Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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

Monday, December 21, 2009

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

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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.

Monday, December 14, 2009

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!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

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

Sunday, December 6, 2009

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

Thursday, December 3, 2009

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).