Through the Eyes of a 5-year-old

My Lauren moved up yet another reading level last week and she is now at F.  With her improved reading and writing, there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of letters she writes.  Most of them are letters to me or Tae showing us how much she loves us and thinks we are the best.  One day when I got home from work about two weeks ago, there was this letter on my bed:

Translation: Then I will not be your sister anymore.  Only if you put the iPad on each lap.

This is a rule I put in place for L & E when the iPad is concerned.  We only have one so when they both want to watch a show or movie, the iPad has to reside on top of one of L's laps and one of E's - smack in the middle.  Obviously, in this instance, E wasn't holding up her end.  I just think it's hilarious and amazing all at the same time that my little baby is now able to communicate and express herself with written words.  I am so proud of that girl.

One more story to capture...

Last night as I was leaving Lauren's room after tucking her in for bed, she said, "I don't want to be a kid anymore.  I want to be a grown up like you."  I gasped and asked why.  She simply replied with a whiny, "because."  To which I responded, "Really?  Why?  I don't get to eat lunch with my friends.  And I don't even have recess."  She came back with, "What the heck?"  After a few more exchanges, she conceded that she wanted to be a kid. 

Lauren and Elizabeth: every stage of life has its extraordinary moments and challenges.  To me, one of the biggest mysteries of life is our inability to truly appreciate each life stage until we've outgrown them.  So though it will likely be impossible, enjoy being 3 and 5 and then 5 and 7 and so on.  One day, I am told it will all make sense.

Bye-bye Tooth Number 2 & 3

Lauren's two bottom teeth have been wiggling for weeks.  Even last Sunday, they were hanging on by a thread and I was certain they would fall out.  Lo and behold, one week later, Lauren lost bottom tooth number 2 and number 3.  It was both because I learned during her first appointment with her dentist that two of her teeth were fused.  It was odd as I never noticed it when she was teething as an infant.  In any event, I played the diligent role of the Tooth Fairy and left her golden chocolate coins and $20 (I didn't have anything smaller!).  My baby is growing up in front of my eyes.  She is almost at my neck now!

Ebi Skis!

Ebi's first time on the Magic Carpet

Last year, we got skis for Ebi but her participation was very minimal.  Not only was it an unusually warm winter, E was only 2.5 years old so she just wasn't ready.  This year to kick off Ski Season 2013, we took the girls to a teeny tiny mountain in Mahwah, NJ called Campgaw.  E had her first lesson and though she didn't quite make it through the entire 60 minutes, she came darn close and she did great!  Lauren warmed up on the Bunny Slopes for a few minutes and was going on the lift in no time.  She came down beautifully making perfect giant "S"es and exhibited perfect control.  My athlete!

Proud smile after her lesson.

Article: Financial Planning

I came across this great article and resource today.  I wanted to capture it here as a reminder to get my own act together this year and document this for Lauren and Elizabeth.

NYT Article: A Shocking Death, a Financial Lesson and Help for Others.  Click here.

Catching Up

It's the same every year no matter how hard I try to change it - the Holidays are a crazy time for both work and home.  This year was especially hectic with a much-anticipated trip to Disney World on Dec. 19th.

Let me take a few minutes to recap the past month or so.  Nov/Dec 2012.  

Thanksgiving Assembly

Thanksgiving is a good place to start.  This year, Thanksgiving was a BREEZE because Tae asked TJ (his Chef Partner at Du Jour Bakery) to make the turkey and stuffing.  So all I ended up making were the sides.  It's always a nice time for the girls when we have family over and they get showered by everyone's love and attention.  Lauren also participated in a lovely Thanksgiving Assembly at school where she rocked her songs.  Her love, passion and enjoyment of life in general is so evident in her performance video here.  I hope she never loses these amazing qualities.

Christmas Card Photo 2012

Next, Christmas!  This is the second year I did a photo Christmas card.  I always thought they were so cliche and impersonal.  But two years ago, I had a change of heart.  But I compromised.  I steered clear from traditional holiday pictures like those of children dressed in red Christmas sweaters in front of a Christmas tree for example.  I also personalized each card by handwriting a note on the back of each card.  One day, the girls decided to play dress-up (a very, very rare occurrence in our household) so I snapped a picture of them and decided this would be the perfect Christmas photo this year since we were going to Disney World for the Christmas break.  E is dressed as Aerial (The Little Mermaid) and L has on Cinderella's wedding dress. 

Then comes our first trip as a family to Disney World!  I have to say that throughout our trip, I don't know who had more fun - me or the girls!  I grew up going to tons of amusement parks (my dad was a huge fan) so some of my best childhood memories involve amusement parks.  I booked this vacation six months ago in June and made all dining reservations in June as well.  In my true fashion, I had our vacation organized in a spreadsheet.  We dedicated one park per day as to not get overwhelmed.  We did Magic Kingdom on our first day, next was Animal Kingdom, Day 3 was Hollywood Studios, the next day was Epcot, and our last day was spent at Magic Kingdom again.  I researched each theme park and came up with a list of "must do's."  We were ready to go!

We decided not to tell the girls about the trip and make it a surprise.  It was more for our sanity (we cannot stand, "Is it tomorrow?  When mommy?!?!?") and not necessarily to do this massive surprise for them.  I picked them up an hour early before dismissal on the last day of school before the holiday break Dec. 19 and took them home.  They were excited to see their suitcases packed!  We told them we were going on a plane to Florida.  Once we finally arrived in front of our hotel The Bay Lake Towers at The Contemporary Hotel (cab ride, bag drop line, security line, the flight, Magical Express) Tae and I decided the time was right to do the big reveal.  I got my camera ready to record their reaction and...it plopped!  When I announced that we were at Disney World, Lauren replied, "No we're not."  After a few more similar back-and-forths like this, I stopped my attempt to get that perfect reaction I anticipated for six months.  

Needless to say, we had an absolute BLAST.  They became princesses, experienced new rides and sights, slept late (!) and I suppose most importantly, spent 24-7 with their mom and dad.  I even got to go on one of my favorite rides of all time - The Tower of Terror - by myself while Tae stayed w/ L & E.  Lauren went on two pretty intense roller coasters with me.  One was Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom and the second was Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom.  Space Mountain was a crazy experience because I had absolutely no idea what to expect.  Lauren and I bypassed the 90-minute wait with our fastpass.  When I finally got to the front, I asked the family behind me if they knew anything about this ride.  They said no, that it was their first time.  Then I asked the family in front of us.  The teenaged daughter said she knew and began to explain.  She looked at Lauren and told me, "She won't like it.  My brother is 7-years-old and he was crying when he left."  I told Lauren that we didn't have to do it, that we can just leave, etc but she told me that she wanted to do it!  I was so proud of her!!  The ride ended up being a four-person single-row spaceship ride so I couldn't even sit next to L.  But she sat up front, I sat behind her, and held her hand from start to finish.  I LOVED it.  Lauren looked like she saw a ghost after the ride.  When Tae asked, "Do you want to go on it again?"  She replied, "No."  Regardless of that final answer, I have a feeling Lauren will be my roller-coaster buddy.  


We left Disney World on Christmas day.  L & E weren't sad to leave because we told them Santa came last night and left presents for them and we had to get home ASAP to open them.  By the time we got home around 4 PM, our family was there with tons of presents under the tree.  It was a perfect vacation. 

Secret Santa 2012

Of course the Holidays wouldn't be complete without the Annual Secret Santa party that has become a deep-rooted tradition between my core group of friends, otherwise known as The Six Pack (Christina Pak, Pamela Han, Lillian Son, Lucie Cho and Ruth Kim).  Chris hosted Secret Santa 2012 and as usual was such a fun evening.  I was Pam's Secret Santa and Lil was mine.  With the addition of Ayla, we have eight lucky children who have now taken center stage.  Our loves.

New Years Day 2013

Finally, ringing in the New Year.  Happy 2013!  We took the girls and my mom to a Twilight New Years Eve dinner at the Club.  Then Tae and I stayed up to watch Times Square on TV as we have been doing since the arrival of our children!  On New Year's Day, my mother and brother came over to enjoy an amazingly delicious New Year's Korean feast which my mom cooked.  The girls put on their Korean dresses and did sae-bae.  So cute.  I wish my family, friends and colleagues the most amazing year yet.  Happy New Year! 

Saving for when the girls are 13 (?) years old

There is a letter that's viral right now, and it's a mother's letter to her 13-year-old son as she allows him to have an iPhone.  I'll modify this for the girls one of these days, but I wanted to capture the original for future use.

To My 13-Year-Old, An iPhone Contract From Your Mom, With Love

Dear Gregory,

Merry Christmas! You are now the proud owner of an iPhone. Hot Damn! You are a good and responsible 13-year-old boy and you deserve this gift. But with the acceptance of this present comes rules and regulations. Please read through the following contract. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it. Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership.

I love you madly and look forward to sharing several million text messages with you in the days to come.

1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest?

2. I will always know the password.

3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad." Not ever.

4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30 p.m. every school night and every weekend night at 9:00 p.m. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30 a.m. If you would not make a call to someone's land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.

5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It's a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.

6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.

7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.

8. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.

9. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.

10. No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person -- preferably me or your father.

11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.

12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else's private parts. Don't laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear -- including a bad reputation.

13. Don't take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.

14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO (fear of missing out).

15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.

16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.

17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.

18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You and I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.

It is my hope that you can agree to these terms. Most of the lessons listed here do not just apply to the iPhone, but to life. You are growing up in a fast and ever changing world. It is exciting and enticing. Keep it simple every chance you get. Trust your powerful mind and giant heart above any machine. I love you. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone.

xoxoxo,
Mom