “wee!” like in the above picture. We’ve also spent so much time at the park that about a mile before we get there I start hearing “slide, wee!” from the backseat of the car. They actually know the route we take to the park!
Look what someone brought to the park! A bunny rabbit! All the kiddies at the park were totally enamored with the furry little creature.

June 1- Friends and more friends

Making more friends at the park. What can I say? They’re a friendly duo! And I have no idea what the two little old men are discussing with Sterling!
Red paced from playing so hard. It’s starting to get hot around here! Even going to the park early in the morning it’s still pretty warm and muggy! Oh well, I’ll just be grateful the monsoons haven’t set it yet. When they do, that will bring a quick end to our time at the park.

May 30- Lazy day of summer

I’m sure one day I’ll have to remove this picture from my blog. You know, somewhere around the teen years! But for the time being, who doesn’t love a nakey baby in a bonnet?
Who knew how much fun a couple of sponges added to a water table could be? What a fun science experiment! Soaking water up and squeezing it out!
The perfect end to a summer day? Ribs on the grill! Actually, I just had to include this picture to make our neighbor’s back in Florence jealous. Michael doesn’t do the bulk of the cooking around our house, but one thing he does do really well is barbecued ribs. I’m talking falling off the bone good. Mmmm, mmmm.
And when you’re two, there is nothing more exciting than getting your hands on an entire watermelon wedge! These two goof balls pulled the watermelon off the table while no one was paying attention, and went to town getting coved in the sticky sweet fruit.

Sticky fingers!

May 29- Pino's

Tonight we went to dinner at one of our very, very favorite restraints in town, Pino. We love Pino! It’s the best (if not only) Italian restaurant in town. Of course, it’s slightly “Koreanized” as Michael and I like to say. You know, red pepper paste in the risotto, but overall, it is delicious! Even the kids love it! Of course, their love for Pino my come in small part thanks to the play gym on the lawn outside the restaurant. I wish American restaurants would catch onto this brilliant idea. Let the kids play for a while, burn off some energy, and then they’re much happier to sit through dinner.
Kisses for Daddy. What could make a Daddy’s heart feel fuller than little kisses from his two favorite people?