We had an early flight back to Texas this morning. The kids all did great on the flight again and I saved them a piece of wedding cake from last night for them to eat on the plane today.

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I was seriously wishing I had my nice camera at this point. Or at least that I knew about Henrys' giant fingerprint smudge that was on the lens of this little camera!

Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Martin, & Mrs. Martin!

Congratulations, Ross & Lindsay! We are so excited for you two!!

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Guess who didn't want to go on the walk?

Down to Golden for dinner!

The kids, Anita, & I went on a nice walk this morning. Although Henry really didn't want to go along and wanted to go home once we got to our destination, he was briefly distracted by some fun rocks along the way. The girls had a great time, however, and we all enjoyed being in the cooler Colorado temperatures.

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Pulling the airplane out of the hangar.

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Having fun with the extensive vehicle collection.

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No, group pictures are still too boring!

We didn't write this but we feel the same way!

After two days we are all a bit beached out (some of us more-so than others). It's a good thing we're going back home tomorrow!

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He still definitely needs his afternoon nap (which he didn't get much of today--sorry, Henry!).

Obviously the kids loved the beach today! The hotel is perfect (once we got checked in): we had a separate bedroom for the kids to share, my mom slept on the bottom of a bunk bed in the hall, and Craig & I slept on the pull-out sleeper.

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Henry had a case of the lazies and didn't want to walk.

This was my first and last mint julep!

Henry wasn't in the mood to tour a plantation today so he & I stayed outside while the rest of the tour group went upstairs to check out the house. I can tell he is tired of vacationing so it's good we are heading home tomorrow.

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Sarah wasn't sure what to think of the bird inside Cafe Beignet this morning. (Much better beignets here than Cafe du Monde!)

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Henry passed out instantly for his nap this afternoon!

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We walked down to Cafe du Monde for breakfast this morning. The beignets were served warm, not hot, which was nice for the kids, I guess, but they weren't that great. We will try another place tomorrow. I think the best part was that we got a seat in the air-conditioned part of the restaurant. Henry was particularly grumpy so his missed nap yesterday must be catching up with him.

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Writing & sticker art on the six-hour drive (a very good distance).

The kids were great on the car-ride over to New Orleans. Six hours is a nice, short trip for our family. Henry took a little nap in the car but really needs a longer one. We missed his window by the time we got to the hotel and he really did OK without his nap. We'll see what tomorrow brings. He fell asleep right away tonight! Our hotel seems to be in a good location and it was fun walking around town this afternoon (hot & humid just like home but we'll survive). The kids are all excited for beignets and the street car tomorrow.

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Henry is thrilled every time we see a train or big truck or construction equipment! The girls are enjoying The Cinnamon Bear radio show and coloring. We all can't wait to get back to our house tomorrow!

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We got off to a good start this morning at 7:30 but Anna was still not 100% better (it seemed to come and go). She did end up napping a bit in the car and we stopped for the night in Dumas, Texas in order to get everyone to bed on time. Overall all three kids were really great. Henry was easier than during the trip to Minnesota because he did nap longer than 45 minutes the two times he fell asleep. He also really loves to read now so between books and all of the trucks and trains we passed, he was pretty easy! The girls did a lot of coloring and sticker art.

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Our group at the first winery (where Greg & Carl were stationed).

The wine tasting today was such a wonderful and fun idea for the day after the wedding. We were in a fun group with Joel & Anya, Jeff & Libby, and Heather (Joel, Greg, & Jeff's cousin on Bonnie's side). We particularly liked some of the wines at Gundlach Bundschu so we sent some bottles to Corrine & Scott as thank you and made a note to order some for ourselves when we get home, too.

The word from home is that Sarah is ready for us to be home again. She let Corrine & Scott experience one of her signature fits and everything! Lucky for her (and them) we will be back super early tomorrow morning!

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The bear is for Craig's dad. Neil (my uncle, not the bear) was our driver from the hotel to the wedding and back. Thanks, Neil!

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We got a ride from our hotel to downtown Walnut Creek this morning and then walked over to Crepes Ooh la la! for breakfast. I had the Nutella crepe and it was heavenly! I don't know what my mom or Craig had because mine was so delicious it didn't even matter.

After breakfast we stopped at a camera shop for some lens cleaner for me then my mom & I sent cardigan shopping because it is really cool here. (It was so hard to imagine anything less than 100 degrees and 80% humidity and this weather is shocking to me!) We had lunch and then made it back to the hotel to change before Neil came to pick us up to take us up to the wedding. The word at home is that it is still going well for all!

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Look at this cute lady we picked up at SFO and took out to Walnut Creek on the BART with us.

It was so very strange to drive away from the house without the kids today! Sure, I do stuff on my own from time to time but this is different! Craig & I have haven't been away overnight since we went to my friend Sharon's wedding in Boston in September 2006! Technically Sarah was with us then so the time before that was to Paris in July 2006. Either way, it was overdue. I definitely appreciated the fact that I didn't have to worry about anyone freaking out on the plane or needing to go to the bathroom or needing a nap but not falling asleep, etc.

My mom got to the airport before us and we all got on the BART to Walnut Creek. Once we checked into our hotel we walked to an Indian restaurant for dinner (it was excellent!). We aren't sure what we'll do tomorrow besides sleep in. I did talk to Corrine and the kids when we landed and Corrine said that the girls both said they weren't nervous any more after about an hour so without us. That was a relief! Both girls sounded just fine on the phone so here's hoping it all goes well!

Posted by Becky at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah must have swallowed too much pool water at the hotel last night because she threw up a few times in the middle of the night. Poor thing! We brought our Holiday Inn Express Ice Bucket (now known as the "Holiday Inn Express Puke Bucket") with us in the car just in case but, luckily, she didn't need it again. Otherwise the ride back was relatively uneventful but we are glad to be back in Texas!

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Maeve showing me Hopper the frog.

Craig made his elephant noise that usually at least gets eye contact if not a smile from the kids.

We stopped in Iowa to meet Heather & her family on the way home. Heather & I have been part of an online group that started on Babycenter when we were pregnant with our first children. (I met Sophia in Denver from this same group a few years ago.) Heather made us a really good lunch but we didn't get to stay long (and it was, of course, no where near long enough for either of my girls to warm up to anyone in Heather's family!! Heather's kids are all the same ages as mine. I don't think Sarah & Finn noticed each other but Henry & Oren seemed to think the other kid was pretty cool.

We are staying in the same hotel in Kansas that we stayed in on the way up last week.

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The kids did really great all day yesterday & today. I was surprised that Sarah actually travels better by car than by plane (I assumed it would be about the same: not very well). Henry did cry for the last hour or more when we hit traffic going through St. Paul, but who can blame him? And at least we were in our own private car and not on a public airplane!

When we stopped in Iowa, Anna asked if we could live there (because it is so much cooler and less humid there than in Texas!!).

The girls mostly colored or played with their My Little Ponies all day. Henry didn't care for any of the toys we tried to hand him but did like snacking and having books read to him or just being conversational. He took several short naps but never anything longer than 45 minutes which is a shame because he really needed it! Craig & I checked out his new iPad and used the map on it to look at traffic on our route which was really cool.

We were all glad to get to Bonnie & Neil's house and settle in. (Bonnie and Neil are way too kind and let us have their bedroom which means Henry gets to sleep in another closet (the last time was at the temporary housing in Texas) which is perfectly dark and quiet.)

Posted by Becky at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got up early today and hit the road (the girls were so excited they were buckled in the car before I even had Henry ready!). We spent the night in Emporia, Kansas which is right about where Henry decided he was done for the day. We got there just around his bedtime and he fell asleep within minutes of getting in the pack & play while Craig took the girls to the hotel pool to get a little exercise.

Posted by Becky at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We had a good flight back to Texas today although when we checked in the airline told Craig that they put the kids in exit rows and they didn't have a seat for him and that we should go to the gate to get that worked out. Awesome. In the end Craig got a seat and we all had seats together (not in an exit row). As always, it is good to be home!

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The girls were so excited to go to the beach they were waiting out in the van well before it was actually time to go.

This is our massive tent. Henry is sleeping in his pack-n-play in there!

We had a great time at the beach today! I didn't get sunscreen on though so I got a pretty bad sunburn on my shoulders and face. Thank goodness I spent quite a bit of time with Henry in the shade or I'd really be having a hard time! We had a nice breeze today which kept the heat bearable. All of the kids thought the water was awesome (it was so warm!) and I'm glad no one was afraid of getting in (although my girls were a little more cautious than Rachel's boys were).

Henry took a short nap in my arms at the beach and didn't take too long to fall asleep in the tent. We'll see what the night holds for us!

Posted by Becky at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've never had to wake him up before and if I've gone into his room and he was still sleeping he has always just woken up at the first noise. This was hard to do!

The cats sent us a note each time they got on the plane. (We don't know how they got under Henry's name since Craig was the one who checked them in in Busan.)

What a long, long day this was!

We started out by hauling 3 carseats, 1 stroller, 5 carry-ons, and 9 checked bags up the stairs to the vans. We had one minivan for the luggage and one large van for the people & cats. The girls called our van a "big-shot car" (from Richard Scarry) because it had a TV, neon lights, etc. in it. The driver instantly turned on a Korean cartoon with audio BLASTING for the kids but we had him turn it off. Maybe we're mean but we wanted to have the allure of videos on the PSP for traveling so we didn't want to have the girls bored with TV during the first two hour section of the trip!

In Busan Craig did all the baggage checking & cat checking. The kids & I didn't have to wait around with him so we went to the bathroom and got a snack a Starbucks. Somehow both Craig & I thought the other person was doing more work so I guess we worked that out well!

From Busan to Tokyo I sat with Henry and Anna & Sarah sat across from Craig (it was just two aisles with two seats each). This worked out well until at some point Sarah wanted out of her seatbelt but the flight attendant was nice and helped Craig talk her down. One man across from me said he was also traveling to Houston through Minneapolis and I started trying to think of what I should buy for him in Duty Free if things started getting ugly with the kids...

We had a little time in Tokyo to get some food and stretch out a little. Henry & I sat together on the side and Craig and the girls sat in the middle. I kept waiting for Sarah to freak out but she didn't. All of our children got compliments on this flight. (This is the first time that has happened for Sarah!) Henry was not as challenging as I worried since he was easily placated by nursing him to sleep. He slept so poorly that he was pretty tired the whole time so anytime he got fussy I nursed him and he'd sleep a little more. Not something I'd recommend for every day but it worked for this trip!

We had a longer layover in Minneapolis which was OK since we got to get lunch and stretch our legs a bit. We were all ready to just get to Houston at this point though! We had to collect all of our bags and the cats and go through customs and then re-check our bags and the cats which wasn't as big of a hassle as we worried it would be. There was a skycap there that helped us with the bags and the cats didn't try to make any sudden moves when Craig had to take them out of their carriers for inspection.

Thank goodness the man who was traveling all the way with us announced to the first class cabin that he had been with us since Busan when he got on the flight to Houston because Sarah did end up throwing a fit on this flight (understandably, but if you didn't know her situation you would just think she was a spoiled kid throwing a fit in first class!). She was screaming that she wanted to "GET OFF THE PLANE RIGHT NOW" while we were in the middle of the flight.

Amazingly all of our flights were on time and there were no delays and all of the flight crews were pleasant. Overall it was an excellent trip (although you won't catch me booking any international flights again soon!). We got all of our stuff and the cats again in Houston and loaded it into a full-size van (Craig was smart enough to hire a driver with a giant van!) and went up to the hotel. Craig ran out to get us some dinner and we settled into the hotel for the night. My friend Sara had left a littler box and some dishes for the cats for us at the hotel which was a life-saver. The hotel has two bedrooms, a family room, and a kitchen but we won't last very long here with all of this luggage, people, and animals!

We are all so very glad that this day is over. I was dreading it for so long and now we get to move on to the next phase of house-hunting, car-hunting, and reverse culture-shock.

Posted by Becky at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are packing our suitcases now. The shippers come tomorrow so we need to have everything we're bringing on the plane with us out of the way. Anna is packing clothes, Sarah is throwing random toys in her suitcase. I am trying to remain sane! (It's a good thing I have made lists for each person's suitcases so I know what needs to actually get inside some of these bags.)

Posted by Becky at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photos by Craig Waiting in line. Thankfully we got there right when it opened so we didn't have to wait long.

Sarah was a bit of a grump once we got to the top of the tower. She was hot, tired, and hungry. I guess I'd be a bit of a grump, too! She took a nice nap once we got back to the hotel this afternoon.

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Nice drawer, Henry!

Outback Steakhouse.

Craig, Henry, & I went to the US Embassy this morning to apply for Henry's passport and to get our wills notarized. The Embassy here is much smaller than the one in Doha (but maybe the one in Doha was just "grand" as was everything there?). We were done with everything in about an hour and it wasn't too big of a deal. Now, we wait for Henry's passport and then we have to get his Alien card right away once we have it. I am also really happy to have our wills taken care of. Now let's hope we don't need them.

Craig & my mom took the girls to the hotel pool this afternoon and then we all went out to Outback for dinner. You can see in the picture above that Henry was happy to just sleep on the bench at the restaurant even while his big sister Sarah was throwing fits (in the picture above she is yelling that she didn't want me to take a picture). We're hoping she's getting her two-year molars but it's probably a lack of naps, being two years old, and all of the changes that are getting us a lot of nice tantrums from Sarah lately.

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We got a minivan for our trip to Seoul this week and the girls were excited to sit in the "way back." Henry lost his cord stump between rest stops on the drive up (yay!) and he slept so much in the car that I'm worried he won't sleep well tonight... especially since he is sleeping in a drawer. We asked for a baby crib when we made our hotel reservation but apparently that didn't matter to the hotel! Luckily we brought the Pack n' Play for Sarah or we'd be in all sorts of bed-time trouble. The kids really did pretty well on the drive up probably partly because we stopped every two hours or so so Henry could eat (and the girls were able to check out rest-stop playgrounds, etc.).

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The weather was so wonderful today we got out and took a walk on the boardwalk in Okpo. The girls were up early in the night so hopefully all of the sunlight we got today will help us get on track quickly.

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We got up early to get on our way back to Korea today. Anna did a great job as usual and Sarah did better than last time but still did have a crying fit on the long flight. I was hoping to have Sarah sit with Craig on the long flight but she wasn't having that. I am glad that she at least was a bit easier! The girls slept a bit on the long flight, Anna slept some more on the last flight, and Sarah fell asleep the last half hour of the drive home. Hopefully the adjustment will take three days or so as it did on the way there!

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Craig & Anita took the girls to the park this morning while I started up our packing. Sarah was terrified to be on the baby swings when we went to the park at my mom's house but she apparently loves the big-kid swings!

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Here's a shot of my profile since I still haven't done an official one!

The girls had a lot of fun at the Museum of Nature & Science today. I think they liked the animal dioramas the best but they also enjoyed seeing the dinosaurs and gemstones.

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We had a nice Easter at Nana & Papas with everyone. Anna and Sarah think Uncle Ross is the greatest so he probably didn't have a very relaxing day between them and Own & Raisa! We had some cake and sang Happy Birthday to Sarah a few weeks early so the family could celebrate with her a bit. (Anna helped Nana decorate the cupcakes.)

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Dyeing Easter eggs with Owen & Raisa.

The kids were thrilled to get their pictures taken!

We met up with Erin, Craig, Logan, Madeline, Erin, Dave, and Fergie the Dog today in town. We played at the park for a long time and then went to a great sandwich shop for lunch.

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We met up with Grandma, Rachel, Jake, & Sam today at the zoo. Sarah did a lot of her own walking today, too! Craig did carry her some and Sam wore himself out pushing the empty stroller all day. Despite a few meltdowns, the kids all seemed to have a great time today!

Tonight, Craig & I met up with Corrine, Scott, Ross, & Lindsey for dinner while Anita & Brian were left with Owen, Raisa, Anna, & Sarah. The report was that bedtime wasn't too bad which was great news!

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Pictures by Anita.

I left for a day completely to myself today (this involved me getting the rest of the things on my list and not a massage or anything particularly relaxing, unfortunately!). Craig and Sarah went to the pool and out to lunch. Anita took Anna down to Raisa's Easter party at her pre-school. Anna was so excited that I said she could wear her new party dress and just had a great time at the party. There was one little girl in Raisa's class that was super-sweet to Anna and kind of took care of her during the egg hunt.

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One of the deer we saw on the way down into town today.

Checking out Nana's slippers.

We took the girls to a park in town for a nice walk along the creek before we met up with Corrine, Raisa, Opa, Ross, & Lindsey for lunch today. Sarah did a fantastic job walking the entire time, holding my hand, and not asking to be picked up. This is a great improvement over the past couple of months as I've been trying to get her to use her own little legs instead of getting carried so much.

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We've been in the awful habit of bringing Sarah to bed with us when she wakes up crying between 5-6 in the morning while we've been in Colorado. This morning I was able to sneak out of bed and get a picture of Craig & Sarah snoring together. Cute, but we're going back to our regular routine once we are back in Korea!

Posted by Becky at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We went to the pool with Nana, Corrine, & Raisa today. Sarah was so excited to try on her new swimsuit she could hardly stand to wait and asked me about twenty times on the way to the pool where her suit was. Anita asked the lifeguard to turn on the water slide and Sarah and Craig went down quite a few times (not enough for Sarah though). Next time we go I will have to bring the camera to get a video of Sarah coming down the slide! Anna acted like she didn't have any swimming lessons and lost all of her bravery in the water.

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We moved up to Anita & Brian's today. Ross was there and, of course, Sarah was instantly smitten with him. Thanks to her, Anna even interacted with him this time (probably the first time!). Both girls were excited to see Riggs again, too.

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Today was our last day with Grandma & Grandpa (and the neighbors, Rachel, Mat, Jake, & Sam). Sarah got a bit overstimulated after such non-stop action but overall did well. She has been throwing some pretty major tantrums starting the last Monday we were in Okpo. I hope it is travel-related stress and not a new theme to our lives! Time will tell.

We head up to Craig's parents tomorrow and then just like that our trip will be over next week! This four week trip seems to be going by much faster than the five week trip we took last summer.

Posted by Becky at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna and Sam are really having so much fun together. They can get into their own little world and just play for the longest time. Today they made a cave under the kitchen table and then played outside since it was so nice. They have been playing "airplane" a lot. When Sarah & I joined them outside Anna & Sam were our flight attendants and they were very helpful meeting all of my daughter's and my needs.

Tonight we went down to the airport to pick up Craig. The girls were so excited to go get him and then to see him! Luckily he got a decent amount of sleep on the plane and his flight wasn't too delayed getting in. The girls ended up getting to bed about an hour later than usual but they handled that pretty well.

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Jake reading to Sarah & Sam.

Anna & Sarah have really had a great time hanging out with their cousins each day we've been here! It has been fun to watch them play and get to know each other better. Sarah likes to give the boys hugs and thinks they are hilarious.

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I took the girls down to the Children's Museum today for some fun. We got there right at opening and it was super busy by the time we left (right around noon). They had a lot of fun. I think their favorite part was dressing up like squirrels and running through the tunnels and hanging out in nests. This kind of thing makes me miss living in Texas where we could go all the time!

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My mom & I took the girls out today to Barnes & Noble to pick out some books, Starbucks for a snack and then to the "germ tree" at the mall for some running around.

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Corrine, Anita, Owen, & Raisa came up today to see Jake & Sam and then take the girls to Build-a-Bear for their birthday presents. Anna picked a pink unicorn and Sarah picked a kitten. Both girls love their new animals and I think they "got" the experience more this year than last year. I might have them make something for their brother there but haven't decided yet.

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My mom & I made a short little snowman for the girls today. They just wanted to have a snowball fight and weren't as impressed with our (unimpressive, I admit!) snowman as I thought they would be.

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The girls were thrilled to see the snow outside when they woke up this morning.

Mixing up brownies for dessert.

Although the girls didn't have proper footwear for snow I am really glad we got a good snowstorm while we were here. This is the first real snow they have experienced and they were super excited to get out there this morning! Sarah has a bit of a cold so I think she wasn't having as much fun as she could have but any time I asked her if she wanted to go in or stay outside she always wanted to stay outside.

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Anna looked so cute in her pants and new butterflies & stars sweatshirt that she wore to swimming I just had to get a picture. She did great in her lesson today again.

Sarah really took to Papa when he was in Korea and likes Grandpa a lot here in Colorado. That is so very different than Anna! Anna is really doing so much better than ever though and is giving him hugs and is speaking to everyone, too.

Posted by Becky at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I gave Sarah a little mohawk before her bath tonight.

We're doing more than reading while we're here but this is the easiest way to get pictures of kids (because they're sitting still)!

Posted by Becky at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The girls are pretty much over their jet lag. Sarah is still waking up and fussing a bit (which is not normal for home) but at least she's not staying up. I brought her to bed with me the first two nights but now she's stayed in her own crib all night the last two. I have had a combination of jet lag and pregnancy insomnia that has left me feeling super tired all day and then wide awake most of the night. Pretty awful but hopefully I can get straightened out soon!

Anna had her first swimming lesson today and she really liked it. We were lucky enough to get four private lessons for her and she seems to like her teacher pretty well based on the big smile she had on her face during the entire lesson.

Posted by Becky at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cupcakes.

All of the kids were being really quiet in the other room so I went to check on them and they were all four working on Anna's Strawberry Shortcake sticker book that they found in her suitcase.

We had a little birthday party for the girls this morning since my side of the family just missed Anna's and they'll miss Sarah's by just a few weeks when we return to Korea.

Posted by Becky at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Great Grandma Eldora came today. It was really nice to see Sarah give her a hug and a kiss at bedtime and I was pleasantly surprised that Anna also gave everyone hugs at bedtime which is a major breakthrough for her!

Posted by Becky at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The girls found Grandma's dress-up collection right away. Sarah is dancing in this picture.

We had a pretty decent trip to Colorado today. Anna sat with Anita & Brian on the long flight from Tokyo to San Francisco and I had Sarah on my own toward the back of the plane. Sarah threw only one fit this time (on the long flight) but overall she did do better than last summer and I knew Anna was being well taken care of which was part of the problem I had last summer (leaving Anna alone in the seats for extended periods to try to deal with Sarah).

The girls only slept 2-3 hours on that long flight and did not sleep on either of the other two flights or in the car to Grandma & Grandpa's house. They both fell asleep right away at bedtime (6:45 tonight). I am absolutely wiped out!

Posted by Becky at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning we took the girls over to the Hilton to check out the gigantic model train display they had there. Both girls loved it. I asked Anna what she liked about it and she said, "it moves by itself!"

We had lunch at Pizza Hut because it was close and Anna was pretty whiny so it wasn't worth walking around looking for something we couldn't get on Geoje. After lunch, we went back to the hotel and Anna & I got ready to go to the Nutcracker. She had actually thrown up in the morning at the hotel but was otherwise acting normally so we didn't think too much of it, thinking it was an isolated incident..

I wish I had taken a picture of us at the Seoul Arts Center but was having too much fun enjoying the music in the lobby and the decorations and the festive atmosphere with Anna to think of that. We had great seats and Anna was wowed to say the least. She had her mouth hanging open for most of the first act and was constantly pointing things out to me. At intermission she didn't want to leave our seats because she thought if we left we wouldn't see more of the dancing. I convinced her to go downstairs and pick out a souvenir nutcracker, go to the bathroom, have a snack, etc.

About 15 or 20 minutes after the show started again she asked for Craig. I asked her if she wanted to see more ballet or go back to the hotel now. She wanted to go back now. I was disappointed but glad that she got to see the Snow Fairies and that she did enjoy what we saw. As soon as the doors shut from the theater and we stepped out into the lobby she threw up again. Poor little girl! I'm glad she was able to get that far though and do it on the tile and not in our seats in the dark! We took a taxi home and she didn't want dinner and fell asleep right away at bed time. Hopefully being sick won't cloud her memory of the ballet because she really did enjoy it.

I will say that it has been several years since I've seen the Nutcracker (I'm thinking it was in 2000 in Boston) but this production seemed a little "off" compared to the Nutcracker book Anna & I have been reading this past month It was fine and Anna didn't care but some scenes seemed out of order to me. The dancing was fantastic and the set was good (not as good as I remember seeing in Boston and Denver but on it's own it was just fine).

Posted by Becky at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The girls were up at around 7:30 and we sent Craig down the street to get McDonald's for breakfast. After we got everyone ready we left for Lotte World. We got there shortly after they opened so it wasn't too crowded at first. We hit the carousel and no standing was allowed so Craig & I had to ride horses as well. Sarah & I shared one since she couldn't sit on her own horse unassisted (she would jump off!).

Next we went on the hot air balloon rides and had to wait in a line for this. Maybe thirty minutes? The girls loved the ride and wanted to go on the train next. So, we got a smoothie and a churro then headed down to the train. This line felt longer because you couldn't see what was head and how long you had to go; it was also probably thirty minutes. The train took us outside and around Magic Island which has some promising things for kids our kids age but since it is cold out (0 Celsius) we stuck to the inside stuff! Maybe next time we will come in warmer weather and can check out Magic Island activities.

On our way out of Lotte World we stopped and the girls drove a bear around. Sarah jumped off before we got the video going but Anna is not ready for her license yet! This was probably Craig's & my favorite part of Lotte World! We found our way to Pizzeria Uno and I hit up Muji while we waited for our lunch. Anna & Sarah were in a great mood today! I was worried that they would be tired from their shennanigans last night.

We got back to our hotel and got Sarah down for a nap by 2:15 and she slept for two hours. After she woke, we had a quick snack then found a much closer subway entrance and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. The girls loved it! They relaxed on a big couch and watched music videos (Sarah apparently really likes Bon Jovi and said, "growl" and signed "bear" when ZZ Top came on).

Something happened with Anna today that made me very happy. Since Halloween she has not spoken "in public" to us. Only when we are in the car with the car door shut or in our apartment. This has led to many frustrating times for us. Today at Lotte World she started whispering to me. By the time we were on the subway back from the Hard Rock Cafe she was laughing out loud and talking to us! Craig and I were so happy but didn't comment to her because that tends to backfire when we make a big deal out of something.

Posted by Becky at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our dive to Seoul was pretty good. We left at 9 AM, stopped for a lunch at a rest-stop at 11:30, and got to our hotel at about 2:30. The girls did great in the car even when traffic backed up a bit once we got to Seoul. There are about twenty tunnels between here and Geoje-do so I think that helped a lot. (I'll have to try to actually count on the way home because there are a lot of tunnels!)

Craig took the girls to the play area and then we all took the subway to dinner at Outback. The walk to the subway station was a lot farther than we thought it would be and it was COLD. We took a taxi home and saw a lot of really great Christmas lights. The girls were both tired and crabby at the restaurant and the food and service wasn't as I had hoped so that was a bit of a disappointment.

Anna & Sarah also had trouble getting/staying asleep. Anna kept turning on the light and this made Sarah cry (of course!). The last time I went to their room was at 11 PM!

Posted by Becky at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our trip back to Korea was both better and worse than the trip to the US. Better because both girls slept more (and I got to get some very light sleeping in as well) but worse because Sarah cried a lot on the first two flights and a bit on the third. Worse because I had to run with the girls and our suitcases in Minneapolis from the farthest gate possible to get our Tokyo flight as the only announcement going overhead was "Final boarding call for Tokyo. All passengers must be on board."

Anna did better on the plane bathroom this time (the trick is to not flush the toilet until she leaves the bathroom (that's a note to all of my readers out there with little kids feeling anxious about the super-loud toilet flush in there)).

A Korean agent met me at the gateway and helped me get all the way to Craig (carting my luggage for me, helping me through customs, waiting at the carousel, etc.) People got more polite the closer we got to Korea (even while on the Tokyo flight!).

The girls were super excited to see Craig and slept most of the way home (Anna slept the whole way). It was raining so that slowed us down a little but I think we were all at the point where nothing mattered any more!

We are glad we're home! Hopefully it won't take too long to readjust to Korean time and get back to our routines.

Posted by Becky at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We took the kids to Jumpin' again this afternoon. They all had a great time again. Sarah went down the slides on her own which she loved. The girls & I stuck with Jake & Sam this time (last time my kids played in the toddler area more) and did all of the different rooms. Anna's favorite rooms were "Tinkerbell" and the "Popsicle Purse" (AKA an Obstacle Course but she is insistent that it is a Popsicle Purse and that anyone who says otherwise is wrong).

Posted by Becky at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning I camped outside Best Buy to finally get the Wii Fit! I was the only one there early for it, but I'm just glad I got it.

Shortly after I came home, it was time to take Anna to her first dentist appointment. She did a great job. I really expected her to freak out but the hygenist was perfect for her and the dentist was great, too. Anna's teeth are "happy" teeth.

This evening we met Anita down at Corrine & Scott's for one last dinner with them before we go to Korea. Anna & Raisa ran off to play right away which was so nice to see. We had a really good time and I'm glad we were able to get together one more time! Hopefully we'll be able to do video chat with these guys over the next year...

Posted by Becky at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Poor little Sarah has a hot head now (yesterday ad today). I think it must be a reaction to the MMR shot she got last week. Poor kid with that and getting a bunch of teeth! Although the weather was nice I thought it would be better to do something where Sarah didn't have to run around so we went to Build-A-Bear. I wish I had just gotten the animals and skipped the clothes & accessories since the girls didn't know any better. Oh well, they both love their animals (Anna chose a purple bear and Sarah chose a brown bunny).

I found a fun Hannah-Montana wig at the store today and we all had fun playing around with it this afternoon.

This evening we went to the Chautauqua to see some fancy ladies & gentlemen dancing. Anna had her camera with her, I'll have to check to see if she got any good pictures and post them here.

Posted by Becky at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The girls loved helping Grandma vacuum with her light-weight stick vacuum today.

Posted by Becky at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning we made "Pixie Pancakes" out of Anna's new Fairies Cookbook. Anna's goal today at the pool was to get into the little fenced off area with the other kids in her class. She did it and I think today was her most fun day so far. I'm really glad we went to the pool every day at Anita & Brian's and that we signed her up for lessons here. Hopefully we can use our apartment pool enough to keep her comfortable and confident so we don't have to start all over again.

Sarah is acting a little grumpy and biting more. I see a new little tooth poking up next to her bottom front teeth.

The pictures above show what we did this afternoon... too bad there were so many mosquitoes (even with repellent) that we didn't stay out long.

Posted by Becky at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been so happy to see that Anna isn't terrified of Grandpa and Papa this summer and that both have had a chance to spend a little time with her getting to know each other.

I'm not sure why I'm not taking more pictures but today we went to the local airport for breakfast and then this afternoon we hosed the kids off with water in the backyard (it has been pretty hot here!)

Posted by Becky at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[will insert images here]

Mat & Sam and Anna & I went on short (tethered) hot air balloon rides at the county fair this morning. We also got to check out some cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and tractors.

Posted by Becky at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The girls skipped their swimming lessons this morning to get their annual exam in the USA (and a couple of vaccinations).

Sarah's stats are:
Weight: 23 pounds 10 ounces (65th percentile)
Height: 30.5 inches (50th percentile)

Anna's stats are:
Weight: 31 pounds (40th percentile)
Height: 38 inches (50th percentile)

This afternoon we went to Jumpin' and then to dinner with Rachel, Mat, Jake, & Sam. Everyone had a blast there and I want to take the girls again before we go to back to Okpo.

Posted by Becky at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Craig left for Korea this morning and because his flight from Houston was delayed to Tokyo he missed his connection to Busan and has to spend the night in Tokyo. Although I didn't wish this on him, I really hope nothing similar happens to me and the girls when we go in two weeks!

Posted by Becky at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night Craig & I went out to dinner with Erin & Dave, Erin & Craig, and Courtney (why didn't we take a picture??) so we left Anna & Sarah with Grandma & Grandpa. They had dinner at Rachel & Mat's and Rachel gave Sarah a fork to eat with. She is a pro! I hadn't given her a fork yet because she was still so messy with the spoon. I guess I didn't give her enough credit. Now she wants to stab everything and eat with her fork. Is it possible neater meals are in our future?

Posted by Becky at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today the girls started swimming lessons with Jake & Sam. Anna & Sam are in the same class. Sarah & I are in a mom & tot class. Anna was really nervous and sat on the edge of the pool (but did go to her teacher when it was her turn). Sarah's class seems to be just us hanging out in the water again. At least this is a nicer pool than the first one we tried with Anita. Next summer we'll get it right! We go every day this week and next so I hope to see a big change for Anna by then. Sarah & I will just play and have fun.

Posted by Becky at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is really nice that Anna is so much more comfortable with everyone this summer. She is able to relax and enjoy herself much more.

Great-Grandma Eldora bowling on the Wii.

Posted by Becky at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our condo was pretty awesome: two bedrooms and a loft and a great location.

Settling in at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Posted by Becky at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

That's Anna & Craig out in the red canoe on the lake.

We rented bikes this morning. It was really cute to see Sarah & Anna interacting in the bike trailer but Sarah cried for a lot of the ride so we had to cut it short. She was tired otherwise I think she would have really liked it. After a snack, Sarah & I went to the pool while Craig & Anna rented a canoe. This afternoon we went on a wagon ride and the best part of the day was hearing Sarah make horse noises along the way.

Posted by Becky at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was a lot of fun! We started out on a paddleboat, went swimming in the pool, and then went min-golfing this afternoon.

Posted by Becky at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We made it up to Keystone a little earlier than planned so we went to one of the playgrounds in River Run (we wanted to take the Gondola ride up but the gondola is under construction and we didn't feel safe taking Sarah up on an open lift). The girls had fun playing. It rained on us a bit on our way home from dinner but it all worked out OK. The girls were both tired and were begging to go to bed at 6. We kept them up until 6:30!

Posted by Becky at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took some portraits of Owen & Raisa this morning (Sorry, Corrine, I haven't gone through them yet but here is your preview!)

Owen & Raisa spent the night last night so it was fun for the cousins to play together again today. Raisa kept telling Anna, "I love you so much" and hugging her. Anna actually spoke to Raisa today which marks, I believe, the first time I've ever heard Anna speaking to another kid (Sarah excluded). Nana painted Anna & Raisa's nails and put stickers on them (note they have matching sticker earrings, too), and put lipgloss on them as well.

We all went out to Beau Jo's for lunch and then our little family went on to Keystone for our family vacation from there.

Posted by Becky at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Again no pictures of the group that joined us! Both sides of the family met us at Casa Bonita tonight even though no one claimed to actually want to go there (funny twenty people showed up then, right?)! The kids all enjoyed themselves (Anna was possibly the bravest and went through Black Bart's cave twice) and that was the reason we chose the place!

Posted by Becky at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We met Rachel, Jake, & Sam at the zoo today and had a good time. It was a little hot for everyone's taste but nothing a little Ice Cream of the Future (Dippin' Dots) couldn't solve.

Posted by Becky at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna helped Nana make pizza dough this morning.

If you ask Anna what are her favorite things to do at Nana & Papa's house, she will tell you walking Riggs and picking flowers. Photo by Anita

Posted by Becky at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photo by Anita

Anna & Anita went down to Corrine's this morning and Sarah and I followed them after Sarah's morning nap. The big kids played on the Slip n' Slide and had popsicles while Sarah had her afternoon nap! Anna & Anita went to Raisa's dance recital which Anna says she really enjoyed watching.

Craig, Brian, & Ross went on their backpacking trip today and Craig & I took the kids to the pool yesterday afternoon. Anna finally went under water after we told her she was "Seaberry Delight" (a Strawberry Shortcake character who lives in an underwater conch shell house). She had fun but might not admit to it if you ask her (although shew as really proud and told Anita right away when we got home). Sarah is so relaxed and easy-going in the water and she is having a blast (although she only lasts about 30 minutes before she starts to get cold and we have to get out!).

Posted by Becky at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We met Erin & Logan at the Butterfly Pavillion today. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. Anna was particularly thrilled when a butterfly landed on her head (if only momentarily). Sarah signed "butterfly" in response to all of the butterflies she saw today. Logan was a sweetheart just like last year!

Posted by Becky at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can you believe we didn't do a family portrait at Corrine's tonight when we had everyone at her house for a family dinner? Sad, but true. The girls and I spent the night there because Sarah's bedtime conflicted with dinner-time and I didn't want her (or me!) to totally miss out on the night.

Anna had fun playing with Raisa's dress-up clothes (specifically the high-heel shoes) and Sarah got to stay up later than usual and play with her cousins again. It was great to see everyone!

Earlier in the day, Craig and I went out on our own all day long (thank you, Anita!). We did some much-needed clothes shopping and had a fantastic lunch at Elway's in Cherry Creek. We think this might be the first time we've spent a whole day together (without kids) since I met Craig in Paris in summer 2006!

Posted by Becky at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ross (I needed a picture of him for the girls to study over the next year so he will hopefully get a warmer reception from them next year).

Ross, Brian, & Craig getting prepared for their backpacking trip this weekend.

Anna went with Anita & Brian to the airport to pick up Craig on Monday. She apparently talked his ear off the entire ride home. Sarah was excited to see Craig Tuesday morning when she woke up!

Tuesday we took Craig to Target (where else?) and then to Moose Hill Cantina for lunch. Sarah & I went home so she could nap while Craig and Anna went with Anita (in the Jeep, which Anna loves) to Costco and King Soopers. Anna seemed to really love this outing (and comparing our Korea Costco with the one Anita & Brian go to and then comparing King Soopers to Home Plus). Craig & I took the girls to the pool in the afternoon and it was nice to see Anna's confidence in the water go up even more again.

Today was Girls Fun Day for me, Anita, and Corrine. Craig stayed home with Anna & Sarah (he did take them to the pool). We went out for lunch, pedicures, and a little shopping. Ross came up tonight for dinner and to plan for the backpacking trip this weekend. Anna has been accidentally responding to Ross' questions (although denying it and saying that she was "just talking to Riggs").

Posted by Becky at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Firefighter Sarah.

We met up with Rachel, Jake, Sam, and Grandma today at the Children's Museum. We also met up with Sophia, Alex, & Ari (well at least to say hi and try to chat a little!). Anna & Sarah had a really great time playing on the firetruck, at the grocery store, the construction zone, and making ice cream. We didn't get to see it all because we came back home for Sarah's afternoon nap so I think we might try to go again toward the end of our trip.

Posted by Becky at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today we stayed around the house in anticipation of meeting the gang at White Fence Farm tonight for dinner. Anna & Nana made Christmas cookies for a Christmas in July party Anita is going to next week. Sarah took two pretty good naps and we just played.

Dinner was great and the kids had a good time. Anna fell asleep in the car on the way down though so took a while to wake up and have fun.

Posted by Becky at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got our day started with toast with butter and jam (can you tell?).

We met up with Corrine, Owen, & Raisa at Tiny Town today. All of the kids had a great time riding the train, checking out the little houses, and playing on the playground.

I took the girls to the pool after Sarah's nap this afternoon. Anna went right in this time so frequent-use of the pool seems to be helping her anxiety. Sarah was fearless as usual!

Posted by Becky at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Playing cars while Sarah napped.

Signing "bed."

Anna asked me at dinner last night if Corrine was coming with Owen & Raisa for dinner and I said no but we can call them and see what they're doing tomorrow. So, Corrine & Scott adjusted their plans a little and we hung out with them all day today.

We started out at Raisa's dance practice. I thought for sure Sarah would lose it within five minutes but she sat and was very quiet and good for the whole 45 minutes! Anna seemed shy (I think she secretly wanted to join in the class) but she said this was the best part of the day. I told her that she can take ballet when she is four if she wants.

Next we stopped at Subway to bring sandwiches to the pool for a picnic. After our lunch we played in the baby pool for a while (probably just under an hour?) and then went to Corrine & Scott's where Sarah took a two hour nap while Anna played with Raisa's kitchen and then Anna, Owen, & Raisa played cars until Sarah got up. Overall I think everyone had fun and it was so nice to have Sarah take a good nap there and for Anna to actually enjoy her cousins' company (this was a major improvement over our visit to Corrine's last year when Sarah screamed and wouldn't nap and Anna was super clingy).

We came home and had dinner. Anita even made a chocolate cake (with beets—it was delicious!) for dessert. Anna wanted Anita to read to her and for her to brush teeth with her at bedtime. When I asked her tonight what was the best part of her day she said, "talking and reading with Nana." (I'm guessing Raisa's dance class still came in a close second.)

Posted by Becky at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah liked lugging Papa's laptop case around tonight.

She smiled really big whenever I'd ask her if she was going to work.

Sarah moved her crying jag to 7:30-9 PM last night and had less crying tonight so I think she's back on track. She got up at 7:00 AM today which is normal for her. Anna slept all night and got up after 8 AM which is normal for her! I'm so glad that jet lag seemed easier this time than last time.

Anna & Sarah stayed home with Nana today while I hit the Gap Outlet and Super Target today. I had to force myself to leave Target and didn't get through it all. I actually got a lot of pants/shorts so I was happy. I got a few things for the girls as well but I will definitely go back again before we head home to get the rest of the items on my "things to aquire while in the USA" list.

This afternoon I took the girls to the pool by myself and we had a great time. The pool is really nice with a zero-entry and enough little toys around to entertain both girls. The only hard part is getting out of swimsuits afterward (we wore our suits to the pool). I promised Anna that next time we went to the pool with either Nana or Craig that I'd jump off the diving board because she just loves to watch everyone do that. I'm still hoping to get some private lessons starting next week but have to wait until Tuesday for the instructor to call me back (she's on vacation).

Posted by Becky at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna has been feeding Riggs non-stop. If he gets up and moves, she moves all of his "food" with him.

Sarah is breaking all the rules this week. Popcorn and we turned her carseat facing-forward because we couldn't get a satisfactory fit in Corrine & Scott's van facing backward.

We had a fun-filled day today! We met up with just about everyone at Lollilocks for haircuts and then went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch and fun. Sarah actually stayed awake until 2 PM when we got back to Anita's and then took a nap at home. Tomorrow we'll stay home.

Tonight Ross came up for dinner. Sarah took refuge in Papa (she had been reading with him when Ross came over) and Anna would only respond to Ross' questions with "I was talking to Riggs." This is still better than last year so I hope Ross appreciates the improvement! Hopefully we'll see more of Ross during our trip so the girls can get used to him and see how fun he is.

Posted by Becky at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Before. (Note Anna's new sparkly red shoes!)

Anna said she really liked it when Raisa put her arm around her today.

Posted by Becky at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today the girls and I were still sleeping when it was time to get up for our swimming lessons so we skipped them. I just didn't have the heart to wake the girls for a lesson that wasn't promising. Anna slept until 8 and Sarah slept until 9.

We went to the post office, made a quick trip through Target (where I quickly realized I was overwhelmed and would need to come back another time by myself). I did get a cute pair of shoes for Sarah and Anna picked out a pair of super sparkly shoes for herself. We ate lunch at Johnny Rockets (this was the first meal that Anna and Sarah actually ate, they just haven't been hungry since we got here), and then went back home for Sarah's nap.

This afternoon we tried another pool and it was so much better. We are going to try to get a few (four or five?) private lessons while we're still at Anita & Brian's.

In spite of her jet lag, Sarah added a new sign to her repetoire (thanks, Riggs!): dog

Posted by Becky at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The three granddaughters (sorry, no picture of Owen today).

Sarah & Raisa reading with Papa.

Last night Sarah woke a few times and was calmed when I held her for a few minutes. I could tell she was still sleepy which was good because I was wiped out!. At 1 AM she couldn't settle but was still sleepy. I had a pretty big headache so I thought she might, too. I took Tylenol and she took Motrin. I held her for around five minutes and she didn't fuss again from 2 AM until I woke her up at 7:30. Anna woke at 4 AM, I let her come to bed with me and she slept lightly until 5 when we just got up and had a snack, read, and did a video chat with Craig in Korea.

We had our first day of swimming lessons today. They started at 9 AM and we had to leave the house at 8:15 to get there. The lesson was not a lesson at all and I'm not sure how many days to give it before I ask for money back (it is an eight-day class). We would do just as well to go to the pool on our own over the next few weeks. It's too bad because I was really excited about the lessons but now I guess I know why there were so many open spots in the class!

The girls didn't eat very well today but I expected that and I understand that they feel a bit out of sorts. Sarah took a nap from 11:30-2:30, I napped from 12:30-2:30, and Anna napped from 1:45-3:45 (I tried to wake her at 3:15 but she would not wake up).

Corrine brought Owen and Raisa up and they were lots of fun and very understanding about Anna & Sarah's fatigue. Raisa was super sweet with Anna and was really acting toward her a lot like Anna does with Sarah. Anna & Raisa played together a bit and it was nice to have Raisa take the lead in their play.

Sarah had a blast going up and down the stairs, checking out Papa's elk and deer, Nana's plants, eating blueberries, and building up nerve to pet Riggs.

Sarah went to bed at 6:30 tonight without fussing and Anna is still awake at 9:30 as I type this (she is singing and shouting in her room). I might have to limit Anna's nap to one hour tomorrow or try to see if she can do without.

Posted by Becky at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Waiting to get off the plane in Tokyo.

Awake! (on the flight to Minneapolis)

We left our house at 7:40 this morning for our trip. We had a nice two-hour drive to the airport (with Anna asking "Can you see an airplane yet?" starting at about Home Plus). We checked in and grabbed some Starbucks with Craig, changed Sarah's diaper, etc. Going through security was fine since Busan wasn't busy. I had more carry-ons than I would have liked but I don't see how I could have lightened my load. I had my Phil & Ted's double stroller (although I only used the doubles setting in Denver: Sarah rode and Anna held onto the leash in Busan and Tokyo; Anna rode in Minneapolis (and Sarah rode in the sling there), one little rolling suitcase with Sarah's carseat strapped over that, a diaper bag, and Anna's Hello Kitty carry-on (that she was really great about carrying and being responsible for). The hassle in security was collapsing the stroller and getting the laptop out.

Sarah fell asleep after we landed in Tokyo (a two-hour flight). This was fine as I was really only concerned about the Tokyo-Minneapolis portion of our trip. The girls were easy. I gave Anna a magna-doodle and Sarah a toy airplane and they were content.

The Northwest agent in Korea carried all of my things from the bus, up the airplane stairs, and all the way back to our seats for me. I was so grateful for that and he was very kind about it. When we got off the plane in Tokyo, the crew helped me arrange my setup (I had it so I could push the stroller with my left hand and pull my rolling suitcase with my right with ease). We walked off that plane, went through security again, then got on our next plane.

The girls and I got the bulkhead on our second flight. This is a mixed-bag. We were in the middle section so there were four seats. Anna took the aisle and I sat between her and Sarah. Sarah sat next to a wonderful woman who was so helpful with Sarah on the rare occasion I need to devote a little more attention to Anna. The drawbacks to the bulkhead were the arm-rests don't go up (I would have liked to raise the one between me and Anna to give her a little more room), there is no storage for your things in front of you (so we had a bit of a mess going on with the items I did bring down even though I had them corralled in a tote bag), and the giant TV screen played movies throughout the flight, illuminating our faces and providing the girls way too much stimulation to fall asleep.

Anna didn't go to sleep until 10 PM (after Horton Hears a Who finished showing—and I didn't give her the headsets, she just watched it without audio). Sarah slept for 1.5 hours total on this 11-hour flight. Anna slept for 2.5 hours. I slept 0 hours because they didn't sleep at the same time.

In Minneapolis there were no longer any kind agents only rude ones who rudely said "excuse us" and tried to plow us down on our way to customs. I told them they needed to go around another way and that I was sorry if we were a little slow, I was walking with a three-year-old (we were really hugging the wall as we walked, I don't understand why they thought we needed to get out of their way). I should have added a "Welcome to America!" to the end of that.

My only mistake was taking Anna to the bathroom before we cleared customs (because I knew we'd have to wait for our baggage to re-check through to Denver and there were signs stating that there were no restrooms on the other side of the customs counter (which is totally lame, by the way!)). By the time we got out there were no more US citizens-only lines so I was behind "everyone else" and foreigners take a lot longer to process than US citizens. Sarah started to lose it in the line and Anna was fading fast.

Luckily someone helped us a bit when we finally made it through and then my aunt Elaine met us on the other side of security and walked us to our gate and helped me get our stuff on the last plane of the day.

I hoped the girls would fall asleep right away on the last plane because they were so tired and really needed to get some sleep. They did. But Sarah started to get gassy and was in pain and cried a lot. She was that baby on the plane but everyone around us was really understanding at least and not rude (I felt compelled to explain her situation). The flight ended up taking 2.5 hours instead of 1.5 but that was fine with me since the girls were sleeping by the time we were delayed.

My parents and Anita were all waiting at the gate for us when we arrived. We went down to baggage claim and Anna's suitcase never came. Northwest put it on the plane after ours. Because that made sense. Anyway, Northwest gave us a brand-new seat (and said we could keep it but it was cheap and lame so I didn't want it!) and delivered our car seat in the middle of the night to Anita & Brian's house.

We arrived at Anita & Brian's around 6:30 PM (twenty-seven hours after we left our apartment in Korea). We had Taco Bell for dinner and then the kids went to bed (8:30 for Sarah, 9 PM for Anna). I went to bed before 10.

We survived. I hope that Sarah sleeps more on the way home on that long flight because she was just too tired and loopy to deal with (had even less of an attention span that usual). Only five weeks until we turn around to do it all again!

Posted by Becky at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We started packing our bags on Thursday and kept at it until it was time to leave for Corrine's for our farewell dinner with both sides of the family on Saturday. It was so nice to get to see everyone for one last time before we left but also sad because the kids will all be so different next time we all see each other. Hopefully video chats will help to make the distance a bit easier.

Anna & Sarah both fell asleep almost right away on our flight from Denver to LAX but something woke Anna earlier than she would have liked and she cried for much of the last half-hour of that flight. LAX was a nightmare, as predicted, but both kids did well with all of the waiting that had to be done (Sarah did cry for a bit while we were changing terminals but there was nothing to be done but keep walking and she eventually fell asleep in the sling).

LAX to Seoul went really well. Anna & Craig fell asleep pretty fast and Anna slept for eight hours on that flight. Sarah also did well but didn't like it when I handed her to one of the Korean Air flight attendants while I went to the bathroom. Generally speaking, I'd say Anna did a little better on the flights (minus the episode from Denver to LAX) and Sarah did slightly worse than when we made the trip from Doha to Denver. Sarah is just a little older and a little less sleepy is what the problem was I am sure.

We had to claim our bags in Seoul and then re-check them for Busan which was obnoxious because we needed two carts to hold all of our bags (seven checked items and six carry-ons). Thankfully we flew business-class the whole way so our bags were always among the first to arrive on the carousel.

Our driver was at Busan airport and took us directly to our apartment: we arrived about 28 hours after we left Corrine's on Saturday. Both kids slept for about one hour of the drive with Sarah threatening to throw a fit shortly after we got onto Geoje Island. There are quite a few changes to Geoje (and on the drive from the airport) that I noticed so I'm interested to see how it affects our quality of life here (I think it will be a bit better than it was last time we were here).

We are living in the same apartment complex as last time around but in a newer building. The apartment we are in is super small compared to the one we were in last time and the one we will move into (hopefully) early next month. Sarah will have to sleep in the office at night and in our room during the day (because the office is separated from the family room by sliding glass doors and there's no way she'd get a decent nap (if she were willing to take one) with Anna a few feet from her crib). The strangest part of the apartment is that the washer & dryer are outside on the porch.

Posted by Becky at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Craig & Brian met my dad to go flying in his airplane this morning. They buzzed the house a few times but I'm not totally sure that Anna really "got" that Grandpa, Papa, and Daddy were the ones in the plane.

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Erin & Logan came up to visit us today; Logan was such a little sweetheart and seemed really interested in Sarah.

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We went to the zoo today with Corrine, Owen, Raisa, Adele, Rachel, Jacob, & Sam. Anna's favorite animal was the polar bear but she was laughing pretty hard at the monkeys as well. Sarah hung out in the sling most of the time and was relatively content but we started to get too warm so decided it was just time to head home.

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Enjoying a book with Nana this afternoon.

Anna is now calling out to Riggs, "Riggs! Come on, Riggs!" just like I did on our walk this morning with him (and I'm sure this is also what Nana & Papa say on their walks with him). Riggs doesn't react to her calling though because she doesn't raise her voice at all and I just don't think he hears her (or thinks there would be anything in it for him if he came).

Posted by Becky at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoothies!

Anita, Craig, Anna, Owen, Raisa, & I went on the Georgetown train this morning. Corrine stayed with Sarah at Anita & Brian's. The train ride was fun although Anna was super scared each time the train whistle blew (asking her tonight, though, she claims that was her favorite part). Sarah only drank about one-half ounce from the bottle so I guess I'm giving up on her taking the bottle again (she hasn't done well with that since Doha and we've been trying each week to give her the bottle).

Posted by Becky at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Testing out the new Baby Hawk on a walk.

Anna had fun helping Nana make some popcorn this afternoon.

Anita went to book club this morning so the four of us decided to take a walk. It's quite obvious we haven't been left to our own devices yet as it took us longer to get everyone ready for the walk than it actually took us to complete the walk!

Posted by Becky at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We met Corrine, Owen, & Raisa for lunch at Gregorio's today. Sarah slept maybe 20 minutes on the way down and 15 minutes on the way back up. Each time Sarah fell asleep for a bit, Anna started in with a song or loud conversation that woke Sarah up again. I sat in the back and observed that Sarah just watches Anna the whole time so even if Sarah is quiet, it doesn't mean she is asleep: she's just being entertained (this would explain her over-tiredness when we arrived at Corrine's last week).

Anna went for a walk with Nana & Riggs by herself today and even held Nana's hand. Anna also gave Sarah another kiss goodnight. She is still really whiney though and I just really hope that once we are settled in Korea she will go back to her normal self.

Craig has been staying up late each night trying to get details worked out for our move (our boxes in Doha, our housing in Okpo, our tickets to Korea, our Baby Shipment) and it has been a nightmare. Today, however, it seems he has made some progress and we just may have our tickets to Korea (straight from Denver)!

Posted by Becky at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ross & Sarah checking each other out.

Corrine, Scott, Owen, Raisa, and Ross all came up to visit today. Sarah got to meet her uncle Ross and Anna seems interested in her cousins and maybe even Aunt Corrine isn't so bad. Anna had fun watering Nana's flowers on the deck and took Riggs on a walk again this afternoon.

Posted by Becky at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We loaded up my parents' Tahoe today and drove up to Craig's parents' house for the next two weeks. We literally had no room to spare in the Tahoe, it was quite obscene. The kids did well on the drive (about an hour and forty-five minutes) but I think Anna was a bit sad that we aren't going back to Grandma & Grandpa's and Jake & Sam's houses.

Anna is doing much better up here than she did at Corrine's. She went on a walk with Nana, Papa, Craig, and Riggs the Dog this afternoon and had a good time and she calls the outside here "the forest," which is accurate. Sarah sounds like she is congested, however; I hope it doesn't develop into anything.

Posted by Becky at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took Anna to the Fun Plex with Rachel, Jake, & Sam this morning. I think we were there for about 15-20 minutes as Anna has been acting terrified of the water for a few weeks now. I was actually surprised that I could convince her to get in at all. I am not sure what happened since she enjoyed swimming in Doha but we're skipping the bath most nights now. Just another thing I hope works itself out after we get settled in Korea.

Anna & I met Rachel, Jake, Sam, Mat, & Craig at Beau Jo's in Fort Collins and Sarah stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa again (she slept a good portion of the time we were gone so I was glad I left her home this time). Tonight though we decided to all go out to Fat Albert's where Sarah slept for part of the meal but was pretty tough to convince to then go to bed for the night. I'm thinking I'll stick to day-time outings for now as I have an easier time messing with a nap than with bed-time.

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Is there really a question on what color Sarah's hair is?

Craig: the Kid Magnet.

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My Aunt Bonnie & Uncle Neil came to visit today. Anna did not run screaming from them but kept her distance from them while thoroughly enjoying running around the yard with Jake & Sam tonight.

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Anna, Sarah, my mom, and I went to Old Navy and Target today and Sarah took a short nap in Target and I had the hardest time getting her to take a real nap at home although it was clear that she needed one. I guess we're reaching the point where we can't let her fall asleep while we're out (which makes it hard because she has a hard time staying up for more than an hour and twenty minutes at a stretch).

Since Sarah didn't nap well, I left her at home with Grandma & Grandpa while Anna & I went to the airport to pick up Craig. Sarah refused the bottle again. Hopefully she was just not hungry and it's not the bottle in general.

Anna was so excited to have Craig back with us she talked non-stop from the airport (even more non-stop than usual which is impressive). She ran around my parents' yard like crazy and then had the hardest time falling asleep tonight. We are all glad to have Craig back with us!

Craig did get the villa packed on Sunday and the movers took the boxes on Monday. So, we shouldn't have to go back to Doha at all. We just need to get everything arranged with his company now.

Posted by Becky at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was not feeling well today so my mom took Anna to story time with Great Grandma, Rachel, Jake, & Sam and then my parents took her to dinner with the above and my dad and Mat. From the stories I got, Anna had fun at both and she even ate frog's legs at the restaurant.

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The girls & I went down to Corrine's for lunch today. Unfortunately, Sarah had a big meltdown (she must not have slept in the car—I assumed she was sleeping along the way since she was quiet, but maybe she was just being entertained by Anna's reading and singing during the drive) and Anna was super shy. We had a nice visit and at least Opa got to meet Sarah (but I'll have to get their photo together the next time they meet after we're up at Brian & Anita's).

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An ant (and Jake).

Where did Sam go?

Great Grandma Eldora (and Mat).Photo by Jake.

Jake & Sam spent the day with us all day today and it was a lot of fun. This is the first time I've really witnessed Anna interacting with other kids directly, calling them by name, and playing with them instead of just parallel-play. The boys are great at keeping Sarah entertained, too.

Great Grandma Eldora arrived around dinner time and just got to meet Sarah briefly. Anna was a bit skeptical of her tonight, hopefully she'll warm up to her a bit before Eldora leaves.

Posted by Becky at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We all visited the dairy farm today and got to see the cows being milked (and some lucky kittens getting a bowl of fresh milk). The kids seemed to really have a good time (Sarah fell asleep, so she was happy, too) and we brought home some cheese curds and ice cream (strawberry, of course).

Posted by Becky at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna & Raisa painting at the Children's Museum.

Anna dressed like a bird (and standing in a nest).

Anna & I met Corrine, Owen, Raisa, & Anita at the Children's Museum today. Anna was a little slow to get comfortable but had fun in the grocery store and dressing up like a bird. After the museum we walked over to the Aquarium and had lunch. We sat right next to a giant window and Anna really enjoyed seeing all of the fish swimming by (although she did not like the shark because he was big).

Sarah stayed home with Grandma & Grandpa but didn't want to drink from the bottle for some reason (only drank 1.5 oz from 8:30 AM to 2 PM). She slept well though so we're not sure exactly what the problem was since she has drunk more than that from the bottle before. It was weird to be away from her for that long and makes me really appreciate that I don't have to go to work away from home.

Posted by Becky at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Waiting to run through the sprinkler.

I took Anna to get my hair cut this morning. I'm hoping to get hers done this month and I wanted her to see me get mine done first. She had a look of concern on her face the whole time, but I don't know if it was because of the haircut or her newly intensified stranger anxiety.

This afternoon, Anna & I went to Jake & Sam's to play with some of their toys (she liked the dollhouse the best—it's the same one she has since my grandpa built one for me and Rachel) and hit the sprinkler again. Anna was having fun with the sprinklers until she got sprayed in the back of the head, turned around and was getting sprayed in the face and was frozen in shock, still getting sprayed in the face. Hopefully that doesn't ruin the sprinkler for her though.

After dinner, Anna & I met Rachel, Mat, Jake, & Sam at the new coffee & gelato place near their house. Anna had strawberry, of course.

Sarah continued her 45-minute napping trends until this afternoon when my mom picked her up, Sarah burped, my mom set her down and then Sarah slept for another hour or more. So, we might try that again tomorrow and hopefully that is all that is between her and better naps. She also took a bottle today (we're trying to do it at least once per week so she keeps up the "skill").

Posted by Becky at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brian (Papa) and Aunt Corrine checking out Sarah for the first time.

Grandma and three of four grandkids reading a really big book.

Brian, Anita, Corrine, Owen, & Raisa came up to meet Sarah and see Anna today. Unfortunately Anna was being incredibly shy and sat on my lap for most of the visit (why I have no good pictures because I was anchored down and only had the little camera). Anna tried to take a nap but said her shirt was "too tight" and got up. But she wouldn't come back into the family room and kitchen to visit with people and cried when Brian said, "Hi, Anna-Banana." I really really hope this is because she's tired and not the way it is going to be for a while. We're going to have a really rough time in Korea if that is the case.

Sarah was a charmer though with smiles and cooing. She refused to take a nap for the two hours before the gang arrived and then only napped maybe ten minutes on Anita while they were here. Thankfully she easily fell asleep after they left though (she looked exhausted!)

Posted by Becky at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna slept from 6:30 PM to 4:45 AM today (45 minutes longer than yesterday). Sarah was back to getting up only once after 6:30 PM but ended up sleeping with me after she woke up (the first night she ended up with me most of the night).

Since she was up early, my parents took Anna to the local airport to clean out my parents' hangar. Apparently she was fine going out with my dad (and mom, of course). I know my dad is having to keep his distance though which is hard.

We took Anna over to Jake & Sam's house to check out some of their toys and it was decided that the kids should get their swimsuits on and run through the sprinkler. I had to put Sarah to bed so my mom held Anna's hand going back and forth through the sprinkler. She claims to have had fun.

Posted by Becky at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sleeping through the parade.

Anna & Sam at the party.

Since we were all awake and, in what seemed to be in relatively good spirits, we went to the parade with Rachel, Mat, Jake, & Sam. We only stayed for an hour since Sarah could only sleep through so many marching bands and I think Anna's 4 AM wake-up was starting to get to her.

Anna took a 45-minute nap and made it until 6:30 again. We were able to go over to Rachel & Mat's for their annual 4th of July party for just a little bit (enough to go down the slides, play with some balls, have some food and chat a bit).

I was worried that the fireworks would be a problem and wake Anna in the night but it started to get windy and look like rain so I think the neighborhood fireworks were kept to a minimum (in years past, the fireworks were a nightmare (waking Anna and causing a long, long night) and I wondered why we came home just in time for them this year!).

Anna is acting super scared of my dad (and very shy of everyone else except me & my mom). I think the men-lifting-the-stroller in Doha didn't help her stranger anxiety. Sometimes she seems OK with him in the same room but other times will run into her room and cry. Hopefully by the end of our visit she will be comfortable around him. I'm not really sure what to do about it since this is new behavior (I'm not sure if it's jet-lag-induced, uncertainty because Craig is not with us, or just a combination of things).

Posted by Becky at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna watching Bear Snores On in Frankfurt airport.

Sarah sleeping in the bassinet.

The girls did amazingly well on our trip. Anna had a few moments where she didn't want to listen to reason but they were just that: moments. And, thankfully, they were few and far between. I don't know how I would have done it if my my wasn't there though. She pretty much took care of Anna and I took care of Sarah.

It started out Monday night: we put the kids to bed as usual (Sarah around 6:30 and Anna by 7:30). Anna had a pretty major meltdown at bedtime that made me extra nervous for our trip. We woke both girls up at 9:30 and we were in the cars (Craig hired a driver to take all of our stuff since we and our luggage wouldn't all fit in the Korando) and on the way to the airport before 10 PM.

My mom and I juggled the bags through the first security checkpoint (before the ticket counters) and again through the second (after the ticket counters). We were lucky enough to skip the long lines and go through the "ladies only" line at passport control. We were also let into the gate area after not too long. There we waited for the bus to take us to our plane.

There was a minor incident getting on the bus as the gate agent told us we could leave Anna in her stroller to get on the bus but I couldn't help my mom lift the stroller onto the bus (I had Sarah in the sling) so I asked a man to help my mom. Three men zoomed in and lifted Anna's stroller onto the bus and she freaked out. She was absolutely terrified and I again worried that this was going to be a rough trip.

We ended up with a row to ourselves. We put the armrest up in the middle two seats and Anna was able to sleep lying down. I held Sarah with my arm resting on the Boppy. (I did originally have the bulkhead with bassinet reserved but the other woman in that row had two kids and one apparently had bronchitis so I didn't want to sit with them—the mom wasn't particularly interested in soothing her child, either so we had to listen to a lot of whining and coughing from the poor kid before he fell asleep.) Anna fell asleep maybe three hours into the flight and we had to wake her up when we were getting close to Frankfurt.

We had a seven-hour layover in Frankfurt and we were lucky to find three seats together to camp out in right away. We were near the bathrooms and restaurants but we were also right on the busy pathway so I had an annoying time with nursing (I don't care to nurse in public anyway and this was just too many people, too noisy, etc.). At any rate, Sarah did sleep most of the time and was a super easy traveler as I don't think she complained at all the entire trip.

On our flight from Frankfurt to Denver, I had the bassinet again and a 12-year-old boy sat next to me. My mom & Anna had the seats behind me. My mom held Sarah on take-off and I sat next to Anna. Anna fell asleep shortly after take-off and then my mom & I switched places. The seat in the bulkhead row on the side of the aircraft were super narrow (because the trays come out of the arm of the seat there) and the only way I could nurse Sarah was to sit sideways a bit. But, once the bassinet was installed she would have been bumping her head on the bassinet, so we went downstairs to the bathroom each time she had to eat (besides the fact that I didn't really want to breastfeed next to a 12-year-old boy anyway). The bassinet was an arm-saver though!

I bought Anna a special seat belt for the plane so we wouldn't have to lug her carseat around the airports but Anna didn't really like it so my mom wanted me to sit next to her for the landing because Anna wouldn't listen to her about wearing the seatbelt. After we switched and about ten minutes before we landed in Denver, Anna threw up all over. I asked the flight attendant if I had time to change her and I did. So I got Anna cleaned up and wiped off the seatbelt, threw Elmo in a plastic bag (he was soaked), and we put a few clean blankets on Anna's seat and she was back in the seatbelt before we landed.

We waited what felt like an eternity to get our luggage (six checked items including carseats) and then met my dad on the other side of customs. Finally, we were on our way to my parents house! I gave Anna a bath and put her to bed at 6:30 PM and Sarah was in bed by 7 PM. Anna slept until 4:00 AM and Sarah was up three times after 7 instead of her usual one time.

Posted by Becky at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both girls fell asleep pretty soon after we got into Grandma & Grandpa's car.

We made it! I had fully intended on doing an hourly play-by-play because I was prepared for a nightmare trip. I was pleasantly surprised by both of my girls: they are excellent little travelers! Lufthansa coach was not nearly as impressive as Lufthansa business class though which was disappointing.

I'll get into the details later, but we are here and are now working on getting on Colorado-time.

Posted by Becky at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The angle looks a little funny, but this chair reclined completely flat. It took Anna a while to find a comfy position! Photo by Craig.

Wednesday morning I met the cleaning ladies out at the house and while I was there, a Realtor & a couple stopped and asked if they could take a look at the house. They were there a while and asked a few questions that made me think that they were interested. Later in the morning after I went back to the hotel & Craig, Anna, & I were driving back to the house, our Realtor called to say that that couple wanted to make an offer on the house! The house sits on the market for one and a half months with absolutely no action for three weeks and then someone makes an offer on the day we're leaving? Crazy.

Anna & Craig slept in until 9 AM and after we showed Anna that the house was empty and said goodbye to it, we went out to lunch and then got everything together for the airport. Gertie was easy to catch but this time she hissed at me (I guess the rushing around clued her in that this was a bigger deal than the last couple of times I've had to catch her last week (to go to the vet for her travel certificate and to move to the hotel). She complained a bit in the van to the airport and I was glad I thought to put the locks from our new suitcases on both zippers to Gertie's carrier as she did try to claw/chew her way out a few times.

We left the hotel a little after 1 PM. The international terminal was crazy but many thanks to Craig's work for forking over the money for business seats for all of us as we got helped at the counter quickly by waiting in the business line (I felt awful for all of the other parents with kids in the longer line so I really appreciated this more than I think I may have in the past).

Nothing too remarkable to report about the airport. Anna had fun looking at the airplanes from the terminal and getting a bit of exercise before we boarded. Craig sat next to Anna on the plane so I had it pretty easy with my new motto of "live and let Craig" whenever Anna was squirmy or fussy. Really, she was great though and we didn't even get out any toys on the plane (something that's never happened when it has just been me & her). She had her pig that she sleeps with and her pacifier but she couldn't convince herself to give in to fatigue (no nap today!) until about 10:15 PM. I did not sleep at all on this flight, but Craig & Anna slept about two hours. I guess I just couldn't relax or get comfortable enough.

Gertie did not like take-offs or landings but was relatively complain-free for most of the flight. When we got to Frankfurt we had a bit of a time finding the Lufthansa lounge but it was worth it when we did for a little bit quieter and more relaxing space to wait for our next flight with a cat and a toddler with only two hours of sleep behind her. Anna pretty much kept her pacifier from the time it was given to her—I was glad that it was able to provide her such comfort and am nervous about weaning from it in the coming year.

Really for as much waiting and little sleep we all had to put up with, Anna was a fantastic traveler. She had moments of irrationality, but so did I! Gertie wouldn't take a drink when offered (I was kind of glad since she hadn't used the bathroom for so long but I didn't want her to be super-dehydrated, either).

Anna fell asleep pretty soon after we got on the plane to Bahrain and slept for another three hours. There was a time in there after the three hours where she obviously still wanted to sleep but couldn't get there and I was holding her (I sat next to her for the first part of this flight & I slept, too!) and I had to have Craig take her because the only position Anna wanted was really uncomfortable for me & Baby.

I felt Baby moving a lot more during our travel day than I had for most of the time we were moving. I think because finally I was able to slow down and relax a bit. It was really nice to feel her and I'm looking forward to more regular movement!

Our flight from Frankfurt to Bahrain was delayed by about 45 minutes (after we were on the plane) but since we were all exhausted it worked out fine. This was an instance where it was better to have to wait on the plane than off! We stayed on the plane in Bahrain and were delayed a bit again because both the Bahrain & Doha airports were busy and we had to wait in line for takeoff and for a space on the tarmac in Doha.

Customs was smooth sailing and all of our suitcases came off just as we walked up to the baggage carousel (it helped that the flight from Bahrain was pretty empty!). We had to wait a bit for a bigger car to take us and our six checked bags, the cat, Anna's carseat & stroller, my backpack, Anna's diaper bag, and Craig's carry-on. We had a ton of luggage!

The drive to our villa was find since we arrived at 11:30 and traffic was light. Anna seemed excited to check out the new place and she helped me get Gertie set up in the laundry room with food, water, and litter. We got Anna's room set up and she was ready to hop in bed after a snack and some books at about 12 AM. I heard her cry/fuss a bit around 1 or 1:30 AM (we were still up unpacking a bit, etc) but didn't end up having to go in to her. She is still sawing logs at 7:40 AM as I write this now! How I have been blessed with an awesome sleeper!! I really hope Baby Girl takes after Craig this way, too!

Our villa is nice although the decorating style is definitely not my own; it is very formal and grand. I'll take & post some pictures soon.

Our rental car just arrived and I guess we'll start getting ready to get out and about to get to know our new city! I'll post again later with some pictures and more first impressions.

Posted by Becky at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Anna & I went to story time yesterday with Rachel & Sam. Their story time is much better than ours right now since our good librarian moved out of state and they have yet to find a replacement for her. The lady who is filling in for ours is not animated at all and reads too many books for the age-group. The craft is still always fun though and Anna does seem to like it so we keep going back for more.

Anna did really well on this trip; it is definitely the best trip to Colorado with her so far. I think every other time she has been sick and has not been very much fun. This time she was giggly and social (to a point). It also helps that she can kind of keep up with her cousins a bit and I think playgroup has helped a lot to make her less nervous around other kids who might be a bit more wild & crazy than she is (that's not hard since Anna is pretty mellow).

Anna did a great job on the flight home—she needed much less attention than on the way there. I think because I had to get her out of bed at 4:45 AM she was just a little too tired to be needing constant entertainment. Grandpa flew back with us so we all sat together and then he even came out to the parking lot to re-install Anna's carseat for me (something I don't feel very confident doing).

After a good nap, Craig came home from work and he and Anna spent some time at the park getting reacquainted. Anna was a littel leary at first but it didn't take much to warm up to him again after almost two weeks apart.

Posted by Becky at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The picture doesn't show it, but Anna thought wearing Sam's firetruck pajamas was a lot of fun.

We were lucky enough to have Great Grandma Eldora come out for the time we spent in Colorado although Anna never really warmed up to her, she did give her kisses goodnight and let Great Grandma interact with her a bit.

Posted by Becky at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Grandma & Grandpa with all three grandkids.

Jacob, Sam, & Anna checking out the cockpit.

Anna at the controls.

I got super sick on Wednesday night through Thursday so I spent about 35 hours in bed while Anita took sole care of Anna for me. In a way it was good that I got sick while I was at Brian & Anita's because I don't know how I could have cared for Anna on my own that day. Too bad we had to cancel our dinner plans with the rest of the family though as I was still not feeling well by the time dinner rolled around.

Friday I felt really nauseous (morning sickness) so we didn't do much when we got up to Grandma & Grandpa's house. Saturday I felt a little better and we went out to the airport to take some pictures of the kids on Grandpa's airplane. I later determined that I needed to eat more than just Saltines for my morning nutrition upon waking (I had been eating a Luna bar at home but didn't bring a week's supply with me to Colorado). Too bad I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday feeling miserable before the revelation on Monday morning after I ate a Luna bar and felt mostly great the whole day!

Posted by Becky at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Owen & Raisa

Nana & Papa with all three grandkids.

Running with Nana, Owen, & Raisa.

Anna & I packed our bags and flew up to Colorado today. Craig is in Qatar for the week so we thought we might as well go see the grandparents & great-grandparents (and aunts, uncles, & cousins) one more time before we move to Qatar.

Anna did really well on the flight and took an awesome nap once we got settled into Nana & Papa's house. Corrine, Owen, & Raisa came up for the afternoon & dinner so we got to spend some time with them. Anna just thought anything Owen & Raisa did was the coolest. She really wanted to run with them on the road but would only get so far away from me to do it. She seemed to remember being at Nana & Papas from July because she kept saying "go for a walk" which we did last time we were there (and she never says that at home since we take the stroller to the park).

Posted by Becky at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got our rental car and drove into Boston to check out our old haunts. First stop was Kendall Square to get some stuff at the Coop (next-size MIT t-shirt for Anna and a new one for Craig). Then we drove into Harvard Square and found a spot to park. After a bit of shopping we hopped on the T and went to Davis Square. It was strange to be back since it simultaneously felt like we had never left and we were a little disoriented at times. Overall, it was fun to go back and check everything out. Being in New England in September actually made me want to move back just a little (I think I'm just ready for fall).

Sharon & Mike's wedding was great. The weather was perfect and they had a nice ceremony and a fun reception. I got to catch up with a few former co-workers and meet a few of Sharon's other friends.

Posted by Becky at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 9/1/06 course.

Craig rode in the 3-hour Pari-Roller rollerblade rally in Paris toinght. Hopefully he'll post about it here.

Posted by Becky at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I ended up coming back home almost at bedtime on Monday and I don't think that that timing worked out well. Anna acted kind of nervous and went to grandma! But she did let me & Craig put her to bed without question. I think it was kind of like those movies where the husband is presumed dead for 20 years but shows up on his wife's doorstep and expects her to have waited for him... I think Anna had given up hope of her mother & father returning and had latched on to Grandma. So when we came back on Monday she had to rearrange her thoughts. At least she didn't cry when she saw me!

Posted by Becky at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Worried mother calling on the phone from Paris.

Even Gertie had a fun time while I was away!

Thanks for taking such good care of Anna (and Gertie), mom!

Posted by Becky at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking down the Champs Elysees. Photo by Craig.—he is going to go through his photos of the parade & cyclists and I'll post those later.

The original agenda today was to go to a flea market, but since I was really starting to not feel well (I suspect I got what Anna had last week) I was having second thoughts. Craig realized that today was the day that the Tour de France would be running up the Champs Elysees so we decided to make that our focal point of the day.

We left in the morning for the Musee Rodin only to find that it was opening late that day due to "technical difficulities" so we decided to just walk up to the Champs Elysees and see what was happening. A lot of people were already camped out to get the best spots along the course and we bought a few souvenirs and then sat down for lunch. I was really not feeling well, so we finally went to a pharmacy and negotiated some medicine that would help me out. I walked back to the hotel after the parade started as I didn't have th energy to wait around for the bikes. By the time I got back to the hotel I felt much better (thank you, French medicine!) but I still took a 45 minute nap. Craig came back shortly after and we spent a low-key evening near the hotel.

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Versailles as we approached it from the train station.

One of the rooms in Marie-Antoinette's buildings.

All Eiffel Tower Photos by Craig.

We went out to Versailles today since neither of us have been there and it's not likely that Anna will be into going there for a while if we are back in Paris again soon. Versailles is H U G E. If this place seemed extravagant to me today I can't imagine what a commoner would have thought back in the day it was actually used by the royal families. We did get the audio tour which was nice. Versailles is just huge though and with jet-lag and (what I now know was) the beginning of a flu/cold, I was requesting a lot of breaks in the shade of trees! Thankfully it was overcast for the second half of our stay so at least the sun wasn't beating down on us as we walked the grounds.

After a break at the hotel and dinner at a cool restaurant, we went to the Eiffel Tower. The top level was closed, but the view from the second deck was just fine. I'm sure the lines were shorter tonight than they are during the day, too.

We made it back to the hotel on the last train of the night.

Posted by Becky at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunset near Notre Dame.

We got a good view of the rollerbladers from a cafe on the corner.

Craig was at CDG waiting for me so we walked down and got on the train for the city. The train was hot and a bit stinky and I fanned myself with my map of Paris.

We dropped my stuff at the hotel and then went out to get something to eat (a Montagnard Panini for me—yum!: tomato and goat cheese) and check out the toy store I wanted to see last time we were here. We walked up to Places des Vosges and found a few things to buy on the way. Of course I am most attracted to the kids clothing/toy stores. I called home to see how things were going (my mom says all is well, Anna is doing great). We took a break on the way back for some fresh-squeezed orange juice at a cafe in front of the Centre Pompidou and made our way back to the hotel for a siesta (fatigue struck prety hard when I sat down at the cafe as I had only slept two hours on the plane).

After my siesta I took a shower and we went to dinner at Vieux Bistro and then we walked down to a cafe to situate ourselves before the rollerbladers of Pari Roller raced by. Then it was off to bed because once darkness finally fell around 10 PM I felt exhausted again.

Posted by Becky at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Anna is back to herself, thank goodness! I am getting nervous for my trip to Paris without her. I'm not worried about my mom taking care of her or anything like that, but this will be the first time she's been left overnight for several days without me or Craig there to take care of her. I'm sure it will work out just fine but I can't not worry, I guess that's part of being a mother.

...
I was having a hard time getting myself to leave. Stopped at the grocery store to get some Luna bars, continued on to the airport. It felt simultaneously strange and OK as I processed what I was doing. Why did this sound like such a good idea two weeks ago when I booked my tickets?

My flight was an hour late so I took a momemt to appreciate that Anna wasn't with me so that I didn't need to be stressed out about it. The flight was pretty empty and there was an open middle seat next to me which was really nice. Several hours into the flight a woman fainted which caused quite a stir. She seemed to be fine and I never did hear the details. The rest of the flight was uneventful as was going through security at the airport. Of course I am constantly wondering how it is going at home!

Posted by Becky at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got up early and went to the airport but Anna felt hot again so I gave her Motrin just to be on the safe side. We were lucky and the flight wasn't full so Anna & I got a row to ourselves and Grandma & Grandpa got a row to themselves. I will never not buy a seat for my child again. We are two people after all! Anna did great on the flight again and took a long nap after we ate some lunch at home. However we tried to go out to eat for dinner and she lost it in the restaurant. This is really unusual for her so we went home and I have decided to call the nurse in the morning.

Posted by Becky at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna is still acting not-herself and I'm beginning to wonder what the specific problem is. The rash is getting better, she's not hot, but she's still cranky (especially after her nap). We went to story hour with Rachel & Sam (Jacob & Grandma went on their own to read books and solve puzzles) at the library and Anna sat through most of it although we had to get up and leave toward the end because she was starting to fuss. I am excited for story hour to start back up at our library (they're done for the summer) so we can try it again. Overall, we took it pretty easy today since we just weren't sure how Anna was feeling.

Posted by Becky at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna woke up super sad this morning. She seemed better after she got somebreakfast (and Motrin) in her. She was not hot though which was a step in the right direction. She was in a pretty good mood the rest of the morning but, apparently, I should have given her some Tylenol before her nap as she woke up about 2 hours in and was crying/inconsolable for about 30 minutes after that. She was in a great mood though after her Tylenol kicked in and we had fun with Jacob & Sam at their house again in the afternoon. She has a rash on her trunk though and that seemed to be worse today than yesterday.

I really regret that we didn't try to get a picture of the three kids this afternoon!

Distance: ~2 miles
Time: ~27:52
24:34 in THR
1:18 high HR
4:08 low HR
Walk around neighborhood w/Anna in Volo. Sunny and no shade but nice temp.

This Week:
Miles Run: 8.6
Miles Walked: 7.3

Totals Since 5/14:
Miles Run: 56.8
Miles Walked: 14.9
Miles Biked: 8.5

Posted by Becky at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a great evening out at the restaurant without Tylenol or Motrin, I was surprised and disappointed that Anna woke up crabby and sick again; I guess whatever she has is going to last more than jus 24 hours. We drove down to Opa's and Anna seemed to like getting out in the car and seeing a new place. She really liked Opa's birds (although one was too loud when he talked so we had to admire from afar). She though Opa's "little dog" was cute, but she seemed to like the piano the most. She gently pressed down one key at a time and play a nice little tune.

We went out to lunch with Opa, Anita, Brian, & Ross, but the service was so bad that Anna & I ended up leaving with my mom shortly after the adult meals arrived I did eat a bit of my lunch and thankfully they served Anna first). I couldn't make a sick kid sit in her highchair while we ate after she had been sitting in it for over 30 minutes already. I think if she hadn't been sick she would have been just fine as she would have had more of an appetite, too.

She fell asleep in the car for about 10 minutes on the way up to Grandma & Grandpa's and then also took a decent nap at their house. She was a bit crabby after her nap but just before bedtime the Motrin kicked in and shew as happy and playful and I almost felt bad sending her to bed. But she wanted to go to bed and rest so I didn't feel too bad.

Little things:

• At Nana & Papa's she liked to point out the elk and deer mounted on the walls: "eh," "dee." "eh," "dee."
  
• She was saying "dumpemout" (dump them out) when she dumped the crayons out of the cup at the restauarnt.
  
• She is saying more and more two-word phrases like "little dog," "big clouds," etc.
  
• She is identifying colors. I thought this was a fluke at home; that she was just repeating what we had said earlier but she named the colors of the crayons at the restaurant and then identified colors of blocks at Grandma & Grandpa's house. (red, blue, orange, yellow, green)

Posted by Becky at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna will, when prompted, say Nana, Papa, and Ross. She doesn't need prompting to point out Riggs the Dog and say "woof" though. I told her that since Riggs is a big dog he says "woof" in a deep voice so now, instead of her old, high pitched "ruff, ruff" she used to do, all dogs say a deep "woof."

Anna was still fussy today and she also felt hot again. I've been giving her alternate doses of Tylenol and Motrin but it seems to be hit-or-miss. She was feeling better after her afternoon nap so we did go out to dinner with Anita, Brian, & Ross. She loved going through the tunnels on the way to the restaurant and didn't get why we could go through them "again" as we continued on the road. There were three tunnels each way and her face was just filled with excitement each time we went through. Anna was quick to give Riggs some goodnight kisses when we got back.

I met Erin R. for lunch which was great. She is due with her first child in September and I won't get to go to her shower in August so I was really glad to see her.

Anita & I went on a walk with Riggs after I put Anna to bed for the evening.

Distance: ~2.7 miles
Time:50:12
136 avg
31:52 in
5:49 hi
12:31 lo
w/Anita & Riggs
7:45 PM 72 degrees and 31% humidity

This Week:
Miles Run: 8.6
Miles Walked: 5.3

Totals Since 5/14:
Miles Run: 56.8
Miles Walked: 12.9
Miles Biked: 8.5

Posted by Becky at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna did really well again for the first part of the day and Corrine, Owen, & Raisa were up to spend the day which was fun. Sometime after her nap (3 hours, just like at home!) she got crabby. Our only theory is that the massive amount of cherries she ate this morning made her gassy. I gave her some Mylicon and she went to bed at 7 PM. Hopefully tomorrow will be better since I am leaving her with Anita & Brian while I meet Erin R. for lunch!

I went for a walk from Brian & Anita's since I knew at this altitude I would be having a pretty rough time if I tried to run. I did end up jogging some downhills and flat areas but definitely stuck to walking the hills. It was really cool and low-humidity so it was actually kind of chilly when I started out.

Distance: 2.6
Time: 42:25
144 avg heart-rate
4:21 low HR
35:49 in THR
2:15 high HR

This Week:
Miles Run: 8.6
Miles Walked: 2.6

Totals Since 5/14:
Miles Run: 56.8
Miles Walked: 10.2
Miles Biked: 8.5

Posted by Becky at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)