Korean kittens

You have to check this out. It's fabulous. Go girls!http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8242654.stm

Tonight's bath

Oliver is, uh, well...I just really don't have the words for this....

Day with Halmoni

We went to visit Jack's father's grave with halmoni. He's buried in P'ochon, a little town north of Seoul famous for it's scenery and hot springs. It's also close to Idong, so there are tons of great galbi (bbq ribs) places. It rained in the morning, so we weren't sure if we could go, but the weather cleared up nicely into a beautiful early autumn day. We ate a breakfast of pancakes, fruit, and eggs at home before driving to halmoni's house to pick her up. Once we got to P'ochon we ate a sun tubu (soft tofu stew) lunch. The kids are tofu freaks, so getting them to eat a lot was easy. Then we drove to the grave site and walked around for a while. It was beautiful. I took photos of all the family grave stones just in case the kids have to do another family tree project any time soon.

After we visited haleobeoji's grave, we went to a hot springs and spent a good two hours soaking in the fabulous waters. The women's hot springs had an outdoor part with a waterfall--Ronan loved playing in the 'swimming pool.' Dahin, for some funky reason, loves the naeng tang (the cold pool). Every time, she tries to get me into that pool; I'm more into the soothing warm waters, myself. Oliver went into the 'guys' side with Jack--you know, since he's all manly and all (as the posting above attests). We got nice and clean. After our baths, we had some drinks and ice cream in the lobby where Ronan made friends with this massive koi who just kept staring at Ronan (seriously, look at those eyes).

Once we finished our refreshments, we headed home. On the way, we stopped and had noodles and dumplings at a pretty pleasant eatery--pleasant aside from the fact that it was swarming with mosquitos. Still, they sold these really yummy ginger and peanut cookies that we bought and ate as dessert on the way home. It was fun hanging out with halmoni. Although we live in the same city, it seems like we hardly ever get together.

Home from Work

One of the best parts of coming home from work is seeing the kids and how excited they are to show me things they've done or collected throughout the day.

Ronan makes me presents everyday. Anything from oragami to straws taped together is fair game.

Above, Ronan shows me the Korean 'love' sign while eating a piece of squid--aaah multitasking; training them young.

Summer's Last Gasps

Sorry I've been slow on posting these days. The fall semester has begun and, like the beginnings of all semesters, it's kicking my butt. Once I get settled into a routine and all reading packets are complete and printed, I'll be a happy camper.

The weather here is transitioning into fall. The evenings and mornings are noticeably cooler and less humid and there are some cool days mixed with some hot ones. One particularly hot day, we visited family in Yongin and next to their apartment is a fountain where kids not only run through the water but also treat it like a swimming pool. Oliver and Dahin dived into the water fun after about 2 minutes' hesitation, and it took Ronan a bit longer. But, Ronan, once he decides to do something he goes all out. I had to keep him from taking all his clothes off. We compromised on pants removal and a 'Captain Underpants' appearance in public. Asyou can see from the photos below, the water play was a much welcomed relief from the heat.

Oliver and Ocean

Roadside food

Another shot from the trip. On a road trip, you not only have the rest stops, but little stores and food stands. The favorite types of food for sale seemed to be corn, grapes, rice cake, potatos, and bread filled with sweet red bean paste. The kids slept a good portion of the way while Jack and I ate, and ate, and ate.