The beginning of the end of bullying

Since we've been here, Zander has developed the bullying phase.  Isabella is a sweet baby girl (about 7 months younger than Zander) and has been nice enough to share all her toys and books with Zander.  Unfortunately, Zander thinks it's all his, especially whatever Isabella has.  He could be playing across the room, but the moment he sees baby Isabella crawling after something, he drops what he has and tries to outrun her to whatever has attracted her attention.  Oh, it makes me mad! 

Thankfully Isabella has such a sweet disposition that it doesn't even faze her and she just moves on to something else, letting Zander have the fought-after toy. 

Until a couple days ago.

Thankfully, we were able to capture this moment:

I'm so glad that Isabella is learning to stand up to Zander!  He needs to learn that he can't push the smaller kids around, and she's just the sweetheart to teach him.  While we still have time before the new baby is old enough to play with toys, hopefully having Isabella push him back will put an end to this bullying phase.

Old Man Zander

Cake Pop Tutorial

Dramatic photo edit

It has been a rough day, so today during naptime instead of resting like I should have - I decided to watch the movie SuckerPunch.  I have been meaning to watch it for awhile now, since I saw the preview online, and made the time to indulge myself this afternoon. 

Review:  It was good.  If you like the don't-really-make-sense-the-first-time-you-watch-it, graphically stunning, action/adventure, women's rights kind of movies.  It definitely wasn't what I thought it was, but nonetheless, still entertaining.  I liked it, I don't know when I'll watch it again, but I liked it.

Anyway, it put me in a creative mood and inspired me to push the envelope in my photo editting.  I'm so tired of making every picture looking "pretty" or "cute", so I decided to change it up and went for the "ugly pretty".  I really like the tutorials you can find online, they are super helpful and usually easy enough for a beginner to follow.  You can learn a lot about the PSE programs in following the online tutorials.  Check out the links in my "Favorite Websites". 

Today, I used one from Morgan Kervin's blog, entitled "300" movie style.  While I like the ease of installing PSE actions that do the editting for you, sometimes it's good to go back to basics and "hand edit" the photos.  Helps you remember how to use all the tools and really makes the end product more satisfying.  I enjoy the ability to manipulate "layers" of editting to create something new.

Here's my SOOTC (straight-out-of-the-camera) shot of Zander enjoying a day at the beach in Northern Michigan:

And here's the dramatic redo of Zander at the beach:

I like it.  I really do.  I like the drama of the sky and the "contrast-iness" of the sand.  I'm big on contrast.

It's okay if you don't like it, you don't have to.  On a different day, without so much drama, I might not even like it.  But for today, it's perfect.  It matches my mood.

"Crazy Man"

The Thrills of a Box

After receiving a large package in the mail, we were left with a giant empty cardboard box in the middle of the living room.  Is there a better way to entertain three kids 5 and under on a rainy Saturday?  If so, it probably costs money and requires the parents to get ready (aka shower). 

So while Krystal and I were doing much more important things (read: fixing our blogs), the kids were plenty busy climbing, closing, playing, ripping, drawing and imagining with the blankest of canvases. 

A cardboard box big enough for kids to climb in is by FAR the best toy money doesn't buy.



First Day of Kindergarten

Michigan photo recap

We had such a great time in Michigan visiting friends and family. Even though we were only there for 3-4 weeks, I'm so glad we were able to see everyone and do everything we had planned, and more. It really was the perfect way to enjoy being in America again.

The boys couldn't get over all the grass and fields and wide open spaces. It was like Korea was a dream and we had never left the states. Even now, knowing that it wasn't a dream when I see all the open land and sky, I can't imagine living with buildings on top of buildings and people on top of people. Playing in the dirt and grass and water was perfect "therapy" for us, the perfect relaxation and recovery from the long flights and time changes.

Here's a small sample of pictures I took during our vacation. I would give anything to have my Adobe Photoshop on our desktop, but unfortunately until we get our HHG (household goods), I'll have to deal with SOOTC (straight-out-of-the-camera) shots. They still turned out pretty great, but the perfectionist in me would like to tweak a few things. It's amazing how little things like that, editting in Adobe Photoshop, become a habit and crutch.

We had plenty of firsts and favorite experiences while we were there.

Zander got to run around in only a diaper, playing in the grass, sand and water. He's such a naked baby, it has been heaven for him to be unclothed. While he was a little uncertain about the feeling of the grass in his toes, he quickly warmed up to the idea of running around without clunky shoes and has stayed that way since. All the water, lakes and pools, has made him so happy. He has no fear regarding water and it has been more scary for me than anything else.

Gabe got to go fishing with Grandpa Larry and Uncle Ken at the cottage, something he's been asking about since we arrived in Korea. First he went fishing off the dock and caught a minnow, then we took the boat out and he caught a good size blue gill. It was a little late in the season for catching fish, but I'm so glad he made those memories. I know he'll be excited the next time we go to Michigan for fishing. He also go to "camp" outside for the first time with Uncle AJ and cousins Bella and Spencer. Although, it only lasted about an hour, he still had fun hanging out with his cousins. The sounds and dark of the backyard at Grandma and Grandpa Brongs were a little intense for him, and the tent and sleeping bags were moved to the basement.

First post stateside

"Welcome Home"

We have officially been in the states for three weeks now, and to all the people that have told us "Welcome Home" I just want to say thank you. It's not so much the literally being at home in Michigan that has been such a relief, although it's been good to see everyone and to have the love and support of family and friends, it's been.... everything.

Like I said before we left, I wish I could explain what it's like to live in another country whose culture and traditions are so vastly different than ours here. To have the freedoms to do whatever you want whenever you want to, to be able to drive without hours of traffic, to have reliable medical and dental care where the physicians are licensed to pratice medicine, to be able to buy healthy, chemical-free food for your kids, to go outside and play in grass, breathe air without worry about chemicals, inhalants, pollution causing repiratory illnesses. There are SO many things we take for granted and don't realize are luxury until you go somewhere without.

The most amazing part to me is that South Korea is considered First World. So much of the country lives in poverty. There is such a vast difference in priorities of heath care, it's astounding. Here there's such an uproar about how little our military is paid annually, but in Korea, our pay is exhorbitant compared to what their soldiers make. The most obscene (for lack of a better word) part of living in Korea was the yellow sand/dust. I wrote earlier about what yellow sand is and how we had to monitor the levels daily, but for those of you that don't remember - Yellow sand is literally clouds of sand filled with pollution and toxins, chemicals, debree that gather over China and spread through Korea and Japan. On the days where yellow sand is high, it causes short term illnesses like colds and asthma in immuno-comprised people (elderly, children, pregnant women). Long term exposure results in similar side effects to smoking cigarettes.

Amazing.

To have the freedom to breathe air, be outside, eat fruits and veggies, without fear of getting sick from chemical contaminants. That is truly something to be thankful for.

It is good to be home. Forgive me if I get a little teary-eyed.