tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23940890082103006702024-03-13T15:56:47.541-04:00Chois-R-Usour journey through life, love, and laughter...Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.comBlogger416125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-69590690590342458332015-06-26T13:00:00.000-04:002015-06-26T13:00:02.259-04:00Next and Final Steps!<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
One hundred forty-five days. That's about 22 weeks. Or five months. It might seem like a random, arbitrary number, but that's how long we waited for our Emigration Permit approval. That's right, wait<strong><em>ed</em></strong>. Which means we are no longer waiting -- we got it!</div>
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Though we waited much, much, much longer than we had anticipated, we are SO very grateful things are moving forward and we are heading into our next and final steps. We had initially thought we would be in Korea at about this time, but with unexpected delays, that obviously didn't happen. We knew approval would come, it was just a matter of when. And now that when has happened we are ecstatic! </div>
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So, what happens next? Next, we wait for a court date -- our papers were submitted to the Korean Family Court the day after our approval and will be reviewed by a judge who will take our case. We anticipate we will hear about our court date within 1-3 months. Court dates are typically scheduled about 1-2 months after the notification, which puts us in Korea for our first trip any time between late August and November. After waiting so long for this step, we are praying hard that things will move a little more quickly for the next steps, but also trying to remain realistic. At this point, I'm thinking we'll be in Korea for our court date in late September. From there, we'll wait another 3-8 weeks for final approval and we'll be able to bring our sweet girl home. We are 99% certain our Choi Girl will be home for Christmas and everything will be done well before the end of the year.</div>
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It's been a long, long, long process (this past May was our 3 year mark!) and we're not finished yet, but we're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and we know we'll be bringing CG HOME SOON. Can't wait to have our little girl in our arms!!! We're coming for you, CG!</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-71455504283508446352015-01-30T21:19:00.000-05:002015-06-25T21:21:07.215-04:00EEEEEEEP!!!After over a year of waiting and having no movement within our adoption process for our Choi Girl, about a month ago, we received the news that our girl’s paperwork was submitted for her Emigration Permit, or EP — hence the EEEEEEP! <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/YC4Mr8PyLFtZ7y3RRBBOzRkXSxgLg4qUNCn3SkZAHhK3n5c1oukZFu-QzfJ1SumYMdwNvluhl03jZvg0hGgctv8tPA" /><br />
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So, here’s what this means…EP approval is one the final steps needed before we can travel to Korea to meet our daughter. Being submitted for our EP means that our case is (finally!) moving forward and we are inching towards the finish. After EP approval, our paperwork is submitted to the Korean Family Court and after review, we are given a court date, which will be the date which our first trip to Korea will be planned around. After our first trip, we will wait for our final approval and our visa interview date (which sets the date of our second trip) and we’ll finally be able to bring our girl home!
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Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-34806711819625040302014-03-11T14:01:00.000-04:002014-03-12T14:01:39.040-04:00awesome things my kid says.<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
So, yes, realizing that my kiddo is growing up is rather sucky. But one of the small silver linings is having conversations with Choi Boy. Kids are so unintentionally hilarious and say the most ridiculous things! After cracking up over some of the gems Lil' CB was (inadvertently) coming up with, I decided to start recording them in one place so we could hold on to them and <span data-mce-style="text-decoration: line-through;" style="text-decoration: line-through;">embarrass him </span> share them with him when he's older.</div>
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I personalized a pocket-sized Moleskine cahier notebook (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/122977512/customized-handwritten-small-moleskine?ref=shop_home_active_18">available in my shop!</a>) and started jotting away, even tucking it into my purse for extended trips. It's not the most sophisticated method, but it's quick, easy, and gets the job done. I'm nearly at the end of the notebook I started last Spring, and I plan on making another one once this one is filled and I look forward to having lots of filled notebooks to hold on to as the years goes by.</div>
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Here are some of my favorite gems captured over the last few months:</div>
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See what I mean? Awesome. And years from now, when CB is a teenager and hates talking to me, I'll crack open these little notebooks and laugh over and treasure these gems. (Why am I so sappy and emotional lately?? I'm going to be a mess on the first day of Kindergarten...never mind high school graduation...)</div>
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<em>Do you keep track of your little one's funny quotes?</em></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-83310303257502209532014-03-10T13:58:00.000-04:002014-03-12T13:58:47.390-04:00stop time.<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Hi, there. Remember me? I used to blog around these parts and then fell off the face of the internet about 6 months ago? (Yikes, 6 months?!)</div>
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We've been busy running our little rodeo, and although nothing's really changed from 6 months ago until now, somehow life just feels busier. And in addition to it feeling busier, all of a sudden it feels like we've really got a big boy on our hands... Over the past few months, we've seen our little Choi Boy grow up into truly a <em>boy</em>. No trace of toddler left in him and the preschooler in him is even beginning to slowly morph into this full-on boy. It's hard and scary to believe that in just 6 short months, CB will be a full-fledged school-age kid in Kindergarten!</div>
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As I think about this, I'm simultaneously in awe and disbelief that 1) I've managed to keep CB alive and well for several years (hardy har har) and 2) that time has been moving even more quickly than it did when he was a wee little one. And here's the thing about time: it's so stealthy...you've all heard that saying, "The days are long, but the years are short"? It's SO true. There are days that seem to go for, well, days, and then I blink and suddenly I've got this independent little man on my hands that doesn't need his momma nearly as much as he used to.</div>
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Don't get me wrong, CB still needs help with lots of things -- he's still in a 5-point harness car seat, for cryin' out loud (he's a looooong way from that 40-lb mark!). But, now at almost 4 and a half, he'll play independently for upwards of 2 hours; can shower almost completely by himself; fearlessly walks up to information desks and food service workers to ask for help at the library or at restaurants; and when he gets up in the morning, he gets up to use the bathroom on his own and starts playing basketball in his room, not caring that the hubs and I might still be asleep. (It's kind of hilarious to wake up to the sound of him shooting hoops in room and doing his own commentary. We often hear phrases like, "I'm on fire!" "He makes it all the way from downtown!!" at 6:30am -- for reals.</div>
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Also, he's totally into pulling crazy stunts like this:</div>
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On the one hand, it's been a lot of fun hanging out with my little big kid, and while whining is certainly still present, it's not nearly as awful as it was when he was younger. But on the other hand, I just want to stop time.</div>
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Stop time while CB is still little enough to be scooped up in my arms. Stop time while he is still little enough not to be embarrassed by endless hugs and kisses from his momma. Stop time while he's still got remnants of the soft, high-pitched little kid voice, with the cutest lisp ever to boot. Stop time while he still loves to draw me cute giant-headed people pictures just because. Stop time while he loves to sing songs to himself and said songs are ones like, "You are My Sunshine" and "Three Little Birds." Stop time while he plays independently, but still wants to be near me.</div>
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Stop time while he might not always need me, but always wants me.</div>
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I know the reality is that I <em>can't</em> stop time. So instead, I am going to make every effort to be more intentional and more engaged...because before I know it, I'll look back on this time, wondering how he got even bigger, even more quickly...</div>
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Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-83777270542353717902013-09-26T21:04:00.001-04:002013-09-26T21:06:05.925-04:00Super CB's Super Party!Choi Boy's birthday always falls during or right after the first week of school. As a teacher, it's a time that's always a *wee* bit hectic and stressful...just a wee bit. ;) But, since we love parties and and we love partying with our friends, and we especially love celebrating our little superhero, a party is always added to the mix!<br />
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This year, we combined two of CB's big loves: superheroes and golf! We found a great party package at a local county park that combined mini golf, carousel rides and a party tent. We kept things low-key with catered food from Chick-fil-A and brought some desserts and decor that fit in with the superhero/comic book theme. We told the little guests that they were all welcome and encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superhero, and delightfully, all of them came sporting some superhero costume or accessory! Even the hubs and I got in on the fun and wore Superman and Supergirl shirts. The kids had a blast playing mini-golf, riding on the carousel, playing on the playground, making superhero masks, giving themselves superhero tattoos and just stuffing their faces with super sugary sweets!<br />
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Here are some of my favorite snaps and moments from CB's Super Party (photographs courtesy of my very talented friend at <a href="http://threecontinentsphotography.com/">Three Continents Photography</a>):<br />
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CB and some of his best buddies!<img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" /><br />
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The one crafty DIY project I did for the party... The felt banner is from the Spritz line at Target and I made Choi Boy's name out of construction paper, drawing freehand and using 3 different sizes of plates to trace out the circular pieces. It took just over an hour to make and was lots of fun to do!<br />
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An antique carousel chock full of small superheroes!<br />
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One of the never-ending games of mini-golf!<br />
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In lieu of a cake, I made cupcakes and used (a lot of) food coloring to dye the frosting red, yellow, and blue -- the colors of Superman's uniform. The cupcake toppers came from Oriental Trading. I also made M&M cookies with red, yellow, and blue M&Ms and displayed the rest of the M&Ms in mason jars around the cupcakes.<br />
<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/09/25/super-cbs-super-party/carsons-birthday-13/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Carsons-Birthday-13.jpg" /></a><br />
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Lil' CB did not mind blowing out his candle on a tower of cupcakes!<br />
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We had so much fun at Choi Boy's party that I barely got any pictures on my own camera! I did manage to get some snaps on my iPhone...you can see the balls of cookie dough before I popped them in the freezer overnight (that's my trade secret for baking cookies!), as well as some other snaps of the little guests and my sister and me in our superhero masks! ;)<br />
<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/09/25/super-cbs-super-party/cbs-birthday-collage/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CBs-birthday-collage.jpg" /></a><br />
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We had a super time celebrating our Super CB!<br />
<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/09/25/super-cbs-super-party/carsons-birthday-12/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Carsons-Birthday-12.jpg" /></a></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-6549462519858475502013-09-09T00:00:00.001-04:002013-09-09T06:34:51.705-04:00Fantastic Four!It's hard to believe that I now have a four year-old child. I mean, seriously, where did the time go?? And, as silly as this sounds, FOUR just sounds old...it's fully out of toddlerhood and quickly moving into school-age territory...Yikes!<br />
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But, nevertheless, it's time to celebrate my little old man! Here are some tidbits about our newly 4 year-old Choi Boy:<br />
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<i><i><a href="http://www.threecontinentsphotography.com/">*Three Continents Photography</a></i></i></div>
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<b>Four is fun:</b></div>
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Without going into a lot of detail, I'll just say that three had its fair share of challenges. ;) The tail-end of three, however, was lots of fun and I think we're in for a great year! Now that CB knows more, he *gets* more and is quite amusing and entertaining. The conversations we are able to have now are so interesting and insightful and often hilarious. We've really enjoyed hearing his interpretations of things and listening to him explain his thoughts and reasoning. Of course, they don't always make sense, but that's part of the fun! For example, a few weeks ago, CB explained to me that people are like berries "...because berries can be all different colors like blue, and red, and purple. And people can be all different colors, too...like peach, and brown, and tan, and blue and silver." See? Fun. ;)<br />
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<b>Four year-old Foodie:</b><br />
We are grateful that Choi Boy has always been a great eater. He continues to be an adventurous little foodie and his latest favorites include blue crab, tuna rolls, anchovies, clams, mussels (do you sense a theme here??), roasted red peppers, and salad. Thankfully, he hasn't yet discovered lobster yet and my dad grills an amazing steak, so CB won't be depleting our finances with his eating habits...yet. And, also, don't let his fancy palate fool you. The boy also loves mac and cheese, french fries and all sorts of junk food goodness. We get along quite well in that department!<br />
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<b>Four is fearless:</b><br />
Throughout the summer, Choi Boy was conquering fears left and right! And within this past week, he's conquered a big one: swimming a few strokes with his head underwater! This is a huge accomplishment for our little fish who was not a fan of water in his face. We're still a ways off from really swimming, but he's definitely making progress. CB also learned to ride a two-wheeler and has loved cruising around the neighborhood on his "big boy bike". I'll say it again, those<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/06/27/balance-bike-rave/"> balance bikes</a> really are amazing! Last week, as an early birthday present, we bought CB a 12" bike with training wheels, brought it home, promptly took off the training wheels and gave CB a push and told him to pedal. He did. And he took off pedaling and riding his bike on that very first try! It's been incredible to watch him zoom around and he is so very proud of himself!<br />
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<b>Four year-old obsessions:</b><br />
It seems we are truly phasing out of all things trains...they're still here, but they don't get played with as often, which means I'm not always stepping over or tripping on train tracks! In their place, it seems superheroes are here to stay...which is fine by me and my nerdy self! Though we try to avoid a lot of the "bad guy" stuff, we've been having lots of fun with the watered down versions of our favorite superheroes through the Superhero Squad and the DC Super Friends. In fact, we just threw a superhero party for CB which I hope to blog about later this week!<br />
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<b>Four is full of learning:</b><br />
It has been amazing to watch how much Choi Boy has grown and learned this past year. His incredible memory and interest in just about everything continues to impress us and we hope his curiosity only builds and continues. CB will head to preschool again in a few weeks in the same program he was in last year. We are excited for another year with his fantastic teachers and can't wait to see all he will learn! Before we know it, he'll be 5 and heading off to Kindergarten, so we're going to soak up this year as best as we can! It's gonna be a great one -- I can feel it!<br />
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We love our little four-year old! Happy 4th Birthday, CB!<br />
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Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-19482426945554506882013-07-09T21:06:00.001-04:002013-07-09T21:06:30.964-04:00Bubble PaintingBubbles are such a quintessential summer activity, don't you think? If you're like us, they often become a year-round activity, too -- bubbles in the bathtub in the dead of winter are always a big hit at our house!<br /><br />And even though blowing bubbles is a classic activity, finding a fun twist to add to it is always exciting. In that vein, here's an easy activity to do with your little ones that is part bubble blowing, part craft, and on our Summer Fun List: Bubble Painting!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bubble-painting.jpg"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bubble-painting.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/08/bubble-painting/img_2605/"><br /><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" /></a><br /><br />Here's what you'll need:<br /><br />*Bubble solution (or bubble juice, as it's called in our house)<br /><br />*Bubble wands of different shapes and sizes<br /><br />*Plastic cups<br /><br />*Food coloring (you can also use <a href="http://amzn.to/16hLnYK">squeezable watercolor base</a>)<br /><br />*Large paper (we used 4 sheets of scrapbook paper taped together)<br /><br />Take the food color or watercolor, and mix it into the bubble juice in separate cups for each color. We used four basic colors: red, yellow, green, and blue<br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/08/bubble-painting/img_2606/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_2606.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Tape the paper to a large upright surface -- we used our garage door; an easel would also work and probably be way easier! ;)<br /><br />Then, take the bubble wands, dip them into the colored solution and blow towards the paper:<br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/08/bubble-painting/img_2614-2/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_2614.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/08/bubble-painting/img_2611/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_2611.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/08/bubble-painting/img_2609/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_2609.jpg" /></a><br /><br />That's it!<br /><br />It was fun to experiment with blowing big bubbles versus little bubbles; standing close versus farther away, and also seeing how the breeze affected the direction of the bubble. The best part was that it was rather unpredictable, so we weren't sure what our masterpiece would look like in the end... but because of the fun colors and different patterns, no matter what, it was sure to look great!<br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_26151.jpg"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_26151.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Once you are done with your bubble painting and it has dried, you can leave it as is, or use it as wrapping paper or as a card -- a great way to incorporate your kiddo's artwork into gift-giving!<br /><br />We had a lot of fun with this activity and will definitely be trying it again, perhaps with different colors next time!<br /><br /><i>*A quick note about clean-up: the food coloring bubble solution does require warm water with a spritz of cleaning solution to get off of surfaces -- it came off our garage door right away that way. We also got a few splashes on our clothes, but a quick squirt of stain remover and a wash in the laundry got those out, too!</i>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-47098443761949034372013-07-05T17:54:00.003-04:002013-07-05T17:56:23.811-04:00Summer Fun List 2013Yikes! I haven't been around these parts since MAY! Eeeeee...What can I say? I've been <strike>procrastinating </strike>busy! ;) Actually, there is truth in that. June always brings end-of-the-year madness and since school got out 2 weeks ago, we've been busy having fun!<br />
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And to help document our fun, it's time for our annual Summer Fun List!<br />
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<a href="http://chois-r-us.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-fun-list.html">Last year,</a> we had so much fun with our Summer Fun List and were able to complete almost all of the activities on it, so we knew that it would be a continuing summer tradition for our family. For this summer's list, I added many of the same activities that were tried and true because I knew that Choi Boy would love them, and I also thought that any repeated activities would also be met with new understanding and appreciation now that CB is older. We also added some new activities and included trips we had already planned onto our list, because who doesn't love things you can check off right away? ;)<br />
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For easiness' (or laziness' depending on how you look at it!) sake, I wrote up our Summer Fun List on our chalkboard this year. I figured if we wanted to erase a particular activity that for some reason we knew wouldn't work and add a new one in its place, it would be easy to do with the list on a chalkboard.<br />
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Here's what this year's list looks like:<br />
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<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/summer-fun-list.jpg"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/summer-fun-list.jpg" /></a><br />
Again, like last year, I wanted to make sure that the list had a good mix of activities, projects, and outings. I also wanted to make sure the list included a lot of low cost or free things (I LOVE free things!!). Finally, I also wanted to make sure the list wasn't too overwhelming and that completing most of it was attainable.<br />
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We've already checked off some of the things on our list and have scheduled dates to complete many others!<br />
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So far, we've already taken our first trip of the summer to Boston:<br />
<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/03/summer-fun-list-2013/img_2789/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_2789.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>(Do you recognize some familiar faces??)</i><br />
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And we really enjoyed a concert at a local outdoor theatre!<br />
<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/03/summer-fun-list-2013/img_2939/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_2939.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>(This is Elizabeth Mitchell and her band in concert. She is our favorite children's musician and is AMAZING in concert -- definitely worth catching if she's ever in your area!)</i><br />
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We've also taken a trip to our farmer's market and have begun our library's summer reading program. And even though some of the items on our list our things we do semi-regularly (such as visiting the farmer's market or going to our local farm), somehow, because they are on our list and we get to check them off, it makes the activities even more fun!<br />
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What activities do you have planned for you and your littles this summer?</div>
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P.S. On my Summer To-Do List is blogging. For reals, yo.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-1064294257420660742013-05-20T19:46:00.004-04:002013-05-20T19:46:42.446-04:00the easiest outdoor fine motor activity.Building and strengthening those little fine motor muscles are crucial in the early childhood years. Strong fine motor skills will come in handy as children learn self-help skills (for example, getting dressed, especially buttoning and zipping) and they take center stage with skills like drawing and writing. Because of that, I'm always looking for ways to help Lil' CB develop those little muscles in his hands and fingers.<br /><br />Enter the Easiest Outdoor Fine Motor Activity. Ever.<br /><br />This is an activity that I often suggest to parents and something I started with Lil' CB when he was about 18 months old. Here's what you need:<br /><ul>
<li>a cup of water</li>
<li>a paintbrush</li>
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And here's what you do: take the paintbrush, dip it in some water, and paint on the sidewalk (or the side of the house; or the deck; or the bench; or garage door; or the chalkboard, etc.). That's it!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2043/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2043.jpg" /></a><br /><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" /><br />As simple as this activity is, it has always proven to be a hit. It's just like painting, but there's no mess (holla!!!), and what's really cool is that the water quickly disappears, so it adds another element of fun.<br /><br />When I first started doing this with Choi Boy, I just let him go to town and he had a ton of fun just painting the ground and exploring how to use the paintbrush. Plus, dipping the brush in the water cup was a great way to help him with his hand-eye coordination. Now that he's 3 and a half, he still enjoys freely painting, but we also use the opportunity to practice letters:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2038/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2038.jpg" /></a><br /><br />And do some pre-writing activities, like practicing lines,<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2039/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2039.jpg" /></a><br /><br />zigzags,<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2042/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2042.jpg" /></a><br /><br />and squiggles!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2040/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2040.jpg" /></a><br /><br />We also use the evaporating water to add a few twists...we'll try to see how many letters we can write before the first one disappears or CB will call out a word and I'll say the letters out loud as I write them to see if we can finish the word before the first letter is gone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2041/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2041.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>
This is an activity we'll pull out several times a week and I'm always happy to do so because again, there is little to no mess! Hopefully your little one will enjoy this just as much as Lil' CB did and still does!<br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/15/the-easiest-outdoor-fine-motor-activity/img_2034/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_2034.jpg" /></a></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-56590754695636986802013-05-14T21:04:00.002-04:002013-05-14T21:04:39.892-04:00My Non-Uniform Uniform<div>
<i>(Originally posted on<a href="http://hellobee.com/"> Hellobee</a>!)</i></div>
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I tend to be a creature of habit. At the same time, I will admit that I love clothes and accessories (sometimes a little too much) and enjoy putting together daily outfits. Blend those two together and I often find myself wearing different versions of essentially the same ensemble!<br /><br />Our dress code at school is somewhere between business casual and casual (blue jeans only on Fridays), and since I'm often sitting on the floor or dancing with my students or just being altogether unladylike at school, I also need to think about being my work clothes being comfortable and functional. Because of that, and because of my habits mentioned above, I've discovered that a mix of a loosely fitted top, skinny pants, statement jewelry, and flats tends to be my just-right outfit for work and often on weekends, too.<br /><br />See Exhibits A, B, and C:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/10/my-non-uniform-uniform/photo-30-2/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/photo-30.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" />Here are some other pieces that I either own or would love to own that would fit right in with my "uniform":<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tops3.jpg"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tops3.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Tops: I prefer to wear tops that are fitted, but loosely so, so that they don't cling all over my momma muffin top but aren't too boxy and still show some shape.<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/shirtsandtops/casualshirts/PRDOVR~40818/99102916194/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~15~~20+17+4294966980~15~~~~~~~/40818.jsp">J Crew Boy Shirt in Dots</a> | 2) <a href="http://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/knits_tees/long_sleeve_tees/PRDOVR~50275/99102929299/ENE~1+2+218+22+4294967294+216~~~216+17+4294962048~15~~~~~~~/50275.jsp">J Crew Factory Crochet Eyelet Tee</a> | 3) <a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=72262&vid=1&pid=385586112">Old Navy Slub Knit Tee</a> | 4) <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Navigation/Sale/AllProducts/PRDOVR~58284/99102936950/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~20+17+4294966973~90~~~~~~~/58284.jsp">J Crew Featherweight French Terry Sweatshirt</a> | 5) <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/knitstees/longsleevetees/PRDOVR~25167/25167.jsp">J Crew Stripe Boatneck Top</a><br /><br />Bottoms: When skinny pants first came back on the scene in a big way several years ago, I resisted for a while because I don't love the shape of my legs (they're a bit bowed on the bottom). But, I soon discovered the awesomeness of skinny pants and they're about all I wear now. My favorite thing about them is that the bottom hems stay in tact because they don't drag on the floor!<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/pants/cafecapri/PRDOVR~57064/57064.jsp">J Crew Cafe Capri</a> in bright poppy | 2) <a href="http://www.target.com/p/mossimo-women-s-coated-skinny-denim-fit-3-assorted-colors/-/A-14340567#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink">Target Skinny Denim</a> in black | 3) <a href="http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?productId=0325_2170_309&catId=cat90034">AE Cropped Moto Pant</a> in olive | 4) <a href="http://www.target.com/p/merona-women-s-skinny-rolled-ankle-pant-fit-3-mint-polka-dots/-/A-14382349#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink">Target Skinny Pant in Mint Polka Dot</a> | 5) <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/denim/toothpick/PRDOVR~62443/62443.jsp">J Crew Toothpick Jean in Fresh Purple</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/acessories.jpg"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/acessories.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Shoes: I cannot wear heels. In fact, the last time I wore them, I fell down a flight of stairs (and I was completely sober!). I hope flats are around forever because they're my favorite and I love the variety of flats that are available.<br /><br />1) TOMS Classic Slip on | 2) <a href="http://www.target.com/p/women-s-mossimo-ona-ballet-flat-assorted-colors/-/A-13854173">Target Mossimo Ballet Flat</a> | 3) <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/toms-linen-ballet-flat/3433769?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Green&resultback=3356&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_8_A">TOMS Linen Ballet Flat</a> | 4) <a href="http://www.target.com/p/women-s-mossimo-watson-flat-strappy-sandal-tan-gold/-/A-14430711">Target Mossimo Flat Strappy Sandal</a> | 5) <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/maria-sharapova-by-cole-haan-air-bacara-flat/3229026?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Punch+Patent&resultback=550&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_1_A">Maria Sharapova by Cole Haan Air Bacara Flat</a><br /><br />Jewelry: I love big, bold and fun statement necklaces that accent my otherwise plain shirts. I don't like to spend a ton of money on costume jewelry, though, and have been very happy with my inexpensive pieces!<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_necklace_statement&ProductID=1043698896&VariantID=">Forever 21 Rhinestone Wreath Necklace</a> | 2) <a href="http://www.target.com/p/stone-shower-necklace-champagne/-/A-14411426#prodSlot=large_1_9">Target Stone Shower Necklace</a> | 3) <a href="http://www.francescas.com/product/champs-elys%C3%A9es+necklace.do?sortby=ourPicks">Francescas Champs-Elysees Necklace</a> | 4) <a href="http://www.baublebar.com/green-ariel-necklace.html">Bauble Bar Green Ariel Necklace</a> | 5) <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_necklace_statement&ProductID=1021839466&VariantID=">Forever 21 Opaque Rhinestone Chain Necklace</a><br /><br /><i>What about you? What's your go-to non-uniform uniform?</i>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-81305748210597570182013-05-08T15:19:00.002-04:002013-05-08T15:20:32.970-04:00Why I Hate Thomas the Tank EngineI've shared in a few previous blog posts about my disdain for a certain little blue tank engine. But, I've never shared exactly why I dislike him so much. So, indulge me for a moment while I dive into the incredible annoyingness that is Thomas the Tank Engine.<br />
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First off, he and his buddies are freaky. In fact, it took Choi Boy a while to actually warm up to Thomas and his friends and he called them scary for a long time (while I not-so-silently-cheered and happily directed him towards other toys and characters). The exaggerated facial expressions scared CB and I was happy to keep him away from them. However, once CB became super interested in the trains, the exaggerated faces became hilarious to him and I'm sad to say that he often imitates them. Especially the angry faces. Grrr. Literally. (On the other hand, check out <a href="http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/our-publications/reports/our-policy-and-research-reports/children-with-autism-and-thomas-the-tank-engine.aspx">this fascinating study</a> about children with autism and their connection with Thomas and Friends' exaggerated expressions!)<br />
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Secondly, Thomas and his friends are often whiny and pouty and boastful and mean to each other. They make fun of each other; play tricks on one another; and everything is always a competition between the trains. And they're always getting into trouble with Sir Topham Hatt! Their behavior is just not what I want my 3 year-old to watch and absorb.<br />
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Finally, he's eeeeeeverywhere. I'm not kidding. EVERYWHERE. When we were in Korea in 2010 he was everywhere there, too! You're probably wondering why on earth I would expose my child to Thomas when I dislike him so much. The thing is, I don't. Not really. But, if we walk into the book store or library, the Thomas books are prominently displayed. And when we go to friends' houses, and all the kids want to watch Thomas, I'm not going to be *that* mom and not let my child watch. And, of course, when Choi Boy doting aunts, uncles, grandparents, great uncles and great aunts find out he likes Thomas, Thomas he gets. What's worse is that, as Mrs. Yo-Yo once said, Thomas is the gateway train and only sets some major train-lovin' in motion. Sigh.<br />
<img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" /><br />
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Since that darn tank engine is everywhere, we do try to limit his exposure to him when we can, esepecially when it comes to watching the Thomas and Friends show. At home, I don't let CB watch Thomas. We don't get the channels that show it on our TV, so the only way CB can watch is online or on DVD. We once borrowed a couple Thomas DVDs from the library and quickly decided we would not be borrowing anymore. I do let CB borrow one Thomas book from the library on each visit, because as silly as it sounds, I do want to respect his literary choices.<br />
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We've really cut back on CB's screen time, but when he does watch something on the tube (maybe a total of 1-2 hours on the weekends only), here are the shows that are momma approved for Choi Boy (and while I still have almost full control of what he does and doesn't watch, we'll be sticking to this list!):<br />
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<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/03/why-i-hate-thomas-the-tank-engine/daniel-tigers-neighborhood/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/daniel-tigers-neighborhood.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/daniel/home-2/">source</a></div>
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<a href="http://pbskids.org/daniel/">Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood</a>: People, I love this show. LOVE it. (Confession: sometimes I watch it on my own. On purpose.) It is so developmentally appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers and the songs are so catchy and fun. I love the connection to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (an old favorite of mine) and the lessons are simple, yet powerful. Plus, the characters are so darn cute!<br />
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<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/03/why-i-hate-thomas-the-tank-engine/curious-george/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/curious-george.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pbssocal.org/events/date/ready-to-learn-workshop-patterns-with-curious-george">source</a></div>
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<a href="http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/">Curious George</a>: Yes, it's true, George is a mischievious little monkey. But he's never malicious, and I always play up the fact that George is a monkey and not a child which can be used to explain some of his crazy antics. I also love that there is a Math or Science lesson embedded within each 12 minute episode.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/03/why-i-hate-thomas-the-tank-engine/superwhy_buzz/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/superwhy_buzz.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://buzz.wqpt.org/?cat=3">source</a></div>
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<a href="http://pbskids.org/superwhy/">Super Why</a>: I feel that some shows that try to integrate letter learning and early reading skills can often feel forced, but I don't feel that with Super Why. Also, the methods the characters use to boost phonological awareness are actually pretty sound.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/03/why-i-hate-thomas-the-tank-engine/chuggington_slide_main/"><img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/chuggington_slide_main.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/chuggington/">source</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.chuggington.com/">Chuggington</a>: Chuggington has become our great train compromise. While there is a little more silliness and poking fun in this show versus the ones listed above, it is still presented in an age-appropriate way with much more easy-to-read redemption in those situations. Plus, this show has many more positive female characters, which is something that is seriously lacking in the Thomas stories. I really love the fact that the fastest chugger is a girl!<br />
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While I can't keep Choi Boy totally and completely away from Thomas the Tank Engine, I am not ashamed to admit that I will excitedly tout the awesomeness of of the characters on my "approved" list in order to downplay Thomas...I'm so bad. ;)<br />
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<i>Tell me I can't be the only one...what children's characters do you hate? Which do you love?</i>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-54498306251926460362013-04-28T13:02:00.005-04:002013-04-28T13:02:51.641-04:00Chores for CB<br />
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I'm a firm believer in chores. Not so much to earn an allowance, but to instill a sense of responsibility and partnership in helping your family at home. Since young children love "helping" out, it was easy to capitalize on that desire at a very early age and help Choi Boy develop the routine of doing his chores.</div>
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For example, CB has always loved helping with the laundry and helps by putting clothes into the washer and pulling clothes out of the dryer. He also likes to pour detergent into the washer and he firmly believes it is his job to press the "play" button on both the washer and dryer. He also loves Swiffer-ing the hardwood floors and loves to have a turn after I've done an initial sweep. While both of those examples require direct adult guidance and set-up, we've also been working on chores that CB can do with near complete independence.</div>
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When Choi Boy came home at 15 months, he had good comprehension of things we were saying and was able to understand simple one-step directions like, "Put your shirt in the hamper." That soon became one of his jobs and he knows that it is his job to put his dirty clothes in his hamper. Now at three and a half, he also asks whether his clothes go in the hamper or on top, since he re-wears some pieces of clothing (pajamas for 2 nights, jeans and sweatshirts for 2 or 3 wears, etc).</div>
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As his physical ability and agility developed, we added more to the list of chores he is able and expected to with little to no help. When introducing the idea of independent chores to CB, we framed it by telling him that these would be ways for him to help his family. We told him that we all have jobs outside the house (his being going to school) and that we also have jobs inside the house. We also told him that since he was able to do so much more, we were trusting him with doing these jobs because we knew he could do them and do them well.<br /></div>
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I toyed with the idea of creating an actual chore chart, but in the end decided that right now it might be more work for him and me to keep up the routine of a chore chart since he does so well either remembering his jobs on his own or does them with one reminder. I think when CB is older and able to handle chores that are more specific and less time-dependent (for example, vacuuming or dusting) and/or he is able to read and keep track of time and days of the week (for chores like "take the recycling out on Thursday"), we will implement a chore chart.</div>
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So, what are CB's chores? At three and a half, he has 4 "major" chores in addition to small responsibilities such as getting dressed or putting his dirty clothes in the hamper. His current jobs are: setting the table (this is also a great way to practice counting and sorting!); wiping the table with a wet cloth after meals -- he does the initial wipe to take care of the crumbs and then I do another wipe with cleaner; keeping his shoes lined up and orderly on the stairs (our tiny garage does not have enough space for all of our shoes and since we are a shoe-free house, keeping them on the stairs helps CB quickly get his shoes on before leaving the house); and feeding the dog before breakfast and dinner.</div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/04/26/chores-for-a-lil-cowboy/chore-collage/" href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/04/26/chores-for-a-lil-cowboy/chore-collage/" rel="attachment wp-att-54873"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-54873" data-mce-src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/chore-collage.jpg" height="600" src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/chore-collage.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /></a></div>
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All of these chores are ones that CB can do independently and without much supervision (except when he's standing on the chair like that!). He is so proud that he can help in these ways and takes great care in doing his jobs. We did have some issues with him feeding the dog (because it was just too tempting not play around with all that kibble!), so he lost the "privilege" of doing that chore for a few days and once he "earned" it back, he has shown greater responsibility and restraint when scooping our pup's kibble. ;) Funny story, CB truly does take pride in being able to care for our dog and has been overheard many times saying things like, "Be patient, girl...I have to help you because you don't have arms, okay?"</div>
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We'll continue to build on this list of chores as CB grows older and we hope that it continues to build a sense of responsibility in our little dude. I'm sure there'll come a day that CB will see these chores as, well, a chore, but our hope is that even then, the idea of helping at home will be so ingrained in him that he'll do them anyway without much of a fight. (Haha...I can just picture a middle school-aged CB just rolling his eyes at that!)</div>
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<em>What are some ways your kiddo helps around your home?</em></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-20175928215672960212013-04-19T20:39:00.001-04:002013-04-19T20:44:26.774-04:00a lovely day on the farm.<div style="text-align: center;">
Have I mentioned before how much I love where we live? Well, I do, I really do. One of the things I love most is our parks authority and all of the awesome (and free!) places that are available to us through it. Here we are just outside a major city and a few miles down the road, nestled in between suburban subdivisions, is a working farm, complete with an old farmhouse, preserved to interpret a farm during the 1920s-1950s. It's one of my favorite places around here and we love to visit throughout<a href="http://chois-r-us.blogspot.com/2011/02/choi-macdonald.html"> the</a> <a href="http://chois-r-us.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-coldest-easter-egg-hunt-ever.html">year</a>.<a href="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/74F4FB8F-CA9B-4371-AA4C-3750B191D3EA-7156-000007D65F0A5F9C_zpsb0dc2cf5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/74F4FB8F-CA9B-4371-AA4C-3750B191D3EA-7156-000007D65F0A5F9C_zpsb0dc2cf5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>At first glance, you'd think this sweet farm was out in the country, but nope, it's just down the road!</i></div>
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Yesterday was one of those Spring days when you just had to get outside and bask in the breezy sunshine, allergies be darned. ;) We headed over to the farm with some of our favorite friends and we were met with the exciting news that the barns were filled with new babies, including baby goats born just that morning!</div>
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<a href="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/0BF0F37C-A6B5-4363-BF72-08D06ABAD6CD-7156-000007D6B13F4FEC_zpsd1cda513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/0BF0F37C-A6B5-4363-BF72-08D06ABAD6CD-7156-000007D6B13F4FEC_zpsd1cda513.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Those piggies were so cute! And I love how they look like they're walking around on high heels. ;)</div>
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Unfortunately, Choi Boy was acting like a total city slicker and did this the entire time we were around the animals:</div>
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I'm not kidding. The ENTIRE time.</div>
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<a href="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/3CF3D5DF-B611-4F28-9E01-A3666E065ECB-7156-000007D6A7A02A08_zps28d28a98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/3CF3D5DF-B611-4F28-9E01-A3666E065ECB-7156-000007D6A7A02A08_zps28d28a98.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So embarrassing.</div>
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We even got to watch and help with the daily cow milking!</div>
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Of course, CB wanted nothing to do with cow milking...</div>
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<a href="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/9EAC0DD6-E35A-4E27-88B9-049A1ABCAAA2-7156-000007D65083DB79_zps2d79d2d8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/9EAC0DD6-E35A-4E27-88B9-049A1ABCAAA2-7156-000007D65083DB79_zps2d79d2d8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and eventually walked himself out of the barn and waited for us by the door.</div>
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LAME.</div>
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Fortunately for CB, the old tractors were not as smelly.</div>
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And, really, the mommies cared more about the sweet little baby animals more than the kiddos, who were happy to just run and run and run around the farm and playground. (I wish I had even a quarter of that kiddo energy!)</div>
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Of course, since we were there with CB's little lady, we were able to capture some more sweetness for their future wedding slideshow...;)</div>
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<i>Can't even stand it. </i></div>
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So thankful for sweet friends, sweet Spring days and sweet outings...</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-17872582628235318892013-04-12T14:27:00.000-04:002013-04-12T14:27:54.910-04:00they see me rollin'...Yeah, I know. I made a big stink about how I was going to be a better blogger and here I am, posting my very first April post on the 12th of the month. We've been batting a NASTY stomach bug that's been going around, so that's my excuse. Besides, you wouldn't want an entire post about <i>that</i>, would you?<br />
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Anyways. On days when we haven't been sick, Choi Boy has been loving riding his balance bike. He received it for his 3rd birthday from his Hahmuhnee and Hahbuhjee and while he enjoyed it in the fall, CB has really taken off on his rollin' and ridin' skillz during the last month.<br />
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If you're not familiar with balance bikes, they are toddler/preschooler sized bicycles with 2 wheels and no pedals. The concept is that as kids learn to scoot and balance on the bikes (think Fred Flinstone -- scoot, scoot, scoot and glide), they will transition more easily into riding a two-wheeler without having to first ride with training wheels. I've been really interested in them since I first heard about them a few years ago and last summer, when we saw a pack of preschool-aged boys cruising on their balance bikes, we were sold!<br />
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CB just recently gained the courage to really balance (instead of just scooting around) and loves going for long glides and down small hills. Indulge me if you will (3 times) and check out CB in action:<br />
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<i>(BTW, the second and third video were taken only a week a part. We've had some wacky weather!)</i></div>
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It's so fun to watch our little guy on his little bike...if he keeps up with it, I think we might try to get him on a two-wheeler this summer!Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-76980108015311078642013-03-31T11:00:00.000-04:002013-04-14T19:53:33.391-04:00egg-cellent. I know, if you're still around this neck o' the blogosphere and reading this, you're probably thinking, "Who is this consistent blogger that has taken over Chois-R-Us??"<br />
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But, as you can tell from the pun-tastic titles, it's me. You see, I still have a few posts from January and February that I never wrote. And I don't really feel like playing catch up again. So instead, I'm going to try to just keep up with things from now on. We'll see how long that lasts. (My bet is on 3 weeks. ;) )<br />
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Anyway, yesterday, we went to an Easter Egg-stravaganza sponsored by a local church. They had some great activities for the kids and Choi Boy had a total blast!<br />
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Of course, before we dove into things, we had to take the obligatory picture with the obligatorily creepy Easter Bunny.<br />
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<i>Why does he (she?) look so angry??</i></div>
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Once we put our kiddo through the necessary EB torture, we headed off to the Egg Roll! <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(sidenote: before we walked over, I said, "Oooh, look! Let's go do the Egg Roll!" to which the hubs responded, "Mmm...egg rolls...I want one.")</span></div>
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At one point, CB thought it wasn't going fast enough, so he tried to throw the egg and bat it with the wooden spoon. That's my boy! ;)</div>
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And then it was off to the moon bounce! The moon bounces were divided up by ages, which was great, so CB didn't have to contend with any really big kids, and instead could really go at it!</div>
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After that, some parachute fun!</div>
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It was some serious "hare"-raising fun. ;)</div>
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Finally, some giant bubble blowing!</div>
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Phew! After all that, CB had worked up an appetite and spent some time munching on the candy he won and some pizza. And there was also some lounging.</div>
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Now that CB is a little older and able to really *do* things, we have such fun at these kinds of events. So thankful for the community members that put them together for families to enjoy!</div>
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And yes, despite his face here, CB really did enjoy himself. This is just his, "Quit with the picture-taking, Mommy!" face. ;)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Happy Easter to you and yours! He is risen indeed!!</i></span></b></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-71919428498588028512013-03-30T20:38:00.003-04:002013-03-30T20:40:11.566-04:00a trolley good time!To finish off our Spring Break, we headed off to the National Capital Trolley Museum with some dear friends. Quite honestly, the grown-ups' impression of the place was a resounding, "meh," but the kids certainly had a trolley good time! (Last time, I promise.)<br />
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There were model trolleys to "operate,"<br />
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Some trolley crafts to work on,</div>
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And some general running amok while waiting to ride the trolley!</div>
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And then it was trolley time!</div>
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I had envisioned an old school trolley from decades ago, but it turns out this trolley was a transplant from Toronto circa 1994 (which I suppose *is* decades ago...yikes, how scary is that?!). It also meant that the insides were plastered with ads for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Wings, and the Ricki Lake show -- hello, middle school!</div>
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Once we got on the trolley, we were told to remain seated for the entire ride.</div>
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Within a few minutes, that suggestion was taken very lightly.</div>
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And then the littlest member of our clan gave those hooligans a staredown,</div>
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And whipped them back into shape!</div>
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At the end of the ride (it was a short little loop with a break for a trolley lecture in between...seriously), we tried to get a shot of the 4 walking kiddos, and this happened:</div>
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Figures.</div>
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Then we went to go check out some old street cars (none were named Desire...<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>sorry, I couldn't help myself</i></span>),</div>
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And tried another attempt at a group shot before heading out:</div>
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Yeah, notsomuch. </div>
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Oh well, grateful for great friends and fun times with our kiddos!</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-80508355211966347202013-03-28T15:25:00.001-04:002013-03-28T15:34:38.942-04:00the coldest easter egg hunt ever.I know, I can't believe it either. Here I am, posting 2 days in a row. Whaaa?<br />
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So, yesterday I shared about the super cold and wintery March we've been having. As I mentioned, the weather pendulum has been swinging between warm-ish Spring-like days to full-on winter weather days. Of course, last weekend when we were scheduled to participate in an Easter egg hunt at a local farm, it was a full-on winter weather day. Yay.</div>
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When I signed Choi Boy up for this egg hunt, I had visions of him dressed adorably in sweet pastels, complete with a straw fedora. I thought we'd have fun hunting for the hidden eggs that would be cleverly placed in flower beds or between fence posts. And I envisioned us admiring and cooing over the sweet new baby lambs, chicks and calves over in the stables before we headed home to check out the loot in CB's eggs.</div>
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Yeah, not one bit of that happened.</div>
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First, it was FREEZING. Literally. We were bundled up in full winter gear, complete with boots because it was starting to snow. </div>
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You can see how excited CB was about being bundled up. And you can see my pretend excitement in my overly cheesy smile. </div>
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Secondly, those clever hiding places? Didn't exist. </div>
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Look at how the eggs were "hidden":</div>
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I suppose this could also be called the Lamest Easter Egg Hunt ever, too.</div>
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But, regardless, we tried to make the most of it, and CB did have fun running around and putting eggs in his basket.</div>
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All of that took about 8 minutes. And as soon as we were done we made a beeline to the car and drove home through the snow.<br />
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And the eggs? We came home super excited to open them and found that they didn't contain one bit of sugary goodness and instead, each egg held 1 thing like a tattoo or a tiny eraser or a fake coin. Lame.<br />
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Oh well. CB did have fun and he loves playing with now empty plastic eggs...We have another egg hunt we'll be going to this weekend, and hopefully we won't have to wear snowsuits this time!</div>
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Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-69031852739956956802013-03-27T22:53:00.002-04:002013-03-27T22:53:40.494-04:00in like a lion, out like a...lion?If you know me in real life, you've probably heard me complain about being cold. Like, once every hour. Winter is definitely not my favorite. And this winter has been chock full of blah. We got weird weather patterns where it would be sunny and Spring-like and then the next day it would snow! We didn't have any major snowfall this year, but just lots of little showers of wet, fluffy snow.<div>
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Of course, the most significant snow we got would happen in March, when winter was supposed to be on its merry way. You know how they say March comes in like a lion? It did. We had our one and only snow day during the first week of March:</div>
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So, naturally, we got out the beach toys and went out for a romp in the snow!</div>
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<br />And of course, hot chocolate was to be had afterwards!<br />
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You know how the rest of that saying goes, "...out like a lamb"?<br />
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Yeah. Not so much.<br />
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Because on our first day of Spring Break, we second biggest snowfall (a measly 3 inches, but whatevs) of the season.<br />
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Yup.<br />
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Choi Boy woke up squealing, "It's snowing! It's Christmas!" It really did feel more like Christmas Break than it did Spring Break! At least we got a fun snowman out of it...<br />
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My boys had a ton of fun outside, especially when they ganged up on momma and pelted me with snowballs. And the shifty-eyed snowman? He promptly melted after the temps got up to 40 degrees and 2 days later, there is no snow in sight. Hopefully, we won't see more the white stuff again until next Winter!</div>
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Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-40104453456685917562013-03-09T15:21:00.002-05:002013-03-09T19:28:38.822-05:00CB v3.5Time is a jerk.<br />
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There is no way my baby can already be three and a half. It feels like I just wrote his <a href="http://chois-r-us.blogspot.com/2012/09/whee-cb-is-three.html">three year update</a>... Heck, it feels like I just wrote his<a href="http://chois-r-us.blogspot.com/2012/03/big-3-0.html"> two and a half year update</a>!<br />
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But, alas, Choi Boy is growing up and is now halfway between 3 and 4. And here are some things that our 3 and a half year-old is up to...<br />
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
First up, some stats: our little guy is still on the little side at just under 38" and about 32 pounds. He wears a toddler size 8 shoe and is mostly in 2T clothes, but also has some 3T pieces he is starting to wear and even has some 18-24 mos stuff he still fits into! I think we're hitting a growth spurt, though, because my good eater is suddenly a <i>phenomenal </i>eater and has been eating as much as I eat (and I EAT -- I am not one of those "just a side salad with dressing on the side" girls! ;) ) at meals!<br />
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<b>Thrilling Threes</b><br />
To be frank, three has been a challenging age. CB knows more and understands more and therefore wants more -- more independence, more stuff, more everything...and the defiance and tantrum that will sometimes ensue when he doesn't get more ain't pretty. But, this is neither the time nor the place to go into further detail about CB's less than awesome traits, so that's all I'll say about that. (Also, I don’t believe in the Terrible Twos. Someone recently told me that whoever coined the phrase “Terrible Twos” hadn’t yet gone through the Threes with her child yet. Ha!) However, there has also been so much about 3 year-old CB that is loads of fun! My friend once told me that as her son got older, the hard times definitely got harder, but the sweet times also got so much sweeter. So far, I'm going to have to agree with that!<br />
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<b>Chatty Choi Boy</b><br />
When we're out and about, the thing that people comment most about is how much CB talks. I am not kidding when I say that he talks ALL. day. long. He will talk to anyone and everyone about anything and will narrate pretend play situations when he's playing by himself. He'll say things like, "'Don't go down there!' he cried. 'But I'm stuck!,' she shouted back." It's actually very cute, but can sometimes drive you slightly nuts in certain situations (like, say, when you're driving around looking for a place you've never been to and your child keeps talking over the GPS lady. Not that that's ever happened or anything.).<br />
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I sometimes wonder what people think when they overhear snippets of CB's conversations. Like yesterday when we were dropping off a prescription and CB wondered aloud, "Mommy, whose husband am I?" or when we were at the autobody shop and he asked, "What is this giant phone for? Where do you see the emails?" (He was asking about a fax machine) or when we were grocery shopping and he wondered, "Does everyone have a butt? Even Moses? Even Jesus?" or when we were at the shoe store and he squealed, "Oh, Mommy, look at those adorable leopard print shoes! Are they your size?" (I *might* take him shopping with me too much...)<br />
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Never a dull moment with this one!<br />
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<b>Ciao, Choo-choos?</b><br />
CB's love of trains seems to be slowly
waning. While they have provided hours of independent play (usually
daily!) for CB, I can't say I'm sorry to see them make their final
departure. There is only so much (annoying, whiny) Thomas a momma can
take, you know?? I think they'll still be around a little bit longer,
but they're definitely of less intense interest than before. It seems
that superheroes might be next on the obsession list, and I am
not-so-secretly excited for that -- I mean, c'mon, Superman is SO much
cooler than Thomas.<br />
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(Cue the awesome Clark Kent/Superman montage, please.)<br />
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<b>Music Man</b><br />
CB is also big into making up songs and singing songs lately. He is embarrassingly obsessed with "Gangnam Style" and will break into the dance at any given moment. This is especially embarrassing at church. Other favorite songs include, "I Like to Move it, Move it," "Three Little Birds," "Jingle Bells," "Father Abraham," and "Jesus Loves Me." It should be noted that he sings none of these songs with all of the correct lyrics! "You are My Sunshine" holds a special place in our hearts and any time CB hears it, he turns to me and says, "It's our song, Mommy!"<br />
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Here's a sampling of CB's singing "skillz". Please ignore my stage mom attitude as I press him to keep singing:<br />
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<b>Mock Jock</b><br />
Choi Boy still loves all sports and is always on the move. However, we've learned over the last 6 months that he is not quite ready for organized sports. He took a weekly soccer class in the Fall and while he really is quite good at handling the ball and kicking and dribbling it, he spent most of the class not doing what the teacher was asking and trying to play basketball instead. We also sampled a gymnastics class and it was the same story...He totally thought he was hilarious, though. (Me, notsomuch) We were going to hold off on more classes, but CB has asked to take swimming lessons, which we want to start sooner than later any way, so we'll see how it goes when we start in May! My dad also wants to start working on CB's golf skills once the weather gets warmer, so perhaps more individualized sports are the way to go for our ball of energy!<br />
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<b>School Dude</b><br />
Choi Boy continues to love school and is having lots of fun with his "school buddies," as he calls them. He loves learning and still has a deep love and appreciate for books (lately, his favorite is his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Deluxe-Edition/dp/0310718783/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362803670&sr=8-3&keywords=jesus+storybook+bible">Jesus Storybook Bible</a>), which makes this teacher momma's heart burst with pride. CB also seems to know all his uppercase letters, most of his lowercase letters, numbers 1-10 (he actually learned these from the numbers on the Thomas trains...I suppose they *are* good for something!), and has recently become very interested in letter sounds. He's been really into saying a word, isolating the first sound, and then telling me the letter it starts with. He's also been listing things that (he thinks) start with the same letter -- he doesn't yet believe me that <i>kitty</i> and <i>cake</i> start with different letters. CB loves spelling his name and my name out loud and has also taken an interest in writing his name. But because I've been insistent that he write lowercase letters for all the letters after the capital C, I don't anticipate that he'll master this for a while longer.<br />
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Shortly after he turned 3, CB started drawing people with a face and legs and arms coming out of the head. His drawings are so cute! This one is my personal fave, from a birthday card for his "girlfriend". They are holding hands:<br />
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(I love that they have eyebrows!)<br />
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<b>Thrilling Threes</b><br />
I know I started this post lamenting the woes of parenting a three year-old, but after writing all of this out and really thinking through what CB is doing lately, I have to admit, it really is a lot of FUN, too! It's so awesome to have actual conversations and inside jokes and to hear and see all the things the CB is able to say and do. He loves to reminisce about recent (and even not so recent -- his memory is amazing!) events and pray for people he's thinking about. He can be so tender and kind and has developed a serious love for babies. He loves to create imaginative play scenarios and he really is never bored. Yes, there are tantrums and moments of sheer preschool irrationality, but hanging around a three a half-year old really <i>is</i> thrilling...<br />
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I just love him so.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-83934657613581117962013-02-28T15:15:00.001-05:002013-03-10T21:27:08.272-04:00mis(ter)pronunciation.I know I *just* posted about Choi Boy's talking, but language development has been my favorite part of CB's growing up. Hearing him talk and having conversations with him softens the blow that my baby is getting bigger!<br />
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You've read some of the gems of CB's chats, but I wanted to be sure to write down some of his current mispronunciations and misinterpretations. Mostly because it's so darn cute! (I'm also peppering this post with some recent Instagram shots, because CB's grandparents would not be happy with a pictureless post. Actually, who am I kidding, neither would I!)<br />
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CB has a lisp (or shall I say, "lithp") and still mixes up the /l/ for /y/, for example, "yellow" is "yeyow". It's my favorite and I yuv it. I know he's not expected to have those sounds correct until he's 7 or so, so for now, I'm enjoying how adorable his speech sounds!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">yes, that would be CB out for ice cream in his jammies. you can blame hahmee and hahbee, natch.</span></div>
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And here are some of his misinterpretations:<br />
hanitizer = hand sanitizer<br />
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torrible = terrible/horrible<br />
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weesgusting = disgusting<br />
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perry chicker = cherry picker<br />
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Old MacDonald's = McDonald's (CB has been to Mickey D's all of 2 times, so I don't blame him for the misunderstanding, nor do I care to correct it!)<br />
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train baby = train tender (I love this one!)<br />
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playover = playdate (CB coined this phrase thinking that if a sleepover is when you go over someone's house to sleep, a playover must be when you go over someone's house to play!)<br />
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<i>CB's version of Ring a Round the Rosie:</i><br />
Ring a round the rosie<br />
Hasha polka rosie<br />
Ashes, ashes<br />
All we fall down!<br />
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<i>Jingle Bells, CB style</i>:<br />
Jingle bells, jingle bells,<br />
Jingle all the way!<br />
Oh the fun it is to go on a slip and slide<br />
Hooray, YAY!<br />
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Clearly, this child is not winning any of those song lyric game shows any time soon.<br />
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CB's favorite song right now is "I Like to Move it Move it" from Madagascar (he hasn't seen the movie, but it comes up on Pandora). He loves to sing it and one day said, "Mommy, this song is so weesgusting! They say 'I like to potty potty!!'"<br />
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Yeah, it's actually, "I like to party, party," but, whatevs, same thing, no?<br />
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I love language development! It's my favorite. :)<br />
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What are some fun things your little ones are saying lately?Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-12579466580028441852013-02-16T20:57:00.005-05:002013-02-16T20:59:50.313-05:00stock phrases.Choi Boy is quite the talker. Seriously, he wakes up talking, talks allllllll day long, and falls asleep talking to himself. He'll talk about anything and everything and will talk to anyone who'll listen. Actually, he'll talk to anyone, regardless if they're listening. Actually, he'll talk to anyone or anything.<br />
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You get the picture.<br />
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When CB really took off with his talking and was putting multiple words together, we would rephrase and repeat a lot phrases to him -- phrases that we wanted him to use on his own. And remarkably, they stuck and have become his stock phrases. While CB totally has a sense of humor befitting a 3 year-old boy and his vocabulary reflects that, it's nice to hear these stock phrases sprinkled into his conversations.<br />
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Many of CB's stock phrases are common and generic, but an added bonus is that it's also changed the way the hubs and I talk. In fact, many of these phrases came about in our home because Choi Boy was repeating something the way we were saying it and it just sounded unpleasant when we heard it parroted back to us by a toddler.<br />
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Here are some of CB's stock phrases:<br />
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*<b><i>May I...</i></b> I was big stickler on this one because I am just not a fan of hearing kids requesting things so casually. All day long at school I hear variations of "Can I have it?" "I want that!", etc. And while the motive behind CB's "May I"s is the same as all those other variations, at least he sounds a little polite while asking!<br />
<img src="http://www.hellobee.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" /><br />
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*<b><i>Yes, please</i></b> and <b><i>No, thank you:</i></b> Again, I wanted to make sure that whether CB was receiving or refusing something, he was at least doing so politely. I've mentioned before that CB is somewhat (okay, I really mean TOTALLY) spoiled by his grandparents and great aunts and uncles, so he is offered lots and lots of goodies. I wanted to make sure that he sounded grateful when accepting said goodies!<br />
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*<b><i>Yes</i></b>: NOT "yeah." Call me a stick-in-the-mud but I hate the way "yeah" sounds (unless you're Usher). Besides, "yes" sounds SO cute coming out of a little one's mouth!<br />
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*<b><i>Pardon?</i></b>: This one came about because of terrible habit I had of saying, "Huh?" (because that's way classier than "yeah") when I needed something repeated. We dabbled with "Excuse me?" as an alternative, but that phrase has the potential of sounding a bit snarky, so we went with Pardon; perfect for my Anglophile self.<br />
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*<b><i>Jahl Muhk Uh Seum Nee Dah</i></b>: This one is Korean, literally translated to "I ate well," but with a meaning more like, "Thank you for the meal." We are trying to use more Korean with Choi Boy, so the hubs has worked hard to help CB remember to say this at the end of our family meals.<br />
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*<b><i>Excuse me</i></b>: We've been working hard on this phrase for when CB wants to say something while grown-ups are talking. It's coming along, but we're working on having CB wait for acknowledgement after saying Excuse me, so rather than just launching into, "Excuse me, may I have a cookie? May I have another cookie? Mommy, may I have a cookie???", he waits for a second or two.<br />
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*<b><i>Sure!</i></b>: This wasn't one that we necessarily intended for CB to pick up on, but he has since I say so it often. It's incredibly adorable and upbeat and makes me smile every time!<br />
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As I mentioned, it's been fun to hear and see how these phrases have become a part of our whole family's vocabulary and I love the extra dose of decorum they bring into our lives! It is much needed, as much of our every day is otherwise very casual:<br />
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Very casual indeed.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-75957635162485614392013-02-10T15:35:00.003-05:002013-02-10T15:35:57.932-05:00it's baaaaack!For a while, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/waitingwithgrace">my Etsy shop</a> has been rather defunct. As in it was on temporary permanent vacation (in my head, that makes sense).<br />
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But now that we're in the thick of waiting for our second referral and have a long wait ahead of us until Choi Girl is home, I thought it was time to get things started again. (Again, in my head that totally makes sense, too!)<br />
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This time around, things are little different in the shop. While you can still order customized baby name paintings like these:<br />
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I've also added a new collection of customized Moleskine notebooks like these:<br />
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I've always loved doodling and hand-lettering, so I'm really excited about these and love the opportunity to get really creative!</div>
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I hope you'll take a minute to<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/waitingwithgrace"> pop over</a> and see what's new! My goal is to use the sales to help us save up so Choi Boy can join us on our trip to bring home Choi Girl...:) </div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-66723824813823754412013-02-09T22:29:00.002-05:002013-02-09T22:33:03.165-05:00the one about christmas.So. I'm fully aware that it's February. And that Christmas was literally last year. But, if this blog is anything, it's a memory book of sorts for Choi Boy and our family, so I declare it Christmas Recap Day here at Chois-R-Us, mmkay?<br />
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Let's see...jogging back to 6 weeks ago, here's how Christmas went down in our family:<br />
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We planned to spend the night at my parents' house on Christmas Eve, so Christmas came to our house on Christmas Eve morning because we didn't want to schlep CB's big present over to Hahmee's and Hahbee's. So, of course, I dressed CB appropriately in his Christmas jammies on the 23rd so he could open presents in said jammies. (If you have been reading this blog for a bit you know that I am nothing if not well-planned for opportunities to coordinate outfits for photo ops.)<br />
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CB awoke on Christmas Eve, totally confused about why his parents were super excited and giddy. And perhaps that's why he was slightly less than enthusiastic as we <strike>forced him to open</strike> cheered him on as he opened his present.<br />
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is that a "meh." face or what??</div>
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We ended up getting CB an awesome fire station "doll house". He loves playing with the little doll house at his girlfriend's house and also loves visiting our local firehouse, so we figured it would a fun gift (that *wasn't* trains...this momma is a little tired of trains). </div>
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After initially reacting with, "I wanted a roundhouse!" (Seriously. SO over trains here.), CB ended up playing with his firehouse for 2 straight hours!</div>
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We had fun day with extended family at my parents' house on Christmas Eve (that included chowing down on a HUGE dinner), and somehow, the only shot I managed to get was this one:</div>
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Anywho. Christmas morning arrived and it ended up being a lot of fun waking up with the whole family. CB and my dad got right to their morning workout:</div>
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(Yes, he wore the same jammies again. Photos ops, people!)</div>
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And then once the high school and college-aged folks were finally out of bed, we got right to exchanging gifts. Our little guy was quite excited about both giving and receiving!</div>
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And then, after Christmas Eve dinner leftovers had settled into our bellies, we headed off to the ice rink! Of course, CB and his Hahbee had to wear their new matching sweaters:</div>
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<a href="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/DSC_3686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b401/gracechoi5/2013/DSC_3686.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(sorry for the less than flattering pics, Daddio...)</span></div>
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And there you have it. Our Christmas post. Up 5 days before Valentine's Day. Booyah.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394089008210300670.post-888945811387020382013-01-31T23:28:00.000-05:002013-02-08T14:20:26.380-05:00family photo shoot.Way back in November, when we were <a href="http://chois-r-us.blogspot.com/2012/12/our-thanksgiving-adventure.html">visiting the hubs' family for Thanksgiving</a>, the hubs' BFF (so cute, right?) kindly took some photos for us. He does it as a hobby and volunteered to take family portraits for us, so we (I) jumped the chance, coordinating outfits and all! :) (would you expect any less from me??)<br />
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Here are some of my favorites!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQaOWd_DUX8/UQtAvxRwiiI/AAAAAAAAA-8/SQAGL6TWTKw/s1600/choi-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQaOWd_DUX8/UQtAvxRwiiI/AAAAAAAAA-8/SQAGL6TWTKw/s640/choi-28.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-leVXe_qEPdc/UQtD2GV6bgI/AAAAAAAABAs/ADg3sPbf-eM/s1600/choi-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-leVXe_qEPdc/UQtD2GV6bgI/AAAAAAAABAs/ADg3sPbf-eM/s640/choi-31.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iAUJBvV2za4/UQtApcrCDzI/AAAAAAAAA-0/XxxG3php6jI/s1600/choi-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iAUJBvV2za4/UQtApcrCDzI/AAAAAAAAA-0/XxxG3php6jI/s640/choi-42.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xPJ0_iXmn9g/UQtAw9LlLeI/AAAAAAAAA_E/hI5ilPZ1ZzQ/s1600/choi-51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xPJ0_iXmn9g/UQtAw9LlLeI/AAAAAAAAA_E/hI5ilPZ1ZzQ/s640/choi-51.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQmBtixHbH8/UQtA3AFXy9I/AAAAAAAAA_Y/5fSYTKW2jsA/s1600/choi-64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQmBtixHbH8/UQtA3AFXy9I/AAAAAAAAA_Y/5fSYTKW2jsA/s640/choi-64.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1piHD7ylI4/UQtD208iIbI/AAAAAAAABAw/s8Rd0sqOJac/s1600/choi-72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1piHD7ylI4/UQtD208iIbI/AAAAAAAABAw/s8Rd0sqOJac/s640/choi-72.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oclIwfwfkdM/UQtD4x01IJI/AAAAAAAABA8/JIcmv6QkM1o/s1600/choi-79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oclIwfwfkdM/UQtD4x01IJI/AAAAAAAABA8/JIcmv6QkM1o/s640/choi-79.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWgN18lLFMo/UQtCi0LB59I/AAAAAAAABAU/YJzQ8Ub9kA4/s1600/choi-76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWgN18lLFMo/UQtCi0LB59I/AAAAAAAABAU/YJzQ8Ub9kA4/s640/choi-76.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e0Jer6sha0c/UQtA9dYkqzI/AAAAAAAAA_s/rg6APZcQLdA/s1600/choi-93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e0Jer6sha0c/UQtA9dYkqzI/AAAAAAAAA_s/rg6APZcQLdA/s640/choi-93.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOBUspVP8N8/UQtA-nyq2SI/AAAAAAAAA_0/7sj5L4x1Ons/s1600/choi-99.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOBUspVP8N8/UQtA-nyq2SI/AAAAAAAAA_0/7sj5L4x1Ons/s640/choi-99.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4qDRQal8oQ/UQtDw9lBPTI/AAAAAAAABAg/Sa-SPNtb1K0/s1600/choi-112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4qDRQal8oQ/UQtDw9lBPTI/AAAAAAAABAg/Sa-SPNtb1K0/s640/choi-112.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And just for kicks, here's what CB looked like when we told him we were going outside for a little bit...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lq7tDtXPqc4/UQtAx86Cs0I/AAAAAAAAA_M/0sjqANaPpfw/s1600/choi-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lq7tDtXPqc4/UQtAx86Cs0I/AAAAAAAAA_M/0sjqANaPpfw/s640/choi-5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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...And here's what he looked like when we told him we were outside to take pictures.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj-kh-ZU2ug/UQtA5QydFtI/AAAAAAAAA_k/4lVC0I5FVRM/s1600/choi-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj-kh-ZU2ug/UQtA5QydFtI/AAAAAAAAA_k/4lVC0I5FVRM/s640/choi-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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HA!</div>
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<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13287678098879352533noreply@blogger.com5