Lockes on the R.O.K.

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yummy pumpkin seeds, we saved them this year and baked them (a week later). They were delicious. Carson and I ate them all in one setting.
Carson and Jess scooping out the pumpkin. Joe didn't come home for Halloween, so the pumpkin carving was up to us.

Carson (as you see) did the scooping with his hands, whereas, Jess did the scooping with a spoon. Then her princess hands didn't have to get orange and sticky.

Sharpie decorations on the miniature pumpkins

Carson getting his hair dyed "black" for his Harry Potter get-up.

It turned out auburn instead of black. And it's still auburn on Nov. 7th. He'll be blonde again by June.

Hermione Granger is walking to school with her poofy hair.

Hedwig the owl

Hermione Granger

Harry Potter ready for his Quidditch match

Our friend, Morgan Palmer, as a lotus lantern

The "Harry Potter" gang at the PX costume contest, no, we didn't win.

Carson as Harry Potter, Kimberly as a witch, Jess as Hermione, Morgan as the lotus lanter, Hannah as a jellyfish, Garrett as Hedwig the owl

Halloween night - anxiously waiting to go trick or treating. They were being safe with their glow necklaces.

Harry, Hermione and Hedwig

The Smith kids with the Locke kids

Nicholas the shark and Carson

8th OSS Change of Command, Kunsan Air Base, Korea

2010-07-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Joe is the new Squadron Commander for the 8th Operation Support Squadron

8th Fighter Wing

Kunsan Air Base, South Korea

Col. Seguin, Ops Group Commander, Lt. Col Parker previous OSS Commander.

The new "Wizard" as the OSS Commander is called.

Speech...

Speech...

Commander in the house...

1st salute from his squadron - very cool!

Hangar 3 with stage and huge U.S. flag

Video of the guide on changing hands from Spidey to Snake

2010-05-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

Alex, Carson, Sammie, Jessica and Garrett by the piano after the recital.
Carson - smiling after he finished.

Jessica after her piece

Our friend, Kimberly Kuhn, with Garrett

Garrett wasn't feeling very well this evening and especially didn't want to smile.

Yes, I should have zoomed the camera a ton more! Video taking is usually Daddy's job, but he's in Phoenix until June 18th. Then we're meeting him in Hawaii for 2 weeks.

Family November 2009 (42 photos), by Erin Locke

2009-12-04T00:40:00.001-08:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Carson's 1st Swim Meet

2009-09-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

Carson was on the Yongsan Barracuda Swim Team this summer. He and Jess practiced from 5:30 am until 7:00 am in June and July. Carson's 1st swim meet was on the Saturday we left for the U.S.. He swam the 50 meter freestyle and then we had to rush off to the airport.
Our little fish - getting ready to warm-up.

Coach Karen and the Barracudas doing the pre-meet Barracuda chant

Garr Bear and Lizzie

2009-09-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Garrett and his friend Elizabeth love to play with Jessica's plastic dress-up shoes. They even fight over the "Rose" shoes. Those are the pink Sleeping Beauty shoes. Lizzie loves sleeping beauty and even calls her by name, Rose.

Garrett will love this picture when he's 14, won't he? Nice drool spot down the front of his shirt.

Garrett is enjoying Jessica's electric guitar at "Sissy's" 6th birthday party. Our friend, Alex, is also diggin' the guitar.

Cool dude - Garrett is enjoying some daddy time (sporting Daddy's shades) at Jessica's birthday dinner at the Navy Club.

Garr Bear hanging with Mommy at the Dragon Hill Oktoberfest. We've had a busy September with lots of social gatherings and Garrett is always a trooper and such a sweet boy about being carried from one event to the next. Now when people see him running around out of his stoller they ask, "Is this the same baby as last year who was always in the stroller?" Poor guy, he does spend a lot of time either in his stoller or the backpack. Since we live on the Army Post we walk everywhere. Even last night we walked to Cub Scouts and Carson asked, "Mom, why do we have to walk everywhere? Can't we take the car? Nope, we're getting into shape while also saving the environment!" is my reply. This video is Garrett and Lizzie in action with their dress-up shoes.

Chuck and Janet take Korea - Insadong

2009-07-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Grandma & Grandpa with Carson & Jess
Walking to Insadong

Gate to pagoda in Insadong

Walking into Pagoda park

Korean War monument

Carson checking out the monument

Family from the back side

Temple

Here are the intricate paintings and designs up close.

Beautiful encased Pagoda

Chuck and Janet take Korea - Meyondong

2009-07-16T18:06:00.001-07:00

Our next outing was to eat delicious Chinese dumplings at one of our favorite restaurants Din Tai Fung in Meyongdong. Here we are walking down an alley in single file so we don't get hit by cars, scooters or motorcycles. Sorry no photos of the dumplings, maybe next visit?
Meyongdong is another one of our favorite eating and shopping districts in Seoul. It's about 3 subway stops away from post.

The far pink billboard is a huge Korean department store called Shinsegae.

Beautiful fountain in Meyongdong

Chuck and Janet take Korea - Itaewon

2009-07-16T17:38:00.001-07:00

Our 1st Korean adventure while Chuck and Janet were in Korea was to a neighborhood right outside the gate called Itaewon. It is an internationl eating and shopping district with so much culture. Here we are walking along the crowded sidewalks. The Korean vendors have small mobile shops all along the sidewalks.

Here are some photos of the traffic, the buildings and the crowds.

See Cold Stone, Quizno's and Coffee Bean across the street!

Chuck took this photo for future fashion tips.

Shhh!

2009-07-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry that this video is so dark. Garrett also learned recently to say, "Shh!" and put his finger to his mouth. It looks a little like he's picking his nose and blowing. :)

I figured it out!

2009-07-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the sideways video, can't figure out how to rotate it. Garrett has figured out how to open ALL of the doors in our house. Jess was sick yesterday and trying to take a nap, but Garrett kept opening the door and saying, "Boo" and then laughing away. Notice how he is on his tippy tiptoes. We love our little thrill seeker!

Jessica's Dance Performance

2009-07-08T23:31:00.001-07:00

Jessica had her 2nd dance performance in Korea on Memorial Day Weekend this year. She loves her Korean ballet instructor, Miss Michelle, and she loves performing even more. Jessica with her dance friends - no she didn't wear her blue crocs to dance.!

Miss Michelle is getting them placed properly.

Getting ready to dance...

Beautiful ballerinas!

Their music had technical difficulties and had to be re-started 3 times. 3rd time's a charm - they were able to continue their performance without missing a beat.

Forming a circle

Jessica and Kimberly being the center of the circle

The End! We are so proud of our beautiful, smiley ballerina!

Carson' Baseball

2009-07-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Carson's single

While Grandpa and Grandma Locke were visiting in May, Grandpa took some pictures for Carson playing 7-8 year old baseball. He was on the Diamondbacks. Due to rain, illness and prior commitments Carson didn't have many baseball games. He had a great time the few games he was able to play. Here comes Carson bounding across homeplate.

Biting his nails or picking his nose?

Playing "pitcher" Carson caught quite a few hits during his time as pitcher, he even made a double play.

Daddy, Garrett and Carson are warming up for the game.

Carson gets a hit!

Gwanjin Royal Ceramic Festival

2009-07-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

The last stop on our Gyeonggi-do Province tour was to the Gwanjin Roayl Ceramic Festival. Vince, Carson, Carmen and Jessica are getting ready to make their pottery.

Carson learning to use the pottery wheel.

Carson finishing his pottery vase.

Jessica, Jeremy and Carson are decorating their pottery.

I love drawing flowers on my vase!

I love drawing mountains and a sun on my vase!

Strawberry Picking

2009-07-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

Carson picking strawberries during our Gyeonggi-do Province trip.

During our Gyeonggi-do Province trip we also went strawberry picking. Our Korean tour guide and Strawberry Farm worker were giving us a strawberry picking demonstration. Jessica says, "You spread your hand out. Put the strawberry vine between your 3rd and 4th fingers and close your hand loosely. Then you pick the strawberry by waving at it or bending your wrist."

Garrett had his own version of strawberry picking, just bite it off the vine.

Garrett and Mommy's strawberry stash

Garrett trying it with his hand this time.

Jessica's shows off her quart of strawberries and similar to the hard boiled eggs, ALL of the strawberries were eaten before lunch that day.

Gyeonggi-do Province - Straw Egg Baskets

2009-07-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went on a Korean cultural tour of the Gyeonggi-do Province with our friends the Endres, Cuellar, and DeStazio families this spring. Jessica is patiently waiting for our craft making.
A friendly Korean man taught us how to make an egg basket with long pieces of straw. The kids are watching intently. Jessica is surrounded by our family friends from left - Elizabeth, Carmen, Mary Kate, Vince, Jess, Mia and MacKenzie.

Jessica and Carson with our finished straw egg basket, just in case you ever need to carry 5 eggs. The hard boiled eggs didn't make it home, they were eaten promptly before lunch.

Jessica and Carson climbing on a pottery statue. Gyeonggi-do Province is famous for their pottery.

E-I-E-I-Oops!

2009-06-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Jessica's Kindergarten class performed a spring musical called "E-I-E-I-Oops!" It was a story about a cow that would not "Moo!" Jessica was Little Bo Peep. Here she is with some of her friends - Alex was the Rooster, Kimberly was the Farmer's wife and Jasmine was a "cute" chick.

One of our favorite parts of the musical was between the pigs named Curly and Q.

Hey, Curly!

Yea, Q!

Did you hear about the hog with no nose?

No, how'd he smell?

How'd he smell? Terrible!

Little Bo Peep - "Little lambs, little lams! Oh, there you are."

Jessica standing in front of the awesome barn backdrop that the Kindergarten moms painted.

Cock-a-doodle-doodle-doodle-doo! I'm the rooster and your applause will do.

Opening number - Old MacDonald had a Farm

No training wheels!

2009-06-27T16:09:00.001-07:00

Jessica says "Goodbye" to her training wheels.

Jess had one other practice session with Daddy holding the practice bar.

She has mastered the starting, stopping, and turning of bike riding. Now she's working on going straight, staying on a path, and not panicking when the path gets bumpy or steep.

Mother's Day Tea

2009-05-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

Jessica's Kindergarten class had a Mother's Day Tea for us. The children gave us flower bracelets, Mom booklets, iced tea and cookies. My Mom booklet said I was 3 feet tall and 50 pounds. Some of my favorites (according to Jessica) were the color red, bulgogi, Ring in a Fire (Johnny Cash song "Ring of Fire"), dogs and American Idol. She said in the afternoon my mom "les me play." In the morning my mom "She hugs me." In the night time my mom "wrx on the kuptr." (also known as works on the computer). My mom just loves to "Run, " and she even drew a picture of me with Garrett in a jogging stroller. So cute and so thoughtful!
Jessica trying to get Garrett to sit still for a quick photo.

A perfect example of Garrett's fit throwing capability.

Our friends Lucy and Alex Yi

Some of the moms - Michael's mom, me, Melissa, Nancy and Lucy

Garrett's sports gear

2009-05-20T00:58:00.000-07:00

Garrett's favorite past time is to gather any and all sports gear in the house and put it on. Shoes, cleats, helmets, baseball mits, reflective vests, scooters, bats, balls, golf clubs...

It looks like his foot is on backwards in this photo, but don't worry it's not. Carson's crocs are so big for him that his tiny foot fits in the heel, therefore, he can wear them forward or backward.

The bike helmet is tough for him to buckle.

He's still battling the helmet strap.

Korea Floritopia 2009

2009-05-20T00:14:00.000-07:00

The kids and I ventured to Taean-gun in Chungcheongnam-do Province for an International flower festival. Korea Floritopia was beautiful, don't get me wrong, however, the number of people far surpassed the number of flowers we saw. :) You can see the sea of people in our flower shots. We did find a somewhat empty spot on the beach and that was the kids' favorite part of the trip.
The exhibit halls were so crowded we didn't even attempt to stand in line.

The Outdoor Theme Garden was gorgeous. Jessica and I are posing on the back side of the tulip garden.

Tulips...so beautiful!

Sungryemun Gate (in the background) was a Korean temple covered in flowers.

The Flower Culture Experience was a line we were willing to conquer. Standing in line in Korea is very different than in the U.S., getting bumped, jostled, pushed or ran over is all very normal and won't even get a response from the culprit. We decided to play the "we're Americans and we're not sure where to go" card for this exhibit. We walked in with a class of young Korean students. I'm sure we didn't stand out at all in that crowd. :) It worked, we got in within 3 minutes of standing in line. Carson decorated a mask and Jessica decorated a mirror with floam. This craft was very similar to the floam necklace making at the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul. Must be a Korean thing?

Jessica loved collecting sea shells and playing in the sand.

Taean beach is located on the west coast of South Korea on the Yellow Sea. It is part of the Taean Haean Maritime National Park.

After we moved away from the mob of Korean high school students the kids enjoyed playing and not being touched or photographed for an entire 30 minutes. Yes, Carson is still wearing his mask. He thought it might deter some of the gawkers, but I think it actually drew more attention to him.

Lotus Lantern Festival

2009-05-12T04:59:00.001-07:00

Carson, Jessica and I went to the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul a few weeks ago. The festival is to celebrate Buddha's birthday. The festivities were incredible, incredibly crowded, but very fun. They had craft after craft for children to make. Jess and Carson are showing off the necklaces they made.
Making necklaces with foam, a little random, but it's Korea, right?

The lanterns hanging above the kids are the lotus lanterns. They are making their own beautiful, paper lotus lanterns. They turned out so good.

Now they are making earrings with dried flower decorations. Jessica gave a pair to her teacher, Mrs. Hoffman and Carson gave his pair to me for Mother's Day. So sweet!

The highlight for both kids was the face painting, of course. We stood in line for quite awhile and it was a chilly evening. Jessica is getting a lotus painted on her cheek.

Carson with his beautiful Korean artist and the lightning bolt on his face

Group photo - We went with our friends Tracy, Carmen and Vince and some of their friends.

This is the entrance of a Buddhist Temple that was decorated with so many lotus lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

Posing with the tiger lanterns

The parade was also amazing. I couldn't see very well. I kept getting pushed to the back. The kids had the best seat in the house, front row, sitting on the ground in front of everyone. See the Starbucks on the 2nd floor across the street? That's where I'll be watching next year, with my Mocha in hand.

Beautiful lotus float

The dragon float was really cool. It was a moving, fire-breathing dragon with sound effects. Jessica took this photo for us from my shoulders.

Pinewood Derby

2009-05-12T04:39:00.001-07:00

Carson won 3rd place in the Yongsan Cub Scout Pinewood Derby with his Batmobile.

Carson with his 3rd place medal. Now he gets to race his Batmobile in the District Pinewood Derby on May 16th.

Carson during the car weigh-in's

The Batmobile is in the front row by the white and blue car. We also liked the Army tank design.

Carson with his friend Adam - Adam had a Star Wars car.

The Batmobile at the starting gate

Look at that car go!

Yongsan Braves

2009-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Jessica is playing 5-6 year old t-ball this spring. Her team is the Braves and her coach is Ms. Jennifer.
Our little slugger, taking aim...
hit...

there goes the ball...
there goes Jessica!
She's coming around to 3rd.

Jessica with her piggies and a smile on her face going into the field.

She's learning good sportsmanship too. This looks like a small town t-ball game until you see the Seoul skyscrapers in the background.

Go Braves! Good job #7!

Easter 2009

2009-05-11T06:03:00.001-07:00

Carson has been battling some stomach issues this spring and the eve of Easter he had another bout. Therefore our Easter plans were altered and we spent the day helping Carsy feel better. Here's the kids showing their Easter treats.

Garrett saying, "Look at this cool toothbrush!" He really does love is Pooh toothbrush and he uses it every chance he can get. I find it on the bathroom floor, on the patio, in a shoe drawer, in the couch, on the kitchen floor. If you're noticing the trend, yes, it's on the floor and then in the dishwasher a lot!

Garrett asking mommy what she's eating. I snuck a chocolate egg.Garrett is now enjoying his own chocolate egg. He even had brown drool.

We had the Easter Egg Hunt on our small patio. Garrett caught on quickly by watching the big kids and he even thought it was fun. He did have to carry his own bucket and golf club.
He still has the golf club. He wouldn't put the club down. He is a sports fanatic, he's way more interested in sports apparel and gear than either Carson or Jess.

29th Birthday?

2009-05-11T05:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Mommy! That's not Garrett, it's our friend Vince. Joe planned a fun BBQ at our apartment picnic area for my birthday.
Joe made a delicious chocolate trifle and decided to light it on fire.

There should have been 29 candles again on my cake, but Joe mistakenly used the whole pack. If you know how many candles are in a whole pack then you'll know my true age.

Hutongs and Temple of Heaven

2009-05-11T05:22:00.001-07:00

Family photo at the begining of our adventure in the riksha. We took a tour through Beijing's hutongs in a riksha, which is a 2-person carriage pulled by a man on a bicycle. Hutongs are old, narrow alleyways with one-story courtyard houses. They are known for showing tourists a glimpse of old Beijing.

Endres family in their risksha Jessica and I were peeking out the back of our riksha. We were lucky to survive our trek through these crazy alleyways. We were scraping other rikshas, passing bicycles and bumping along.Grace, our tour guide, took us inside a hutong house. We loved Grace. Here she is giving us a courtyard tour.
We were invited into their home and given bread and tea while she told us her family history. Garrett loved the snack! I asked the lady if the tea was made with bottled water, probably not one of the most polite comments I've made in my life. I'm a safety girl. She reassured me that it was. I still passed on the tepid tea.
Bicycles are the main mode of transporation for the locals in the hutongs, only the tourists ride in the bright red rikshas.

Moms and the big kids at the Temple of Heaven

Lockes at the Temple of HeavenJessica and Mary Kate having a snack break.

After our long days of touring in the heat the kids were able to curl up and nap in our van.

The Great Wall of China

2009-05-07T09:02:00.001-07:00

Group shot - Locke and Endres Families. Brad, Loretta, Mary Kate and Elizabeth shared this fabulous vacation with us. They live up the stairs from us, literally, 20 steps away, and have become our closest friends. The kids love each other, the dads never see each other (just kidding, sort of) and the moms need each other for this crazy tour in Korea.

This was the Juyongguan Pass section of the Great Wall, which is 40-50 miles north of Beijing. According to our travel book only 20% of the Great Wall is in "reasonable" condition, 30% lies in ruins and the rest is gone. The wall's disappearance is due to government neglect and intentional destruction during Mao's reign. By the end of the day we climbed about 400 (Jessica and I), 700 (the rest of the clan) steps up and then had to come down and that was no easy feat.

Up the wall we go...

Carson is awed by the view.

Garrett is not impressed with the view, but he's loving the rocking motion of Dad climbing the stairs while he's in the backpack. Garrett spent 80% of our trip in his backpack and he loved every second of it. I even think he was having backpack withdrawal when we returned. He would bring us the backpack and say, "Uh, uh, uh." That's "please put me in this and take me for a walk" in Garrett talk.
Views from our climb - The air quality was not the best, as you can see or not see. :)

Jessica and Mary Kate - amazed they made it so far.

Thirsty, sweaty boy and Garrett too.

Washing our hands after our dirty climbLong day at the Great Wall of China

David the Chinese tour guide

2009-05-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

David, Chinese guy in the yellow shirt, was our tour guide in Beijing. I didn't actually take any pictures of David, however, our friend, Brad, did take some fun shots of him. David works for a Chinese tourism office. He gave us the abridged version of Chinese history, it's so long do we really want the FULL story? He thought it was great that were "able" to have so many kids. By the end he was saying, "Why in the world would you want this many kids?" :)
David and crew in the Forbidden City
Still in the forbidden city...David spoke English very well, but had a tendency to repeat words or phrases he didn't pronounce well or possibly to get us to respond. Long, long, long was said with the L's exaggerated and over and over. He reminded us of the assistant on Father of the Bride.

Where's David?

David giving us the rundown at the Temple of Heaven.

This is the "Huh?" picture. And Jessica is saying, "Wow, I really want to pick my fingernails, but my mom really doesn't want me to."
David and clan at the Summer's Palace, this was a summer retreat for the Emperor and Empress. It took 14 years to build and a lot of China's money. This was a man made lake that was HUGE! The royalty would come here to escape the heat of Beijing, so there were many trees, very beautiful.
Here we are in the van - Brad took our only group shot in the van. Brad's up front, Garrett's passed out, Elizabeth is eating her toes, Joe's gazing out the window and I bet a million dollars, I'm car/van sick. Loretta, Jessica, Carson and Mary Kate are hidden in the back row.

T... Square and the Forbidden City

2009-04-30T08:39:00.001-07:00

The Gate of Heavenly Peace with Mao's very large photo - this gate takes you from Tiananmen's Square into the Forbidden City.

Chinese Guard stands at attention. Locke family photo in front of Mao Gate before crossing the street into the Forbidden City
Mary Kate perched on Brad's shoulders for her tour of Tiananmen Square.
Inside the Forbidden City

These large bronze vats were used to store water for fire extinguishing.

The number of mythical animals on a rooftop tells your family's worth and importance. The more animals, the more important your family was.

Carson ready to extinguish any Imperial fires.

Are we in China yet?

2009-04-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

No, but we found a WAY fun playroom at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul!

The kids (Carson, Jessica, Mary Kate and Elizabeth) still enjoying the playroom. Where's Garrett? Probably trying on someone's shoes, climbing the outside of the ball pit or getting into the toilet.

Now we're in China. Here's our hotel. We loved the Doubletree by Hilton in Beijing. It was a little far from shopping (not great for the ladies, but okay with Brad and Joe), but was a beautiful, classy place to stay. The breakfast was an International feast. We loved the black bean curry dish!
Yum, Doubletree cookies! Yes, even in China, the Doubletree has hot chocolate chip cookies!

Bikes in Beijing, #1 mode of transport

City scape of Beijing

Driving by a unique temple in downtown Beijing

Our 1st Chinese meal

Is Beijing ready for the Locke and Endres families?

1st Hair Cut

2009-04-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Garrett had his 1st hair cut on Friday. We went to the barbershop just down from our house. A very sweet Korean lady had the privilege of cutting his baby hair. This picture looks like he's saying, "Uh, what are you going to do with those scissors?" He was such a perfect boy. The only tears came when we tried to take away his box of raisins. He's pretty attached to his snacks.
The last of his baby curls, also known as baby fuzz going bye-bye, no more mullet.

"I just want to eat my raisins, but this white thing is in my way." He couldn't figure out how to eat his raisins while his hands were under the cape. I had to help him, but of course, at 15 months of age you don't NEED help from Mommy.

Can you see the hair stuck to the drool on his chin? The beautician kept taking a cloth and wiping his nose and chin, because the hair kept sticking to him.

Bending sideways...

Bending forward...

He wasn't even scared of the clippers, but I had to remind her that this was his FIRST hair cut and I didn't want it too short.

Look at our precious 15 month old boy! "Now I can eat my raisins!"

Garrett and Elizabeth's Playdate

2009-03-26T01:19:00.000-07:00

Sharing raisins...

Sweet, precious Elizabeth with Garrett the drool monster

Stealing raisins...

Playing on the airplane desk - Elizabeth was sitting nicely on the chair and Garrett decided to sit on the propellor.

They played with the Fisher Price barn for over an hour.

Mulan at Seoul Foreign School

2009-03-26T00:58:00.000-07:00

Carson, Jessica, Jessica's friend Carmen and I recently attended Mulan the Musical performed by 7-10 year olds at Seoul Foreign School. As you can see from the above picture the costumes, make-up, and sets were terrific. Our favorite character was Mushu. We're pretty sure he was played by a girl, so adorable and such a great actress.
Carson, Carmen and Jessica enjoying the musical.

Jessica peeking around to be in the picture with the Mulan image on the stage.

Mommy, Jess and Carmen taking an intermission break.

Seoul Foreign School actors and actresses in Mulan - what a fun and wonderful musical they produced. Many of the students are British, so it was fun to hear the accents in a play about China. We are definitely going to get tickets for their next performance "Little Shop of Horrors."

Girl Scouts' World Thinking Day 2009

2009-03-08T21:54:00.001-07:00

Jessica's Daisy Girl Scouts Troop participated in World Thinking Day on February 28, 2009. They joined other American and Korean Girl Scouts from around Seoul.

Kelly Morris, their leader; Jessica, Kimberly, Gabriela, Lorianna, Katie

Jessica and her friend Kimberly posing with their Daisy vests and seed packets. The girls made envelopes with Daisy seeds in them to share as their swap.

The girls getting ready to perform their poem, Bi Bim Bap.

Korean Girl Scout leader teaching the girls the "We are Happy Today" song with a little Korean flare and accent with it.

Carson's Blue and Gold Banquet

2009-03-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Carson and his Cub Scout friend Luke decorated a Tiger Cub cake for their Blue and Gold Cub Scout Banquet.
Carson and Luke showing their adorable Tiger Cub Cake.

Pack 89 Cub Scouts Blue and Gold Banquet 2009

Friday, February 27th

Dens 3 & 8 - Tiger Cub Scouts receiving their awards.

Joe was holding Carson upside down to receive his Tiger Cub badge. They put the badge on upside down until the boy makes a "good turn." In this case when Carson was turned upright, so was his badge. Carson loved this tradition! Joe used to do this in his Cub Scouts. However, this isn't a normal procedure for Pack 89. Notice the strange looks from the parents around us.

Here's Carson after his "good turn" and proud to receive his Tiger Cub badge.

Carson with his proud parents - He's such a hard working, smart, sweet boy and an awesome Tiger Cub. We love you, Carsy!

100th Day of Kindergarten

2009-03-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Friday, February 20, 2009, was Jessica's 100th day of Kindergarten. She loves her teacher, Mrs. Hoffman, and her class has so many special activities and celebrations. The 100th day celebration began with the children decorating their 100 badges.

Jasmine, Jessica and WallyNow the class is lining up to go outside and be a part of the Kindergarten 100.
Mrs. Hoffman is leading her class to create the upper portion of the last zero in the Kindergarten 100. Brrr, it was cold outside. Ms. Wilkerson's class was waiting patiently for all the other classes and they didn't even have their coats on.
Happy 100th Day of Kindergarten!
Seoul American Elementary School Kindergarteners and their teachers

Joe's Promotion

2009-03-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

Joe's promotion ceremony to Lt. Colonel was held in the "White House" on U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan on Friday, February 27, 2009. U.S. Army Major General Sterling officiated the ceremony.

Here we are pinning the new silver oakleafs onto his uniform. Garrett had the privilege of carrying the hat. He loves hats, so we thought this would keep him busy. This is the only picture we got of him before he climbed under the tables and escaped to the rows of seating.

Jessica and Carson were very patient about getting the rank on just right.

The new Lt. Col. Joe Locke and his family - I did manage to catch Garrett for the family photo, however, notice how he's trying to jump out of my arms.

Major General Sterling giving Joe the Air Force Oath.

Joe giving his speech. He almost forgot ...

the flowers!

We finished the afternoon by sharing cake and punch with Joe's co-workers and friends.

Garrett's 1 year old photos

2009-03-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

Carson in Action

2009-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

Life is rough here in Korea...we have to be constantly ready for action. Sometimes you don't even have time to put your pants on. Carson loves his Wii. Here he is in action - fencing early Saturday morning. Carson may kill us someday for posting this.

Jessica in Action

2009-01-20T15:25:00.001-08:00

Jessica is playing 5-6 year old Basketball with Youth Services. She is on the Rockets. She enjoys the running, defense and dribbling and is still working on the shooting.
Jessica received some new Hanna Anderson clothes and wanted to model them for us. This was also Mrs. Hoffman's (her Kindergarten teacher) birthday, so she was dressing up for the special occasion. Her ankles look bumpy because she has thermal underwear under her tights. It's just too cold to wear tights without them.

Too cute!

Garrett's Jungle gym

2009-01-20T01:36:00.001-08:00

Garrett has discovered that climbing in and out of the bar stools is super fun. He can entertain himself for 30 minutes at a time with this. What a handsome brown-eyed boy!
Garrett loves to climb inside and then sit on the back bar and swing his legs. We have to push the stool up against the wall or block the front to make sure he doesn't fall through.

Peek-a-boo!

Snow in Seoul!

2009-01-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

It's been so cold here all winter, but we only had a skiff of snow on Christmas Eve. Then last Friday it snowed and snowed. It was beautiful and the kids loved it. As you can see in all the pictures the snow accumulation was not much. The grass and dirt was showing through very quickly. Here's Jessica and her friends Dylan and Kimberly playing in the muddy snow in the Kindergarten yard.
Carson and his friend Adam building a snowman. I wanted to get the high rises in the background. Just to show we really do live in a city.

Carson, Jessica and Adam still building the snowman. The snowman was never completed, but a very hard and large base of a snowman was built and then thrown around.

Peak a boo, Garrett! He's warm and cozy in his Protect-A-Bub stroller cover.

My boys - playing in the snow. Garrett's hands are not bigger than his arms. He just won't keep gloves on, so I bought him a pair of large froggy gloves with a string. He loves them, chews on them and most importantly keeps them on.

Garrett loved the sled! He doesn't look very happy in this photo and his froggy hands kept dragging in the snow. However, he screamed whenever we took him out of the sled. We all loved our 1st real snow day in Korea!

Garrett's Modeling, Take 3!

2009-01-19T04:53:00.001-08:00

Garrett had his 3rd and possibly final modeling shoot last week. He was smiling and cute until he got under the lights then he was a screaming boy. Poor dude! It just wasn't his day. The pictures were for a HappyLand Summer 2009 catalog. He looked so pale in his shorts and tank top. He's quite stingy with his smiles in front of a camera. He has more of the inquisitive look.I call this the "Captain and Tenille gone Korean." Seriously, would parents buy that hat for their child? Garrett loved this red chair. He hated the hat, hated the black plastic sandals and hated the lights and cameras. But LOVED the red chair!
Still happy, because I'm by my Mama and being fed. He's an eater. If all else fails when he's fussy, give him something to eat. Anything!
By this time his black tie was completely drenched with slobber, yogurt, granola bar, some kind of Gerber Puffs (which he had never tasted until today) and goldfish.

Happy 1st Birthday, Garrett!

2009-01-19T03:26:00.000-08:00

I'm one year old today (Sunday, January 4th) and look at my new airplane desk -

the propeller even goes around and around!

Garrett was a little disappointed when he realized the airplane desk didn't move when he sat in the chair and lurched forward. However, having paper and colored pencils to draw with made it all better. We have discovered that the chair tips over very easily, maybe not a great gift for a one year old. I just couldn't resist.

We went bowling on Garrett's birthday too. Yongsan Lanes is becoming our Sunday tradition. He loves to be right there with the bowling balls. We kept his fingers safe this time.

Garrett and Elizabeth's 1st Birthday Party

2009-01-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Garrett! Thanks to Jess for holding the 1. Our plan was to have Garrett hold the 1 or prop it somewhere. However, that wasn't working for us, so Jess stepped in to assist.The birthday boy posing with Carson and Jessica - Carson and Jess decorated the 1's for Garrett's party. This is Carson's version of "Happy Birthday" with lots of balloons. Even though they look very similar to something else. :)
Here are the birthday kids together. We celebrated with Garrett's best girl friend, Elizabeth. Garrett's birthday is January 4th and Elizabeth's birthday is January 8th, so we thought it would be fun to celebrate together with our friends.
Garrett and Elizabeth talking and exchanging one year old advice.
Garrett doing what he does best, pulling out all of his toys.
Daddy and Mommy with the cutie pie.

Yum, this plastic food is delicious and no, we won't pose for you!
Birthday decor
Yummy banana cakes for both kids - we found the cute "My 1st Birthday candles" at E-Mart. E-Mart is the Korean version of Walmart.
Garrett blowing out his candle.
Loretta (Mommy) and Elizabeth blowing out the candle.
This cake is great for my hair.

All cleaned up and ready for presents - Garrett received a set of 3 Pororo balls - soccer, football and basketball. Pororo is a Korean cartoon character. He's a penguin with funny goggles.

Garrett also received a farm animal set. He loves trying all of the different animal sounds. We had such a fun time with our friends the Endres'. It's great to have friends that have children the same ages, have similar interests and live just up the stairs.

Seoul Grand Park Zoo

2009-01-12T17:40:00.001-08:00

During Christmas break we took a trip to the Seoul Grand Park Zoo. We even took Ol' Blue (our van). We usually take the subway, but we followed our friends the Yi's, which is much easier than having to read the signs in Hangul ourselves. This is the 1st trip to the zoo that Garrett noticed the animals and even made sounds for them. He mostly knows Ruff for a dog, Moo for a cow and Grr for a bear, dinosaur, lion, etc. Here are Joe and Garrett "mooing" at the giraffes. What does a giraffe say anyway?Mama and baby giraffe - I just missed the nursing shot. So cute!

Alex Yi (with his new camera) and Jessica watching the Mountain Goats.

The Seal and Dolphin Show - We loved the show because it was inside and we could eat our lunch in the warmth.
Next to the reptiles and insects the elephant slide was a favorite for the kids. It was much faster than the alligator slide and you could climb with ropes up the side. Joe and Garrett are at the top. Carson is by the left tusk. Zane Miagany is climbing the ropes. Jessica just finished the slide and Alex is getting ready to go back up.Here's Jessica on the alligator slide. This was fun until they found the elephant slide. I even went down the alligator slide and had to push myself along. Seoul Grand Park Zoo was a terrific way to spend a cold winter day!

Garrett's 1st Year in Review

2009-01-11T20:31:00.001-08:00

Garrett Charles Locke born on Friday, January 4, 2008.Garrett' 1st meeting with his big brother and sister

January - 3 weeks old
March 2008 - 2 months old in the azalaeas in Montgomery, AL April 2008 - 3 months old - discovering the exersaucerMay 2008 - 4 months old - meeting Julie, Aunt Wendy and Uncle Dave for the 1st time. We (The O'Connell side of the family) think Garrett looks like Uncle Dave. Pretty handsome guy to take after. :)
June 2008 - 5 months old - Camping in Colorado with Grandma and Grandpa Locke
July 2008 - 6 months old - with the Gran and Papa O'Connell in Wyoming
August 2008 - 7 months old - Our new apartment in Seoul, South Korea
September 2008 - 8 months old - Hanging out with Carsy, notice the large drool spot on Garrett's shirt. He cut 4 teeth in the 1st few months we were in Korea.
October 2008 - 9 months old - Eating Yaki Mandu at Namdaemun Market with Mom
November 2008 - 10 months old - I'm standing!December 2008 - 11 months old - I get into everything and I'm walking!

January 4, 2009 - Happy 1st Birthday, Garrett!

Christmas Morning 2008

2009-01-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas from Seoul, South Korea! We had a wonderful Christmas and Santa even found our house clear over here in Asia.Look what Santa brought us. Garrett DID have matching pajamas with Carson. However, being the 11 month old that he was, he had a huge poopy blow-out in his reindeer jammies. Oh well, the snowman jammies are cute too.
Here's one of my favorite toys, not the pelican but the ball.

Our little Garr Bear

Jessica in her Hanbok, which is a traditional Korean dress that is worn at Chusok and Lunar New Year. She wore it all weekend.

Caron is modeling his new camo coat. I think he's been modeling too much since we moved to Korea.

Garrett with his antelope

Jessica's Fancy Nancy sticker book

Carson's Spiderman motorcycle

Garrett preferred Carson's light saber set over his pelican.

Thank you to all our friends and family who made our Christmas special by Skyping us while you played Rock Band, sending gifts half-way around the world, sharing Christmas dinner with us and being in Korea with us when our families are far away.

Garrett's Countdown to turning 1 year old

2009-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, so I'm a little late with my postings. I had meant to post this countdown before he turned one, but I'm getting around to it now. So...let's go back a few weeks and look into Garrett's adventures before turning one.

He loves to put hats on his head. He hates for us to put hats on his head, but if it's his own action he's all about it.
Here I go! I see Carson do this all the time. I'm sure I'll be fine
Who me? Yes, I climbed this ladder to get on my big brother's bunk bed. Mom thought it was pretty cute the 1st time I climbed Mt. Bunk bed, however, the 2nd time I did it without supervision and then fell on my nugget. Ouch! Now the ladder has been stowed in the closet and I'm not tall enough to get the closet open yet. Tune in later in the year. :)
Since our dog Sara is staying with Grandma and Grandpa Locke I'm not around dogs very much, and I'm not sure what to do with them. Guy (my friend Gabriela and Zane's dog) seems to want my crackers, but I don't want to share.
Look what a room full of unsupervised kids will do to a baby on New Year's Eve.
Garrett's 1st mohawk, compliments of Carson and Zane

Christmas Eve

2008-12-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

Our family has the tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve. This gift is matching pajamas for the kids.

Carson and Jessica are opening their gifts while Garrett is going for the ribbon.

The kids and their gifts. Garrett is playing with the ball pump, much more fun than a present.

Oops, I didn't get a photo of the kids with their pajamas on Christmas Eve. It is now Christmas morning and as you can see Garrett's pajamas do not match. His diaper sprung a leak during the night and we had to change him into his Snowman pajamas for Christmas morning.

Carson and Garrett's Modeling

2008-12-29T19:59:00.001-08:00

Carson's modeling debut - He got to wear a snowboarding outfit, tight red and green plaid pants, and even a purple sweater. They kept trying to use a blow dryer on his hair to get it down. Garrett was also one of the models. I didn't get as many pictures this shoot because Garrett "The Destroyer" was with us. We were in a very cute Korean cafe with great Christmas decorations. Garrett wanted to rearrange all of the wine bottles and pull the lights off the walls.

Garrett smiling because he's close to Mommy and not in front of the "real" camera. This outfit looks much cuter on a baby than it does on a 7 year old. Carson was such a good sport.

This face was much more typical of Garrett's mood during his VERY unsuccessful photo shoot. I should have known that his modeling days were limited. Now that he's 11 months old, walking, and getting into everything he NEVER sits still. So placing him in front of the Korean camera crew (away from Mommy) and expecting him to stay put and smile wasn't going to happen. They FINALLY had to place him on my lap and digitally crop his smiling face into the photos.

Christmas Carols at Dragon Hill Lodge

2008-12-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

During the holiday season the students at Seoul American Elementary School are invited to sing Christmas carols at the Dragon Hill Lodge. Jessica's Kindergarten class sang on December 17th.

Jessica with her reindeer antlers singing away!

Mrs. Hoffman's Kindergarten class - Jessica is in the middle of the back row.

Jessica's favorite classmates - Kimberly, Jessica, Gabriela, Alex

Carson's 1st grade class sang on December 19th. Here is Carson entering the Dragon Hill stage.
Carson laughing with his classmates.

Carson's friends - Sarah and Abigail

Jess the Super Model

2008-12-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

Jessica had the opportunity to model for a Korean company named Cheek. Her 1st shot was with a frizzy blond wig. She truly looked like a runway model. She was such a perfect girl, moving her arms, legs, head, hands, face, etc. every which way they wanted.

Jessica was getting re-adjusted by the modeling crew.

While the photographer took the pictures the images would pop up on the large Mac computer screen. It was fun for all of us to see the photos that quick. Here is the finished product for shoot #1. Jessica spent all day (8:30 -3:30) getting primped and prodded. Her favorite part was the chocolate doughnut she had for breakfast and snack, not quite super model food, unless you're 5 years old.

For the next shot they took off the crazy wig and curled her hair with a tiny curling iron. Jess had hundreds of ringlets - so cute! Mommy and Jess trying to capture the moment.Here is my beautiful little girl! This was definitely my favorite, well, I loved the butterfly pictures too.Jessica getting adjusted again. They couldn't get the shirt just the way they wanted.
Next was the butterfly shot - they put butterflies in her hair

Jessica getting body butter applied to her arms and legs. It made them look shiny.
We called this the "Ice Cream Princess" picture. She wore a large headband with balls piled on top, like a big bowl of ice cream.
This is an action shot of the crew dressing and adjusting Jessica before the Ice Cream Princess shot.

Jessica and her friend Connor taking a boy/girl shot.

The finished product for Connor and Jessica was a cute photo with their heads together. This was supposed to be Jessica's last photo of the day, however, after we got her all dressed they wanted one more. She very graciously agreed and took one last photo in another butterfly sundress. We were all tired by then and I didn't get candids. She was awesome for her very 1st super model appearance.

A Day in the Life of Garrett Locke

2008-12-04T17:22:00.001-08:00

I live in Seoul, South Korea, and Brrr.. it's cold here in the winter. I get bundled up every day for my stroller rides. My mom and I walk Carson and Jessica to school in the morning and walk them home after school.

See, here's my cool ride, also known as a jogging stroller. I also take my nap every morning in my stroller while Mom runs with her running buddies. It's a good thing I have my bunting and plastic cover for those cold mornings.

This picture is quite embarrassing, Mom! My big sister, Jessica, dressed me up in an apron and a Strawberry Shortcake hat. I loved the apron, but I'm really not a "hat kind of guy."

Now that I'm walking everywhere I have a tendency to get excited and fall into things. See that big, blue bump on my head? I got that from falling into a chair leg. Ouch! I don't recommend that to any of you out there.

My next war wound, or should I say, walking wound, came from pulling my sister's Sesame street video/music player on my face. See my right eye is black and blue or it's the left eye if you're looking at the picture. I'm so tall now, I can reach almost anything off her bookshelf. See I even found a plastic golf ball from the "Too Small for Garrett" box. They think I can't reach that.I'm 11 months old today and I was feeling even more curious. I discovered this awesome green marker. I think Mom was in the bathroom when I found it. I decided to chew on it, write on my shirt and then bite off the end. Icky! I don't recommend eating markers either. Mom had to take pictures of me before she even washed me up and took it away. Yes, this was also in the "Too Small for Garrett" box. See I'm magic, I can get into anything.

After a busy day of head bonking, pulling music players off the shelf and eating green markers I love to snuggle with my Daddy. I'm STILL not a good sleeper even at 11 months of age, can you believe it? Give me a warm body and a rocking chair (Preferably not in my bedroom, that place is scary.) and I'll sleep for hours. Okay, maybe an hour and 30 minutes. :)

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our loved ones! We miss you!

We went to Zippo and Melissa Liller's house for a beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving feast. Our celebration was unique because of our apartment living - the boys played soccer and kickball in the hallway, we used 2-3 ovens in different apartments, many extra guests decided to join the noisy party, it felt like one big "family." I don't have any of the funny pictures that were taken that night. That will be a whole different post.
Family picture on Thanksgiving night -
Jessica 5 years old, Garrett 10 1/2 months old, Carson 7 years old

Carson's Thanksgiving Play - he's posing with his Wapanog friends. Carson was Pilgrim Boy #3 and did a wonderful job with his part. He memorized a 6 sentence paragraph.

Jessica and Garrett watching Carson's play.

Carson's play took place in the Dolphin Theater. Seoul American Elementary School has a dolphin for its mascot so there are many "dolphin" references in the school. We were so proud of our little pilgrim. He was the best actor there.

Garrett is 10 months old!

2008-11-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

I'm 10 months old. I weigh 20.6 pounds and I'm 28 inches long. I have 8 teeth. I can "ruff" like a dog, but I also "ruff" when I see birds, cats, etc. My favorite place to play is in Carson and Jessica's room where the big kid toys are located. I especially like Carson's cool Nerf guns, pencils, crayons, and Legos, because Mom always takes them away from me. I love to pull all the books off of my bookshelf and flip through all the pages. I can stand and I am taking 2-3 steps all by myself.

Namdaemun Market

2008-11-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

In early October we took a Sunday trip to Namdaemu Market for lunch and shopping. It's a huge night and day market that dates back to the 15th century. It has thousands of shops and stalls selling food, ginseng, dried seaweed, clothes, shoes, hiking gear, watches, toys, stationery, etc. We ate kimchi, bulgogi, yaki mandu and who knows what else. :) Jessica and Erin showing our chopsticks prowess.
Deciding what to order by pictures only.

Korean rice cakes, more like rice paste rolled into a sticky ball, it must be an acquired taste.

Eels, anyone?

Carson wanted to take one home as a pet.

Happy Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T04:29:00.001-08:00

Jessica's Fall Festival at Seoul American Elementary SchoolJessica the cheerleader leaving her classroom for the Kindergarten costume parade.
Jessica with her pom-pom's

Garrett as a cheetah

Trick or Treating on Yongsan was held on Saturday, November 1st.

Here's Carson the Knight, Garrett the Cheetah and Jessica as Fancy Nancy outside our apartment with our jack o'lanterns.

Ahoy, Mateys!

2008-11-04T04:03:00.001-08:00

Carson had a Pirate Party for his 7th Birthday. The party was held on Saturday, October 25th. We originally planned to have the party outside at our apartment's playground. However, due to rain and cool weather we moved the scallywags inside. Argh!

Gran made the Pirate Ship cake.

Joe also known as the grandson of "Black Jack George" created an inside treasure hunt.

Clue #1
Baby Garrett helping with the treasure hunt by eating the evidence.

Finding the "hidden" treasure!

The 7 cannons are lit!

Happy Birthday, Carson!

Happy 7th Birthday, Carson!

2008-11-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

Our little or not so little Carsy turned 7 on October 22nd. My mom, Gran, was here to celebrate with us. We had Monkey Bread and present opening before school, cupcakes at school and bowling with pizza that night. Joe was TDY to Osan, but came home to surprise Carson. Carson is a very active, energetic, sweet, creative and smart 7-year old. He's 50 pounds (mostly skin and bones) and 49 inches. He loves Legos, Kinex, Lincoln Logs, puzzles, drawing, and every kind of sport - soccer, golf, baseball, basketball, etc. His new hobbies are Karate and our new Wii. Thanks Gran and Pooops! He's such a terrific big brother to Jess and Baby Garrett.

Jessica's 1st Kindergarten Field Trip

2008-10-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Jessica had her 1st field trip in Mrs. Hoffman's class. We walked to the Yongsan Fire Station during Fire Prevention Week. After watching a video on Fire Prevention the viewing room began to fill with smoke. We were told ahead of time that we would be exiting by crawling on the ground. However, Jessica and many others began to cry. Jess, Garrett and I exited through the front door instead of crawling through the back. The kids' favorite part was the fire hydrant robot who was shooting water at them. Jessica and Alex (her best boyfriend) - I think Alex is doing a Power Ranger move and Jessica is doing a dance move. Alex keeps trying to teach Jess Tae Kwon Do, but I'm not sure if pointed toes and dance hands will work.

Jessica with her Kindergarten class

Jessica doing her "Sorority" pose. I promise, I did not teach her that.

Jessica with her graham cracker fire truck.

Jessica in the fire truck

Garrett's 1st Steps

2008-10-26T18:35:00.001-07:00

Garrett took his 1st steps by himself yesterday (Sunday, October 26th) at 9 months and 3 weeks of age. His balance is getting much better and he's willing to stand on his own more often now. He took 2 steps in Carson and Jessica's room trying to get to Carson's Nerf gun and then took 3 steps to get to Daddy. Yeah! He will stand anytime if you give him the remote control and it can't be the remote control that we don't use. He likes the one that works.

Marrakech Nights

2008-10-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

We tried another Morrocan restaurant. The food was good, but not as good as Petra Kebab House Restaurant (see previous posts). Joe had a yummy lamb dish with raisins and a brown sauce. I had chicken and vegetables over couscous. The kids ate the chicken and couscous with me. I don’t think they loved the food, but they were great kids anyway. We took some cute kids’ shots after dinner.

1st Hike to Seoul Tower

2008-10-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

On September 24th I hiked to Seoul Tower on Namsan Mountain. I went with the AFSC (American Forces Spouses’ Club) Hiking Club. I carried Garrett in the backpack the entire hike. What a workout! Namsan is geographically the center of Seoul, however, when you’re on the trail you feel like you’re completely away from the city. The views were spectacular! The entire hike up and down the mountain took us 3 hours. I was one sweaty mommy at the end. My friend Kristen took the photos with her camera, notice the Seoul smog. Yum!

Garrett's modeling

2008-10-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Garrett had his 1st professional modeling job! Garrett was a model for a Korean children's catalog. He did very well when they took his picture in a little bear outfit outside on a blanket. He wasn't too hot and it was early in the photo shoot. This was just Mommy taking a quick shot with my camera.

Then they dressed him in pants, long sleeves, a hood, and socks, and strapped him into a car seat. If you know Garrett, then you know that he hates car seats. The 1st try wasn’t successful, so they gave him a break, and tried again. I didn’t see him smile much more the 2nd try, but the Korean photographer was satisfied. I also took some photos of him at home with his “Garrett” onesie. He's such a sweet baby and loves when we get the camera out. He usually comes after the camera and wants to chew on it. Maybe that's why my camera is not working that great these days?

Happy 5th Birthday, Jessie Bug!

2008-09-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Jessica opening presents on the morning of her birthday.
Jess eating her cinnamon roll and apple juice, her breakfast of choice.
She is modeling her gift from Mommy and Daddy - a pink kimono pajama and robe set. She calls it her karate or kung fu outfit. I think she and Carson have been watching Kung Fu Panda too much. We love that movie!
Five Candles!
We were all helping her open her presents. She received her 1st Webkinz pink poodle, a cheerleading outfit with pom poms, and a Pretty Princess game. Carson even played the Princess game. He's such a sweet brother.

Happy Ch'usok!

2008-09-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Jessica mastering the use of chopsticks while eating strawberries - She also tried the Korean rice cakes, see the pink flower on her plate, and Bulgogi.

The Korean holiday of Ch'usok is this weekend. We plan to stay on Post most of the time - we'll finish hanging pitures, watch movies, and have friends over for dinner. Jessica's class celebrated Ch'usok on Wednesday this week. Many of the children were wearing Hanboks, the traditional Korean dress for Ch'usok. Carson's class celebration was on Friday. I couldn't attend because Jessica was home from school. Sorry, Carsy, no pictures from your party. PBS had the following information on Ch'usok. "Perhaps the greatest Korean holiday is Ch'usok, or Harvest Moon Festival, which is held on the 15th day of the Eighth Moon according to the lunar calendar. That is usually in September or October and is marked by the rising of a full "Harvest Moon." Ch'usok is usually described as a kind of Thanksgiving for a good harvest, but it is really an ancient holiday dedicated to the ancestors. Families gather from all over the country and from overseas for the great holiday. Visitors to Korea are always warned to stay where they are at Ch'usok time because almost everyone is on the road going back to their ancestral homes: journeys that by car would normally take two hours might take fifteen!"

"Fancy Nancy" Party

2008-09-11T04:54:00.000-07:00

Jessica had her 5th Birthday Party on Saturday, September 6th. We had a "Fancy Nancy" barbecue at the picnic pavilion outside our apartment building. The girls all wore their dresses and tiaras. We read Fancy Nancy books, colored Fancy Nancy pictures and the best part of all, ate parfaits. Parfait is a fancy word for ice cream sundae, according to Fancy Nancy. Happy Birthday, Bugaboo! I can't believe you're 5 years old now.

Street Vendor Food

2008-09-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

We ventured to Dongdaemun Market to shop for birthday supplies for Jessica's party. After shopping we ate food from the street vendors. Carson ate a hot dog that had batter and French fries fried around it, somewhat like a corn dog but with fries. Jessica had a hot dog on a stick. Joe and I had spicy chicken on a stick. They were all delicious, so either we were really hungry and desperate or we found a good vendor. We weren't alone with our food on a stick. Everywhere you looked people were eating from a stick. We did break our sticks afterward and toss them in the trash, because the rumor is, they re-use the sticks. Gross! I just had to keep that out of my mind. While we were sitting on this street corner we had 20 or more Koreans stop and say "oh, ah" about our blond hair, light eyes children. They touch them and ask to take photos of them also.

Jessica's 1st day of Kindergarten

2008-09-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

Jessica had her 1st day of Kindergarten at Seoul American Elementary School on September 2nd. She was very brave and didn't even cry when we dropped her off. This is an improvement from last year. She loves her teacher, Mrs. Hoffman. Her friends Gabriela and Kimberly are also in her class, so it helps to see them every morning. Rest time is her least favorite activity and she cried during rest time the 1st few days, but we decided that if she can go 5 days without crying at rest time then she'll get her nails polished at the Dragon Hill Lodge, she loves that!

New Crocs

2008-09-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

I bought Garrett his 1st pair of Crocs. Joe and I went to Namdaemun market on Tuesday, Sept. 2nd while the kids were in school. I found these tiny Croc knock-offs with 3 jibitz each for 5,000 won about $4, what a steal! Garrett doesn't like them and immediately kicks them off his feet. I'm glad I didn't spend $30 on Crocs to discover this.

Garrett, the Mess Maker

2008-09-11T04:28:00.001-07:00

Garrett gets into EVERYTHING! His favorites are the plastic shopping bags, garbage bags, sandwich bags and disposable gloves. I have moved all of these items out of his reach since these pictures were taken. The two middle photos look like he's saying, "Who Me?" He crawls around our apartment so quickly that we can't keep up with him. Just this week he also got his fingers shut in the sliding glass door by Jess and his hand in the bedroom door by Carsy. Double ouch! The kids are learning to watch out for him before shutting any doors/drawers/closets. He can also stand up right on his knees now.

Carson's 1st day of 1st Grade

2008-09-11T04:17:00.001-07:00

Carson started 1st Grade at Seoul American Elementary School on Monday, August 25th. His teacher is Mrs. Fahey. The elementary school is a 9-10 minute walk from our front door. We load Garrett up in his stroller, put Jess on her Buggy Board behind the stroller and we head out to school. Jessica missed Carson a lot on his 1st day of school. She has to get a hug and kiss from him each morning when we drop him off. Carson likes 1st Grade. He thought buying his own lunch was cool. He reports liking "everything" about school. Carson received 3 "Happy Notes" the 1st week of class, more than anyone else, he informed me. He's not so sure about the homework he gets for 1st grade. He met a very fun friend named Adam in his class though, so he's always excited for school. Adam came from Oklahoma before Korea and his dad is in the Army. Because Yongsan is a Joint Post our friends are from all the services - Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy.

Petra Kebab House

2008-09-11T04:07:00.001-07:00

We found a delicious Morrocan restaurant called Petra Restaurant, Kebab House. The restaurant is on a hill outside of the Post in an area called Itaewon. Itaewon has so many restaurants, we could try a new one each week and never have to repeat. We took a photo of the sun setting over Seoul. What a cool city! Jessica took the 2nd family photo.

I love books!

2008-09-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Garrett was holding onto the bookcase last Friday and pulled a heavy book right on his face. It split his lip. He had a hole on the inside of his lip, probably where his tooth went into it. Ouch! I took him to the E.R. even though it didn't bleed long and didn't look too bad. The doctor said it was "borderline" needing stitches. If Garrett were a girl and we were worried about the cosmetics of his face then he would have stitched it. I’m so glad he didn't stitch it. He gave me some future advice on boys, yes, they will hurt themselves and cut their mouths/lips, so if the cut is on the outside of the mouth it will probably need stitches, if it's on the inside it will not. Mouths heal quickly and don't get infected, great to know! Boys are a blast because of their high energy and independence, but they are also a little scary. You just never know what they will try. As you can see from the above photos, his injury has not scared him away from pulling books from the bookcase.

Pancakes!

2008-08-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

We gave Garrett his 1st pancake on Sunday, August 17th- Yum! He ate some of it and mushed a lot of it in his fingers. He's getting very good at picking up food and putting it in his mouth. He prefers to eat independently and does not want us to feed him with a spoon. His favorite foods are cheerios, avocado, banana, peas, softened raisins, teething biscuits, crackers of any kind, yogurt, egg yolks and toast. He's definitely a "carb-lover." We'll try meat in a few weeks. He screams when you're eating something in front of him and not giving him any. He was full-up crying tonight when Joe was eating a chocolate chip cookie and not giving him any. I love that he loves to eat!

COEX Mall Aquarium

2008-08-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Our latest Korean adventure was a trip to the Aquarium at the COEX Mall on Saturday, August 16th with our friends - Melissa, Zane and Gabriela Miagany. It was so crowded! We couldn't even walk 6 inches without being bumped into. My blond haired, blue-eyed children got touched and OOH'ed and AHH'ed over a lot. We rode the subway and it was fairly easy even with 5 kids in tow. It only took 30 minutes to get there from Post. The 1st part of the Aquarium was just a bunch of fish tanks in random and various containers - stoplight, phone booth, sink, toilet, refrigerator, soft drink machine, gumball machine, etc. These fish were not unique, mostly goldfish. Then the 2nd half was better. They had a hands-on portion that the kids enjoyed. The kids loved the threadfish, the fish that had large brains coming out of their heads (Carson's words), the large shark and turtle area, the otters, the crocodile with eggs, the penguins and the eels. There were also random animals like gerbils, chipmunks, hedgehogs, lizards, and iguanas. Only in Korea. :) The COEX Mall was very cool and seemed to have lots of fun restaurants and shops. We didn't shop because we were on a mission to feed the kids in the food court and get back. All together the trip took 5 hours.

Rolling Ball Museum

2008-08-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday the kids and I went to a Korean cuisine class called "Seoul Secrets." We learned about Korean foods, manners and customs. Then we ventured to the R.O.K. Army cafeteria. Not quite what we had in mind for our 1st Korean food experience. The food was interesting. We tried pork bulgogi, white radish kimchi, a scrambled egg dish, rice with black bean paste, crunchy black beans with honey and peanuts, and fish (with bones, parts and all) in a red sauce. Carson did great and tried everything! Jessica only ate the pork bulgogi and wouldn't even try the rice because it looked "purple." After lunch we walked across the street to the Korean War Memorial Museum. What a gigantic museum. We only saw some of the airplanes outside the museum then we went to the "Rolling Ball Museum" in the basement. Carson and Jessica played for hours. Garrett even joined in the fun by climbing on the wooden structures and trying to eat the balls and blocks.

Gate 19 Playground

2008-08-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

Later on Tuesday we went off post to a fun playground. Jessica is sitting in a gigantic rubber apple. Carson found his favorite apparatus, the monkey bar rings. No matter how hard I try I just can't keep him away from those things. One part of the park had a space theme. Carson and Jess are in a spinning replica of Earth.

Seoul Tower

2008-08-14T04:49:00.001-07:00

The kids and I went off post on Tuesday to find a party store for Jessica's 5th Birthday. On our way we got a perfect view of Seoul Tower. We walked for 30 minutes in the heat and humidity and when we arrived it was closed. :( Garrett's 7-month smile is full of teeth (6 now)! He's such a trooper now that he feels better and his teeth are through.

My 1st Posting

2008-08-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Seoul, South Korea! Carson and Jess are standing on our apartment balcony. You can see Seoul with trees and moutains in the background. We are in our apartment now and we have ALL of our stuff. Our shipment arrived a lot earlier than they thought, which was great! We're living in a 3-bedroom apartment in Burke Towers on Yongsan Army Garrison.

Seoul is a gigantic city, and we're excited to start exploring soon. We have found some good restaurants in Itaewon. We ate Kebab sandwiches at a restaurant called "Istanbul." It was delicious, but not quite like our favorite Kebab restaurant in Germany. The kids and I went to a Pita Pizza place. It was full of Americans, go figure. We loved it. Then we had 40 cent ice cream cones at McDonald's, how can you pass that up? Last night we ate yummy Italian food at Sortino's. Good, but not Gianni's!

Raingutter Regatta

2008-08-10T00:29:00.001-07:00

Carson had his Cub Scouts "Raingutter Regatta" on Saturday afternoon. His blue Pirate Ship even had cannons on deck. Carson was upset when Jessica asked why there was poop on the deck of his ship. Those are the cannons, Jess! His balsa wood ship was pretty speedy and won a few races. We learned the Cub Scouts' motto: "Do your best!"