Reading Maniac

 

Our library put on a summer reading program where the kids can earn prizes for every five hours that they read.  Braxton was the top reader in the kid category with a whopping 72 hours read.  He won a $50 gift card to the PX here as well.  We are so proud of him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a new favorite fruit.  We don't even know what it is called.  But this is what it looks like.  The little ladies are selling these on the street and so one night I took the boys to the market by our house and went to a booth where a lady was selling these and she got the biggest smile on her face when we decided to buy from her and she placed two more in our bag.  The boys were thrilled.  It is some kind of a melon.  It is palm size and tastes like a cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew.  It is cut like both and the seeds are taken out in the same way, but it is just quite a bit smaller.  YUM!

4th of July

We had a crazy 4tth of July celebration here.  It downpoured most of the day and right before the boys' performance was about to be canceled it cleared up.  So the boys were able to perform what they had been working on the past week.  Braxton's skill is something that he isn't going to be having to pass off for another few belts, but Master Song told him he already performs it perfectly. 

 

The boys were able to play a few games that they had here in the rain and Isaiah even won a $50 gift card. 

 

Needless to say, our fireworks were canceled,  but we did have a great day.

In this video Braxton is in the front and Isaiah is in the back. 

 

 

 

Another Belt

So, Braxton has a goal of becoming a junior black belt before we leave Korea, and he is well on his way!!!!  He has about five more belts to go before he can test for his black belt.  Last night he tested again and we were blown away with the power and coordination that he is gaining.  We love watching him with some of his form sparring.  He does the Karate Kid "Show no mercy," thing.  Last night he even gave Master Song a little something!  When he was breaking his boards he kicked it so hard that  a piece that came flying up and hit his instructor in the mouth.  Oppps!  He did so well that he even earned a trophy!  Way to go Mr. Muscles, we love you so much!

 

Happy Happy to me!!!!!!!

Brandon decided to surprise me this past week with an early birthday gift.  Six month early isn't too early is it?  There is a cute little vendor that comes every so often selling Asian style furniture.  I have wanted some ever since we have been here and now I do.  This lamp stands almost 5 feet tall.  It is gorgeous.  The end table is a Tibetan hand painted antique looking table.  I can't wait to get it back to the states. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also thought that I'd post a funny picture that we just witnessed yesterday.  There was a cute little man dressed up in a lab coat looking like a doctor climbing ladders hanging these from a lot of the pine trees here.  Yes, they are IV bags.  I can only imagine that they are feeding the trees something.  But it was sure funny to see a Dr. type man hooking a tree up to an IV. 

Another AFN short news flash with Isaiah

Isaiah's class and the second grade classes visited the wetlands here at Camp Carroll for a class field trip.  AFN was there to capture the event.  There is a clip where Isaiah is carrying a water bottle and because of that bottle we are proud parents of more tadpoles.  Only this time they are bullfrogs and they are a two year commitment, and so we told him that we could babysit them for a few weeks and then we would let them go up at the mountains like we did with our last batch of tadpoles.  He wasn't very happy, but we have about 12 of them and they get so big. 

 

 

 

 

Busan Sand Festival

Yesterday we took the boys down to a city on the southern coast of Korea.  They were having a Sand Festival and so we thought that the boys may like to got to the beach and play in the water as well as seeing some of the creations made.  It was a fun day, but different than some of the beach experiences that we have ever had.  There didn't seem to be as much beach, and maybe that was due to the fact that there were sand sculptures in the middle of the sandy areas.  It was interesting what could be rented at the beach as well.  You can rent an umbrella a tube and I have been told towels for the day.  They had a big sand hill that they rented out a sled and helmet for the kids to sled down.  It was very busy and crowded at the beach, but the boys had a blast.  This was our first beach experience with the boys and it was worth it.  I believe that because this was a sand festival they also rented out large shovels or people actually brought them for people to use, but somehow the boys ended up with two large garden shovels and they both spent the day digging.  The water was very chilly and I am surprised that the boys enjoyed their time in the water.  It was supposed to get up to maybe 79 degrees yesterday and it was a little windy.  But they both loved it. 

Then close to the end of the day we were surprised with an air show.  It lasted quiet a while and in our opinion they were every bit as good as the Thunderbirds.  At this,  Braxton put down his shovel and stared in amazement.  He has never changed his mind as to what he wants to be when he grows up and it still is a fighter jet pilot. We could see him talking about how close they were to each other to some other American children who took the same tour with us.  For us this show was the best part of the day. For the kids digging was the best part of the day. 

 

 

More Taekwondo

This is our lives as of late.  We live our lives wondering what our Friday nights are going to be consisting of.  The funny thing about Koreans from our experiences is that preplanning is almost nonexistent.  We do get a monthly calendar from the instructor when the testing dates are, but not who is going to be testing.  So usually the Thursday night before testing we get a note saying that our son will be testing.  We love our kids and want them to be advancing, but we feel we are living in the Taekwondo studio.  Isaiah just tested last weekend and he could have tested the same night with Braxton. 

Well, Braxton got a note last Thursday night that he would be testing Friday and we were excited for him, because he has a goal to achieve to a certain point before we leave Korea.  He had grown so much in his confidence with Taekwondo it is amazing.  He is kind of ruthless when he spars against another student.  He took down a bigger boy who I thought he would have a little trouble with, but no.  It seemed easy for him.  This was also the first time that they also had a physical sparring time with other students as well as Master Song.  They have to wear pads, because it can get rough.  Braxton also had to break a board with a back kick where he doesn't know where the board is until he turns his head, and he nailed it. Braxton was also awarded the highest award given out that night.  He got a gold coin.   Way to go Braxton! We love you so much!