Snapshots

 

100 Days

In Korean culture, when a baby reaches 100 days in age, it is a cause for celebration.  The family of the baby gathers with friends and family to share traditional rice cakes and kimchi in honor of the healthy, thriving baby.  This tradition has gone on for generations in Korea.  After all, it was only forty years ago that South Korea was a third world country.  Many babies did not live to be 100 days.  So reaching 100 days was definitely a cause to celebrate.  Traditionally, the mother and baby stayed indoors, practically in bed for the entire 100 days, being cared for by the baby's paternal grandmother.  The mother was brought seaweed soup and bone broth and pumpkin porridge, as well as other warm foods.  No cold foods allowed, only warm ones.

Today, most Korean mothers don't stay inside being pampered for the full 100 days, but the tradition of celebrating with friends and family at the 100 day mark continues.  And so, Joel and I decided to throw a 100 day celebration for Caleb when he reached that mark.  We ordered fresh rice cakes and kimchi for our whole ward and shared them after church together.  We wanted to celebrate Caleb's life and health, as well as thank our ward for all the service they gave our family following Caleb's birth and also during his hospital stay with pneumonia.   

And Caleb slept through the whole thing.  Maybe he'll be awake for his next party.  ;)

Korean Cooking Lessons

Over the last 4 years, I've developed a taste for Korean food.  There are so many dishes that I just love now and often crave.  The only problem has been that I don't know how to cook any of them myself.  Lately I've been thinking, "Oh, if some nice Korean lady would just come to my home and teach me how to cook Korean dishes, I'd be so happy!"

Well, I can't believe my luck, but my dreams came true!  There is an awesome sister in my ward who is a professional cook.  She ran her own restaurant here in Seoul for 20 years and has been on cooking shows on T.V. here, teaching people how to cook traditional Korean foods.  A few weeks ago at church, she told me (through a translator) that she wanted to come to my home and help me with my kids and housework because she could see that I had my hands full and she wondered how she might help.  I was so surprised and thrilled!

I knew she was an awesome cook (she was the one who brought be myok-guk (seaweed soup) right after I gave birth).  And so I asked her if she would come teach me how to make Korean food.  She was so excited and I was too!

She has come three times so far and plans to keep coming and I am just having the time of my life!  It is a bit crazy & hectic since I'm caring for Sarah and Caleb the whole time that I'm trying to pay attention to what she is doing, but it is still awesome!  I'm loving it and learning so much.

So far, I've learned how to make myok-guk (seaweed soup), pa-jun (Korean seafood vegetable pancake, which is more similar to an omelet than a pancake), hobak-juk (pumpkin porridge), bibinbop (colorful vegetables & tossed together with egg in a bowl with rice), chop-chae (clear sweet potato noodles tossed with veggies & a little beef), dok-guk (rice cake soup), kimchi pa-jun (Korean pancake with kimchi - spicy pickled cabbage), and sam-gae-tang (chicken soup - a small chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, chestnut, garlic, and Chinese date in a tasty broth).  Is that incredible or what?  And I'm still going to learn more!

Here she is, the fabulous Sister Kim, flipping pa-jun with an expert flip of the wrist:

 Myok-guk with rice & tuna added:

 Dok-guk:

Chop-chae:

 More to come!

The Coconut Grater

For awhile now, Joel has been wanting to buy us a coconut grater.  He wanted a nice one, connected to a stool - like the ones they use in Southeast Asia.  He finally found a friend here who was able to find one for us and order it in time for Andrew's birthday.  Andrew LOVES coconuts and was so excited to get this cool grater.  Yum, fresh coconut.  We're going to have some good eats at our place.

Andrew's Birthday

Three Months

Caleb is three months old now. He has his U.S. passport, birth certificate, social security card, and Korean alien registration card. He has been immunized, naturalized, nebulized, and circumcised. This kid is ready to live his life!

Caleb's Blessing Day

Lizzie's Headband Creations

Our Three Littlest Angels

The Realization

"Church is three hours long?!"

Naptime

Lizzie's 100th Day Hat

On the 100th day of school, all the first graders wore hats they had decorated themselves.  They could decorate them with anything they wanted to, so long as there were 100 items on the hat when it was finished.  Lizzie worked several days on her hat, cutting out pictures from magazines and choosing colorful sequins from our craft basket at home.  She and I spent a couple hours together one evening, taping all the items onto her favorite baseball cap.  She was so excited to wear the hat to school on 100th Day.  Great job, Lizzie!  Cute hat!