Neighbors think I'm crazy.
Maybe I am a little.
But I LOVE monsoon season.
Really, I do.
I like sitting outside on the back porch in the morning drinking coffee and just taking it all in.
I love the sound of rain pouring off the side of my house.....

I really like running in the rain. 
This day I almost drown while running up hill, so on my way down the hill when the rain took a break I had to snap a picture - check out the rain pouring out the drain on the wall.
It was seriously fun.
I was seriously NOT PRETTY when I returned home.

I LOVE dragging my friends outside to workout in the rain.
**If you follow me on FB you will know all about this. 
We work on in the park 4 mornings a week, rain, shine or monsoon!
My friends were not sure about this, but in the end we laughed so hard it was a bonus work out.

But the thing I love the most about the rain and monsoon season ~
The giggles, laughter, squeals and puddles.
Yes, I'm one of those moms.
I send my kids out in the rain.
Then I hide and take pictures.  :o)
It's a win, win for all.

I mean check out that smile:

This was the last pictures I was able to snap before I was caught:

BUSTED!  :o)

So the next time it rains, don't be a hater.
Embrace it.
Love it.
Send your kids out in it....
Heck, go out with your kids in it.
Splash in puddles.
Make memories.

PS.....If there is lightening, stay in side.  :o)

As you all know, we LOVE pancakes.  But really, who doesn't?  Moving away from pancakes has been one of the hardest things for our family.  But once we realized all that gluten was taking a toll on Girl's intestinal track I was more committed to finding ways around it.  It has been a long hard road and I'm still working on perfecting the gluten free pancake, but while I'm working on it this one is works well for our family!  I found the original recipe over at Paleo Spirit, one of my favorite new blogs.  :o)

My adapted version of this recipe.

4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup of water
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBL honey
1/2 cup + 2 TBL coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
coconut oil

Preheat griddle over medium high heat.  (The pictures are in a pan, but the griddle is so much faster & easier!)
Beat eggs in a mixer till frothy! (I've tried mixing  by hand and the outcome is NOT as good - trust me.)  Add vanilla, milk, water and honey.
In a small bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. 
Make sure you batter is that of 'normal' pancakes.
Too thin? Add coconut flour 1/2 TBL at a time. 
Too thick?  Add water 1 TBL at a time.

Grease pan with coconut oil pour batter in pan.  Cook approximately 3 minutes until they start to bubble like the pancakes in picture #2.  Carefully flip your pancakes.  I have learned that using a thin metal spatula works best.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup or honey.

Variation:
Once pancakes are totally mixed and ready to cook - add 1 cup of fruit, nuts or chocolate chips to the batter.

As most of you know I drive a 'hooptie' over here. If you unfamiliar with what a hooptie is click here and check it out.
Anyway, if you go back to that old post I said we got a 'great deal'. HAHAHAHA!  I'm cracking up over that one...but OK, if this car will last us for another 10 months I'm still insisting we got a good deal.  :o) 

Aren't my friends pretty?  Wonder what they are up to?  Well the back seat of my 'hooptie' is broken.  Stuck.  The seat won't lift up.  They are sitting on top of the folded down seat and yes, we are driving out into the world's 3rd largest city to go to lunch.  You think we are crazy?  Well maybe, but they had a choice, drive in Korea or let Trishie drive and sit in an unsafe car.  This was their choice.  And they are happy about it.  And we all lived to tell the tale.

Now on to our lunch story: 
This is where we had lunch.
We don't know the name of it.
Heck, we didn't even know where we were going.
Diane was a fearless leader.
She told me where to go.
But check it out....see that van? 
That is my van.
That is valet parking.
I parked the car myself.
I gave the 'valet' my key.
When we were done I gave him 2,000 won.
He gave my key back to me.
Valet parking at its finest.

Upon entry we saw the drink cooler.
Marci eyeballed this Plum Wine.
We had to drink it because....well....really, who would not want to be seduced into softness?

Ready to be seduced.

WOW.....seduced into softness.
Maybe not.
I made that face....you know the one. 
The one that after you have tasted something so bad you gag a little.
Yeah that one.

Give me a bowl of makkoli any day. 
Michelle made the face with the Makkoli.
(Don't worry, I only had a few sips - I was driving remember!)

We had a dish that is bulgogi and squid in a spicy sauce with all this yummy goodness on top.
As with many Korean restaurants you cook your own food.
I've got to tell you, I LOVED this restaurant.
The food was amazing. 
Perfect amount of spice for me.
Some of the other girls weren't huge fans, but only because they are new to Korea and they don't like seafood.
We should have ordered the plain bulgogi for the newbies.

When you are almost done and there is just a little bit of goodness left in the bottom of your cooking pan, they make fried rice out of the leftovers.  The lady comes over tosses in the rice and all the left over goodies from your table and you cook it up.  YUM, YUM, YUM!

From what I understand this little hole in the wall is a pretty famous for the dish we ate.  There are signatures all over the walls and from what I was told these are signatures of famous Koreans.

To drive here from post:
Exit Commissary gate - turn left
Stay right - Turn right onto Itaewon Street 
Turn left on Daesagwan-ro - this street has a light. 
(You will be going through a street with many lights and lots of people walking - near Hannam Village)
At the light pretty far down just before you come to the big intersection (Daesagwan-ro)   turn left a - it's kind of a crazy light - I think it is just flashing, maybe not even a light at all - but more of a 4 way stop.
The restaurant is on your right just a few stores down.  
Park on the street in front of the restaurant.
 
Good luck!!

Summer.
I love almost everything about it.
Popsicles
Water sprinklers
The swimming pool
Field trips
MORE popsicles
Bare feet
Swim trunks
Bathing suits
Tan lines
Fruit that squirts juice when you bite into it
Rain
More popsicles
Water balloons
The beach
Sleeping late
Water slides
Late nights
Drinks on the porch with friends
Random kids in and out of the house
I EVEN love that stinky dog smell our kids have after playing outside all day long.

What I don't love is the fighting between brothers.  The two youngest to be exact. These two have a love/dislike relationship that just drives me bonkers as I am sure it has done with many mothers before me and will continue long after I am gone.

We are a family that believes in "natural consequences".  We try to discipline by using natural consequesnces.  Sometimes that is seriously hard to do.  Sometimes I've had it and I don't  want to figure out what that natural consequence is. Sometimes it is easier just to ground the kids from their favorite things, or send them to their rooms or make them do PT.

A few nights ago the typical fight broke out in our house at bedtime. 

Boys 2 & 3 share a room.  Boy 2 is an introvert and he loves things to be the way he likes them.  Boy 3 is an extrovert and is care free.  (One could say that Boy 2 is a neat freak and Boy 3 is a slob.)  Boy 2 is a rule follower & a truth teller.  He is the child that will remind me that I grounded him from specific things when I forget.  Boy 3, not so much. These two boys are as different as night and day.  And did I mention that they share a room?  And did I mention that Boy 2 wants to be the boss of Boy 3 and did I mention that they fight over something EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT when it is bedtime even though I typically put them to bed at different times? 

Back to the fight.  I don't remember what it was about.  I never remember what they fight about, I just know it happens almost nightly and I am sick and tired of it and I don't know what to do about it anymore. (PS...I'm the disciplinarian in our family for the most part, while Hubby is "The Big Guns".) Well, the other night when this started again I couldn't take it anymore.  I looked at Hubby and said "You take it."

And take it he did!  OH MY GOODNESS.  I just remember one more reason why I am head over heels in love with this man.  Do you know what he did?

Hubby called the instigator (Boy 2) into our room (This is the point where I would have had a long discussion with him - he would tell me why he was fighting with his brother and he would get grounded - blah, blah, blah - and it would have gone on for 10 more minutes.) and said to him:
"Where do you want to sleep tonight, in the bathtub or on the couch?"
Boy 2's mouth dropped open and he replied that he wanted to sleep in his bed.
Do you know what my ROCK STAR husband said next?
He said:  "You lost that privilege.  You may choose the bathtub or the couch."

And that was that.
Boy 2 slept on the couch.
And do you know what else?
It has been 4 nights since that happened and there has not been one fight at bedtime since then.

Bathtub or couch.
Easy as that.
My husband ROCKS.

Does anyone else find this sign confusing?

It is almost that time of year again!  Time to start making lunches in the morning (or evening)!  I can't believe it is ALMOST time for school to start!   The last time I checked our kids were all still in Elementary school or not even in school!!  I'm not sure how on earth we have a SENIOR in high school (more on that later), one in MIDDLE school and 2 in Elementary.  Where did our babies go!?!  Someone PLEASE slow the clock down!

Last year someone (I can't remember who) ask me what I packed in the kids lunches.  When I told them they were in shock. Really?  I'm not that creative, I just pack left overs and I *try* to make the meals somewhat balanced.  She then told me her kids have sandwiches every.single.day.  I can't say I'm really all that surprised - that was me a few years ago.  It wasn't till I found these nifty little containers that I started jazzing up school lunches.  Something about them makes packing lunches more fun!  I MUST put something in each little spot, if I don't have anything to put in the spot, I figure something out NO PART MUST BE LEFT EMPTY.  I feel like if I leave a spot empty, that spot might get sad.   True story. I'm a bit of a freak like that!  Plus the kids LOVE having a variety for lunch, they even tell me that their buddies ALWAYS want to trade food with them.  Sometimes they trade, but most of the time they don't because they like what they get for the most part.  

Don't worry, I'm not making octopus hotdogs or sailboat sandwiches, just good clean kid friendly lunches.  No food art from this momma.

Just a side note..... when I was in school I got a bologna or chopped ham sandwich, a bag of chips and a Little Debbie.  Nutty Bars were my absolute FAVORITE.
All the kids wanted my Nutty Bar.  
My mom was COOL like that even though she fed me bologna.
OK, OK, I liked bologna....especially when she fried it and melted a piece of American cheese on it.
I don't think our kids have ever had bologna.
Maybe it is time to hit up the deli for a couple of slices of B O L O G N A....(I sang it that time, you know like they did in the commercial way back when.)
Did I really say 'hit up the deli"???  What I should have said is grab a pack of bologna that has the red ring of plastic around the edge.  You know the package I'm talking about.  Do they still make that?   

Anyway, let's get back on topic.  Here are a few lunches I packed for our kids towards the end of last year.  If you guys want me to, I'll try to post lunch boxes every few weeks.

Just let me know.  :o)

Our kids LOVE these Korean triangles.  That's what we call them. Korean Triangles. I buy them anytime I am out and about near a 7-11 and pack them in their lunch the next day (These need to be eaten fresh - within 24ish hours. )  They are rice triangles filled with different things -  bulgogi, tuna, chicken etc. and wrapped with seaweed.  Our kids like the bulgogi & tuna triangles best.    That orange mush is mashed sweet potatoes.

You can't see it, but below the celery is a layer of peanut butter.
(PS...that hot dog is Hebrew National.)

No explanation needed.

Left over grilled chicken and other goodies.
(Our kids dig peanut butter and celery in case you didn't figure that one out on your own.)

See, nothing too fancy, just good clean food (for the most part) kid friendly food! 

Sigh....just one more week of fun before it all starts up again...

Back in July Beth invited me to a girls night in the city.  She won a weekend stay at a groovy hotel in downtown Seoul. She took her hubby for the first night and me the night. SWEET....2 girls on the town, but wait...we were a pitiful sight - I had just finished running 16 miles in 2 days and could barely walk and she had a little bit of a wine headache from her night out with her Hubby.   It didn't really matter though, we had a great time hanging out in the naked spa where I tried the ice bath.  I know it is a bit controversial, but hey, I was in pain so I tried it.  And guess what?!  It TOTALLY WORKS....I wasn't sore at all the following day!  Ice baths work.  I've done them after all long runs since then!   Don't beat me up if you don't believe, and if you have never tired it, you should.  10 minutes in an ice bath and bam - what achy joints?!  You know the other thing that works?  Hair of the dog.  That's right we had wine too and you know what?!  Beth's headache disappeared.  It's amazing.

Anyway, the next morning we went adventure seeking near Namdaemum where we happened upon this little park of fun. 

Beth found a boyfriend.

And so did I.
I think my guy is cuter.

I can't help but laugh.
(Get mind out of gutter - or toilet.)

Namdaemun Gate

I considered getting this sweet little gem for my new GREAT nephew Charlie.
(haha....just kidding Stacy!)

And we both agreed that we need to find this outfit for your Hubby's.

It isn't an outing in Korea in July without a little monsoon rain.  We went out with 2 umbrellas, came back with one.  Not that it mattered as we were soaked all the way through to our undies.

Thanks for the super fun adventure Beth!  :o)

Yes is August 17th and yes I am just now posting about 4th of July. 
I like to think I have it all together and that I can do everything, but who am I kidding, I'm barely keeping my head above water this summer.  I have great ideas and a good plan, but sometimes executing all that is going on in my ADHD brain is just a little too much for the most energetic of people.

This summer has been fun, fun, fun so as summer winds down and I have a little more time to myself you will get to see more of what we have been up to.  :o) 

Those of you close to me knows that the Independence Day, AKA  The 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday. 
I've even told our kids that I when they are all grown and have families of their own they don't have to worry about this Momma getting her feelings hurt if they want to go to the in-laws (or stay home) for Christmas as long as I get them for the 4th of July I will be one happy camper!  (You should see what is going on in my head for 4th of July when our kids are grown & I have slew of grandkids! )

So here are a few pictures from the 4th of July Party I threw together for our 'extended' family here in South Korea.  :o)  Enjoy!

Here I am with my 5 FAVORITE people on the face of this earth!

It's not a party without a live band....

...or hamburgers and hotdogs!

My rebel getting tattooed.

With my favorite girl.

How flippin' cute is he?!?

It's not 4th of July on the ROK till you get a little rain.

PS...who is that guy?!?

Kat was our fearless leader for this Tuesday with Trish outing.  I have heard many people talk about Foody Goody, but I had never been.  The name threw me off.  Foody Goody?  Really? That just doesn't scream good Koeran Galbi to me.  However I must give it up, Foody Goody didn't disappoint and it is just a short walk out the Camp Coiner DRIVE out gate (not to be confused with the Camp Coiner walk out gate).

Walk out, take a left at the intersection you can cross the street at a diagonal, do that.
Foody Goody is on your right hand side not too far down BUT it looks like you are going into a parking garage - because you are (see 1st picture below).  There is an attendant and he will steer you ro the right where you go into the building (second picture) and go up the stairs to the 2nd floor.   

Plus I LOVE these little rooms, although we didn't get to sit in one.  Next time I will make a reservation for one of the rooms!

Another little thing I love are theses little inflatable hand towels.  (Little things make me happy!)  First they start off  all hard and flat then you just add water and voilà - there they are nice big puffy hand towels!  (Well, big and fluffy to Korea standards anyway!)

Something I never tire of seeing at Korean restaurants....
I'm pretty sure this isn't safe to US standards, but I LOVE it!

Foody Goody should be called Foody Yummy!

I mean check out all the sides you get!  AND, they aren't even all pictured. 

This side of octopus was my favorite...I ate 2 helpings myself and the girls were more than happy to give it all to me. It was a win-win all the way around!    

Good time with good friends! 

BUT....we didn't stop there!  After lunch Kat took us out to explore the neighborhood. 
So, continue walking in the direction you were going when you went to Foody Goody.
Walk, walk, walk till you come to a pretty big (but not too big) intersection and turn left ( you will see all kinds of activity on this street) and commence shopping!  This is a quaint little neighborhood market street where you can get all kinds of goodies from plants to toiletries to food - I saw 2 butcher shops and a bakery and couple of food markets like the one pictures below to all kinds of cute little cafes.   

Just a cool building.

I'm so in love with this plant.  I should have bought it.

Street food....If I weren't so full one of those sticks of fish cake goodness would have been mine.

And then we found it...the gem of all gems, this sweet little coffee shop.
OH MY GOODNESS...I'm in LOVE with it!
I can't wait to take my MIL here when she comes to Korea this fall! 

It looks tiny, and it is -  BUT it has this super cool little upstairs area where you can sit by the windown and people watch!

And this was the icing on the cake.
READ IT.
Totally Korea.
I love it!

WORD.