Court Of Dreams 2012

Ben and Madi are smack in the middle of their basketball season. They are on the same 4th-6th grade team. Earlier this month the YMCA and the NBA had an evening called Court Of Dreams. The kids got to go have a basketball practice with their team on an NBA court...the Sacramento Kings Arena. This is the same place a month before we saw the Lakers play. My kids thought they were IT!!! During practice Ben made 3 3 point shots...all in a minute on that huge NBA court...he WOWED everyone watching and people are still talking about him. Madi does so well hanging with all these middle school boys. She is a really good ball player! The older boys cheer her on and pass her the ball. Check out our girl in this photo...OFF THE GROUND. We are very grateful for such a wonderful experience...Court Of Dreams. It's so fun to see how awesome people make things for kids.

Ben's Christmas Concert

Last night was Ben's first band concert. It was wonderful. They played 10 Christmas songs. It seemed extra special to me because it was December 15th...my grandpa moseley's birthday!

Ben 1/112!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew Ben was getting all A's. Almost everyday we look online at both kids graded work that the teacher's are constantly uploading. I also knew most of the A's Ben was getting were like 99% type A's. But I did not know until 2 days ago that Ben was ranked NUMBER ONE of the whole 6th grade. We are so proud.

Tomorrow is the last day of school before Thanksgiving. We are handing out these gobbley treats. I loved the M&M's this year with those beautiful fall colors.

Seoul American Elementary School

Ahhh...Seoul American Elemetary School...it's so big in size but yet it's such a warm and close place. I am so glad my kids got to experience this famous school in the heart of Seoul. This elementary school has over 1,300 kids enrolled. There are at least 9 classes in each grade level. There are 2 music teachers, 2 art teachers.... It's almost the largest Department Of Defense school...some Army base in Germany has 50 more kids than this one. I have never seen a school quite like this one. The old buildings that house Seoul American Elementary School are the buildings that use to be the old 121 Army hospital (The 121 if you ever watched the TV show M*A*S*H) back during the Korean War...OLD...but yet so full of life.

The school is all these little buildings...almost like college campus life.

The building on the left is where Madi's 3rd grade class was and the building on the right is where Ben's 5th grade class was.

Madi's classroom were those first 3 windows.

From this part of the school you can see the Dragon Hill and Seoul Tower.

Me and mine yesterday morning at the bus stop before school. Yesterday was Ben's 5th grade graduation.

My handsome boys!

Today after school the kids and I stayed to play at the park and then walked to the foodcourt and PX. At this point we are near the Dragon Hill getting ready towalk over the bridge. This bridge was not here back in 1995-1996 when I came here for a few days. This bridge connects Main Post and South Post. Back in the day you would have to walk out South Post, walk across Itaewon Blvd. an enter Main Post. This bridge make life much better.

What a WONDERFUL year it has been. We will miss this place!!!

DMZ & North Korea

My kids have had field trips every Friday for the last 5 weeks. This past Friday both kids had plans, so Steve took off work to go with Madi to Seoul Land (like a Six Flags) while I went with Ben to the DMZ and North Korea.It's only maybe 35 miles from school to the DMZ...CRAZY!!! We drove through lots of rice fields to get there...I think it's so beautiful.




















We drove through lots of barriers. You can not get to North Korea by mistake.

We drove into Camp Bonifas. When we got up there they told us no cell phone us...and that our phones wouldn't even work. All of us adults pulled out our phones to check. Yep sure enough they were being jammed by North Korea...no signal.

PFC Futch was our security tour guide. He is too cute, funny and young...CLASS OF 2010. All of the parents on the bus cracked up that we were old enough to be his mother or father. Last May he was in high school and this May he is up here gaurding the border of North and South Korea.

Well here we are on Conference Row. Those Blue houses house meetings between..the good guys and bad guys. That white building is FULL of North Koreans. We we warned of that, that they would be watching our every move. There is no pointing, waving, running...be calm.

If you look close at the doorway next to my head and above Ben's you can see a North Korean guard. They had their binaculars and were walking back and forth.

Mostly Ben's class with a few kids from another.

Going in! This is where we stepped into North Korea.

Here inside...I am on the South Korean side...when you walk to the other side of the table you are in North Korea. So when the meeting between the 2 countries happen they sit on their respective sides.

Me, Ben and his friend Keegan.

You must at all times stay 1.5 feet away from the guards.

The Freedom House...built to host reunions of families from the North and South.

Overlooking North Korea. That town employs 43,000 Noth Koreans....some of the wealthiest North Koreans...they take home $20-$30 a month.

Overlook into North Korea. See that white tower on the right...it's a North Korean tower...they were watching our every move still.

Yes, we were at all times being watched by North Korea. The kids watched a film at school and MP's from Camp Bonifas came to the school a few weeks ago to brief everyone on what was to take place and to prepare the kids on what to do and not to do.

The Bridge Of No Return.

We got to go down into the 3rd Tunnel.

Mrs. Martinez's 5th Grade Class, Seoul American Elementary School.

It was a beautiful ride home along the river. The river is heavily gaurded until you reach the Seoul city limits. I can't believe we only live 35 miles from the DMZ and that it's so heavily guarded just a few miles from my house...I forget sometimes. I must say this was the most fun/unique field trip I have been on. We saw lots of other things but everything is CLASSIFIED. After going to the DMZ and into North Korea we can not donate blood for 2 years....just a strange piece of info. I had such a great time with the other moms too. We all love and are greatful for the chance to live here in Korea. What a special way to kick off our Memorial Day Weekend!

Run run as fast as you can...

...you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man. It's one of Madi's favorite books!. Here is our gingerbread tree in the kitchen...with all our new handmade ornaments.

Look at Ben's Korean. He rocks. He LOVES it!

Today I worked up at the kids school helping out with the medical screenings...eye exam, dental and my part with the scoliosis. I helped with the 5th grade girls...OMG!!! They completely freaked when they found out they had to lift their shirts all the way up. I had to explain we don't need to look at the front...we aren't looking at anyone's boobs...just their backs. It didn't matter if they had a bra on or not. These girls were a hoot. It was so fun helping out. I am so glad the school called and asked for my help.

It's Thanksgiving already here in Korea.

Ben got the award for being on the Principle's Honor Roll. He got all A's.

Knowing we are going to be moving to Northern California and the Giants are the World Champs he now sports a Buster Posey jersey...something other than a Georgia team, wow.

It's 0800 Thanksgiving morning here in Korea. This morning Steve is going to go play football with the Weather Squadron. And for Thanksgiving dinner all the weather people and their families are gathering at the squadron to celebrate and eat together. Last night when Steve walked in the door from work Madi and I were breaking the bread for our homemade stuffing. Steve joined in.

Korea: After N. Korea attacked S. Korea on Tuesday things got tense. Thankfully nothing has escalated since. Of course the S. Korean army and our military are on edge. We live 45 miles from the N. Korean border, so of course I was worried. When we moved here our family was issued gas masks we keep here at home as a precaution. But yesterday life went on as usual. All the military folks fall under Genral Order #1 this long holiday weekend...NO ALCOHOL. Everyone needs to be very alert. We don't drink anyway but for some this has changed their holiday plans.

We are going to miss having Thanksgiving with Steve's family this year. Every year we were stationed in Georgia we would eat and enjoy the day with his family. We got use to that. I am thankful to at least be together with Steve and the kids.

Happy Thanksgiving!

tintinnabulation....

Ben and his 4th grade teacher Mrs. Quillen. Monday was the awards ceremony for 4th grade. I was so proud of Ben. He raked those bad boys in. He is most proud of his Presidential Physical Fitness Award...that is pretty hard to get...only 6 kids in his class earned it.

Poor Ben got called up on stage a few times...you know he does NOT like to be the center of attention at all. But I sure was excited!

These are the three 4th graders who had all A's for the whole year. That little sweetie on the right in the sundress...Hannah, her mom and I agreed that it's too bad we are moving because those two would have been fun to see during the high school years...she is so smart, a level 6 gymnast, plays violin...right up Ben's alley.

Okay so Ben comes home Monday afternoon with his spelling/vocabulary list for the week...first word on there was tintinnabulation. I had to ask Ben how to say it and what it was. I am his mom and I have never seen or heard that word in my life.

He took some standardized tests...had the highest 4th grade score AND outscored all the 5th graders but one. If he didn't look so much like us I would wonder if he was really our child...I am so proud.

Pentagon

The kids in Ben's SAGE (gifted) class were given the assignment to pick a world landmark to write a report on and build a sturdy replica of...holy moly is kinda what I thought. Ben chose the Pentagon. Some of his friends picked the Eiffel Tower, Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Pyramids...makes me a little grateful for the Pentagon. Steve thought and thought how we could do this and then asked for my help...we used all my craft stuff. The foam board I use to make explosion books,the flags I use in tasty treats, my glue gun...that he has never used and my elephant gray paint. Our family learned alot about the Pentagon from this project. The neatest being the interesting fact that the Pentagon was dedicated on September 11, 1943...58 years to the day before the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

homemade thank you's

Tonight I made these yummy oatmeal scotchies...the recipe was on the back of the bag of butterscotch bits. They are for the kids teachers and the ladies who work in the office at Ben and Madi's school. I owe the ladies in the office so much. With Madi having Type 1 Diabetes she is up at the office a few times a day. She has to have her blood sugar checked before and after PE, before lunch and anytime she feels she has low blood sugar. Madi is such a quiet little girl but these ladies know how to lovingly handle her. At home Steve calls Madi loudmouth but anywhere else she barley makes a peep. Last year on her birthday my dad was here visiting and we went to Logan's for Madi's birthday dinner. Well to surprise Madi, my dad told the waitress it was Madi's birthday. So all the people came over with cake and singing....Madi cried, buried herself in my dad, almost threw up and we have never been back to Logan's.

Both Ben and Madi are being awarded Student Of The Month for September. So they do get recognized at school and eat free pizza up on the stage with their parents. I can't believe they both ended up getting it the same month but their lunches overlap so I will be a proud mama up on the stage tomorrow with one on each side of me.

All about teeth day

Ben got his braces on this morning.

Here is Hillbilly Madi. Her tooth was hanging by a thread this morning but she couldn't get it out before school. While dropping Ben off at school after he got his braces on, Madi's teacher walked through the office and told me her tooth came out. I am about to see her....I go up to the school to give her her insulin shot everyday at lunch. It's the first tooth she lost on the top. She is going to look so cute.