Oh no, another New Year

My house is a chaotic mess. My dishes are never done, my laundry is piled in the hallway, my kids have runny noses and long, dirty fingernails. My kids watch too much television and I drink too much wine and not quite enough coffee. I never go to the gym and spend way too much time and money online. My husband is neglected and my house plants are dead. My important papers are piled haphazardly in a bin in the closet and I can never find anything I need. I am forever buying new stuff because I can't find the three or four I already have: flashlights, umbrellas, stewed tomatoes, gloves, sunglasses, batteries, whiteout, blank cd's.....

Enough is enough! The new year is coming and I'm considering a radical resolution: To boldly impose order where none has existed before. Trouble is, I have no idea how to go about it. Oh, I've read all the organization books and checked out flylady and all the rest, but nothing has ever helped for long. But this time, it's different. I mean it this time. Really.

So here's where you come in: I need some help! If you can walk through your house without a Lego injury, if you aren't able to collect enough earwax from your kids to start a bonfire, if you can put your hands on your will within five minutes, give me some tips! If not, wanna come over for some wine? Any night is good for me.

Anonymous, guest blogger

Check out Tiger World!

If you haven't been to Tiger World, check it out! It's a bit of a trek but worth it!

On one floor is an indoor snow skiing/sledding hill (my husband took our 9-yr old--perfect for a beginner) and on another floor is an indoor waterpark/spa. We have been to the waterpark/spa three or four times and plan to go back another couple of times before we leave.

When grandparents were here, our 9-yr old chose Tiger World over everywhere else to take them. The waterpark side is nice (little kids' area, wave pool, lazy river, slides, lap pool), but we spend the majority of our time on the spa side (through the food court).

The spa side has several pools with varying temps, saunas, a pool bar (no alcohol served, but that is where we eat our Dippin' Dots ice cream!), a large pool with a mushroom fountain and water jets along the edges, outdoor hot tubs, and the famous Dr. Fish pool (something like 3,000 Won for 20 minutes--worth the experience, even our 3-yr old tried it).

You get a bracelet when you check in which serves as your 'key' for your locker and also serves as your credit card. You place everything in your locker (wallet included, but keep out your towels and/or cooler) and you charge everything while you are there with a swipe of your bracelet. You pay on your way out.

We eat at the food court (the kids like the pork cutlet set), but we supplement with our own fruit and crackers (drinking water is free).

It's on the way to the airport and it's about 75-90 minutes away depending on traffic.

Here’s how to get there:

• Take Big 1 North to 50 West (opposite Everland on 50, might say towards Ansan)
• Take 15 North (under 5 minutes' time on 15N) to 100 West/North towards Incheon Airport. Tiger World is on your left--huge blue and gray odd-shaped building.
• Exit at the Jungdong Interchange and make a couple left turns and look for the signs.
• Parking garage is underneath Tiger World.

Bring and show your military ID for a discount!!

The website shows what it looks like www.tigerworld.co.kr/eng/ Click on the 'About Facilities' button at the top and then on 'waterpark/spa' for some great photos. Enjoy!!

Linda, Guest Blogger

Food your kid will eat

Yum Yum Rainbow Pasta:

3 C uncooked pasta (I use half whole wheat rotini spirals and half veggie rotini spirals)
2 C veggies (examples: mixed veggie pack, broccoli, etc. Whatever you have on hand works)

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbspn butter
1/4 C flour1
1/4 C milk
pinch ground nutmeg
1 C grated cheddar cheese (packed)
1/2 C butternut squash puree

Topping:

2 tbspn fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbspn fresh bread crumbs

Butternut Squash Puree:

1. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds
2. Place halves face down in a pan and cover with an inch of water
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour - be sure the "shell/skin" puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash "meat" out of the shell
4. Place squash "meat" into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. I freeze in 1/2 C jars and then put one in the fridge the day before I want to make this.
6. I heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it is ready to use.

Directions:

1. Preheat to 350 degrees if you want to bake
2. Boil pasta according to directions, drain, mix a tiny bit of oil in to keep from sticking, and set aside.
3. Steam veggies, when done be sure to dry out with paper towels to keep pasta from getting soggy.

Sauce:

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour to make a paste, stir over low heat for 1 minute.
2. Gradually wisk in milk, bringing slowly to a boil on medium heat, cook until thickened, stirring constantly with a wisk.
3. Remove from heat and add butternut squash, nutmeg, and cheese (stirring after each addition).

Final Directions:

1. Pour pasta back in the empty pot, mix in veggies and sauce. From here you can serve if your child is starving. But I think it is better baking.
2. Pour into greased casserole dish
3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
4. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

Laura, Guest Blogger

Temporary Duty: Why Me?

It must be the holiday season because it's TDY time again. And this time, well, it's the same as usual. The house looks like a laundry bomb hit it as my husband "packed" for the trip. The kitchen shows signs of "going away" meals and the last bits of Thanksgiving clean-up. The kids are zooming around on the typical sugar-high and I'm on my own!

Sometimes I complain that I'm a single-parent at times like this, but this offends my husband. I suppose he has every right to be offended because it makes him sound like he's run off on an adventure without any care of what happens back at home. I understand that this literal fact is not true, but on the other hand, when the kids start throwing up, the homework needs to be done, the dinner needs to be cooked, professional responsibilties need to be tended to, the house needs cleaning, and the clothes are all dirty and need washing, for all intense purposes, it is true. I've got no back-up and, for some reason, TDY is often the time when the car starts falling apart or the kids need a middle-of-the-night ER trip. The main difference is that it is, thankfully, temporary.

As military spouses and parents, I think we do live a double-life. We have the life when our spouses are home and the life when they are gone. And, I think, they are two very different lives. Complete and incomplete. I stress out over upcoming TDYs and then stress out about settling back in when they are over. Just when you get the hang of things being one way, it's time for a chance.

While I'm amazingly blessed that Osan provides a unique support system unlike I've ever seen in my many years as a military spouse, the best support system in the world doesn't really change the fact that someone has to get up at three in the morning to change the sheets or if I'm having a spectacularly bad day, there's no relief and that can be a lonely place to be.

On the other hand, TDY time is also when we really find out what it means to be a support system. While we can't always fix every problem and be there for each other in the middle of the night, I know that, if I asked, someone would come and that helps. When I was talking to a new Osanite recently, she was concerned about what would happen if a medical emergency happened while she was so far from her family and I was able to say, without a second of doubt, that there would be help.

Sometimes I wonder how I can be so weak and dependant, then other times I'm amazed at how much strength I have at just "getting through". And, surprisingly, I do always "get through". Sometimes better than others, but always with new lessons learned and a new appreciation for the love and support around me.

Winter destination ideas from Osan Parents

Question: What is there to do around here when the Winter comes?

Answer:

• In the shopping mall where Lotte World is in Seoul, there's also a large indoor ice skating rink. Just DON'T GO THERE on weekends or Korean holidays. Weekdays / US holidays are best.
• There's a modest aquarium at COEX Mall.
• In late Dec / early January, there will be some artificial snow sliding areas in Seoul.
• There are indoor water parks such as Ocean World - Vivaldi Park (ski resort and indoor water park) in Hongcheon. The trick is to find a Korean friend who can get a discount rate at the hotel. They can be very pricey, even for modest accommodations.
• One of the best known ski resorts - now indoor water park too - is Phoenix Park. Korean winters tend to be rather drab and dry. Much of the snow falls in Gangwon-Do Province - to the east / northeast of Seoul. That's where most of the ski resorts are.

Answer: You could start with Lotte World (indoor/outdoor amusement park) and Tiger World (indoor waterpark/spa and snow hill).

Answer: E-Mart and Lotte Mart both have indoor play areas for the kids while you shop. The supervisor at E-Mart usually speaks enough English to understand what you need.

Answer: Everland has seasonally appropriate activities. The CoEx Aquarium is a decent place to spend the morning. Just get there early or there will be lots of people. It reminds me a little bit of a Korean Manalay Bay (Las Vegas) aquarium. It is definitely an interesting cultural experience. Not just fish!

Eco-friendly holiday ideas!

I just read that Americans spend more on trash bags than 90 other countries spend on everything. I knew it was bad, but that's pretty shocking. If you've spent even three days in Korea, it's obvious that garbage and recycling is taken much more seriously here, and I understand that the situation is similar in the rest of the world, where resources are scarcer than we have enjoyed for decades in the US.

But the times, they are a-changing. Our landfills are filling up, our air and water are dirty.There are even contaminants in breastmilk! In the Pacific Northwest, the Orcas are starving to death because there aren't enough salmon to feed them. The list of environmental damage goes on, and on, and on, and it's all a direct result of overconsumption and the manufacturing, packaging, shipping and other activities that support it.

That's all pretty dreary, I know, but there are plenty of steps we can take. With Christmas coming up, I am already dreading the hefty bags full of wrapping paper, excessive packaging (oh, how I hate those wire ties that fasten toys to layers and layers of cardboard and plastic!), shopping bags, and boxes.

Here are some ideas to reduce the Christmas impact on the environment:

1. Consider environmentally friendly gifts: reusable grocery bags (Envirosax makes some really cute ones!), reusable BPA-free water bottles or sippy cups, battery-free toys made from recycled materials (Sprig, many more), or wind-up flashlights and radios.

2. Request, and give, gifts to charities like World Vision (http://www.worldvision.org/), Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org/) or 'adopt' a penguin, snow leopard or other endangered animal at World Wildlife (http://www.worldwildlife.org/) in lieu of a traditional gift. I have plenty of people on my list that don't need another scarf, pocketknife, toy or pair of gloves, and even kids can appreciate helping animals, or sending a seed kit or a flock of chickens to a family in Africa. You can even send a backpack of school supplies to an American kid in need.

3. Use environmentally friendly wrapping (use foil and then save it for use in the kitchen, or use kids artwork, or the comics from the Sunday paper). Try incorporating the wrapping into the present by wrapping a hat and gloves in a scarf, tucking some little girl's jewelry into a purse, or wrapping baby's presents in a super soft blanket tied with a ribbon. The possibilities are endless!

Add your own ideas in the comments, or send a post to osanparents@gmail.com!

Anna, Guest Blogger

Osan Parents Celebrate the Holidays: The 25 Days of Christmas

MeLissa shared this with the OPN Yahoo Group and we're passing it along. Please share your holiday traditions too. Military families need "mobile" traditions and this is a great one.

Each year, we wrap all of our Christmas books and DVDs and put them under the tree on December 1st and each night we let one of the children pick a book to unwrap and then we read it together as a family. On weekends we let them pick the DVDs.

The kids love it and it keeps them from being so anxious about opening up gifts for Christmas. We also find ourselves using it as a treat to reward good behaviour..i.e., if you behave in the store we will let you open two books tonight!

We have collected quite a few great books over the years and friends that know about our tradition always send us the coolest books.

When Christmas is over, we pack the books/DVDs with the decorations and put them away so the kids are not seeing them all year long.It is a little thing we do that is cheap and makes a lot of great memories for our family, I hope yours will enjoy it as well.

MeLissa, Guest Blogger

New Blog Editor needed!

We hope you have enjoyed the OPN Community Blog! This will be the last new post until we find a new editor. If you have some great ideas to share and are interested in writing for and editing the blog, please let us know at Osanparents@gmail.com

In the meantime, we will be recycling old posts; please enjoy!

Thanks,

OPN Blog Team

Resources for Homeschooling & Afterschooling

Perhaps you want to homeschool, are homeschooling, preschooling, or would like to supplement your child’s education with afterschooling. There are several free resources available for homeschooling, preschooling and afterschool families, for a variety of subjects.

Reading – Starfall (www.starfall.com) has a beginning reading program for young children. This includes ABC’s, phonics, early readers’ stories, and stories for more proficient readers.

Literature & Poetry – The Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page) has a variety of classic literature available online, including ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and modern literature. Some are text files and some are audio files.

Foreign Language – You can find free foreign language lessons at http://www.openculture.com/2006/10/foreign_languag.html/ or http://www.elanguageschool.net/

History – for history lessons from ancient through modern times, visit Bringing Up Learners (http://bringinguplearners.com/mosaic/)

Math – free materials and lessons can be found at Cultivating Dharma (http://www.freemontessori.org/) and the Math Album (http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/math/_link.htm), both of which are Montessori-based

Science – to work on science at home, try K-12 Science Ed. Resources (http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/edu.html) or Interactive Educational Science Games (http://www.apples4theteacher.com/science.html)

Art – to work on creating art, try Kinderart (http://www.kinderart.com/) or KidsArt (http://www.kidsart.com/quick.html). For a look at the classic pieces, Art at the Getty (http://www.getty.edu/art/) has lesson plans and plenty of pictures from their exhibits.

Music – getting started in music appreciation is as simple as visiting the library for CDs of Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and others, or download tracks from Classical.com. You might listen to certain famous pieces or do an in-depth composer study, a la Charlotte Mason (http://www.amblesideonline.org/ComposerSch.shtml).

Some general sites to visit for ideas for lesson plans and activities are Scholastic (www.scholastic.com), Crayola (www.crayola.com), Discovery Kids (www.discoverykids.com), or the Play-doh site (http://www.hasbro.com/playdoh/en_US/).

Last, but certainly not least, the Osan Library has many books available in their juvenile section, including the DK and Eyewitness series. These are full of colorful pictures with information suited to a child’s attention span and the phase during which most children absorb knowledge (ages 5 to 8).

The Other Osan

I bet you think you've explored everything Osan has to offer: the indoor and outdoor pools, the bowling alley, the movies, all the restaurants, all the playgrounds, and the community center. But you might have missed a few things.

Osan is a joint USAF and ROKAF base, and there are some great things over on the other side. They have family housing, just like we do, with playfields and playgrounds. Take a right at the gas station as you're heading towards the main gate, or walk down the hill behind the laundromat to check them out. Or, make a Korean friend to get all the good dirt!

If you turn right at the funky intersection as you come past the golf course, you'll see a nice outdoor static display of some ROKAF planes. The kids can walk right up to them and get a close look, and there's room to run on the grass and some rocks to climb on.

There is a church over there, and lots more.... take a walk, ride or drive sometime and explore the other Osan for an alternative from the same old, same old; you won't be sorry!

More Cold Weather Indoor Fun

Before we know it, even colder days will set in, and you might not be inclined to take (or let) your children outdoors to play. How do you keep them entertained during the interminable days that seem to run into one another?

Here are some suggestions (stock up quickly!):

Play-doh

Markers

Water colors and/or tempera paints

Crayons

Construction paper

Coloring books

Brown paper bags

Cardboard boxes (for coloring, cutting, or making forts)

Glue

Scissors

What to do with all that stuff? Try That Artist Woman (http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/) for both seasonal and general crafts.

For particularly educational board games, try Guess Who, Cadoo, Hullaballoo, and Guesstures, which require children to speak in full sentences. Puzzles, bead kits, and other handiwork are great ways to work on fine motor skills for younger and older children.

For some indoor physical activity, try Twister, Kids Yoga DVDs (just search at Amazon and you will find a wide variety), or even Wii Fit.

And, you may even want to allow pillow fights and plenty of blanket-and-dining-room-chair forts to break up the monotony.

Also, remember that when you do go outdoors, skin protection is still important. Don’t forget sunscreen on exposed skin (at least moisturizer with SPF for your face) and sunglasses, even in the winter!

Inside fun for those cold winter days at Osan!

Brrrrrr, no one wants to go to the playground, right? But the kids are driving you nuts, and you're watching too much television again; sound familiar? Here are some ideas for inside fun that aren't TOO messy and only a little bit dangerous:

Sack races! Give them each a pillowcase or a reusable commissary bag and have races up and down the halls.

Paper skating! Paper (wax paper is extra good but regular paper works fine) slides really well on smooth Korean floors; give each kid a piece for each foot and have them practice for the Olympics.

Have a backwards day! Eat spaghetti or pb&j for breakfast and pancakes for dinner; wear your pj's all day; have a bubble bath in the morning.

Read a chapter book! Even little kids can enjoy 'Ramona the Pest', 'Charlotte's Web', 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle' or 'The Littles'. Here are some more recommendations for early chapter books.

Make your own movie! Have the kids do their best tricks for the video camera: sing, dance, dress-up, whatever they want to do. Then for quiet time, put it on the TV and pop some popcorn.

Make a pinata! Okay, this one is a little messy, and it's a two-day project. On the first day, put them in the tub with a bowl of liquid paste made out of flour and water (in approximately equal amounts; it should be more liquid-y than paste-y) and an inflated balloon. Cut strips of scrap paper and put them in a separate bowl. Dip the paper strips into the paste mixture and cover the entire balloon with several layers, leaving only a small uncovered area where the balloon is tied. Put the balloon into the laundry room to dry and hose the tub and kids off. Have them scrub it down while they're at it. The next day, when the pinata is dry, pop the balloon and pull it out. They can paint it or put stickers on it. Put some treats in it, tie it up in an open door and let them whack it to their hearts' content. If you live in the towers, there is probably a bar at the top of your laundry room door, or use the rod in a closet or the bathtub.

Cook! Even small kids like to mix and stir, and there are tons of things they can easily make. Click here to see just a few.

Clean! Give them each a small spray bottle filled with vinegar water and a cloth and let them spray and wipe the bathtub, the balcony door, the refrigerator door or the cabinets. Many little ones will happily do this for a long time.

Have a picnic! Lay a blanket out on the living room floor and have a picnic lunch: lemonade, sandwiches or other picnic fare.

Play Little House on the Prairie! Read one of the 'My First Little House' books, turn all the lights out, and pretending you're living in the little house with the Ingalls. Do a sewing project; even a three year old can handle a big needle and stitch two pieces of fabric together.

Do an internet search for more ideas, or check out one of the many kids' activities books available in the OPN parenting library in the front room of the community center. Share your own winter fun ideas in the comments!

Fishing for fun

Not far out the Morin Gate is a great place to take the kids fishing. You'll need your own poles; if you don't have any try MWR, the BX, E-Mart or the little shop that's located about halfway up the hill from the triangle of death, on the right side.

If you can read Korean, the sign might help you out, but it's generally open mornings until early afternoon and should be open all winter until the water warms up in the spring. Right now the pond has carp in it, but starting November 30th, you can fish for rainbow trout.

The fish are HUGE and the kids will have a great time. You pay 20,000 won per pole, and you can keep one fish for that. They do have a small tackle shop on the premises, and you can get drinks, but services are pretty limited, so bring your own snacks, drinks and other necessities. If you go on the weekend, go early! It gets crowded.

To get there:

-Go out the Morin Gate and turn left

-Turn right at the light and head over the bridge

-Go straight through the light at the Little 1 intersection (Kimchi pot store on the left)

-Stay on this road for several miles

-Turn left right before a S Oil gas station with a big green and yellow sign

-You will immediately go through a tunnel

-Veer right immediately out of the tunnel

-You'll parallel the highway for a little while

-Turn left at the T intersection (there will be a tunnel to the right)

-Turn left at a second T intersection

-You'll go straight through a little town with a light

-Just after a brown street sign that says something is 0.7 km, turn left at a big rock with Korean lettering on it (there will be a lumberyard on your left as you enter)

-Take the first right

-Wind up the hill on a narrow road until you see the ponds

-Drive past the pond into the parking lot

Happy fishing!

Directions: Korean Folk Village, Suwon

The Korean Folk Village is a beautiful and interesting place to walk around and see some of the original Korean culture. It is a park-like setting you can spend anywhere from a few hours to a whole day there depending on how much detail you want to fit in.

It is a great place to see the flora and fauna of Spring and also a good place to experience some of the traditions associated with Korean holidays, such as Chuseok in the early Fall, or the Lunar New Year during the winter.

To get there:

• Take the "Big 1" North to Suwon



• Exit and go East at Suwon



• You will see signs to the KFV follow them, by turning right at the lights when they tell you.



• Follow this road south for about 5-10 minutes. You'll continue to see KFV signs, but they are a bit unclear.



• Turn left when the signs tell you to (we usually follow the buses to find the turn more easily)



• Follow this small road in to the KFV parking lot. There is a fee to park and a fee to get in. The best time to go is when they open.

Recommended reading: Military Life

If you're looking for books to add to your Christmas wish list this year, here are some great ones on military life that related to spouses and children in particular:

Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress by Mary Edwards Wertsch

I Love a Man in Uniform by Lily Burana

Standing By: The Making of an American Military Family in a Time of War by Alison Buckholtz

Or, put them on your wish list at Paperbackswap.com (PBS)! What? You don't have a PBS account? You are missing out! It's a great site for swapping books and the only cost is the media mailing rate, around $2 for an average-sized book. Go sign up and then post any 10 books you have lying around your house that you're willing to part with, or pick some up for a quarter at the thrift store, or for free at the swap shelf at the library. When you list ten books you're willing to mail to someone else, you get two free credits to order new-to-you books for FREE! Then, for each book you mail out, you get a credit for another one. It can take a while for books to get here, but when they do, it's such a treat! Check out PBS for links to CD and DVD swap sites too, and Bookmooch.com is a similar site you might also like.

Add your book recommendations to the comments!

Kids & Money – International Currency

One of the advantages of living overseas is the educational opportunity for children and adults alike. When you come to Osan (or any other OCONUS), you are dealing not just in U.S. dollars, but the currency of the country in which you now live.

When our son asked if he could have “one hundred cents” from my husband’s bureau, we decided it was time to teach him about money around the world. Like most military families, you may have kept souvenirs of your travels in the form of local currency.

We pulled out our collection of international currency and our globe (if you do not have a globe, a map of the world will work too).

The money was separated by country and then we held up the different types of coins and bills against the countries that minted them. We compared the appearance of the money to that of other countries, noted similarities and differences, and talked about their values versus the U.S. dollar.

If exchange rates confuse you as much as they do me, try these websites for lesson plans and ideas for teaching children:

For younger children -

http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/international-currency-exchange-lesson-plan/

For older children –

http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Economics/ECO0201.html

Crock Pot: Your best friend on the ROK

There is nothing more awesome than putting your dinner on to cook in the morning so you can goof off all afternoon with your friends and then come home to a good home-cooked meal. Here's another labor saving idea: pair up with a friend and take turns cooking double batches during exercise weeks, or anytime your active duty spouse is working triple time AGAIN.

Osan chefs are accomplished Crock-pot users and here are a few favorite recipes:

SIMPLE CHICKEN

Take a sliced onion and whole garlic cloves place them in the bottom of your crock pot. Put a whole chicken on topped. Stuff chicken with half an onion and celery. Salt and pepper the outside of chicken. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook all day on low setting. My kids love it!

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND BEANS

4 chicken breasts
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (16 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz ) can petite diced tomatoes with basil and oregano or any style of canned tomatoes
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
2 t dried basil
1 t dried thyme

Cook 7 hours on low.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts

1 jar salsa

1 cup water

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried apricots cut into small pieces

Cook all day on low.

For more recipes, look here or here. And if you're not a slow-cooker fan and you are lucky enough to have an oven with a timer, you can slack off all afternoon too; try making an oven-only meal and setting it to cook itself while you're gone. Try seasoned chicken breasts, baked potatoes and oven-roasted vegetables (shake veggie chunks in a bag with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then toss them into a baking dish) baked at 350 for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Directions: Everland

Everland is a huge amusement park that is open year round. It is north of Suwon. Try going on an American holiday to avoid the crowds. The place is packed with Korean families on nice weekends. Check out their Christmas festival in November or December!

To get there:

• Take the Big 1 North to Rt. 50



• Take Rt. 50 East



• Exit at Everland

The Allowance Question

As your child gets to a certain age, you might begin to ponder the question about allowance. When this question came up in our home recently, my husband and I asked ourselves the following:

• What is the purpose of paying an allowance?
• Should it be attached to household chores?
• Who manages the money?

We know that we both felt it was time to teach our child about money management, spending and saving. We felt that our child had gotten to the age where it was time to transition from giving into the “May I have’s” (when we felt it was prudent) to the “Well, do YOU have enough of your own money to buy what you want?” stage.

In my research, I found a variety of answers and wide range of diverse responses on the allowance question. We were able to make the decision that fits best with our views on how a family and household should work (and as this is new territory for us, I cannot know yet whether or not that decision is the one that will work for us in the long term).

I thought I would share my research with other parents, so families can decide what works best for them when they face this question.

Tip Jar – a child is given money based upon age (a young child may receive pocket change; an older child may be given dollar bills). The “tips” are based on work and merit. That is, a standard rate is placed in the jar for the child doing chores as he is told to do them, and a bonus is given if the child does the chores on his own (without being asked).

Here & There – a child is given a quarter here and there for good behavior, having a good day, doing various chores in the home, etc.

Chore or merit-based – a child is given an allowance based upon chores. This ranges widely as follows:

• Allowance for set chores in home
• Allowance for picking up after oneself
• Allowance for doing school work
• Bonuses earned for good behavior, extra work, not whining, etc.
• Allowance cut for misbehavior

No Allowance – this is fairly common; many parents feel that the home is shared and therefore all who live there are expected to clean up their own messes, regardless of any monetary incentive.

Extra Pay for Extra Work – in both the “no allowance” and “allowance” homes, children often earn extra pay for doing work above and beyond their normal chores. For example, they might be expected to keep their room clean and pick their toys up out of the living room in the normal course of things. However, to lend a hand with the laundry or washing dishes (if that is not one of their normal chores) would result in a bonus.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to deal with allowance and household responsibilities, and some of these methods are often combined with others.

An interesting book on the topic is First National Bank of Dad by David Owen, which actually suggests setting up a “bank account” for your child to help teach money management. The premise of the book is that the parents run a “bank” for their child(ren), with simple terms and strong incentives to save (a generous “interest rate”). It also suggests giving the children the freedom to manage their own money and learn from their mistakes. This is also something to consider even if you handle the allowance very simply – as parents we must decide if it is it better to bite our tongues and watch children blow a few weeks’ of hard-earned money on something cheap, breakable, or that will provide momentary pleasure (such as candy), and to let them see that earning more money takes a while, or if we should manage their money with a strong hand until we think they are mature enough to understand the system of earning, saving, and spending.

There is also the FDIC Money Smart program, which is a free financial education program on CD aimed at youth ages 12 to 20. I tried to order it, however the order form does not accommodate APO addresses. I used the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the FDIC website, which led me to a Customer Assistance Form, to express my disappointment and ask them to accommodate overseas military family orders. I received a response that they will be making this change to their website. However, if this is a program you think you would like to order, please do not hesitate to contact FDIC and remind them that there are more military families serving overseas who would like to be able to order it!

Hopefully each and every family will find the balance that works best for them!

Wendy, guest blogger

The ROK rocks

You might not have noticed that we have a great variety of rocks to check out right here on Osan Air Base. There are big ones, like the ones right out in front of Hallasan Tower, all the way down to small ones used for landscaping at Turumi, at the swimming pool, and in the little stone pagodas scattered around base. Almost all kids love rocks!

To start with, right in front of Hallasan, there are some nice big gneiss (pronounced 'nice'), which is a common metamorphic rock. You can see the mineral bands that have been curved as a result of tremendous heat and pressure inside the earth.

Also in front of Hallasan Tower are some nice chunks of igneous rocks, probably diorite. They are located around the mailbox. The benches in the entryway and the ones on the playground are made entirely of two different types of highly polished igneous rocks, probably diorite (the darker ends) and granite (the lighter bench portion).

And, don't ignore the little rocks! Pumice can be found in many places around base, like around the base of the electronic sign at Turumi. Many of these will float, at least for a little while, until the air holes fill with water. Nice smooth white Quartzite can also be found at Turumi: look near the bike racks as you come out of Rickenbackers. The smooth gray rocks in the pagodas are also probably a variety of quartzite. The small rocks are great for learning about rocks, but they also make awesome math manipulatives. Just put them back when you're done!

If you want to learn more about rocks, minerals or geology, check out these sites:

Kids OLR

Kidsgeo.com

Kidinfo.com

Korean Veggies: Love those Leeks!

The Osan Commissary has a nice little selection of organic local veggies- you can find them as you go past the check-in desk, and often they're very inexpensive. They're in a refrigerated case on the left side as you enter the produce section. But some of that stuff is pretty weird; what to do with it? Here's an idea for using local leeks (usually on the bottom shelf; they look like large, long green onions):

POTATO-LEEK SOUP

1 package leeks

4 large peeled and chopped potatoes

1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks

Garlic cloves, roasted, or minced garlic in an amount that suits you

Chicken bullion or chicken stock

Wash the leeks well; they can have silt and sand in the 'branches'. Slice them up and stir fry them in a little oil or butter until they're greenish-brown and flattened. If you're using minced garlic, add to the leeks. Cook the potatoes and cauliflower until soft in just enough water to cover them. Toss in a couple of bullion cubes or use half water and half chicken stock for cooking water. Add the roasted garlic, and mash the potatoes cauliflower up. Puree it in the blender, then put it back in the pan and add the leeks. Serve it with crusty bread for an awesome and healthy autumn meal.

LEEK-PECAN RAVIOLI

Cheese tortellini or ravioli (or choose another pasta)

1 package leeks, washed and sliced

Minced garlic, in an amount that suits you

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups fresh or frozen veggies: chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, green beans, or sliced zucchini will work nicely; use any veggies your family likes!

Shredded parmesan cheese

Quickly toast the pecans in a couple tablespoons of olive oil at medium high heat on the stovetop. They'll burn quickly, so watch them carefully. Scoop them out of the oil and set aside, then put the garlic and leeks in the oil until they're good and cooked; about ten minutes. Add the veggies until just cooked, put the pecans back in, and season to taste. Serve over the ravioli or tortellini with shredded parmesan on top.

Breastfeeding: Getting off to a good start

There's no question that breastfeeding can be a little bit tricky, especially in the beginning, but the bottom line is that almost everyone can be successful at it. You might have to look around a little, but there are plenty of helpful resources available right here at Osan. Here's how to get off to a good start before the baby is even born, and how to find help if you need it.

First, get a good breastfeeding book and read it before the baby is born so you have some idea of what to expect. There are some at the OPN parenting library at the community center available for checkout, and the Osan Breastfeeding Support Group has a bunch of great books to share, too. Email osanbfsupport@gmail.com to ask about their library. If you want to buy a book, 'So That's What They're For', 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding', and 'The Breastfeeding Book' are excellent choices. These books have everything you need to know to get started and address all the common problems new moms face. If you are having a problem, you can be sure that many moms before you have had them too, and almost any nursing problem can be solved. Most moms find that their problems are pretty much resolved and breastfeeding is going smoothly by about six weeks, so give it a little time!

When you get to the hospital, tell the staff you will be breastfeeding and that you don't want your baby to have any artificial nipples, formula, or glucose water. The 121 is pretty good about helping new parents out, and you can read a firsthand account of one new mom's experience here. If you are looking for alternatives to the 121, check out the 'resources' tab at Birthing In Korea.

Once the baby is born, try nursing as soon as possible. Newborns tend to have an alert period for an hour or two right after birth, and this is the best time to get started. Some babies will latch right on and never look back, but don't expect a lot right at first; some babies will just nuzzle or lick on the first try. To start, gently guide his or her head to the nipple while supporting the breast. The baby's mouth should be wide open with the bottom lip in the pouty position. If it hurts, don't be afraid to ask for help right away; problems are easily corrected if you address them immediately, but the longer they go on, the harder they are to fix. Probably the biggest worry most new moms have is whether the baby is getting enough milk. In most cases, the answer is yes. Click here and here for some things to look for to make sure.

Nurse on demand for the first few months. This means whenever the baby wants, for however long they want, day or night. Don't waste your valuable energy trying to get on a schedule. Babies often will drift into some sort of predictable schedule with little or no effort on your par, and if yours isn't one of them, you can tackle it a little later when you're getting more sleep. Avoid introducing a bottle or pacifier until nursing is well established, and skip them entirely if it suits you. Some babies will quickly develop a preference for an artificial nipple, because the flow is faster and takes less effort. If this happens, it can be difficult to reestablish nursing.

Korea is a great place for breastfeeding; you may have noticed nursing rooms at the shopping malls and rest stops, and you won't be made to feel uncomfortable nursing in public. If you're on any military base (or any U.S. Government facility of any kind) you are expressly permitted to nurse anyplace you are otherwise authorized to be, so nurse away! At Osan, moms often use the BX dressing rooms or the furniture department to nurse if they prefer a private area.

Contact osanbfsupport@gmail.com or join the yahoo group to find out about meetings and other resources. Here are some good online resources:

La Leche League

Kelly Mom

Breastfeeding in Combat Boots (especially for active duty moms)

Happy nursing!

Open letter to an Osan family

The military is a hard life. For the active duty member, for the spouse, and especially for the kids, who didn't choose this life. There are ton of generalizations you can make about military kids- some of them are positive, some are negative. On the positive side, they are great at making friends and adapting to change. You can drop them off in a foreign country and they'll fit in in a flash. On the negative side, military kids are often troubled by constant moves, loss of friends, absence of a parent, and fear of loss. To make matters worse, military parents may resist getting help for their kids, because they think it appears weak, because they don't realize there's a problem, because they don't trust military assistance, or maybe even because they're worried they might not get an overseas clearance for their next assignment. These attitudes are understandable, but potentially very harmful to our children and our families.

This afternoon, I chanced upon a kid peeing in the stairwell in Hallasan Tower. I was so shocked that he was able to take off before I could even figure out what to say. I didn't recognize him, and my efforts to identify him have apparently failed. I know he's not unique, because a friend of mine saw a kid relieving himself on a slide at the Hallasan playground a few weeks ago. Lest you think I'm overreacting, this kid was at least eight, and likely ten; not a toddler or pre-schooler who couldn't make it to the bathroom, as was the one my friend saw. Because I am concerned about these kids (and because I don't care to live in a place where I have to wade through human waste to get to the playground or mailbox), I'd like to share an open letter to the parents of this kid and other kids who are like him, who are showing signs that they are seriously troubled. If you think you might know who the kid is and just don't want to say, please at least reach out to the family and offer your help.

Dear Parents,

I'm worried about your kid. I saw him peeing in the stairwell, and that tells me he likely has a serious emotional problem. Maybe things have been slowly getting worse at your house for a long time, and now they've been so bad for so long that this seems normal. Sure, kids of all ages do all kinds of ridiculous, thoughtless and messy things, but acting out in this way is NOT normal behavior. Click here to see some of the characteristics of troubled children. They include inappropriate aggression, and peeing in the common areas of our community definitely belongs in this category.

If some of the signs look familiar (aggression, age-inappropriate behavior, deteriorating performance/behavior, attention issues), please seek help for your family right away. While it can be difficult to get the help you need here, there are things you can do. Family Advocacy has resources that can help, or look for some online assistance at Military One Source, or other online communities such as MilitarySOS.com. Talk to his teacher to see how he acts in school; maybe a counselor or school nurse could provide some help. Try the chapel or a pastor at one of our local off-base churches. Google for information, or order some books, or ask a trusted friend or family member to assist you. Don't be afraid to break the silence; the stakes are high, and your kid is depending on you to help him. Nothing is more important.

I'm not just a community member disgusted and annoyed by pee outside my door; I'm someone who is worried about your child. He is crying out for help. Please listen.

Anna, guest blogger

Directions: E-Mart

Try some local shopping this holiday season! E-Mart is the closest equivalent to Target in Korea. In fact, E-Mart stores used to be Wal-Mart stores, but Wal-Mart failed in Korea. You'll see why when you go to E-Mart. It has a whole different feel.

When you get to E-Mart, you can "rent" a shopping cart for 100 Won. Put the coin in the coin holder on the handle of the cart and separate it from the line of carts. When you return the cart, plug it back in to the line of carts to get your coin back.

Also, Korean stores do not provide shopping bags unless you ask. They also do not back your merchandise. Take shopping bags with you or expect to pay a small fee per bag. If you take bags, you get a small credit back on your purchase per bag.

Finally, E-Mart does have a frequent shopper card, but to get it you may have to take someone with you who speaks Korean. They do take your American credit card.

There are two E-Marts in the vicinity of Osan AB. Here are directions to each.

To E-Mart in Osan:

• From the main gate, turn left out of the gate.


• Follow the road until you see a building that seems to sell toilets on the first floor and a sign reading "Hospitality House" on the second floor.


• Turn right at Hospitality House (this takes you to the Beta/Morin Gate on the left)


• Go past the gate and keep going until you get to the stop sign. (Note: This intersection is a notorious accident spot, so look out! Especially for traffic that doesn't expect you to stop at the sign.)


• Turn right at the stop sign


• Drive over the over pass and to the "Little 1"


• Turn left on the "Little 1"


• Follow the little one north (as though you are heading towards the "Big 1" for about 15 minutes.")


• Look for E-Mart (yellow and black sign) on the left.


• To park-drive to the light past E-Mart and turn left. Take the first left you can take down a small road. Then take the next left to get around the block back to the road next to E-Mart. There is an underground parking deck with a parking attendant waving you in on the right.

To E-Mart in Pyeongtaek: (This is the easiest way for most people, but there are many possible routes.)

• From the main gate, turn left out of the gate.


• Follow the road until you see a building that seems to sell toilets on the first floor and a sign reading "Hospitality House" on the second floor.


• Turn right at Hospitality House (this takes you to the Beta/Morin Gate on the left)


• Go past the gate and keep going until you get to the stop sign. (Note: This intersection is a notorious accident spot, so look out! Especially for traffic that doesn't expect you to stop at the sign.)


• Turn right at the stop sign


• Drive over the over pass and to the "Little 1"


• Turn right on the "Little 1"


• Follow the "Little 1" south for about 15 minutes.


• When you pass under Route 40 (major interstate/highway overpass), you will see E-Mart on the left.


• Do a U-turn at the lights


• Turn right down the small road on your right


• Turn left when the small road intersects/ends at another road. This takes you in to the E-Mart parking lot.

Fall Nature Activities around Osan

Fall has come to Korea! The pumpkins are in at the commissary, the leaves are turning color, and the gingko stinkberries are covering the ground. We are still getting some nice days to get out and get some fresh air, so take advantage of the pleasant weather while you can! It was really cold and windy by the end of October both last year and the year before.

Here are some fun ideas:

Do a fall nature walk- make a list of things to find and give each kid a bag. Even the littlest ones will love to collect things. Leaves of different colors, pinecones, bugs, and rocks are easy to find. Even stinkberries, if you're brave! Take a sketch pad and draw pictures of what you see: birds, trees that are losing their leaves, tree barks with different textures. Click here, here and here for some more ideas.

We don't have a lot of places here where we can really get outside, but here are a few you can try: the garden (located behind the hospital and in back of the PDE/School Age building), the lawn in front of Turumi, the MVV playground and surrounding areas, and the little park by the pool.

And for those days when it IS too cold to go out, get a bag of the mini-pumpkins at the commissary and let the kids go crazy decorating them with markers or poster paint, then make some hot chocolate and popcorn and enjoy the indoors!

Oh, NOOOOO! It's holiday shopping time!

It might seem pretty early, but if you're internet shopping at Osan, you better get clicking. Items shipped parcel post routinely take 6-8 weeks, and could take longer in the holiday rush. Bigger items, especially, can be slow, and you don't want to have to try to explain why Santa didn't make it this year! Likewise, if you're sending Korean goodies back home to the states, ship them as soon as possible; you won't be sorry!

Do check out the BX before you start shopping online, to make sure they don't have what you want. If you see something you want, snap it up because it won't be there long. The same goes for Christmas decorations and other items.

If you're having trouble, here are some ideas that might help. Try buying smaller items, or items with less packaging to cut down on the size of the box. Priority mail will get here much faster, but there is a size and/or weight limit on the box. Click here to see eco-friendly toys from Amazon. These toys often have less packaging, and Amazon does a great job shipping here in a timely manner. The OSC has a list of companies that ship APO here; just scroll down to the section called 'Internet Shopping'. You can also get an account at APObox or Ship it APO. They will provide a U.S. street address for shipping, then forward your purchases to your APO box for a reasonable fee.

And, if you're looking for other alternatives to the usual toy orgy, click here for some other ideas.

Korean Alphabet

When teaching your child the alphabet overseas, in korea, this is how its done.

A is for
AFN
Anti Terrorism
Anthrax
APO AP
AAFES
A10s
B is for
BX
C is for
Commander Channel
Curfew
Class 6
CAC
D is for
DoD
DSN
DECA
DMZ
E is for
EOR (End of runway)
E Club
F is for
F16s

Flu-mist
G is for
Gas Mask
Giant Voice
Ginkgo Tree
H is for
HAWC
I is for
In processing
J is for
JAG
Jeju
K is for
KJI (Kim Jong Ill)
Korea
L is for
LES
M is for
MPF
Main Gate
MOPP
N is for
NEO
O is for
OPSEC
O' Club
OPN
P is for
Pass and Registration
Patriot Missle
PCS
PSC (part of the address)
Q is for
Quarters
R is for
Reserves
ROK (Republic of Korea)
Runway

Ration card

S is for
Songtan
Security Forces
Shopette
Stars & Stripes

Space A
T is for
Town Patrol
TDY
Taxi
U is for
Uniform
V is for
Victory
W is for
WAR (Weekly Activity Report)
X is for
AFN XTRA (Channel 6)
Y is for
Yellow Sand
Z is for

ZEE ELEVATORS ARE BROKEN AGAIN AND I'M STUCK INSIDE WRITING THIS STUPID
LIST!!!!

Whitney, guest blogger

Osan AB loves comments!

Here at Osan, Services and the facilities love to get your comments, and there are online forms to make it super easy. Here's a list:

Click here to comment on Services facilities (Clubs, recreation, gym, dining, CDC, etc).

Click here to comment on the commissary.

Click here to comment on the BX or other AAFES facilities. Just click the little envelope icon on the upper left that reads 'email the gm'.

Click here to email (or call) the Commander's Action line. You can even be anonymous if necessary.

Click here to comment on the elementary school.

Click here to email the Principal at the high school. Just click on the link near the bottom of the page.

Help them out; let them know what you think!

Babywarming

Winter is almost here! It's hard to believe when it's been so beautiful, but the cold weather is probably only a few weeks away. And if you haven't been here for a winter yet, you might be surprised by how cold and windy it gets. If you wear your baby on your back, you can keep him or her warm for practically free with a do-it-yourself toasty baby sack. The instructions below were originally posted last winter and several of our Osan moms loved them!

Maybe you’ve seen Anna Jane and Jane tooling around lately in a fabulous new black and green coat. What you might not know is that Anna Jane made the coat during a single naptime with a coat she got at the thrift store! The thrift store will be open this Saturday, and there are plenty of coats still available, as well as fleece jackets and pants that can be cut up to add the baby sack. Choose a contrasting color for a fun visual effect, or make it match. Veteran Osanites tell me we’re probably in for weeks or months of bundling up weather, so don’t worry about having to put your coat away too quickly.

Here is a link to the directions, and here are Anna Jane’s tips after successfully completing the coat:

• Definitely use a coat with a silky lining so the baby slides through easily!
• Measure out where your baby's head will actually come out of the coat. I pinned it a few spots and tried it on without Jane, but with the "image of where she'd be" in my mind until I got the hole for the head in the right place.
• Make sure the fleece "stretches" width wise not length wise so that the baby is hugged when you put it on.
• Stretch the top panel taut when you sew it so that the back of the coat is more snug.
• Stroll around ‘town’ showing off your toasty tot and your sewing skills!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle for Osan!

As a New Year approaches, it has a lot of us thinking about our New Year’s Resolution. How are we going to better ourselves, or how are we going to help make something better. One great way to start the New Year’s is by doing our part to conserve our precious resources. And the best way to do so is by RECYCLING, yes, recycling. Now I know we have all heard this plenty of times, it’s been hammered into our heads for years. But have any of us actually taken the challenge and tried to recycle our paper, plastic, and glass. If not I say take the challenge, try to recycle. There are plenty of ways to recycle here at Osan. Even off base, did you know recycling is MANDATORY in South Korea? So not only would we be helping our Planet, but we would be respecting the laws ordered by our host country. One way to recycle on base is by sorting all of our recyclables, putting them in plastic bags and taking them to one of the big, brown dumpsters, marked “Recycle”. There are plenty of these big dumpsters across base, so finding one shouldn’t be difficult. If you live on base, put your recyclables (plastic, glass, cans, paper) in clear garbage bags and put them down the trash chute. Money saved on garbage disposal costs here on base can be spent on other things to help us all out.

So there is an idea for a New Year’s Resolution for anybody feeling earth friendly. However, for those of us who want to get started now, go ahead start recycling today. Conserving our resources is an important job that we all need to take part in. Our resources are important to live or daily life’s that we are accustomed too. Take one step closer to preserve the earth for our future generations.

Recycling and Environmental Facts
 Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. Trash to Cash
 Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months. Environmental Defense Fund
 About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet our recycling rate is just 28%. Environmental Protection Agency
 Over ½ million trees are saved each year by recycling paper in Boulder County. Eco-Cycle
 There are more roads in our National Forests than the entire U.S. Interstate Highway system. National Forest Protection Alliance
 Recycling creates 6 times as many jobs as landfilling. Colorado Recycles
 Recycling glass instead of making it from silica sand reduces mining waste by 70%, water use by 50%, and air pollution by 20%. Environmental Defense Fund
 Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. Eco-Cycle
 If we recycled all of the newspapers printed in the U.S. on a typical Sunday, we would save 550,000 trees--or about 26 million trees per year. California Department of Conservation
 The energy saved each year by steel recycling is equal to the electrical power used by 18 million homes each year - or enough energy to last Los Angeles residents for eight years. Steel Recycling Institute
 If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 1,000 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water. Seventh Generation Co.
 The U.S. is 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources. Environmental Protection Agency
 Colorado is one of the worst states in the nation in terms of recycling and composting. Learn more about how our efforts are falling well short in the "State of Garbage in America." BioCycle, 2008

Here's some other simple things you can do today to help the environment and Osan:

-Use reusable bags at the commissary and BX

-Take your kitchen waste (no meat or dairy) to the composting bins at the garden

-Buy items that have less packaging

-Take items in good condition to the Thrift Store or post them on the online swap meet group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osanswapmeet/

Christina, guest blogger