Congratulations Class of 2014

Welp, that's it....school's out for the summer!!!  Actually its been out, I'm just super late writing about it. :(  HAHAHA

The school year came and went.  This was Sweet Pea's last year of preschool.  I officially have a kindergartner!!!  Where does the time go?  Anyway, this end of school year was pretty eventful...preschool graduation. I always thought it was kinda funny seeing those lil kids with cute little caps getting their certificates.  I don't remember my last day of preschool being so cool.  I just remember it all of a sudden being summer and I didn't have to wake up early.

Amelia's school held a promotion and graduation for the whole school.  She was super excited about it.  I remember her telling me mid-May about them practicing for their graduation.  She was def pumped about it, as she should be!! I thought the ceremony was very cute.  All the kids were dressed up in their Sunday's best and the Discovers class (ages 4-5 Amelia's Class)  all had little caps on. {I DIE}  I was taking pics left and right, filling up my SD card. All the classes did a performance and then each class handed out some awards.  Amelia got most dependable.  I'm not sure what to make of that.  Haha  She looked so proud getting it, I couldn't help but beam with excitement for her.  Once again, taking a million pics.  Then came the certificate ceremony, when the graduating class got their certificates.  I lost it.  I honestly, didn't think I was going to.  I thought, hey this is a cute ceremony, but its no biggie.  I was totally wrong.  I know I probably sound crazy.  Seeing her get her lil certificate, it hit me like a ton of bricks, I don't have a lil toddler anymore, let alone my lil baby girl.  She is a full blown kid.  I remember when she was only hours old, trying to picture her growing up, it felt like a lifetime away.  {I'm even tearing up writing this, I'm such a sap!}

I laughed at the notion of a ceremony for preschool before, but now I get it.  The ceremony isn't for the kids, its for the parents.  Every parent in that room had nothing but smiles on their faces and their cameras and iphones rolling.  The school didn't have to do that, it was a great gesture and memory for the parents to keep with them forever.  The whole ceremony was over the top, but I think it was well worth it.  Well, here is to the class of 2014 :)

Staycation

Summer is well underway here.  A/C is on full blast and kids are out of school.  Now, I love traveling as much as the next person.  Especially going to a new country.  But, we aren't millionaires and I'm a SAHM.  We are fortune to travel off island, 1 or 2 times a year.  So we plan lots of stuff to do locally.  I mean, we aren't going to live here forever , so we gotta take advantage and see the sights.

One thing that we have done a lot of are staycations.  We not only have done them here, but we've done them in places back in the states.  When we were in WA, we would get a hotel room in downtown Seattle for the weekend and roam the city.  When we were in VA, we would get a hotel room in Northern VA and roam the city.  In CA, we would get a hotel room on the beach and roam the beach.  You get the idea.  But vacations don't always have to be to to new exotic places.  Plus, staycations are quick, fun, and cheap.

Luckily, we live on a beautiful tropical island, with an abundance of awesome hotels.  We booked a weekend at The Rizaan hotel.  Its literally 20 minutes away!  Not far at all.  We got together with 8 other families and planned a weekend there.  The hotel was awesome!  Right on the beach, indoor pool, outside pool, slides, restaurants, huge breakfast buffet included and the hotel room was reasonably priced.  We spent two days there, and we had a blast.  I swear, the kids became fish.  They didn't want to leave the pools or the beach.  Even though it was 20 minutes away from our house, I felt like I was on vacation somewhere else.  It was very easy to get into that vacation mind set.

Notable mentions:

Breakfast buffet::
When I booked our hotel our buffet was included.  I always love when this is included because breakfast is usually the only meal that I know for sure we will eat when we go on vacation. Throughout the day if we are sightseeing, beaching, pooling, we forget about time and we usually consume snacks rather then meals.  This buffet was huge,lots of selection and pretty good food.  They had traditional Japanese and American breakfast options.  There were also lots of fruit and veggies.  The options changed daily, which is nice!  So we started our days with a good hearty meal to keep us going for our long days.

Rooms:
The basic rooms, which is what we booked, was actually not too bad.  Especially in Japan!  We've been to a few Japanese hotels and most of the time the rooms are pretty tiny. Our room was small, but good enough.  We had 2 beds, a pull out bed, couch, coffee table, and mini fridge.  I was really surprised with the room.  I was thinking it would be tiny.  But it was a good enough size to fit all 4 of us comfortably.

Pools:
The hotel had 2 pools, one inside and one outside.  Both had areas for smaller children and water slides.  The outside pool did have a waterfall.  The kids loved going under it.  It was nice that there was the option of inside and outside.  Sometimes outside it was way too hot, Oki summers can be pretty brutal.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves at both pools.

Memories:
I know this sounds cheesy, I dont care!!!  We made lots of memories that weekend.  I loved seeing the huge smiles from my kids.  I loved seeing M relaxed and enjoying himself.  It was so much fun going with all our friends. I honestly was afraid when we were planning it, I thought it was going to be a mad house.  In the end, it was the more the merrier.  We kicked off summer with a bang!  I'm so excited for all the fun stuff this summer has to come!

My Dilemma

                    

I've always wrestled between being a SAHM {stay at home mom} and a WM {working mom}.  I go through many days where I want to get a job.  There are lots of times where I feel like I'm better suited to earn some extra cash for my family then staying at home.    A couple months ago out of frustration , having a bad day, and a lil bit of curiosity I applied for a couple jobs.    Positions that I really had no business applying for {way out of my field} but positions that I had interest in.  I actually got a call back for an interview a few weeks ago for one.  A position that I've been interested about but never had the opportunity.  I thought what the heck, I'll go and interview and sharpen my  interviewing skills and take it as a learning experience.  That is exactly how the interview went, it was a great interview we chatted and laughed and I could tell there was some chemistry.  I honestly thought I wasn't going to get an offer, surely there were other people more qualified.  Then it happened, a week and a half later, I got an offer.  The offer was low, I'm assuming because I had no experience in that field and being on island the salaries suck here.  I asked for a couple days to think about the offer and I would get back to them with an answer.

This is where my dilemma starts....to go back to work or to stay at home.  My first reaction was to take the offer, sure it was low but I wanted to try out the position, and if it didn't work out I would leave.   Then I thought about all the things I would have to change in my life, not only my life but my hubs and kids.  How would they adjust? I mean we've done it before....but I've been at home for awhile now and this would be a major change.  I talked to M about it and I asked him what he thought.  He said that he 120% will back me up with any decision I make.  He did express that he prefer that I stay home, he likes home cooked meals, he likes that the kids are in activities, he likes that most of the house work is done during the week so our weekends are free.  Then I got thinking, I like those things too.  Then I started talking to friends and family.  I got an email from a friend, who is a working mom who recently changed her profession so she can have a more flexible schedule for her family. She expressed to me how she wishes she could stay home with her son, that you can't get those years back and that there is no work experience out there that will fill your heart more then your children do.  She told me she wish she made the profession change years ago.  I had other friends msg me and say things along those lines, working moms who wish they could be in my shoes but financially they can't, other SAHM who also encouraged me to stay home.  I even had a few who said I should get back to work, since Amelia would be in school anyway.  The were a couple comments that stood out:: you can't get these years back and no work experience will compare to being there for your children growing up.

I made my decision.  I decided to decline the offer and stay at home.  I know there are days where I wish that I had taken that job, but I'm sure that the memories that I have with my kid will trump anything I can add to my resume.  There are many days where I feel inadequate or think my kids deserve a better mom.  I just have to realize that I'm trying my best and that's all I can do.  For now I'm going to stay at home and enjoy the time I can with them.  I know soon enough they will be packing up their things and going to college.  Waaaaah I don't even want to think about that!

Seoul, Korea

Another country to check off our list!  In all reality when my husband suggest Seoul as a family vacation I immediately wrote it off.  M had been there a few times for work and both times he returned home raving about it.  He assured me I would love it. So with great hesitation I booked the trip.

I ended up booking our airfare through Jin Air, got an awesome deal!  We flew directly into Seoul from Okinawa.  Cheap tickets, direct flight, baggage included...I'll take it.  For our hotel we stayed at the Dragon Hill Lodge.  We also got a great deal with them.  It is a hotel for military personnel, so the rate per night is determined by rank.  This hotel is located directly in Seoul.  Walking distance to shopping and sightseeing.  Another HUGE plus was this hotel was on a small base {Yougsan Army Base}.  So we were able to go to the exchange, there were known restaurants and they had banking facilitates.  Big plus in my book, I always get so nervous about using my credit cards overseas.

Anyways, so before we left we looked up things to do in Seoul.  And...that's when I got excited.  I'd like to think that I'm a pretty seasoned traveler with kids.  I like to have an itinerary because I like to plan and when traveling with kids planning is a must.  Since Amelia & Nolan are both under 5 {still toddlers} we planned to do things that we believed they can handle, we also gave them breaks and outlets to let out their energy.    Amelia is 4 so she doesn't sit in a stroller, but we brought one for Nolan.  Our hotel was in the heart of Seoul, but this city has lots of hills and my 4 year old can only walk for so long.  We did have to cab it to a lot of places.  There was the option for public transportation {bus} but I didn't want that hassle since we had limited time.

A few of the places we saw//

The War Memorial of Korea

Our first outing was to the Korean War Memorial.  The museum was free, big plus and walking distance from our hotel...another big plus.  I'm told that this is the largest war memorial in the world and they weren't kidding this place was huge!  Outside had a lot of stuff to see on display, things that you could touch and sit in.  Inside was nicely set up.  There were a ton of exhibits and a lot of information.  M being a military man and a lover of history had a ball.  I too am a lover of history and it was a nice museum.  The kids on the other hand, were not as interested. Amelia liked all the displays outside, Nolan ended up falling asleep so he just stayed in the stroller.  All in all, I'm glad we went.   There was a big section on the Korean War, lots of Americans fought in that war, it was nice to see them honor our military men and women.

Everland

Everland was my favorite day!  It's an amusement park, right outside of Seoul.  I asked the concierge at our hotel about how to get there, they recommended a bus, but we would need to take 2 buses to get there.  I didn't want to deal with that, so I asked about a taxi...they laughed and explained that its outside of Seoul so its going to be expensive.  We didn't care, we didn't want to deal with two toddlers on a public  bus.  So we took a  cab there, it was about $40 USD.  Not bad, it took about 30 min to get there.  Anyway, this place was a Disneyland wannabe BUT the prices were actually reasonable!!  Because we were foreigners our tickets were discounted and were only about $35 each for me and M,  Amelia was $30 , and Nolan was free.  We got into the park for less then a 1 day admission to Disney.  Now I know its not Disney, but it gave my kids the same fun!  We all had a blast.  Unfortunately Amelia couldn't ride all the rides she wanted, she even broke down after being turned away from a ride she wanted. It literally broke my heart. She is a definite thrill seeker, doesn't take after me at all!  She was wanting to go on rides made for teens and adults.  One day she will be able to , but that day wasn't it.  So we did everything under the sun that was in her height requirement.  It was great, no lines, she even rode rides more then once cause the lines were so short. The park was nice, there were trees everywhere and the decor was tasteful and fun. Did I mention how affordable things were?!  Every time I would ask a price to something I'm sure my jaw dropped each and every time!  We literally were buying every park picture {the picture that get taken on the ride}, any and every snack, my kids got a few souvenirs, I even got a couple.  It was fun.  They also had a big street parade.  We didn't recognize any of the characters but my kids still looked in amazement and danced along!  We were there when the park opened and we left around 6, we were all pooped.  They normally have fireworks nightly, but due to the missing kids in the ferry boat they were canceled.  I thought that was very respectful.  We ended up taking a cab back, this cab ride was more expensive, we left during traffic time so we spend $60 on the way back.  Still totally worth it, we all fell asleep on the way, couldn't do that on a public bus.  Plus we had to pile all the S we bought in the trunk.  All in all, my fave day of our trip.  I know we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  When I put the kids to sleep that night, Amelia thanked us for bringing her to Korea.  OMG...I die...

Gyeongbokgung Palace // The National Folk Museum of Korea// The Children's Museum of Korea ::

On our 3rd day we spent the day sightseeing.  These are all in the same area so we hit them up.  One very awesome thing was that President Obama was there visiting the palace at the same time so admission to the palace and museums were free!  Pretty cool!  The palace was enormous and the grounds were beautiful!  We saw the guards, but wasn't able to catch the changing of the guards, I guess that happens hourly but we didn't see. They really did stand there like statues.  We wondered the palace grounds for awhile, their architecture was beautiful and the details were amazing.  My favorites was the water garden, it was so peaceful and beautiful.

The kids museum was fun!  They had an exhibit for Korean Folk tales, pretty interesting.  I couldn't understand the stories but its fun learning about another culture.  The museum was colorful and had lots of activities.  The kids had fun running to each activity and playing.  There was some school kids there too and Amelia tried to tag along with them, it was the cutest.

Final Verdict::  We had a blast in Seoul.  We of course did some shopping and some eating and drinking.  I would totally suggest Seoul as a family vacation.  Our hotel was nice, and we got a great deal on airfare.  There was a lot to do and experience, we barely made a scratch on experiences there.  Maybe one day we'll go back and see the Seoul Tower or the DMZ.  But I loved our first experience.  I'm glad my hubs suggested going here, cause otherwise I would have passed on this awesome vacay.

Botanical Gardens anyone???

On Sunday , after the fight {boxing ppv} , my lil family headed to the Southeast Botanical Gardens.
When we first moved here it was closed.  I heard that it had been closed for about 6 or 7 years because it was buried in debt.  It recently opened back up in mid 2013.  Since the weather has been gorgeous these past few weeks I thought it would be a perfect time to go.  Not too hot, late afternoon, after naps, and most importantly no humidity.

Before going there I was worried about sun and bugs, so we stopped to buy some bug repellent and sun screen.  When we got there, the parking lot was almost empty.  I'm assuming the crowds came earlier in the day, it was nearly 4 when we parked.  It was 1500 yen for adults and since the kids were under 5 they were free.  There was also a tram ride we could add to our entrance fee but we skipped that since we had the stroller.

White Cows
There was this area in the middle of the water gardens that had about 10 bright white giant cow statues.  Of course, the kids ran directly to them and started climbing.  These cows actually get painted everyday.  At a certain time of the day anyone who is there can choose a cow to paint.  After painting is done and the pics are taken, the cows are painted white for the next batch of people.  Kinda cool.  Unfortunately, we were too late for this.  Seems like a fun and artistic thing to do with the family.

Feeding the Carp
One of the kids favorite things they got to do was feeding the fish.  It was 100 yen for a small ball of food.  The kids had a blast.  Nolan even tried eating it!  They laughed and squealed when the group of fish swam up to the dock.  It's the small things that get them excited.

Feeding the Monkeys & Cappybara
Another thing we were late for.  The last feeding is at 1600.  By the time we got there, they had just finished.  Amelia was pretty bummed about this, since I totally talked it up.  My bad.  But she got over it and had fun watching the monkeys and the cappybara in their cage.

The gardens were beautiful.  It was pretty serene since the sun was low and there weren't too many people.  We walked around as we pleased and the kids ran as they pleased.   The park is split in half, a water garden side and the regular gardens.  Both sides pretty big, the water side seemed bigger.  There were a few areas we couldn't get to since we had the stroller, stairs got in our way.    The water gardens were so cool.  The lily pads were huge.  They looked like a fairy tale or something.  The gardens inspired me to want to plant more flowers.  I would love to have a beautiful, colorful, lush garden.  Unfortunately I don't have a green thumb.  I'm sure we'll go again, especially since we missed most of the action.  They also do a night garden with lights all over, that would be fun.  Oh and I hear the buffet is delish, I'd rather go for the lunch at 1800 yen as opposed to the 3500 yen for dinner.  Till we meet again...