Christmas

We spent Christmas in Rochester this year with just our immediate family. We went to church on Christmas Eve. The boys did pretty well considering the church was full and we had to sit in the second row from the front...right behind the pastor. Charles, of course, was full of questions about baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph and who is Jesus real dad...God or Joseph. Since I wasn't sure how to explain immaculate conception... Ooops a mistake here!! Thank you Chris!! What I meant to say was 'virgin birth'... to a 5 year old, I told him that God helped make Jesus but that Joseph was his dad and took care of him.

We opened a few packages on Christmas Eve after dinner. One of our family gifts was a game of Twister. If you ever want a few laughs playing a game with your kids, this is one to try. Henry did pretty good since he knows his right and left. Charles had a little more trouble...mostly because he couldn't quite stretch far enough to reach from green to red. Min tried to play---you can see on the last picture--but soon gave up and decided that riding Henry was a much better choice.

And here, are the most handsome boys I know!!

Christmas Vacation begins....

Christmas vacation began with a snow day.... I was very relieved since it meant that I did not have to be at Panera at 6 a.m. to buy gift cards for Henry and Charles' teachers before Travis left for work and I had to get the boys to school. We all slept in!! What a treat after a busy week of Christmas programs, Christmas parties, and just getting ready for the holidays. Of course, Christmas break also means that I would have all 3 boys home all day for over 2 weeks. The weather is terribly cold which means going outside is not a good choice. What to do. What to do.

We tried bowling. Henry loved it. Charles spent a lot of time figuring out how the balls come back up the machine. Also, with questions about how the pins get picked up and where the ball goes at the end of the alley so that the machine can bring it back to us. That would be Charles, our boy of questions. Min thought bowling was okay at first but soon became bored watching the ball roll down the alley. That might be because it probably took at least 30 seconds for it to make it from his hands to the pins. I wasn't at all sure that it would even make it to the pins.

It also seems that sword-fighting with wrapping paper is a great activity. The paper wasn't wrecked, nobody got hurt, and after about 15 minutes of running around the house swinging wrapping-paper-swords they had burned off just enough energy to keep them from really fighting with each other.

A Dangerous Boy

I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth when I heard Charles yell...'Mom!! Min's washing his hands in butter.' This cannot mean anything good and, sure enough, when I get to the dining room this is what I found. I guess you could say that is my own fault. I am the one who left him all alone at the table with an open tub of margarine. What else would you expect a 2 year old to do?
This is just a run-down of pictures of what a typical day with Min is like. He is relatively high-maintenance...or, like our friends told us, he's like a 2 year old on speed. He might be busy, but he has a wonderful personality, loves to laugh and be 'cited' (as Min says..excited), and is incredibly funny.

He has figured out the great benefit of chairs. Yesterday I had no chairs left at the table. One was next to the stove where he had been helping me cook. The other was at the light switch where he likes to turn the lights on and off, one was at the front door where he is trying very hard to learn to lock and unlock the doors, and the other was at the computer desk.

The next picture was accompanied by Charles yelling...'Mom!! Min is doing something dangerous!!" When I got into their bedroom, this is what I found.

No, Charles is not sitting on the roof of the bunkbed, but Min is. Thank goodness he isn't that heavy or it would have broken. When I got in here he was picking the bumps of texture off the ceiling.

Just relaxing... in a box? I guess that's okay. He was reading 'Good Night, Moon.'

And, after he managed to snag a roll of paper towels.

This is why I am seldom very productive during the day. I have to weigh the benefit of getting something done versus the potential chaos that Min could cause.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving at the Paul house was a bust if you ask Henry. Because I thought that if I put a frozen 10 pound turkey in the refrigerator on Monday it would unthaw by Thursday and was wrong, we didn't really have Thanksgiving. This is what Henry told my mom and dad on Thanksgiving Day. With a really sad, disappointed voice that can only come from a very dramatic 7 year old, I heard Henry say, 'Well, we didn't really have a Thanksgiving.' I could just hear my parents chuckling on the other end. We celebrated Thanksgiving after a fashion that is becoming more and more our style...nontraditional.

This is Min eating the turkey drumstick on Sunday (after Thanksgiving) when we actually had our turkey because it finally thawed out then. And, after Henry had so sadly told his Sunday School teacher how we hadn't really had a Thanksgiving.
Our nontraditional Thanksgiving was spent at Kingdom Buffet where they not only have a very cool pond and waterfall..a favorite of the boys who could hardly eat because they wanted to play in it so badly...but also really great food and a decent selection of sushi.

Here is Charles eating sushi...or kimbab as it is called at our house because that is what it is in Korea.

We've decided that it is pointless to really cook a big dinner at our house anyway. This is what happened on Sunday, when we actually had Thanksgiving dinner. It took about 2 hours to prepared the meal. This didn't include the actual cooking time of the turkey. But, it did include rinsing out a raw turkey and removing the pieces they shove inside. Peeling and boiling the potatoes (this includes cleaning the stovetop after they boil over) and mashing them. Making gravy that is never quite right and veggies. Set the table, cut the turkey, and set up everyones plates including cutting the meat and pouring milk. Sit down at the table to eat. 10 minutes later the majority of the family (3 boys) are done eating and ready to leave the table. Then, it takes at least 30 minutes to clean up, put away the leftovers. I made a pumpkin pie which none of the boys liked...even with cool whip. Next year....we're going out for Thanksgiving dinner..preferably to Kingdom Buffet for kimbab and shrimp.

October 2008

A quick rundown of October in pictures.

At the apple orchard.

Boys with crazy hair.

Saying good-bye to Gramma and Grampa

My mom and dad spent a week with us October so that I could work. The boys loved it!! Min talked about 'Fleet Farm,' for weeks afterwards. They made one trip out there, but I guess he really loved it. They also went to eat at McDonalds...without mom and dad. What a thrill for the boys!!





Min and Charles in Grampa's cap.

Travis and Lexi and her husband, Aaron, pulled together a surprise party for my 10th transplant anniversary. They were very successful! As you can see from the picture, I was completely surprised. It was an incredible evening spent with many special friends. My hematologist and one of my favorite transplant nurses were also there. Wow!! I still can't believe they did that!! They managed to plan for when my parents were here so they also got to come.

Andrew pushing the recycling bin down the sidewalk. Not really sure why he was doing that. But, do we ever know why they do things?

Henry participated in a tae kwon do tournament in Wisconsin. It was a lot of fun and included an overnight stay at a hotel...with a pool.

September 2008

A picture update from September. Unfortunately, they are backwards. I guess it's been so long since I updated that I forgot how to load the pictures on. Anyway... Min eating cake on his 2nd birthday, September 30th. We were so lucky to have my sister, her husband and son with us. When you're the birthday boy, you pretty much get to eat however and wherever you want. This includes sitting on the table in only a diaper eating your cake out of the pan with your hands. Wearing only a diaper also makes it so much easier to clean up....you'll see more on that a little later.

Blowing out the candles on your 2nd birthday may actually be done with spitting instead of blowing. That is the case in this picture. I can't remember, but I think that a couple people chose not to eat cake after that.

He really does enjoy wearing his hanbok. He ran around saying, 'hanbok, hanbok.'

Henry walked in a parade in a local town with Park Institute. He LOVED it. Here he is breaking boards.

First trip on the big yellow bus.

Min after eating cake on Charles birthday. This was why he didn't wear clothes on his own birthday.

Charles 5th birthday on September 3rd.

First day of school. Min not at all happy about having to take a picture with his brothers. Who would be...they're scary.