Taking A Dive!

Since I came to Korea about 8 months ago I have honestly had the most difficult time making friends. Which is odd for me. I usually make them easily. So the past few weeks I have reflected as to the reasons why...are you ready?! Its kind of long! Here we go...

1) Im 22 years old. What are people doing that are in their early 20's?

1. Drinking and partying. OR
2. Married with a family/engaged/dating with a family. OR
3. They are single with no Children and no spouse.

I do not fall under any of those catagories. Do I drink, yea on occasion. Am I married/engaged/dating or ever have been? Nope. Am I single with NO children. Of course NOT, you all know about Kason...the love of my life. This is difference number 1. 

2) I am a Single Soldier with a Child NOT a soldier's spouse. 

I live in Army housing not the barracks. Army housing is filled with soldiers who obvisouly work and spouses were most of them dont work. Army spouses confide in each other...they have a different realtionship with each other than the female soldier who wants to become their friend. Is it possible to be friends with an army spouse? Of course it is. But it is a very different friendship that causes you to be left out of things a lot due to the fact that you work. You also do not know that special bond that military wives have with each other. 

3) Due to number 2 as I said I do not live in the barracks.

Which is odd for me...the barracks is how I made my friends at Ft. Jackson...you meet other single soldiers and you form a friendship. I made friends so quick by participating in the BOSS program. Well thats something that I cant really do here. BOSS is GREAT, so much fun! But the problem is that BOSS is full of partiers something that I am no longer. I had my days of waking up and not remembering what happened the night before, I have already had my all night long dates with my face in the toliet. Did I like it then? Yes. Do I reflect upon those days often? Of course, they are some of my best memories. Do I want to go back those days? Nope, I need to be a good example for my baby boy...I dont want him to make the same choices I did. I am content with my putting my partying days behind me. Not to mention that fact that BOSS holds nothing that is appropriate for children and if they do its nothing Kason and do. My time with my baby is already limited due to work, so I refuse to give up more time with him on the weekends...I treasure my Kason/Mommy time with all my heart.  

(NOTE: "BOSS" stands for Better Opportunites For Single Soldiers)

I guess this is it. Well these are just the reasons why I find making friends in Korea so hard. Upon further reflection of my many other reasons as to "What makes me different" I find that they hold no meaning to my more so vent about my loneliness since coming to Korea.   

So....what am I going to do about all of this???

Well I cant change anything about me or my situation...nor do I really want to. So I have decided to find a Church and maybe a bible study and go there. I think im finally ready to step foot in one again...odd for a Chaplain Assistant to say I know...but when your waking up at the crack of dawn every sunday morning to work a service with a bunch of obnoxious IET soldiers it makes church a lot less enjoyable. Not to mention the late Wednesday nights I worked for over 2 years with a bunch of annoying soldiers...and then on top of that all fighting with your Chaplain to get just a little bit of comp time for it.

Anyways back to the subject...

I think Church is something that God is actually calling me back to do...I struggeled with my faith for a little while and this will of course help me find it again and at the same time hopefully help me find some people that I have some similiarties to. Now as you all know I live in S. Korea...where the language is completely different, so im sure you can all imagine just how difficult it is to find a church that is in English, NOT military related (because military churches are more so for married couples...it is true as with most other civillian churches I have found) plus has everything im looking for...Something with a Young Adult atmosphere. It was difficult...but not as hard as I thought...someone on FB told me about a church called Jubilee Seoul Church it kind of just fell into my lap I was getting frusterated to. It seems to be from the website and their facebook everything that I am looking for. Kason and I will be going this Sunday for the first time and I couldnt be MORE excited about it! I hope that it IS EVERYTHING that I am looking for and I hope that Kason and I get accepted their with open arms. They even have a daycare for during service so maybe Kason can make some new friends to. I think this will all be very beneficial for Kason as well...and all tho I dont want to shove religion down his throat I want him to at least get to know God...the person who gave me strength to become what I am today and was always there when I had a HUGE hurdle to jump in life even when I was mad or didnt believe he even exsisted. I plan to allow Kason to make his own descion later on in life but I want it to be an educated descion.

So heres to my NEW Journey on making friends, becoming a 'better' follower to christ, and becoming a better example to my most prescious gift. Wish me luck everyone...cause I'm taking a Dive. :)

Stick my Feet in a Pool of Flesh Eating Fish? Check.

That is Right I stuck my feet in a pool full of fish so they could eat them...well actually just the dead skin cells on them. Will I ever do that again? Nope, I sure as hell wont. lol

I went with my friend Jennell to this little cafe called "Rest with book and Coffee" and yes that was honestly the name of it. lol We took the subway there and for the first time since we have been in Korea this was a baby FREE trip. :) I love Kason but I needed a little mommy time with a girlfriend. Anyways we took the subway to another city called Gangnam it was surpringsly pretty easy to find. The cafe was amazing like a step-up from a starbucks. You cant really just run in and crab coffee and go. Well I got my Cafe Mocha which was delicous and Jennell got some juice along with the most amazing Honey Cinnamon bun ever made...words cant even describe how good it was and this picture really doesnt do it much justice.

Well after we enjoyed our coffee and pastrie we went and stuck our feet in the fish. It was very interesting to say the least...

Koreans explaining in English how to use the Fish. lol

Later that same night Jennell and I decided to do some midnight shopping out in Dongdameun...I think I spelled that right. Dongdameun is huge shopping market mostly all in doors. Stupid me didnt take any pics of it really, but I promise I will be going out again and there will be more pics. But anyways the entire shopping adventure ended up to be a search to find the PERFECT outfits for Kason and I to wear for our pictures on Sunday. Which we did and I am so excited to see how they turn out. For the first time we are really foing to be matching for the most part. While we were on the hunt tho I found the cutest section full of boys toddler pants I was in Heaven...and had Jennell not been with me I probably would have wasted so much money on getting kason pants...I will surely be going back there again.

The selection was sooo much bigger than this. There were aisles and aisles filled with pants.

These were the pants I got Kason. It was love at first site.  
Well thats all for now...my next update will hopefully be filled with the super cute pics of Kason and I.





Dalki's Kids Cafe

If there is one thing that I have learned in the almost 8 months that I have been living in Korea (wow has it really been 8 months?!) is that this is a very random country. You find the weirdest things that you would never see back in the states. Like what you may ask...well let me introduce you to Turd Man. At least thats what im calling him. lol If you are sitting there asking yourself if this picture that I posted is really a statue of a guy with a giant turd on his head, snot dripping down his nose and he's holding a roll of toliet paper?! You would be absoultly correct. If you were thinking to your self maybe thats really chocolate on his head, your wrong. lol His name is Dongchimee. Dongchimme is a pretty much a guy who is obsessed with making poop sculptures. I plan to do some more research on this guy because he is apparently a pretty popular Korean character along with Dalki who I dont know to much about just yet. But I see this character everywhere and I even have my own Dalki purse that I got a few months back which I absolutly love. Anyways, obvisouly Kason and I went to this place where turd man lives and the place is called Dalki's Cafe for Kids. Yes so while you are enjoying your meal you get to look giant sculptures of poop everywhere. We did not eat there tho since they didnt have a menu in english and I refuse to eat something that I cant even tell what it is by looking at a picture. But regardless Kason had a blast and my friend Billie came with us along with her 2 kids Christopher and Kylie. Although this place is slightly distrubing its still pretty funny and I think this will be a place that we come back to often. It was extrememly cheap. Just 5,000W for me and Kason was FREE! I def LOVE that word. lol Well here are some pics of Dalki's Cafe:

Christopher, Kylie, and Kason

Ever wonder how to make a poop sculpture? Well learn how to read Honguel and Dongchmmee will give you step by step instructions.

Part of the Giant poo swirl...topped off with a fly.

...and here is the body. lol

Kason was having a blast in the ball pit.



Cant you tell?! haha

I always knew that the 1988 Olympics where held here in the heart of Seoul and that they even built an airport specifically for them it to. But for some reason in the 8 months I have been here I have never had a desire to go to the stadium. Well actually it was just something that never crossed my mind. I dont know what the heck I was thinking. I mean really, how many people actually get to go to an Olympic Stadium? Ok probably millions...but how many people from Naperville have actually gotten to go to one aside from the infamous Neuqua Valley Grad/Olympic Ice Skater Evan Lysacek and his family. Not very many and I personally know theres a handful of people who would love to go to one. So I still ask myself...what took me so long to go to Olympic Grand Park?! I was just absolutly amazed by it. Walking in the front gate under the arch with the 5 circles and seeing the torch that is always lit up and seeing the bridge with a giant torch on it to. Then getting in and seeing right away the Skate Rink that so many talented people skated on just  years ago. This really opened up my eyes to realize that Kason and I are living in a country with sooo much history. Why have I spent the last 8 months complaining about it? I should be enjoying it more...taking a million more pictures, making more memories, ones that will last a life time, giving Kason stories to tell when he gets older. I mean really, when he starts kindergarten how many of those kids are actually going to be able to say they lived in another country?! I have made a promise to myself from today on that Kason and I will be seeing more of what this country has to offer experienceing more of its history and we are going to STOP spending our entire weekends in the house. Well this is the end of my blogging for tonight. Im getting sleepy but I will leave you with some final picture of 1988 Olympics Stadium.

Well these are the only 2 pics that the blogger is letting me post right now. But the top one is Seoul Olympic Park Bridge and the 2nd one is the Skate rink. Not the best but it will have to do for now. Hopefully in the next few weeks Kason and I will be coming back to check out the Olympic Museum since we didnt see to much else of the park except for the very front. I know theres tons more to do and see but that will be a later blog.

Stay safe my friends and all of you in Chicago hope you staying warm. :) 



Project 365 and other updates

Well not much new has happened since the last time I blogged. Things have seemed to calm down just a bit. No more birthdays to plan and no more Christmas shopping to do. Finally able to get back to out normal day to day life which is a relief. The only bad thing that has happened is new years weekend both Kason and I were sick and miserable. Kasons been alright for about the last week or so but mommy is still trying to recover, thankfully work hasnt been to crazy. Other than that life has been good for the most part. The new year is here and its time for me to focus on mine and Kasons future. Which means I have to get my head straight with this army thing. I may not WANT to be in right now, but I am and it is whats BEST for us. But I dont want to stay in forever so I have to add getting my school stuff straight on to my list of things to do.

About a week ago I decided on facebook to start doing Project 365 which is a picture a day of your life for one year. Most people started it on new years but I started a few days later. I think I will share it with you all to. I dont know if I will get around to doing it everyday on here esspicially since I have a hard enough time remembering to get in on facebook. lol But if I miss a few days I will post just like I am going to now. So here we go.

001/365 1.4.11

I got my new mouse pad from shutterfly. I am so excited to have Kasons face EVERYWHERE on my desk. I also had ordered a calendar that came in the day before.

002/365  1.5.11

Not the best of pictures but Kason had to get his PPD shot for day care. They put a smile face on his arm. It was so sad that the second I put him on the table tho he started to cry. He knows the room where you get shots and the nurse who does it. :(

003/365 1.6.11

Kason absolutly LOVES his bath time. It stinks that his skin is to sensitive to do a bubble bath. But once every other week we do one. I just put EXTRA lotion on him after.

004/365 1.7.11

Chaplain brought in this HUGE iceickle and presented SGT Oh with it like it was an award. lol

005/365 1.8.11

We took a trip to Osan and got some Chilis. Kason got to drink from the big boy cup with a straw. :)

006/365 1.9.11

Kason is so attached to this blanket. I go thru hell trying to get it away from him long enough to wash it. We started bringing it to daycare with him about a month ago and his naps went from 30 min to an hour or more. He soothes himself to sleep with it. This blanket and sucking his finger just like he is in the picture...except the blanket is more in his face.

Ok well thats the first 6 days of project 365 today is day 7 and I dont have a picture to post just yet but will soon. Well I have to run lunch is almost over and I have yet to eat. lol I'll be back to catch you all up soon tho. 

13 months and counting....

Ok so I wrote my more depressing blog on Monday, so how about a much happier one?! One about my beautiful 13 month old baby. =]

Well as I said Kason is 13 months as of last week. Amazing how fast time has gone by and its crazy to think that this time last year I had a little 8 pound baby and now I have a HUGE 25 pound baby. Now for a while

I have been concerned because Kason seems to be a little bit behind in his develpoment and I think what really caused that concern  was that I know so many other babies his age or younger and they seem to be developing quicker, most of them walking and Kason still cant stand by himself. But I have recently started to chill out about it. I cant force him to develop at the rate of the "average" baby. But I have been enjoying having my baby just a little bit longer than others. Although it would be nice for him to figure out walking since he is so heavy. lol We have been working harder lately at walking, we practiced before but I did hold him and carry him a lot so I think that is part of the problem. Recently tho he has been pulling himself up to stand, climbing, walking along furniture and it happened so quick. So I think its only a matter of time before he starts walking all on his own. He has also suddenly shown show much more of his personality. He is such a goof and always making me laugh. Just the other morning he woke up calling "mama" I went in his room and there he was standing in there kind of jumping to (uh-oh) and he froze when he saw me, spread his arms out like he wanted a hug, and when I went to get him he gave me a big hug and licked all over my face. It was gross because he also had a cold and his snot was on me to, but it was cute and sweet to. It made my heart melt because I really felt how much he loved me. He always makes me feel loved but it's been a very long time since I felt that loved. :]

You see that cute little but in the pictures above?! Well we are in the transition process of doing 90% cloth diapering. The other 10% will be spent in disposables at daycare. We have 10 super cute designs from Just Simply Baby. The person who makes these diapers is a fellow November '09 mommy from one of my mommy websites. Her diapers are very reasonable $10-$11 a diaper (when the average is $18-$20 per diaper) she has some great discounts and giveaways to. I wish I found these a year ago...they are one size fits all and they are Pull-Ups to. I mean seriously, doesnt get any better than that! So I plan to cloth until Kason is using the "big boy" potty. Best part about the cloth...when he wakes up he is almost completely dry...and this kid pee's a lot in his sleep.

Well I'm not to sure what else I have to say right now. Other than we are very excited for christmas. There is one present that Kason keeps trying to open but I keep stopping him. hehe We were very blessed to get a couple of gifts from another military family for the Angel Tree program. Those are his "Santa" ones. My only big gripe is that I wish I had a place to put the tree. But once the tax refund hits the bank account the living room is getting a completely new makeover. So maybe next year I can find a place for one.

Well Merry Christmas Everyone and I hope you all have a great time bringing in 2011.

The drama of the 2 Korea's

Well I'm going to be honest here. Living in S. Korea has been becoming more and more difficult everyday. I feel like im living on Pins and Needles. Scared to death at times and I'm really not overexaggerating. Had I know that living in a divided country would be so hard I never would have come here. Why do I say all this? Well if you have been paying attention to the news you should know that there has been a LOT of tension between the North and the South. Last month on November 23rd an Island in S. Korea was attacked. Killing 2 Korean marines and 2 Civillians. This put us on the HIGHEST alert since 1953 when the war ended. We had our battle rattle ready in case of war. This attack broke the armistice agreement. We have still been on high alert and conducting basic military drills in case some shit happens. Last week S. Korea announced that they will be conducting a Live Fire Military Exercise on the island that was attacked last month. Which is about 7 miles from N. Korea. The reason N. Korea has an issue with it is because they believe the waters surrounding this island belong to them which is not true. Well anyways N. Korea said they would retalite. There were several meetings with Russia, the US, China, and of course the 2 Koreas. Everyone tried to tell the South to refrain from conducting this exercise. Well the south didnt listen and this afternoon they started. It only lasted about an hour and a half. But everyone I know has been in fear all day. We have HUNDREDS of military families here and the thought of Nuclear Bombs flying into Seoul is just terrifying. Im scared to death because if something happens I have to just hand Kason to someone and entrust them to get him back to the states for me. BUT I have such a difficult time picturing myself doing that. I dont think I could stay here and be a soldier while wondering everyday where my most prized jewel is? Where is my heart? Did he make it to the states? Did something happen to the person I entrusted him with? It's scary. Lately I have been having Nightmares about never seeing him again and it scares me to death. I am so jumpy lately to...I feel like I need to be on the watch for bombs flying into my home every loud noise that I hear scares me...the first thing I think is I need to go get Kason from daycare, something is happen. But then I realize that it was just a heavy box being dropped, or thunder, or the obnoxious heater thats in our DFAC going on. Everyone says not to worry, but its so hard. This is a war waiting to happen. Thankfully tho N. Korea recently announced that they will not be retaliting, I still have a hard time believing it. But all I can do at this point is Pray. Pray for my safety but MOST importantly pray for Kason's. 

But now I am going to do my best to enjoy Christmas which is coming up quick. We have half days this week and no work Thur and Fri. I have so much time to spend with my baby. Im so thankful that I am going to be able to spend it with the greatest little boy ever. Well theres lots of updating I need to do about the little man. But thats another post. 

Please keep South Korea in your prayers because I really believe we need as many as we can get.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KASON

This was Kason enjoying his birthday cake earlier today.

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