Saturday, July 30, 2011

July 30, 2011 : 2011년 7월 30일

The boys were totally exhausted from 2 full days of play.  Grandma and Grandpa were pretty pooped too.  So we all just rested and enjoyed a day of peace (and a Harry Potter marathon that had the boys going crazy with homemade wands).

I don't have any wand pictures, but I do have a couple of other of the handicrafts for hot, tired days.

These are newspaper werewolf costumes

which look amazingly donkey-like.

Aren't you scared?

Friday, July 29, 2011

July 29, 2011 : 2011년 7월 29일

The kids went to Gyeongju today, which was the former capitol of Korea during the Shilla period.  They saw the tombs of the kings, which are huge mounds of dirt.



AJ had thought we were going to see real kings.

AJ: Where are the kings?
Me: In the ground.
AJ:  They're lost?
Me: Not exactly.
AJ: Then why can't I see them?
Me: They're dead, AJ.  They are buried in the ground.
AJ:  Mommy, I'm a dog in Korea? (his Asian sign of the zodiac)
Me: Yes.
AJ:  Mommy, dogs can dig really well.  I can find the kings for you.

After awhile AJ got tired, and all of the adults refused to carry him.  But BJ stepped up:
Grandpa was SOOOO impressed.

BJ, though, was very mpressed with the fire-breathing flying horse that appeared on the ornaments of the time.  It has been replicated in statues:
And on barn doors:

But the real fun was AFTER the tombs when my children got to ride little ATVs.  They are SO LIKE THEIR FATHER!!!!  I wish I could have gotten videos of BJ's buzzing around people with MAYBE an inch on each side or BJ's driving around the track completely backwards (which I felt pbliged to tell him not to do, even though I was secretly proud), or AJ's driving right over the tires in his way.  I did get this video though.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

July 28, 2011 : 2011년 7월 28일

Today, we went to Woobang Land. 오늘 우방렌드 갔어요.

The boys had SO much fun!  I don't have time to post everything, but here are a few of their favorite things:
너무 재이 있었어요!  시간이 많이 없지만 재일 좋아하는것 여기 있잖아요:

ice cream 아이스 크림

날라는 코끼리 flying elephants
chasing our brother in a rocket 로켓으로 형 잡기
아라딘 운행 The Aladdin Funhouse
Frog eyes  개구리  눈
생쥐 귀 mouse ears

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

July 27, 2011 : 2011년 7월 27일

Well, the boys are literally exhausted today.  They played SO hard yesterday.

It started Monday night when they went to Keun Omma's house so that they could get up early for the Harry Potter matinee on Tuesday morning (8:30 AM).

This is Minji and Jinhyung having dinner (~10:30 PM) before dying their hair black.  They accidentally ought the kind of dye to cover gray, but it changed their hair to black, and they were satisfied (their hair is naturally a very dark reddish-brown),

BJ and AJ are sleeping, but they were very excited about the movie.  AJ was up before 6:00 AM and BJ was up not long after.


Here's a good one of Minji and BJ...
Here are the boys jumping the chairs while we wait to buy popcorn.  Jinhyung restrained himself for the camera but resumed jumping as soon as I put it down.

And here is a bit of the wand fighting that ensued after the movie:

Then we went to the playground...



while we waited for our favorite donkatsu place to open (this picture is from the other day--they still all remember BJ!).


Afterward we met our firends from our old apartment complex.  We had lots of fun with them in the house:

on the playground:

and then in front of the museum playing with traditional Korean toys--
traditional Korean tops...
And swordfighting with these small javelins...

that are supposed to be thrown into these black urns on the right.

Then they went back and played with Minji nuna and Jinhyung hyung, both with newly black hair that really stands out in these pictures:

Here are the boys playing video games (which they are not supposed to do)...

and Minji sneaking a peek at TV on her mom's cell phone (which she is also not really supposed to do--but today was special, so it was okay.)

Then we walked to the playground to the music of the cicadas (if you listen closely, you can hear AJ telling them they're too loud.).


BJ and Jinhyung played a little soccer:

And AJ tried desperately to catch the bar for the big boys (alas, we are still not there yet...):




Then when we got home, their great-aunt and uncle had brought peaches and plums!

Is it any wonder that they can hardly move today?

Monday, July 25, 2011

July 25, 2011 Part 2 : 2011년 7월 25일 2회

AJ brought this home from art today.  "This is Daddy," he said.  "He's wearing a scarf because he's outside.  He's throwing snowballs at us.  Do you remember that, Mommy?  Do you remember Daddy?"

Then, ten minutes later, he said, "Mommy, we have to hurry back to our house in English.  There's one person stuck there, Mommy.  His name is Abba (Daddy).  You're married to him, Mommy.  Did you know that?  We have to go see him.  We can go back to Korea next week." 

Somehow, I think AJ still doesn't understand all this. 

Sunday, July 24, 2011

July 25, 2011 : 2011년 7월 25일

Yesterday, we went to a river near Yeongcheon.  Something I love about the Koreans is their ingenuity.  This river is about 3 feet deep all the way across, but look at all the ways they found to have fun!

The riverside was littered with literally hundreds of tents like this, even though the day was gray and rainy.

Then there were the ginormous beach balls the kids could climb inside and roam about the river.  You see Keun Abba here chasing the cousins in the big fluorescent ball.

There were also boats, which the kids just loved.  Here are a couple of pictures:
AJ being so big in the boat
Some photos of the water fights between the two boats with Komo Bu and the cousins.


And here are the boats in action.  You see Komo Bu (literally, "older sister's husband," so my children's uncle) paddling the boat with my boys (BJ with the paddle and AJ nagging for the paddle) and occasionally splashing them with his paddle.  Then you hear Keun Abba (literally, "big daddy," i.e., my husband's older brother) calling to his children, "Can you come this way?" Then you see the cousins, 13-year-old Minji and 11-year-old Jinhyung, drifting off.  Then back to BJ jumping out of the boat.

But there was also a swimming pool:

Then there was the fountain:


And of course, snacks, which AJ enjoyed the most...
Cheetos...

Cotton candy with Keun Omma ("big mother")...

And with Minji Nuna....

And with his brother and cousin, well, his cousin shared...

Bugles and watermelon....

And coffee, which is only supposed to be for the adults, but AJ usually gets some (as seen with Grandpa on another occasion):

And finally, the trip ended like every other one I have ever been on in the US and Korea--with the kids running around while the parents are too busy to stop them.

Says AJ, "I was be(de)stroying them all!!!!"  Yes, life is as it should be...

Friday, July 22, 2011

July 23, 2011 : 2011년 7월 23일

진희 생일입니다! It's BJ's birthday! 

It started this morning when the reminder that today was the day they could buy toys propelled AJ right out of bed.  BJ, however, snuggled back in the covers and hid his head under the pillow.  (Did I mention that he has grown an inch since we arrived?)

While BJ was hiding, AJ woke up Grandpa, they ate breakfast, and then the two enjoyed coffee together (AJ's was mostly milk).  Ahhh...the sweet aspects and lovely memories of Korea.

We talked to Daddy for BJ's birthday, and BJ was glad to see him, even though he wouldn't talk (Why? I'm not sure).  Afterward, he laid around missing Daddy until we went to buy his cake and presents.  In the car, he cried a little and sat on my lap.  It is hard on your birthday without your favorite person.

But then we found cake and presents, and life was a little better.

On the way home, AJ was worried because Grandpa didn't buy Grandma any presents.  Grandpa bought BJ two, so BJ gave one to Grandma and told her that when he goes home, she can look at it and not forget him.


And then we played with our toys...
and with Grandpa...

BJ fixed his and AJ's robots so many times Grandma swears he will be an engineer, which would make his other grandpa very happy.

AJ with his robot

BJ tries to be cool and not smile, but he can't help it.

But most important for them both was looking at some of Daddy's pictures:

Soooooo impressive!

Wow!  AJ wants to know if our Daddy knew he had us.  I told him he wasn't born yet, but AJ doesn't quite believe me.


Wow!  Daddy looks a whole lot like BJ!  BJ is proud.
AJ also finds a picture of Grandma...

"Was this today?" he asks.

"No," I say.  "This is when Daddy was little.  Grandma was younger."

I guess Grandma looks the same to AJ because he asked incredulously,

"You mean she was born this way?!"