Tokyo ~ Day 3 & Day 4

Woops! I totally forgot to finish posting the rest of our vacation to Japan! Sorry for all [2] of you that were on the edge of your seats! Didn't mean to keep you waiting so long. ;^)

Okay. Day 3 was spent just walking around nearby the hotel. Since it poured on us the night before, we decided to make the trek up to the Hard Rock Cafe so that we could get a good picture and pick up a collectors pin for AJ (we had gotten one for Kami on Day 2...I talked Drew into starting a collection for AJ as well). We took our time stopping off at the Arisugawa Memorial Park. It was absolutely beautiful. I only wish we could have explored more, but it was limited with the two strollers.
I found the perfect spot to set up Kami for a photoshoot. This is what I got. Sometimes 2 years olds just don't care! ;^)


HRC is located in the Roppongi District of Tokyo. We walked threw the oh-so-posh Roppongi Hills. I totally had my eyes out for any Hollywood movie stars that might be in town, but alas, I never saw any.

And saving the best for last, we stopped off at the LDS temple grounds (about this size of my living room...maybe even smaller). And lucky for us while we were "touring" the grounds (standing in one spot and turning around), some "mission-berries" were going into the temple and offered to take our family picture.

And...Tokyo Day 4 was really just spent trying to pack our bags, mail stuff off to ourselves and traveling back to Korea. Thanks, Tokyo...for making four people (and one cat) very, very happy and rested! We'll miss you! (And your kitty, too!)
(Okay, quick explanation on the cat. We're pretty sure it's the hotel's 'guard cat' because it would sit with the guy checking ID cards on the way into the hotel. We in the Air Force employ dogs. The Navy must know something the Air Force doesn't. Anyway, the highlight of Kami's day was to go and see the kitty. All was right in the world when she did!)

My little 'Sk8tr Boi' and 'PunkRockGirl'

Okay, so I don't dress my kids up all matchy-matchy on purpose. Sometimes it just happens. And sometimes me and Drew accidentally throw ourselves in the mix, too (so seriously, we don't make a conscious decision to all wear red shirts...it's just what we've grabbed!). Anyway, I had to laugh as I stepped back to take a look at my kids this morning once they were all dressed. I have had two songs in particular playing in my head over and over since I dressed them.

Kami Quips & AJ Updates

Though at times I'm not sure how either myself or Kami will survive these sassy preschooler days, most times I find that I LOVE this stage in her life. She's thinking about things, putting concepts together and asking lots and lots of questions. Here's the latest from our conversations:

Kami: Mom. I am SO sick!
Me: You are!?!
Kami: Yeah. I need some of AJ's medicine.
(AJ's Tylenol was left out on the counter)
Me: Well...what's the matter?
Kami: I have the...hiccups!

Kami: Mom. is Jesus commin'?
Me: Yeah! He sure is!
Kami: I am so excited!
Me: Me, too!
*a couple of minutes later*
Kami: Mom. Where is Jesus?
Me: He's in Heaven.
Kami: We go and find him.
Me: Okay.

And in AJ news: He is discovering a whole new world now that he's set on cruise control using nothing but his hands and knees! Not to mention, my house is now a complete disaster. With discovery comes messes everywhere. AND (drumroll, please)...

He is sleeping through the night!

Hip-hip-hooray!

Tokyo ~ Day 2

All day Wednesday was spent playing at Disneyland! We had originally planned on going Thursday, but after checking the forecast, it looked like it'd be a little bit warmer spending the entire day outside on Day 2.

This is the day Kami had been waiting for. For the last two months we've been telling Kami that we were going to Japan to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse; and nearly every day she was asking us about it. As you can see, she was in heaven!

We fibbed her age just a little bit (though no one asked us anyway). Most of the rides she had to be at least 3 years old to ride...she's a couple months shy, and she did fantastic with most of the rides. Rides that were a success: StarJets, Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlasters (did you know Buzz Lightyear is fluent in Japanese???), Dumbo, Castle Carousel, Grand Circut Raceway, It's a Small World and Alices Tea Party. Rides that I was afraid she'd have nightmares for the next week: Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin and Haunted Mansion. And I made sure to keep her clear of anything Pinocchio. That dude really creeps me out.

I took her on the StarJets ride, which she was super excited to ride because it was "just like Space Buddies". Drew took her on the Grand Circuit Raceway and put her in the driver seat. When Drew asked her where they were driving to, she said, "We go BX". Seriously. We need to get her out of Korea. ;^) Apparently she also kept running into the wall. She got a little frustrated after a while and finally said, "Dad, you drive."

And the cast members were out in abundance. This is where Kami's blonde hair come to our advantage. She stood out. So she easily caught the princesses and other characters attention and were able to get her pictures taken with them quite easily.

Tokyo ~ Day 1

Okay, so technically this should be titled 'Tokyo ~ Day 2', but, since the real 'Day 1' was mostly a travel day and we were pretty much exhausted to do anything but eat dinner at the hotel, we'll call the next day, 'Day 1'.

Our adventure in Tokyo first began trying to figure out the subway system, which, was actually fairly easy! Our mission today was to find dish stores with blue & white dishes. I had started a collection the first time I visited Japan; however, 7 moves within 11 years, some of my dishes have seen better days and others have bit the dust completely.

Of course, 11 years is a long time and at 19 years old, I wasn't really paying attention to demographics, so, I did some online research as to where I could find said stores and as a last minute thought, I enlisted a good friend of mine from high school that I recently reconnected with (Facebook is awesome!) who lived in Tokyo herself for a few years for help in finding the illusive "Dirty Dish Store".

We also asked the concierge at the hotel for suggestions on where to find dish stores, and she directed us to Kappabashi, which is the Kitchen District of Tokyo. She also suggested stopping off at Asakusa Buddhist Temple, which is within walking distance of Kappabashi. We were actually considering a bus tour that would have taken us to Asakusa, but, after we figured out the subway system, we thought we'd save ourselves a couple 100 bucks and take our own tour! I always enjoy doing things on our own time table. Especially with two little ones in tow. So, here's a photo collage of our stop off to the temple:


For the most part, the Japanese people weren't as fascinated with Kami's blonde locks as the Korean's are. However, there were a few exceptions (and actually, as I write, I'm wondering if they might be another nationality?):


And then we were off to find some dishes! Navigating ourselves around the streets of Tokyo was also fairly simple. It's always nice to see a posted street name that corresponds with what's on the map. So, we found Kappabashi and we found blue & white dishes. But, I just didn't find what I was looking for. I did, however, find the same dishes that I had bought 11 years ago!

By the time we got back to the hotel, I found that I had a couple of emails from Linsey for directions to the dish store. But, it was late in the day and my two little ones had had enough adventure for the day. My hope was this could be an adventure for another day, but, alas. It turns out it'll have to be an adventure for another trip. :^(

So, after a little resting and getting Kami & AJ down for naps, we decided to venture out to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. And though it was a little cloudy and threatening rain, we decided to take the 30 minute walk to the HRC. It was beautiful going...

...but by the time we were finished with dinner, it was pouring down rain! And with two umbrellas between us, Drew and AJ tried the best they could under one umbrella, and the other I gave to Kami to hold. The result of my motherly instincts of making sure my children were taken care of before I gave thought of myself:
All in all, it was a good adventure for our first day in Tokyo! Stay tuned; day 2 coming soon!

Deja Vu

I seem to have been jolted back in time a couple of years for a few moments yesterday when AJ woke up from his nap. For the first time, I found him sitting up in his crib playing. It was exciting all day long to know that my baby boy is growing up and starting to do things on his own. But, all that excitement quickly faded that evening when I tried to put him down to bed, only to have him pop right back up as soon as I layed him down. *sigh* Why does my baby have to grow up so quickly?

Easter Pictures

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter Sunday! Here are some pictures I took of the kids just around the apartments on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

Base Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day for the bases' Easter Egg Hunt! We had so much fun joining the crowd of people for the big production. They lined us all up around the lawn of the base lodge and had everybody divided out by age groups and when the guy on the loud speaker said, "Go" everybody went! Everybody, that is, except for Kami who was much too busy with the lollipop that her friend, Mary gave her before the hunt (hmmm. Was that a tricky hunting distractions or a friendly gesture? I'm not sure! ;^) Anyway. Kami just stood there for a moment on the sidelines until I said, "Kami, go! Go!" So. She went. And went, and went, and went! Passing up dozens and dozens of eggs along the way. She went until she was all the way across the lawn in another age group's domain! Our little Forest Gump didn't quite understand that she was supposed to pick up the eggs scattered all over the lawn! Eventually she got the hang of it; but notice she never did give up on that lollipop!

A Good Day

It's always such a treat to be able to go up to the temple. It's been such a long time....too long! Our branch travels up to Seoul every month to go to the temple and most people bring their families. There is a little house that the church owns right there on the grounds that is used for lodging for those who travel a long distance to attend the temple. Most of the time it's empty, so we use it to watch kiddos in while us the parents take turns watching each others kids and attending the temple. Since AJ is finally old enough to be left for a couple of hours, we took the opportunity to go this month.

What a fantastic decision that was! We actually made it up there early due to their being NO traffic on the way up (unheard of in Seoul!) and there was absolutely no crying from the backseat of the car (also unheard of!).

Really, all in all, it was just a very, very, very peaceful day. I feel so blessed and so happy. I am grateful to have met and married my very best friend and I'm so excited for our eternity together. And I love that we can share our lives with two absolutely wonderful children, and I am so glad that we were able to share this day at the temple with them. I know that they won't remember today, but I will forever. It was that good!

(Kami and her BFF, Liberty. Any day playing with Libby is a good day!) (AJ channeling his inner Elvis)

...and of course, what beautiful day at the temple would be complete without a 3:30PM showing of Monsters vs. Aliens???!!! Well, your day wouldn't be either if your daughters prayers the last week went like this:

"Heavenly Father. Thank you for this day. Thank you for Monsters and Aliens. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Indeed.

Walking Already?

Seriously. Can 6 month olds walk? I swear they can. At least mine can. I'm almost sure.

I've been trying so hard to get AJ to sleep in his own crib in his own room for the last few weeks. We've gotten to the point where he falls asleep in his crib, but, each morning I find him in bed with me! Okay, I'll admit it. He cries at night, and I go in and get him (because I'm just too lazy to sit in the rocking chair and rock him back to sleep) and then I'll never bring him back to his own bed.

BUT sometimes.....I honestly have no recollection of him crying or me getting up in the middle of the night and bringing him back to bed. But, yet, I wake up and there he is....sound asleep right next to me in my bed! This is where I'm pretty sure he wakes up, climbs out of his crib and walks the short hallway to my bedroom, climbs up in my bed and falls back asleep.

Okay, now that I've just written it out, that seems a little creepy to me. A 6 month old that can walk? That kind of freaks me out. Now I'm pretty sure it's me. I'm the one who probably subconsciously hears him, not really awake myself make the trip to his room and bring him back with me. A mom that sleep walks? That's pretty creepy too! Now I'm pretty sure no one's going to want to stay the night at our house! Weird things happen at night! Muahahaha!

Pool Fun!

So, since the CDC (Child Development Center) decided to undergo renovations here at Osan sometime in the either near or not so near future (that's the government for you), they cut all part-time care contracts. Bummer for Kami because she so enjoyed her time with friends at "school", and bummer for me because I too enjoyed time getting errands done without both kiddos in tow. BUT, be that as it may, we've been trying to get out and do some fun things. One of these is a weekly dip at the pool (this was week one!). Our attempt to have friends join us failed this week (everybody else was busy that morning), so we enjoyed an entire 1 1/2 hours at the pool all by ourselves. No kidding. We were the only ones there!

This was AJ's first trip to the pool - ever! He loved splashing and watching his sister play in the water and I enjoyed getting use out of his new swim trunks and listening to my children laugh at eachother! All in all - a good day!

What Happened to My Angel???

And what, I ask myself, did my baby do to deserve this????
I dunno, but, while I was 'ranting', Kami must have thought he needed devil horns on his head. This is what I found when I came back into the playroom! Kami was innocently sitting on the beanbag chair reading a book.

What. a. turkey.

{Sweetness}

There is just no getting past the sweets in our house, no matter how hard we try! For Mutual the other night we learned how to decorate cupcakes, so I had pre-made all of the cupcakes before the activity. Kami, however was beside herself to discover that the cupcakes were not for her and that I was taking them out of the house! No worries though, there was plenty of cupcakes left over for her to decorate and eat her own the next day. I was totally forgiven.

...and the creations that the YW made looked like this....(great job, Amanda!)

And to top off all of the sweetness that night; two adorable baby boys who were so patient with their mommies and actually got along fantastically (they must have understood our lectures from the last time they were together). Thanks AJ & Cade!

I *heart* Toys!

I whole-heartedly admit it. I LOVE to buy toys for my kids! I love the enjoyment they get out of playing (and the enjoyment I get out of watching them play), and most of all, I love watching their faces as they open something new. Okay, so I'm really only talking about Kami at this point, but I'm pretty sure AJ will be the same way.

Anyway, the toy buying and giving was getting a little ridiculous. At the same time as all this ridiculousness was going on Kami was potty training and the sticker rewards were quickly becoming obsolete. Then I saw this post; and I thought, what a perfect match for my buying/giving habit and getting Kami to use the potty!

So, Kami's been working on that jar for probably about a month and today she finally filled it up! She got to shop the "Mommy Store" and play with new toy today! It was a win-win situation, and I highly recommend it. Kami's still not quite potty trained, but I figure once she is, maybe we'll switch to a chore reward jar of some kind (any tips as to what to call it?).

Turning 30

So. I guess I just don't understand what the big deal is about turning 30. Maybe I'm in denial. Maybe it just doesn't bother me. Whatever the case, I am now 30 years old (though I honestly don't feel much older than 18 years old). Anyway, it was a good day. My mom got up early with Kami so that I was able to sleep in for a little longer than usual, and when I woke up, it looks like the party had already started without me....

Mom and I took a trip to the local fabric store to pick up some fabric that I'm kicking myself that I didn't get when we were there just days earlier. Now I can't find the fabric I wanted. That's okay though. I made up for my loss with a few more yards of other fabrics and more projects on the horizon! After that....I honestly can't remember what we did for the rest of the afternoon. Must be a 30 thing. It's not uncommon for me to forget things lately. My brain is full of all sorts of information that comes to my recollection at random times during my days. Anyway, after that void that I can't seem to recall, I know we went out to dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant! After that, we came home and ate ice cream cake and opened presents. My mom got me a cool book with all of President Hinckley's talks that he's even given (vol. 2) and Drew got me a trip to Tokyo in the Spring! Of the two Asian countries I've been to, Japan is my favorite and I've been wanting to go back there for a while. Okay. I've been wanting to go back since I left 10+ years ago. And Springtime is the perfect time to go! The cherry blossoms should be in full bloom and the weather should be beautiful! Anyway! Happy Birthday to me!