Sources for Korean Christmas Ornaments

Our 2014 family ornament from HERE.

Christmas is right around the corner! I'm trying not to panic! I'm using too many exclamations!

We aren't big-fuss holiday folks. Maybe that's because it's been just the two of us for most of our 20+ Christmas celebrations together. But I LOVE decorating the tree. We have boxes of ornaments, most of which were given to us as children. We ooh and ahh as the memories come back. Those ornaments are like tiny time capsules. The special ones from Iran given to The Man by his Aunt Shirley. The salt dough gingerbread man from my childhood who has survived for 40 years. The yellowed and frayed angel that my sister and I used to fight over every year.

We hang those ornaments on our aluminum tree, and somehow, all the Christmas love of the past is magically brought to the present. It's one of my favorite traditions.

Since the boys came home, we've been giving them ornaments each year too. We have some really fantastic ones that represent their Korean heritage, as well as a reminder of things they are interested at this specific age. Throughout the year we keep our eyes open for things that can be used as ornaments, writing the boys names and dates on them.

This year's special ornament was ordered from Etsy seller Geraldandkellyhong. It's a beautiful porcelain design in a light green glaze. It reads "family" and commemorates Little Brother's homecoming this year.

Another adoptive mama (Hi Yvonne!) was recently searching out sources for Korean-themed ornaments. They are hard to come by! So I thought I'd do a round-up of all the different adoption/Korean Christmas ornaments that I've been able to dig up.

We haven't ordered from most of these retailers, so I cannot speak about quality. But if you try them out or have favorite retailers of your own, please comment!

I LOVE these tag ornaments from EthiopiaDad. They are made from laser-cut wood and priced reasonably. He's taking pre-orders so if you like them, you should hop to it! There are also Korea-specific ornaments, but I really love this one. There's ornaments for plenty of other countries too such as China, Africa, and Guatemala.  http://www.ethiopiadad.com/collections/405960-korea-ornaments

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Michigan carries this blown glass South Korean flag.
http://www.bronners.com/product/korean-flag-glass-ornament.do

Etsy has a great selection of hand-crafted decorations. Try a variety of searches such as 'hangul' or 'korea christmas', 'korean ornament', etc. I LOVE these porcelain ornaments made by seller geraldandkellyhong. This one says 'family'. https://www.etsy.com/listing/170789641/korean-family-ceramic-ornament?ref=related-0

There's a waiting list for this adorable nativity scene made from Etsy seller mysakuraprincess.
I'm guessing you won't have it for this holiday but maybe get your order in for next year? There are other selections such as the three wise men. https://www.etsy.com/listing/167812432/korean-nativity-set-hand-painted-6?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=ConnectedShop&utm_campaign=Share

Seller rusticcraftdesign has these wooden ornaments which say 'I love you' on the front and can be personalized with a name or date on the back. https://www.etsy.com/listing/120351718/korean-i-love-you-with-heart-rustic-wood?ref=sr_gallery_20&ga_search_query=korea+ornament&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

This little polyresin ornament features a girl in Hanbok. There is also a version with angel wings. http://www.afk.com/catalog/Detail.tpl?command=search&db=afkstore.db&eqSKUdata=ORN302W&cart=1415745177192566

This ornament features a girl in Hanbok, made out of resin. Sold at Mandy's Moon.
http://www.mandysmoon.com/store/korean-girl-christmas-ornament

These miniature Korean drums aren't necessarily Christmas tree ornaments, but they would look great on our tree! http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Korea-Drum-crafts-macrobian-drum-4-h-p01622/919551590.html

Adoptiongiftsonline.com has a few ornaments tucked into their selection. You have to dig through and they look like they are printed on ceramic by Zazzle. http://adoptiongiftsonline.com/korea-adoption-gifts/

Zazzle has a huge selection as well and they are fully customizable. They are printed metal but look to be a bit more ornate, depending on the design. http://www.zazzle.com.au/korean+ornaments

CafePress has a huge selection. They are flat aluminum ornaments with a printed design. http://www.cafepress.com/+korea+ornaments

Don't forget to check Amazon and Ebay! I found this hand-painted Korean fan dancer on Amazon! 

Korean Fan Dancer Hand-painted Glass Ball Ornament

And, one last thought. You can trim your tree with home-made ornaments! Here's a few ideas:

Knotting is a very popular artform in Korea. Here are instructions for a good luck knot. http://doitandhow.com/2013/06/21/good-luck-knot/

Or you could have the kids make a Sam Taeguk fan. This would also be pretty cute made out of salt dough clay! http://www.incultureparent.com/2011/04/korean-craft-make-a-traditional-sam-taeguk-fan/

These beautiful paper lotus lamps are typically used to celebrate Buddha's Birthday, but they would look fantastic on a tree! The center of the flower has a paper cup to hold the traditional candle, but you could cut a small hole and push a tree light through there for the same effect. http://www.incultureparent.com/2012/05/lotus-lanterns-for-wesak-buddha-day/

Happy Birthday, Baby Brother

Hello my sweet,

Happy birthday baby boy. You are one year old today! And although we are thousands of miles apart, our hearts are there with you to celebrate your first year.

How I wish we could celebrate together, here at home. I wonder, would you prefer cake or cupcakes? Would you enjoy the laughter and mayhem of a party, or prefer the quiet celebration with family?

Although it hurts my heart not to be there for this milestone, I do take comfort in knowing that you are safe, and that you are in good hands.

I hope you feel secure and happy. I wish for you strength and health. And most of all, I wish for you to feel bathed in love, both from near and afar.

No, we can't be together for your first birthday. But you still get a first birthday letter! You might find them funny, but it's the one time of year that your mama can be as sappy as she wants, and marvel that the world continues to be graced by special people who bring amazing gifts to share.

We don't know much about one another yet. I remind myself that although a first year and passed, (and with it your first smile, your first tooth, and perhaps even a first step...) there is still so very much ahead of us. A lifetime, my love.

Your given Korean name means 'merciful friend'. Hopefully you and Little Man will grow to be best of friends. He is anxious to meet you. He woke up this morning, as excited that is was your birthday as he is when it's his own.

He helped bake your cake today, too. He chose to make his favorite, chocolate cake topped with M&Ms and sprinkles! Maybe it will be your favorite one day too?

We sang you happy birthday as we watched the flame of your birthday candle flicker. And we all blow it out together, sending our birthday wishes for you to the sky.

Today also, we wished for comfort and peace for your birth mother. She made an adoption plan for you, making sure you were safe. For that, we are forever grateful. She is the root of your tree of life. Her roots run deep within you and set a foundation for your tiny tree to grow.

We anxiously await the day when we can meet you, sapling. We wait for you, ready to lavish you with sunshine and love. We will work through the storms together. And stand firm beside you, a safe grove of family to surround you and watch over you as you grow.

Yes, so many wonderful years ahead of us.

Until your next sappy birthday letter,

Love, Mommy

Happy Mothers Day: 21 bits of advice for first-time mothers

Twenty-four months of motherhood under my belt! Wahoo!

For those of you still waiting...your day will come.

Until then, here's 24 21 things that I've learned these past months. I pass this hard-earned advice on to you in hopes that it will prepare you for this new frontier. (I wanted to do 24, but I don't have that much advice to give. And I got tired of writing this.)

1. Check your butt: You ass will probably become a repository for a strange assortment of items. I've found Cheerios, stickers, dried snot (how the hell did that happen???), rice, paint, and applesauce on my back side, among other items I'm sure I can't recall. All of these items were discovered on my butt while I was in a public place.

2. Poop still stinks, even when it's your child's: Don't believe the hype. They almost had me convinced...

3. Take time to enjoy the giggles: My eyes tear up every time I hear him belt out a full-blown belly laugh. Every. Single. Time. I try to enjoy these moments because I know at any moment this magical, made for TV experience will self destruct. Probably within the next 5 minutes.

4. Engage in a little dirty talk: Oh yes. You and your spouse will likely talk dirtier to one other than you ever have before. It just won't have the same meaning as it did before. Dirty talking to the The Man now involves describing our child's pee and poop in detail. Color, texture, consistency. Sometimes, for a little extra excitement, we text these details to one another. You know...you gotta keep things fresh in your relationship.

5. Always blame the dog: If you don't have a dog, get one! They are incredibly useful in the kitchen during toddler meal time when a spill happens. You can blame them when an annoying musical toy goes *missing*. And they are good as bribery  motivation---"you can give the dog a treat if you will stop screaming at the top of your lungs".

6. Private time: It's really sorta sweet when Little Man tries to squeeze behind the toilet and offers to help me wipe. Totally gross. But the sentiment is nice. (The moral of this story is that there is no private time.)

7. Don't try this at home: Do not attempt to blow raspberries on your naked baby boy's stomach when you are holding him upside down. Unless you don't mind being poked in the eye by baby boy genitalia. Disregard this tip if you have a girl.

8. Naptime kicks ass: I can't tell you just how much I. Love. Nap. Time. It's especially good when the baby naps at the same time.

9. Good enough: I've learned to accept that everything cannot be done to perfection. Perfection comes at a price, which is usually less sleep. Which Mama cannot due without.

10. I was a perfect parent:...until I had a baby. I'm not gonna sugar-coat it. It's damn hard. I take back all those things I said about other parents. Even though most of them were probably true.

11. Mom's say the funniest things: Like, get your finger out of the dog's butt, quit licking the cat, I'm sorry your broccoli is green, and quit pulling on that thing or you are going to break it. (Yes, it was that thing.)

12. Forget sleep: The later you stay up, the earlier your child will wake. Be prepared. Invest now in the best eye-puffiness-reducing, dark-circle-concealing, haggard-look-camoflauging make-up you can find.

13. Leak City: There does not appear to be a sippy cup in existence that does not leak. You have been warned.

14. Mom Brain: Continuous exposure to extreme baby cuteness may turn your brain to mush. I'm here to testify that it can happen to you. And to warn you that said "Mom Brain" can be the leading cause of potential household disasters, such as starting a small fire in the kitchen, locking yourself out of the house, locking your keys and baby in the car, etc. Not that I know anything about that.

15. Time waster: There is an inversely proportional relationship between how long it takes you to make a wonderful, healthy dinner, and how much of that dinner your toddler will eat.

16. Tomorrow is a miracle: We are imperfect beings. No matter how difficult the day, how frustrating the situation, it's only temporary and you are doing your best. Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start. I live by this.

17. Of course: The loudest, most annoying, commercialized, cliche toys out there---yeah, your kid will want to play with it for hours.

18. Living backwards: I use reverse psychology and tell Little Man NOT to do something in order to get him to do it. Works like a charm! (Note: this method has the exact opposite effect on your spouse.)

19. Leave early, get there late: Dress baby. Load bags of emergency items into car. Load stroller into car. Change baby into new outfit after he smears peanut butter on shirt. Fill sippy cup. Fill snack trap. Find shoe that baby has removed and hidden in the couch. Carry baby to car. Buckle car seat. Lock up house. Get in car and smell baby poop. Remove baby from carseat.....

20: Enjoy it: Take time to enjoy new things. Like road construction. Never saw myself enjoying that before, but it's actually become enjoyable with tiny toddler in the back seat is oohing and ahhing over the diggers and dump trucks.

21. Bedtime: Bedtime is my ultimate favorite. I used to dread putting him to bed, but now, it's truly the best part of my day. When I get that big snuggle at night before bedtime, looking into my sweet boys eyes as he falls asleep, I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be this kid's mom.

Just another freak out

If you are a parent of a toddler or have a toddler in your life or ever had a toddler, you MUST go read this awesome post:

46 Reasons Why My Three Year Old Might Be Freaking Out

There. That should have started your day off with a smile. And give you insight into what goes on in our house. :)

Friday Flotsam: 10.21.2011

On our bad days, a diaper change in our house can look like a scene from the World Wrestling Federation. As I write this, I have two sprained fingers from a particularly bad diaper change. I swear, LM has the strength of 10 babies!

Just came across this interesting blog post titled "How To Love A Diaper Change". Hmph, I thought, when reading the title.

"Diaper changes are built for intimacy. And all we need to turn diapering from a difficult, dreaded chore into a mutually gratifying experience is to change our perception, to appreciate the moment as an opportunity for developing a closer partnership with our child. Remembering to slow down, to include our baby instead of distracting him, ask for his assistance, use gentle “asking hands” instead of busy, efficient ones can literally transform a mundane task into a time of mutual enrichment."

Hmph, again.

They suggest timing the change to when it's convenient for the child, paying attention to the whole child vs. just their lower half, talking them through the entire process (I'm going to wipe your bottom now)...you get the idea.

I like the thought of respecting LM as an individual who has preferences about his own body. And there definitely are a few tips in here that I'll try to incorporate into our diapering routine to see if it helps.

But after reading this article, I'm again contemplating one of my favorite (as of late) subjects--overindulgent parenting.

This is one thing the author said that gave me pause:

"A baby might wish to roll to his tummy to be wiped, or be in an all fours crawling position. The toddler may need to stand and be changed on a pad on the floor.  Continue to ask for cooperation, but compromise and allow the child to do things his way if you can make it work." 

Does this seem strange to anyone else? Ummm, no. Not going to happen. When LM starts rolling around, it's not because he wants to be wiped on his tummy. It's because he wants the diaper change to be over. If I cater and wipe him however he might be (on tummy, standing, etc.) then what am I teaching him?

Granted, this is *just* a diaper change. But I see a diaper change as an opportunity to learn some life lessons, like, sometimes you have to be a part of things that are annoying, and you have to follow someone else's rules. There are things in life, like diaper changes, that are just plain poopy (pun intended!). And you learn to deal with them.

This brings me to the point of my diatribe today...overindulgent parenting. It's turning into one of my favorite subjects to contemplate.

Now, talking about parenting styles is always a bit like talking politics. I realize this can be a hot topic for some. Everyone has a different opinion---sometimes strong ones---about what is right and wrong for children. One size does not fit all. And there is room for many opinions without slinging the judgement hammer.

For me, allowing a child to dictate the rules of a diaper change is overindulgent.

I believe in parenting with love, kindness, and respect. But I also believe in preparing children for the real world, which has rules that they will be expected to follow. I'm not talking about running the house like a Marine. I'm just saying that you learn there are rules out there and you follow them, whether you want to or not.

Like laying on the changer when you are getting your diaper changed. I know it sucks to take 5 minutes away from your toys and have your butt wiped. We have bodily functions that get in the way of doing what we want to do sometimes. I'm not saying he has to be happy about it. He can cry and shout if he wants to express his frustration. I'm just saying that diaper changes are a non-negotiable item in our house.

I don't know where exactly, the line between overindulgent parenting and a more disciplined parenting style is exactly. More specifically, I'm not sure where my line between the two is. Basically, we are still developing our parenting style, which is heavy on the positive parenting aspect. But I also know kids need and thrive on rules and discipline. It's how those tiny scientists figure out how the world operates, and their role in it.

Of course, when I really go into deep thinker mode about this, I think about the difference in parenting styles between cultures. My approach to parenting is very American. In Korea, parents are often much more indulgent (not sure if they are overindulgent or not) with children. What would a diaper change for LM be like in Korea?

Too much thinking for a Friday.

So how do you define overindulgent parenting? And what is your parenting style?

Have a great weekend!

***************************


To learn and read: Learning During Read Alouds: Print Referencing

To consider: Is 'Choice' Less Accepted for Mothers?

To understand your brain: If My Brain Were An Imaginary Friend

To recognize emotions: Ghost Expression Game

To make an awesome lunch: Halloween Joke Lunchbox Notes

To decorate for Halloween: Spider Webs From Coffee Filters

Nursery rhymes you'll never sing again

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Me, singing:
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed a fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

Me, thinking:
Really? A children's song about a woman's possible choking death? I can't have that right.

************
Little Man absolutely hates getting his diaper changed and isn't so fond of getting dressed either, but when I sing, he stops crying right away. (I'm not a good singer, so rest assured it has nothing to do with my voice. He just loves music!)

So I started digging nursery rhymes out of the depths of my brain during diaper changes, and presto! No more tears. Except I couldn't remember most of the words. Like when I tried to sing the old lady and fly song--was I remembering that correctly? Was it really about a woman dying? Seemed too morbid to be true.

Goo.gle to the rescue, and holy hell. The song actually is about a woman dying! Here's a link to the full lyrics. It's a long song that ends with the terrible lines:

"There was an old lady who swallowed a horse. She's dead--of course."

What the what?? This is totally morbid! And then I started looking up lyrics to others.
And folks, there are a lot of really ridiculous nursery rhymes out there.

Take the sweet song of Clementine. It's usually belted out by children with a country twang Loretta Lynn would envy--

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"Oh my darlin'.
Oh my darlin'.
Oh my darlin' Clementine!"

Well, that song is about beautiful little Clementine, who drowns to death, and her miner father's mourning and eventual suicide. And then the song goes on to tell how her dead body fertilizes roses and that the man who loved Clementine wasn't into necrophilia, and finally, the moral of the story--if the miner father knew artificial respiration, he could have saved her and avoided all this tragedy.

Seriously! Read for yourself HERE.

Turns out that many of these really old nursery rhymes are are from the way back olden days and have quite a meaning to them. They often tell of events in history, such as "Ring Around the Rosy" which suggested to be a recanting of the bubonic plague! (However, snopes.com calls that theory bunk, and suggests the song refers to the Protestant's religious ban on dancing in the 19th century.)

Often they are about free speech or political satire at a time when such commentary would mean execution.  "Three Blind Mice" is about devout Catholic, Queen Mary I, who had three Protestant noblemen burnt at the stake.

Some are less obvious. "Jack and Jill" is about King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who fell from power and were both beheaded in 1783.

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And finally, some rhymes are actually (gasp) educational such as "Baa Baa Black Sheep" which recounts the importance of wool in the middle ages. The teaching of moral lessons is also used in rhymes, such as in "Little Bo Peep", reminding children about the consequences of being irresponsible. I guess the Clementine song could fit into this category. The moral of the story being, don't drown or you'll end up fertilizing flowers.

This whole thing is quite fascinating to me. Who knew that those innocent little ditties we sang as children weren't quite so innocent. Of course, I still don't know the words to most of them, so I guess if I make up my own, they might be less gruesome than the real thing.

If you want to know more, check out these fantastic sites:



Nursery Rhymes--Lyrics, origins and history
The Hidden History of Nursery Rhymes
24 Terrifying, Thoughtful and Absurd Nursery Rhymes
Lullaby Lyrics-A primer

Mommy and Daddy are Apple addicts

Funny things you think about at 2 a.m. while listening to your baby sleep!

The Man and I have been trying to keep a log of LM's sleeping, pooping, eating and bottle habits. I'm known to love a good flow chart (I once tracked and logged all the times of my crossword puzzles and made a spreadsheet. Sad but true) and was thinking that this old-fashioned logging on paper just wasn't doing the trick. The log was always in the wrong room, we forgot to mark things down, or we were just too sleep deprived to remember things by morning.

So, I didn't what any iPhone/Apple lovin' mama would do. I searched for an app.

And lo, Baby Connect to the rescue! Totally loving this thing. We can track everything LM. Bottles, types of food, types of diapers, activity, milestones, moods and medical info. And each of those categories are broken down with further details. In the diapers category, you have wet, BM, BM and wet, diaper leaks, and open-air accidents--my personal fave. And also can give the color and consistency of each BM (green, runny, etc.).

They have these handy timers built into the app, so when he goes down for a sleep, you hit start, and then that smart little app keeps track of time until you hit stop. No more trying to remember how long he slept!

The app is a bit pricey at $4.99 but the cool thing is that you can enter info from any computer, or from another iPhone. Of course, that means popping for another $4.99 to load the app on another phone. But we thought it was worth it.

The Man and I always have our iPhones right next to us. The program automatically syncs our data in real time, so when The Man puts LM down to sleep, I see the sleep timer. When I get him up, I just hit stop on the timer. how many hours ago that happened.

Plus, as a super cool bonus, there's this cool time line flow chart that shows the overall habits of your baby. A visible sign of progress! And Mommy does love flow charts!

I know, I know. Super geeky. We spent his morning nap time entering data from the past few days.

And no, we aren't being paid to tell you all of this. Although if the folks at Baby Connect want to toss some cash our way, we'd let 'em.

Baby games

Thanks to Yvonne for tipping me off that Little Man's head shaking might be a game!

I hightailed to YouTube (what did we ever do without YouTube??) and voila, we now have a new game to try!



(Kunji game)

Odds and ends

I've been sorta quiet lately. It's not that I haven't thought of you! Just seems to be other things eating up my time. And I don't feel like I have much to say. Odd huh?

So, first, no new news. A friend asked if I was tired of hearing the question "heard anything yet?" and the answer is no. I'm frustrated that we haven't heard anything yet, but love the fact that so many people are interested and waiting to hear something new! Just can't wait until we DO have new news to share!

Our I-600 is still at USCIS although it has now moved to the National Benefits Center in MO. I have no idea what that means except that we are still waiting. They have quoted me the *official* line stating that they have 75 days to complete our file, but we know lots of folks who have had it done in 4-5 weeks recently. Let's hope those pencil pushers keep things moving. And that the government doesn't shut down. Gulp. I have no idea if that would stall our paperwork or not. Too freaky to think about Must move on.

Preparations...his room is nearly done! Here's a sneak peek. I'll share the entire thing with ya soon. (See the birch crib? That's the one I belabored over in IKEA for hours. I think it works in here!)

 

The painting fun isn't over yet---we've also been painting in the kitchen and refinishing our cabinets. That project was started in the fall and has been S.L.O.W. going. What ever possessed me to decided to sand all those cabinets down and repaint them? (And how did I manage to convince The Man to go along with this crazy plan??) But boy, do they look good. The final round of painting will be finished this weekend. Woohoo!

Oh, and when we aren't painting, we've found a few super fun things like these:

 

 

The dinosaur thing is pretty fun. Great for eye/hand coordination too. The activity block might be a bit ahead of him right now, but he'll grow into it. In the meanwhile, Pogo our kitty seems to think it's a great place to rub her head. 

And we've also been grown ups and bought some grown-up parent type stuff like these things:

 I think the Tropical Pug is beginning to suspect something is up.

Care package!

Thought I'd share a little about our care package we are sending to Little Man in Korea.

Most agencies, including ours, don't allow parents to send a package directly to their children/foster families before you meet them. Our agency will forward a letter and a maximum of 5 photos to the family. That's a start, but I'm guessing that an 8-month-old isn't going to be too interested in flimsy photos of some people he's never seen.

However, adoptive parents (unite!) have figured out another system. Parents who are traveling to Korea to meet their children often carry care packages for waiting families. We are fortunate enough that someone will be carrying one for us!

Brad & Dena, of Brad and Dena's Adoption Journey, are awaiting their travel call to bring home their son Calvin. We are both with the same agency, and they are ahead of us by several weeks. They offered to take a package for us, and will leave it at the agency for our foster family to pick up. We tried to keep it small/light because Brad & Dena will be packing plenty of their own stuff. But we are so very thankful to have a chance to send something to our little sweetie.

© Cheese Curds & Kimchi

Of course, you know me, deciding what to put in this had me in a pickle. We settled on:

A Hallmark recordable story book of The Man and I reading Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Hope this helps Little Man get used to our voices. It took us an evening to record it because we kept cracking each other up while we were reading.

A onesie and cute little jeans and socks.

A Comfort Silkie security blanket. One side is silky soft, and the other is a snuggly flannel. It's small, and supposed to retain our scent. I went back about 35 years and started sleeping with a blankie again, but who knows any of that Mommy smell will remain on it by the time it gets to him. The other nice part about the blankie is the smell of Little Man's foster home will be on it too, which might comfort him when we come to the U.S.

A Whoozit baby photo album. It has lots of bright colors and a teething handle, so maybe while he's drooling on it he will notice those goofy faces in the book. It also has these cool texture & crinkly inserts between the photo pages to keep his interest.

© Cheese Curds & Kimchi

Disposable cameras. I've heard some adoptive families have good luck sending these. My hope is that the foster family will take lots of photos of themselves with Little Man. Fingers crossed that this works out!

Vera Bradley stationary for the foster mother. Boy, she was a really tough person to buy for! What do you get for a perfect stranger who is taking care of the most valuable thing in your life? We'll bring more sentimental gifts for the family when we meet, but until then, just something to say thanks.

We also wrote a letter to the foster mom, that was printed in English and Hangul.

Hopefully our boy will be smelling, listening and looking at Mommy and Daddy soon!

© Cheese Curds & Kimchi

Today's musings brought to you by....

 

...Baby Jogger City Mini stroller. Currently our stroller of choice. It's smaller framed, lightweight, compact, and folds in a jif.

Anyone have one of these? Or have advice on buying strollers?

Look what's in our kitchen!

© Cheese Curds and Kimchi

The fur babies seem quite confused about what this giant red thing is in our kitchen. It's our first big purchase for the baby and a super awesome Craigs.list find! But I have to admit it IS kinda funny to see a high-chair in our house.

The chair is a Stokke Tripp Trapp and is totally adjustable. There is no tray--you just push the little guy right up to the table, just like everyone else eats. You can buy an add-on tray if you want, but we are going to see how things go. The coolest thing is that this chair adjusts as the child adjusts, and can hold up to 300 pounds, so we can use it as a kitchen chair/step stool long after our munchkin needs a high chair.

I had a nice long chat with the babies about it this morning. Argus has agreed not to bark at it anymore. He seemed positive that it was an alien intruder sure to carry out an evil plan while we were all sleeping.

The kitties think it's a bonus...one more place to get above the dog and taunt him. Although they wish it had soft cushions. And was tuna flavored.

Surprise!

We were making the early morning flight out of Milwaukee, heading to our hometown in Washington state for a long overdue visit with our family.

The next time we fly, we'll be going to get our baby, I thought to myself. 

The thought made me smile and feel all warm inside.

The next time we fly, we'll be parents.

**********

We only get home about once a year. And my family is really, really big. The Man and I went to high school together, married in 1992, and moved out of the state in 1994. Pretty much all of our family is there, and most live within 50 miles of our home town.

In years past, my parents would have an open house while we were home, with family members dropping by to visit at that time. We thought that was the plan for this trip too.

The organizers...my sister T and my mom

We had a lovely breakfast with The Man's family, and then headed out to my parents' house for the open house. But when we walked in, we found my sister and mom, a whole mess of food, and....a baby shower!

Those rascals had planned a big surprise baby shower for us! We aren't planning on returning home this year until after the baby comes, so they decided to hold a shower now. So cool!

We loved the thoughtful touches they did to acknowledge our baby's heritage--Mom found the Korean words for 'family' and 'love' and printed them on cards. My sister actually found kimchi and the more adventurous eaters in the family gave it a try. She also created some totally yummy dip out of it!

They spared us the baby games so the shower was filled with the fun stuff we love, like eating, visiting, and lots of laughing. And then there was lots of oohing and aahing over the sweet baby outfits, and we received lots of gift cards and cash which will be put to good use.

The Man wonders how he's going to squeeze into these little pants. Ha!

To be honest, it was sort of surreal. Were we actually opening baby gifts?? Was it really a shower for our future child?? This sounds kind of strange, but sometimes the baby feels like a fantasy world that exists solely in my head. The shower brought the fantasy baby out into the real world and everyone was so excited about it!

I looked around and saw the faces of those we love. The Man's parents, brother & wife, new nephew, and aunts. My parents, grandmothers, sisters, aunts & uncles, cousins, nieces, and closest friend.

I couldn't believe that all these people were there to celebrate with us. That was the biggest gift of the entire day. When you live so far away, those kind of memories and love carry you through the tough times. Waiting is certainly tough, but knowing our baby will be welcomed into such a wonderful family, with joy and open hearts has made it much easier.

Thanks so much everyone. We love you very much!

(P.S... I'll post the pix of the cute baby stuff later.)

Uh...yeah, that's us. The cake reads Heart and Seoul.

Kimchi and kimchi dip!

Aunt C, Mom, R, our great-niece M, and second-cousin A.

 

Cousins.

Niece skypes in, with her new baby!

Check out the super cool mod-baby t-shirts!

Blocks Blocks everywhere

Holy cats! Had no idea that the good old wooden block came in so many varieties. Here's two super cool ones that we love.

screen grab from delight.com

XYZ Alternative Alphabet

A is for Afro. J is for Jackalope. M is for Moustache. S is for Sunburn.

Don't make me tell you what U is for.

How much do you love this update on an old-school favorite--the wooden block. Oh, and did you notice the kick ass graphics? Seriously. Kick. Ass.

(By the way, U is for Underpants. And also for Uvula.)

XYZ Alternative Alphabet Blocks by Fred & Friends. Around $30 at most retailers.

screen grab from lindenwoodinc.com

Uncle Goose Foreign Language blocks


A Korean block set! Has 22 animals, the numbers 1-10 in English and Korean, and all the Korean consonants and vowels. Very cool!

FYI--Uncle Goose also makes blocks in other languages such as Japanese, Chinese, French, and German!

Uncle Goose Foreign Language Alphabet Blocks by Lindenwood. Available for $41 HERE or at select retailers.

The White House says Welcome (or Happy Birthday, or Happy Anniversary, etc.)

© Cheese Curds and Kimchi

This is sooo on our list of things to do after the baby gets here! The White House sends out greeting cards that are signed by none other than the president himself (and his lovely first lady) for all sorts of occasions, including a baby's birth or adoption! What an awesome memento to have in our baby book. 

Want one for yourself? You can request to receive a free greeting too!  They are only for US citizens and recognize several special events/occasions such as:

• Wedding
• Baby's birth or adoption of a child
• Retirement after at least 30 years on the same job
• Eagle Scout Award
• Girl Scout Gold Award
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah or equivalent religious occasion

It's pretty simple to get one, although there is quite a backlog, so get those requests in well in advance of your deadline! Send the requests via snail mail, fax, or through your US Representative or Senator. All the info you need about how to do this can be found HERE.

And to sneak a peek at a new baby welcome, check out THIS post by super-cool-mommy-blogger, Smashed Peas & Carrots.

Nursery-tastic

Oh dear. I've been a very bad blogger for the past few weeks. Travel, weddings, new friends, and a little work thrown in there too. It's been an awesome few weeks, but I need a breather! I'll sit down and share it all with you soon as I can.

In the meanwhile, go check out THIS site. Ohdeedoh is a kick ass partner site to Apartment Therapy, a modern home design blog that has contributed to the debt of countless design junkies. Ohdeedoh is equally as enticing, and I think it's even more dangerous!

Click on the "kids room tours" link on the top left of the page to get a peek into lots of adorable and creative nurseries and bedrooms for children of all ages.

I promise, you'll be inspired to knock out walls, paint, and shop, lickety-split.

P.S.--Happy birthday to our bestie, Mike! We raise our coffee cups to you, wishing you another year of happiness and blessings.

WORD WEDNESDAY - Three bears song

WARNING: Listen to this song at your own risk. Listeners may find the song permanently embedded in their brain and find them singing the ridiculous tune for hours at a time. Don't say I didn't warn you!



This is a Korean children's song based on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Translations seem to vary, but this one seems the most consistent:

Three bears in a house
Papa bear, mama bear and baby bear
Papa bear is fat
Mama bear is skinny
And Baby bear is so cute.
You are doing great.

kom sema-ri-ga
han chi-be-yi-so
appa gom
omma gom
ae-gi gom
appa gommun tung-tung-hae
omma gommun nal-shin-hae
ae-gi gommun na bul-gwi-yo-wo
hishuk hishuk cha-rhan-da

곰 세 마리가 한 집에 있어 

아빠곰

엄마곰 

아기곰

아빠곰은 뚱뚱해  

엄마곰은 날씬해

아기 곰은 너무 귀여워

히쭉 히쭉

잘 한다     

Friday Round--10.8.2010

© Cheese Curds and Kimchi

Him: Well, it's time for bed. I have to get up early tomorrow.

Her: I thought tomorrow was your day off? What do you have to get up early for?

Him: I have to go pick up a bike for our boy.

Her: What???

Him: A bike. For our boy.

Her: You DO know that he probably won't be able to ride a bike for at least two years, right?

Him: Yeah, I'm probably getting a bit ahead of myself. {sheepish grin}

Later that day....The Man sends me this photo of Gus with this super cool balance bike. The maker is PLIM and the version is a Moto Kid. So far the boy has designer chairs and a Swiss-made bike. Guess we aren't very practical, but damn this is fun!

Have a great weekend.

____________________

Oh goodness, there seemed to be an abundance of good news lately. Here's just a few of the lovely happenings that melted my heart time after time.

A huge congratulations to M&K at "Our Adoption Journey" on their referral! Go HERE to share their good news and find out more--oh yeah, and there's some very sweet photos.

Heather and her husband from "...and baby makes three..." share their last minute excitement as they get ready to leave on a jet place and bring home their son Samuel.

Leo at "all accounted four" has been home a month! See how his family celebrates HERE.

Kellan has been home three months and is about to celebrate his first Halloween here. Love, love, LOVE his costume! Check out his and his big brother's costumes HERE at "On the long road."

Baby J. has been home four months, and his mom Rita reflects how their lives have changed HERE, since they received their referral call a year ago.

And one more congratulations. Give a big WAHOO to the gang at Our Answered Prayer--Life with Joel, who share THIS great news.

There's lots of us that are still waiting (Grace, I'm thinking of you). Our time is coming...be strong.

One more thing. Can you keep this hopeful mom in your thoughts? Read the story of Candice, who was in the process of adopting her daughter Antara from India, when process changes put the entire adoption on hold. I hope they are able to find the truth and give Antara a stable future, whether it be with Candice or in her birth country.

Nursery musings

image from spoolsewing.com

I'm kind of an earth girl. Sure, I like to get girly once in a while, but behind the lipgloss I'm really a very simple, and very nature loving girl.

And I love simple but artful design. And especially love handmade goodness.

So, knowing all that about me, it should come as no surprise that I completely adore this bird mobile. I'm overwhelmed by a need to make it immediately. If only I had actually paid attention to my mother during all those attempts to teach me how to sew!

I do have a basic ability to stitch two pieces of cloth together. I've done it on occasion, and it only required half a dozen band-aids or so. Based on that glowing history, I think I might actually be able to do this. For now, I'm putting it on my crafts-I-want-to-attempt list. (The list is very long by the way.)

A link to the pattern is at the site, as well as a cool Flickr link so you can see other mobiles.

WORD Wednesday--Santoki

Sometimes you just need to sing! I remember words much better when they are put to music. So I wondered if the same thing would hold true for learning Korean. I figured I'd start with learning a few children's nursery rhymes to check my theory. (And they also may come in handy on that long, long flight home from Seoul.)

So here's the first I'm learning--Santoki! It's a very well known children's nursery song in Korea, with a simple melody and words. The word "santoki" means mountain bunny. As this video shows, evidently not just children enjoy the song:




Watch a sweet little girl sing this song, go HERE. Or watch omma (mom) sing to her baby HERE.

The lyrics, in English, Korean and transliterated are below. It's up to you to learn the gyrations and accompanying hand moves on your own.

ENGLISH:
First Verse:
Mountain bunny, bunny
Where are you going?
Bouncing, bouncing as you're running.
Where are you going?
Second Verse:
Over the mountain peaks, peaks
I will climb them on my own
Plump, plump chestnuts
I will find and bring

ROMANICIZED:
First Verse:
San-toki, toki-ya
Uh-dee-reul gah-neu-nyah?
Kang-choong, kang-choong tee-myun-suh
Uh-dee-reul gah-neu-nyah?
Second Verse:
San-go-gae go-gae-reul
Nah-hon-jah nuhm-uh-suh
to-shil to-shil ahl-bahm-eul
Joo-wuh-suh ol-tae-yah

KOREAN:
First Verse:
산토끼 토끼야 어디를 가느냐
깡총깡총 뛰면서 어디를 가느냐
Second Verse:
산고개 고개를 나혼자 넘어서
토실토실 알밤을 주워서 올테야