Three Little Kittens

This one is a funny one and you have to check out the pictures to see the story unfold right before our oh so clueless mommy eyes (and camera lens). The title of this post popped in my head as I was writing this blog and looking at the pictures, it is oh so fitting.

This afternoon we took the kids out to play in the snow again and they had a blast! They ran around, made snow angels, made snowballs and threw them at each other and us, and dropped snow down this really cool "tunnel" that led to a bit of water (melted snow). Unfortunately, I realized that Ryan had lost his good snow gloves during our outdoor fun (I am sure you can see where this is going). This little kitten had lost his mittens, but he did know where to find them. I asked Ryan where his gloves were and he said, "In there!" pointing to the "tunnel". He had dropped his mittens in the random well thing in the grass where we were playing.

While I was a little bit mad (more that we were out 20 bucks and less at him, because he was, after all, being a two year old boy), it was still pretty funny. When I downloaded the pictures from our camera tonight and started looking through them I starting laughing out loud. The pictures tell the story we totally missed in the fun of being outside in the snow with our kids.

Throwing snow in the well (with both mittens on).

I think this is right after the mitten fell in. There was less than a minute lapse between this picture and the one that precedes it.

Looking a little harder for the mitten.

Still looking for that mitten.

Looking back I think Ryan was telling me he dropped his glove in there. I am not sure he did it on purpose or if it was an accident. I thought he was telling me about putting the snow in there. Naturally my response was enthusiastic (I mean what isn't cool about a little boy dropping snow in a "tunnel"?), which only encouraged him, if it was originally an accident, to ditch the other one as well.

Check out the look on Mia's face! I think she's in shock.

And the look on Ryan's face. The boy was so proud of himself.

Still has the left glove on.

Ryan is missing both mittens now.

Cold little boy. We just discovered this little kid had lost his mittens. He had been playing in the snow for a while and were getting ready to head in for the night. You can see Candace looking in the well. I was behind the camera laughing, but trying to tell my son that what he did wasn't good and we wouldn't be able to get the gloves back. He wasn't so happy to learn that.

Tonight's Snow

Okay, so here is proof that it wasn't my imagination or wishful thinking that I couldn't see the grass anymore. When Bill got home he took me outside to take a look at the freshly fallen snow. It is so light and fluffy, but man do those snowballs compact and get hard. Fortunately we practiced on the wall and not each other. :) Bill goes in a little later tomorrow and we are both so excited to take the kids out and see their expressions!

Our First Day of Snow

Early this afternoon it started snowing in Kunsan! The snow began around noon or so and it is still snowing as I type this at 9:00. It is a soft, calm, peaceful snow and I am captured by its beauty. Every time I take a peek outside, there is another layer and now you can't even see the grass (maybe because it is dark and only the white glow of the snow is visible, but whatever, I still can't see the grass).

We began our day at the base chapel making cookies with friends and then my friend Candace and I took the kids to the BX food court for lunch...again. You would think these kids are sick of Taco Bell chips and cheese dip but they aren't! On our way up to the BX it started to pick up and continued on our walk home. It was fun to see the kids energized by the snow (or maybe it was all the sugar from the cookies and hot chocolate) and so excited to walk home in it.The kiddos decorating cookies

Kaitlyn and Ryan on the walk home from the BX

After a late nap, the kids were running around and playing in the hallway and the moms were visiting when someone happened to look outside and saw that the snow was sticking. Just before dinner I took a half a dozen little ones outside to play in the snow. They loved it. Unfortunately, they were having way to much fun to stand still long enough for me to get any great pictures. Hopefully we will have better luck with great pictures tomorrow when we bundle up the kids in their snowsuits and let them go wild in the fresh blanket of Kunsan's first real snow.Kaitlyn, Ryan, and Lauryn


Kaitlyn showing me how she wrote her name in the snow with a stick.

Ryan "writing" his name in the snow. I guess after the last post, I should be very happy he is using a stick.

Off to switch the laundry over and take one more peek outside before Bill gets home from work and we enjoy a late dinner together. On second thought, since he just walked through the door and asked if I have been outside, maybe we will go together! Talk about timing!

Potty Training Progress?

Shortly after Ryan turned two he was nearly potty trained, not to the point of being able to go by himself, but being able to tell us when he had to go and having us take him or if naked being able to make it by himself. Then he caught a tummy bug two weeks in a row and was afraid to go potty in the potty or in his pants. I also started putting him in Pull-Ups more often so he wouldn't make a mess at the Y or church or wherever we happened to be when he was in other people's care. Big mistake. He totally regressed and continued to go in his Pull-Up or underwear and would just walk around wet. He just didn't care anymore if he was wet. So, not wanting to return to diapers and give him mixed signals, he just wears Pull-Ups all the time now and treats them like diapers. A few times a week he will tell us he needs to do his big business before he goes and will go in the potty, the rest of the time it is in his pants. Same with peeing. If he wants to go in the potty he does, if doesn't want to stop playing or is being lazy he doesn't. I decided about a month before we came out to Korea, to not worry about it, as we would have a few more transitions anyway where he may regress again and we will just tackle it when we get settled in our new home. If he wants to go in the potty, I will take him, if not, I'll eventually just change his pants. Yesterday was a funny day, prompting me to tell this story and ask the question........

Is is potty training progress when your nearly two and a half year old son walks into the ladies room at the Officer's Club with his mother and big sister, runs into the stall, locks the door (every two year old needs privacy), pulls down his pants and wet Pull-Up (I see this under the door and am prompting him to allow me in to help him up on the toilet to no avail), and a moment later unlocks the door, runs out of the stall with his pants around his ankles, and says (in his most proud voice), "I all done now!", leaving a puddle of pee on the floor? Hmmmmm?

A White Christmas???

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...........

I know you are thinking that Christmas is still three weeks away, but as we watch the snow fall, I can't help but hear this traditional Christmas melody play in my head and to think that maybe, just maybe, we will have a white "Christmas" tomorrow. Since we aren't going to be together as a family on Christmas day, we decided to have a full up Christmas in the dorms tomorrow. Better earlier than later so our kids have toys to play with in Daddy's room. Tonight is Christmas Eve and we will wake up tomorrow morning and have our family Christmas. A Charlie Brown style tree, our traditional pancake breakfast, presents, and a big Christmas dinner with friends and homemade pumpkin pie. Mmmmm!

So, I can't help but look out and daydream about our special day. Maybe the snow will stick and this Florida girl and her family will have their first white "Christmas." If not, that'll be okay too, it will still be magical because we will all be together to celebrate Christmas as a family.