As I was waking this morning, JMunk was next to her brother singing a song she'd composed herself about our friend's new baby:
"You're a good baby, Luke,
You're a happy baby, Luke.
You're a gracious little king,
Baby Luke, baby Luke."
Other fun things I that came out of her mouth this morning:
"Oh no, Daddy spilled shower all over!" (We have no shower curtain. Sometimes the bathroom gets a little drenched.)
and
(while watching one of my old dance performance videos and seeing fairies dancing)
"Oh mama, they have angels on their back!"
30 January 2010
28 January 2010
Family Vacation - Part 2
Day Two: The girls were anxious to get on to the most anticipated part of the trip: The Tiger! After a huge buffet breakfast of "western" food (fried potatoes, scrambled/fried/boiled eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, endless pastries, cheeses, sugar cerals, etc.!) we set off for the day.
In Busan's Lotte Hotel there is a live tiger kept in a habitat where those willing to pay upwards of $9 for a cup of coffee can sit and observe to their heart's content. We were seated, ordered the special set of two *small* cups of coffee and two scoops of Haagen Dazs on a waffle, before we realized that the tiger was locked up in his cage due to some sort of work being done in the habitat. Boo! JMunk was able to get a pretty good look at the beast, but poor little LMunk just couldn't quite find it in the mangle of bars and stripes. We certainly would have liked to have seen more of the critter, but the girls didn't seem too terribly disappointed, and the coffee was actually okay.
Since the temperature was mild, we took advantage of the sunshine and some much needed vitamin D. We visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery. We got a few good photos of the Colombian flag and graves of Colombian soldiers, thinking of LMunk's namesake.
WMunk & LMunk with Colombia's flag
Headstones of Colombian soldiers killed in battle in Korea
At the memorial was a wall similar to the Vietnam Wall displayed in Washintgon, D.C.
After some time exploring the memorial, we went back to the hotel for some lunch and a nap. When we were all awake and rallied, and as it was still a bit early for dinner, we took a stroll on the boardwalk and really enjoyed the early evening air. JMunk tried tirelessly to count all the stones she stepped on, but as it was impossible to step on just one at a time, she eventually gave in and enjoyed sprinting to and fro.
Our first choice for dinner that evening was at a Thai restaurant called "Hello Thai." We love Thai food, and the closest we can get to it in Pohang is what I concoct in my kitchen (which is pretty good, but not great), so we'd been eagerly looking forward to this dining experience. The only trouble was, it appeared Hello Thai must have gone out of business, because it most definitely wasn't where all the maps and descriptions of its location had landed us. That was strike one. So we went in search of a second Thai place, Mango Tree, that was farther from the hotel and required a taxi ride, but certainly worth it in our minds. That night we must have picked the only taxi drivers in Busan without GPS. Our first driver had no idea what we were talking about, so DaddyMunk did his best to navigate for him. Riding with that driver became frustrating, so we finally insisted that he let us out and found ourselves another driver. Again, no GPS, but this guy got directions from a local shopkeeper before we all piled in. He took us back to the same street DaddyMunk had directed the first driver to, but again we couldn't find the restaurant. So our kind driver got out and asked a parking attendant where it was. Closed for good. Strike two. We had passed an Indonesian place on the way, so we had the driver return us to that restaurant. It looked pretty quiet, and when we got to the seventh floor where it was located, it was dead. No one was there, the lights were mostly out, although the door was unlocked. As we were about to load back up in the elevator, a woman somehow related to the restaurant came running up the stairs, oohed and ahead over the wees, but offered no explanation (in fact she looked kind of blank, as though we had just come by to say hello). So we got back on that elevator, then walked a few blocks to flag down another taxi. Strike three. During our cab ride we decided we'd learned our lesson: call first! As the taxi dropped us near our hotel, we remembered a British place that serves fish & chips, and we had very specific instructions on how to find the place. Another taxi ride later we were a block away. Up that hill and down we searched, and the closest we came to Dave's Fish & Chips was a Korean chicken & chips place, most definitely not British, and not what we wanted. Strike four. Obviously we should have been out long before then, and obviously we hadn't learned our lesson. As I was starting to get rather hungry imagined everyone else was, and as it was nearing 8:30, I started to pray that God would help us to find something that would really make us happy, something we couldn't find in Pohang - a real treat. Just then we saw a pair of Canadians walking toward us, so we stopped them and asked them what the deal was with non-Korean food in Busan. Bingo! They told us Mango Tree had closed a few months ago, as had Dave's Fish & Chips, *but* Hello Thai was still up and running, we just hadn't been on the right street! They drew us a pretty detailed map on a scrap of paper, and sent us off with a few other recommendations. Twenty minutes later we were filling our bellies with a much anticipated Thai feast!
Happy JMunk
Happy LMunk
In Busan's Lotte Hotel there is a live tiger kept in a habitat where those willing to pay upwards of $9 for a cup of coffee can sit and observe to their heart's content. We were seated, ordered the special set of two *small* cups of coffee and two scoops of Haagen Dazs on a waffle, before we realized that the tiger was locked up in his cage due to some sort of work being done in the habitat. Boo! JMunk was able to get a pretty good look at the beast, but poor little LMunk just couldn't quite find it in the mangle of bars and stripes. We certainly would have liked to have seen more of the critter, but the girls didn't seem too terribly disappointed, and the coffee was actually okay.
Since the temperature was mild, we took advantage of the sunshine and some much needed vitamin D. We visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery. We got a few good photos of the Colombian flag and graves of Colombian soldiers, thinking of LMunk's namesake.
WMunk & LMunk with Colombia's flag
Headstones of Colombian soldiers killed in battle in Korea
At the memorial was a wall similar to the Vietnam Wall displayed in Washintgon, D.C.
After some time exploring the memorial, we went back to the hotel for some lunch and a nap. When we were all awake and rallied, and as it was still a bit early for dinner, we took a stroll on the boardwalk and really enjoyed the early evening air. JMunk tried tirelessly to count all the stones she stepped on, but as it was impossible to step on just one at a time, she eventually gave in and enjoyed sprinting to and fro.
Our first choice for dinner that evening was at a Thai restaurant called "Hello Thai." We love Thai food, and the closest we can get to it in Pohang is what I concoct in my kitchen (which is pretty good, but not great), so we'd been eagerly looking forward to this dining experience. The only trouble was, it appeared Hello Thai must have gone out of business, because it most definitely wasn't where all the maps and descriptions of its location had landed us. That was strike one. So we went in search of a second Thai place, Mango Tree, that was farther from the hotel and required a taxi ride, but certainly worth it in our minds. That night we must have picked the only taxi drivers in Busan without GPS. Our first driver had no idea what we were talking about, so DaddyMunk did his best to navigate for him. Riding with that driver became frustrating, so we finally insisted that he let us out and found ourselves another driver. Again, no GPS, but this guy got directions from a local shopkeeper before we all piled in. He took us back to the same street DaddyMunk had directed the first driver to, but again we couldn't find the restaurant. So our kind driver got out and asked a parking attendant where it was. Closed for good. Strike two. We had passed an Indonesian place on the way, so we had the driver return us to that restaurant. It looked pretty quiet, and when we got to the seventh floor where it was located, it was dead. No one was there, the lights were mostly out, although the door was unlocked. As we were about to load back up in the elevator, a woman somehow related to the restaurant came running up the stairs, oohed and ahead over the wees, but offered no explanation (in fact she looked kind of blank, as though we had just come by to say hello). So we got back on that elevator, then walked a few blocks to flag down another taxi. Strike three. During our cab ride we decided we'd learned our lesson: call first! As the taxi dropped us near our hotel, we remembered a British place that serves fish & chips, and we had very specific instructions on how to find the place. Another taxi ride later we were a block away. Up that hill and down we searched, and the closest we came to Dave's Fish & Chips was a Korean chicken & chips place, most definitely not British, and not what we wanted. Strike four. Obviously we should have been out long before then, and obviously we hadn't learned our lesson. As I was starting to get rather hungry imagined everyone else was, and as it was nearing 8:30, I started to pray that God would help us to find something that would really make us happy, something we couldn't find in Pohang - a real treat. Just then we saw a pair of Canadians walking toward us, so we stopped them and asked them what the deal was with non-Korean food in Busan. Bingo! They told us Mango Tree had closed a few months ago, as had Dave's Fish & Chips, *but* Hello Thai was still up and running, we just hadn't been on the right street! They drew us a pretty detailed map on a scrap of paper, and sent us off with a few other recommendations. Twenty minutes later we were filling our bellies with a much anticipated Thai feast!
Happy JMunk
Happy LMunk
25 January 2010
Munky Family Vacation - Winter 2010
This weekend we celebrated the third anniversary of our move to Korea. On 23 January 2007 we left our first family home in Fairfax, Virginia to start our adventure in the East. We arrived in Seoul on 24 January and finally arrived at our new home in Pohang on 25 January. Realizing that in three years my sweetheart hadn't taken a single week's break from work, we set off on our first family vacation, and we had a fantastic time!
Since this has the potential of being a monster post, I'm going to break it up so I can freely share stories, pictures, and videos (particularly for certain grandparents who never tire of them).
Day One: Monday we headed to Busan (부산) where we would spend the bulk of our time. Our first stop was at Bexco, a convention center where the wee Munkys got to jump and play in all kinds of moon-bounce things. The little girls were apprehensive for about five minutes, but all bets were off after that. They bounced and slid down all sorts of slides. JMunk, being more cautious, opted for the smaller slides she could handle alone. Little LMunk got a bit gutsy and traveled down a huge Bob the Builder slide with her mama.
JMunk surprised us when she got very excited about the trampoline bungee jump. It didn't occur to her to be scared or anxious about it, so we stood in line for about twenty minutes so she could take her turn. I was so proud! I got a little adventurer after all! Not wanting to miss out on anything fun JMunk does, LMunk joined in last minute.
Hmmmm...so maybe it wasn't all they'd hoped it would be, but I was happy JMunk gave it a good try.
What they loved most were the water bumper boats. They had a blast "driving" and would go on to ask to do it again all week.
We had a lot of fun in the "nerf" ball area where we could shoot soft little balls from air guns all over the place. Unfortunately, those nifty air cannons weren't so precise on the aim, so MamaMunk took a fantastic shot and hit a nice man square in the back of the head. I whipped out my best Korean skills to apologize, then geared up for my next shot. Bam! Another bulls-eye shot to that very same head. Oops! I called it quits and let the DaddyMunk and girls have at it. After about two hours of bouncy fun and laughter, we left Bexco behind and headed for the hotel.
We stayed in the Haeundae Grand Hotel, right on the beach. Our room was ondol style, which means we slept on pads on the floor, just like at home. DaddyMunk quickly fashioned a fort for the girls to sleep in so they could keep their regular bedtime and we could keep to ours. After a good nap, we all headed to the hotel pool. It turns out that swimming with three children, three years old and younger who don't know how to swim, isn't such an easy task! We kept juggling little ones trying to make sure each child had proper supervision at all times. We managed to mostly all stay above water. LMunk knew no fear, so she trotted around the pool like she owned it. She took one nose dive but recovered splendidly within seconds and was back to exploring the depths of the kiddie pool. JMunk, however, wasn't feeling so brave and was much more cautious. We ended in our swim with a stint in the hot tub, and WMunk was the happiest and most relaxed we've ever seen him. He laid back and cooed and would have been happy to sleep there if we'd let him.
To end a perfectly happy day we broke bread, or naan, rather, at an "authentic" Indian restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. The food tasted like any authentic Indian food I've ever had, but the place was fully run by Koreans. No matter. We had curries of chicken, lamb, and lentils and naan until we could eat no more. The meal was divine. This mama was supremely happy and we all slept well that night.
Since this has the potential of being a monster post, I'm going to break it up so I can freely share stories, pictures, and videos (particularly for certain grandparents who never tire of them).
Day One: Monday we headed to Busan (부산) where we would spend the bulk of our time. Our first stop was at Bexco, a convention center where the wee Munkys got to jump and play in all kinds of moon-bounce things. The little girls were apprehensive for about five minutes, but all bets were off after that. They bounced and slid down all sorts of slides. JMunk, being more cautious, opted for the smaller slides she could handle alone. Little LMunk got a bit gutsy and traveled down a huge Bob the Builder slide with her mama.
JMunk surprised us when she got very excited about the trampoline bungee jump. It didn't occur to her to be scared or anxious about it, so we stood in line for about twenty minutes so she could take her turn. I was so proud! I got a little adventurer after all! Not wanting to miss out on anything fun JMunk does, LMunk joined in last minute.
Hmmmm...so maybe it wasn't all they'd hoped it would be, but I was happy JMunk gave it a good try.
What they loved most were the water bumper boats. They had a blast "driving" and would go on to ask to do it again all week.
We had a lot of fun in the "nerf" ball area where we could shoot soft little balls from air guns all over the place. Unfortunately, those nifty air cannons weren't so precise on the aim, so MamaMunk took a fantastic shot and hit a nice man square in the back of the head. I whipped out my best Korean skills to apologize, then geared up for my next shot. Bam! Another bulls-eye shot to that very same head. Oops! I called it quits and let the DaddyMunk and girls have at it. After about two hours of bouncy fun and laughter, we left Bexco behind and headed for the hotel.
We stayed in the Haeundae Grand Hotel, right on the beach. Our room was ondol style, which means we slept on pads on the floor, just like at home. DaddyMunk quickly fashioned a fort for the girls to sleep in so they could keep their regular bedtime and we could keep to ours. After a good nap, we all headed to the hotel pool. It turns out that swimming with three children, three years old and younger who don't know how to swim, isn't such an easy task! We kept juggling little ones trying to make sure each child had proper supervision at all times. We managed to mostly all stay above water. LMunk knew no fear, so she trotted around the pool like she owned it. She took one nose dive but recovered splendidly within seconds and was back to exploring the depths of the kiddie pool. JMunk, however, wasn't feeling so brave and was much more cautious. We ended in our swim with a stint in the hot tub, and WMunk was the happiest and most relaxed we've ever seen him. He laid back and cooed and would have been happy to sleep there if we'd let him.To end a perfectly happy day we broke bread, or naan, rather, at an "authentic" Indian restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. The food tasted like any authentic Indian food I've ever had, but the place was fully run by Koreans. No matter. We had curries of chicken, lamb, and lentils and naan until we could eat no more. The meal was divine. This mama was supremely happy and we all slept well that night.
23 October 2009
And baby makes five...
Four days after my original post we welcomed our boy, WMunk, to the family! After a 5a.m. wake up in hard labor, a quick bath, and a speedy drive to the hospital, WMunk made his first appearance promptly at 7:33a.m. (3.8 kilos, or 7lbs11oz; length unknown) We were home resting by noon the same day, and the girls met their brother early in the evening. Since then it's been a whirlwind, and this week we celebrated his 2 month birthday.
Finding a chunk of time to sit and write has been a challenge. Seems there's always a babe in my arms, someone needing mama's help, or someone else needing the computer. But tonight with all three of the littles in bed and my darling on the road home from Seoul (or somewhere in the surrounding area), I have time for some uninterrupted, organized thought.
These two months have been a time of growth in my faith and constant reflection and thoughtfulness about my method of parenting. What am I doing with these children and why am I doing it? In the latter days of pregnancy and early days with a newborn, sleep is evasive and it's so easy to lose joy and be short with toddlers who don't always obey right away or remember that loud noises (read: shrill shrieks) can be disturbing or that mama really doesn't want to rise before the sun. It's easy to be lazy and let them be entertained by movies about princesses rather than involving them in what I'm doing. But what is my purpose with these sweet girls? To teach them to love and revere God, to be helpers to their future husbands, to love and train up their own children, to share God's love with those they meet, and to be selfless servants in their community. But how can I teach them these things when I'm merely showing them the model of the grumpy mama? Sure, I could blame my grumpiness and laziness on a sleep deficit, but I'm certain the Bible doesn't say that joy comes from eight hours of good, uninterrupted sleep. Joy comes from our Creator, and from Him alone.
So I've been challenged to make it a priority daily to spend time reading my Bible and praying on my own, in addition to our family Bible times. In the last few days I've been able to notice again the sweetness in my girls instead of the selfishness that comes with toddlerhood. I've been able to notice that they still have cute little voices and their singing is precious. And underneath the sticky peanut butter or rice, they have beautiful little faces and darling smiles. They dance with such glee and they love to share (toys, books, food) with daddy and mama. JMunk is growing into a sensitive, caring little girl who really wants to be a good big sister to her little sibs and wants to please her parents. LMunk is still a baby, though I find myself expecting much of her now that WMunk is on the scene and she seems so much more grown up. She's a power house, but she's tender. She wants to take care of her little brother, but she doesn't yet realize how strong she is and that being poked in the eye and picked up by the neck don't feel so great. She's concerned when JMunk or WMunk cry, and she loves to stroke mama's face and pull close for a kiss. Clearly we're doing some things right with these girls, but I pray for joy and drive to do better. To love them better, and to teach them better.
And as for WMunk, he's still awfully sweet and snugly. The last two weeks have brought so many smiles from him and he's just starting to coo at us. It's so neat to hear his little voice and get responses from him. I pray for this boy that he seldom see the grumpy mama his sisters have seen during the last two months, but rather he see a mama full of joy and energy, showing him Christ's love daily.
In sum, I thank God for these blessings, for this time of trial, for His discipline in my life. And I thank God for restoring joy in my life.
Finding a chunk of time to sit and write has been a challenge. Seems there's always a babe in my arms, someone needing mama's help, or someone else needing the computer. But tonight with all three of the littles in bed and my darling on the road home from Seoul (or somewhere in the surrounding area), I have time for some uninterrupted, organized thought.
These two months have been a time of growth in my faith and constant reflection and thoughtfulness about my method of parenting. What am I doing with these children and why am I doing it? In the latter days of pregnancy and early days with a newborn, sleep is evasive and it's so easy to lose joy and be short with toddlers who don't always obey right away or remember that loud noises (read: shrill shrieks) can be disturbing or that mama really doesn't want to rise before the sun. It's easy to be lazy and let them be entertained by movies about princesses rather than involving them in what I'm doing. But what is my purpose with these sweet girls? To teach them to love and revere God, to be helpers to their future husbands, to love and train up their own children, to share God's love with those they meet, and to be selfless servants in their community. But how can I teach them these things when I'm merely showing them the model of the grumpy mama? Sure, I could blame my grumpiness and laziness on a sleep deficit, but I'm certain the Bible doesn't say that joy comes from eight hours of good, uninterrupted sleep. Joy comes from our Creator, and from Him alone.
So I've been challenged to make it a priority daily to spend time reading my Bible and praying on my own, in addition to our family Bible times. In the last few days I've been able to notice again the sweetness in my girls instead of the selfishness that comes with toddlerhood. I've been able to notice that they still have cute little voices and their singing is precious. And underneath the sticky peanut butter or rice, they have beautiful little faces and darling smiles. They dance with such glee and they love to share (toys, books, food) with daddy and mama. JMunk is growing into a sensitive, caring little girl who really wants to be a good big sister to her little sibs and wants to please her parents. LMunk is still a baby, though I find myself expecting much of her now that WMunk is on the scene and she seems so much more grown up. She's a power house, but she's tender. She wants to take care of her little brother, but she doesn't yet realize how strong she is and that being poked in the eye and picked up by the neck don't feel so great. She's concerned when JMunk or WMunk cry, and she loves to stroke mama's face and pull close for a kiss. Clearly we're doing some things right with these girls, but I pray for joy and drive to do better. To love them better, and to teach them better.
And as for WMunk, he's still awfully sweet and snugly. The last two weeks have brought so many smiles from him and he's just starting to coo at us. It's so neat to hear his little voice and get responses from him. I pray for this boy that he seldom see the grumpy mama his sisters have seen during the last two months, but rather he see a mama full of joy and energy, showing him Christ's love daily.
In sum, I thank God for these blessings, for this time of trial, for His discipline in my life. And I thank God for restoring joy in my life.
16 August 2009
Waiting
Today, BabyMunk has reached 39 weeks of gestation. Lord willing, in a week's time or less, we'll finally meet the little boy who will make us a clan of five!
When I was pregnant with JMunk and with LMunk, I just knew each one would be born early, and impatience clouded the last weeks of my pregnancies. Since JMunk was born right on her due date and LMunk was born one day early, I've been quite confident this entire pregnancy that BabyMunk would be born pretty close to his due date, too. I never really considered that he might make an early appearance, and until today I certainly hadn't considered that he just might take his time and come a little later than expected. Regardless, it's been a much different experience being at peace about when our boy's birthday will be.
But now we're down to the last week, and we're starting to receive phone calls and messages inquiring as to whether our baby has yet been born. My body is getting a little tired and it doesn't seem possible that there is any more room for this baby to grow. Tiny blue and green clothes are laundered and neatly in their drawers, a bag is packed for the girls' few hours away during the birth, meals are prepared and frozen, DMunk has lesson plans and syllabi ready for the semester; things are in order, and we're ready.
Still, I'm enjoying the quiet times when I lie down and BabyMunk gets busy, and only I can feel him move, only I know he's awake, and it's special. And I wish we could have more and more moments like that. But I'm ready to hold this baby in my arms, to kiss his face, to share him with his daddy and his sisters. I'm ready to welcome him into our family. I'm excited to see LMunk change from being the baby to being a big sister and to see JMunk nurture her little brother as she's been practicing on her dolls.
It's an exciting time in the Munky house, and we praise God for the blessings as we wait.
When I was pregnant with JMunk and with LMunk, I just knew each one would be born early, and impatience clouded the last weeks of my pregnancies. Since JMunk was born right on her due date and LMunk was born one day early, I've been quite confident this entire pregnancy that BabyMunk would be born pretty close to his due date, too. I never really considered that he might make an early appearance, and until today I certainly hadn't considered that he just might take his time and come a little later than expected. Regardless, it's been a much different experience being at peace about when our boy's birthday will be.
But now we're down to the last week, and we're starting to receive phone calls and messages inquiring as to whether our baby has yet been born. My body is getting a little tired and it doesn't seem possible that there is any more room for this baby to grow. Tiny blue and green clothes are laundered and neatly in their drawers, a bag is packed for the girls' few hours away during the birth, meals are prepared and frozen, DMunk has lesson plans and syllabi ready for the semester; things are in order, and we're ready.
Still, I'm enjoying the quiet times when I lie down and BabyMunk gets busy, and only I can feel him move, only I know he's awake, and it's special. And I wish we could have more and more moments like that. But I'm ready to hold this baby in my arms, to kiss his face, to share him with his daddy and his sisters. I'm ready to welcome him into our family. I'm excited to see LMunk change from being the baby to being a big sister and to see JMunk nurture her little brother as she's been practicing on her dolls.
It's an exciting time in the Munky house, and we praise God for the blessings as we wait.
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