yellow belts

Hard work. Lots of practice. Memorizing multi step forms. Focus. Courage. Good attitudes. Character growth. Big sisters helping little brother. Memorizing facts about Korea. Counting in Korean. Breaking boards with kicks! 50 push ups! Such pride and joy...

it's late at night and i should be sleeping but...

me with my "babies" a few years ago

One of my best friends is in labor right now, with her first baby, 3000 miles away on the mainland. She called me a few hours ago. Her water had just broken an hour prior and she was in the beginning stages of labor, which I was able to determine by her contractions. The baby was almost two weeks overdue, and her midwife told her yesterday that if the baby didn't come by tomorrow, (Friday) she would have to go to the hospital to be induced. She really didn't want that, as she was planning a home birth. She had called me yesterday to tell me this news and so I gave her a pep talk and I even spoke to the baby for her, she asked me to - she put me on speaker phone - as she was so tired.

We have all been thinking of her and praying for her today. This baby decided to come in the absolute nick of time. We are going to see the family when we go to the mainland in a few days. We can't wait to meet the baby. I was supposed to be at this birth, but it didn't work out for me to be able to go. But I am there in my heart.

aqua fun

I am loving these colors. This is a familiar scene this time of year now that we are having warm weather after a cool winter and spring. How wonderful to have this playground in our backyard.

home grown

Some for the pleasure of eating or spicing food, some for the pleasure of drinking, some for the mere pleasure of looking...

house concert night

Annabel opened up with an amazing rendition of the National Anthem. Sky played one of her new songs, "Back Home." This is on her new CD that is almost ready. Then Gary rocked the night with a great set of old and new songs, and guest bass player Jay joined Gary for the last few new songs. It was wonderful to share this evening with a bunch of friends in our home. We finished off the evening with desert and then some more impromptu singing from Gary and the girls, and, of course, drumming from Shawn.

I love this photo with the reflection of Gary in the piano.

sunset at the beach

ten things i'm loving right now

1. Anticipation. We leave for our summer trip in 13 days.

2. Kid cuteness. Lovin' my kid's art, especially our youngest. Also his attempt at writing and spelling, he keeps little journals and sketchbooks and writes things like "I LUV EVREWUN IN YR FEMIEY KAY AND WISLR." Kay is the neighbor and Whistler is her dog. Or "I RILE LUV U IM JUST MAD I LOVE U 1000 GALINS."

3. Homeschooling lifestyle. Even this mess isn't bothering me. This is unusual for this particularly tidy child. However there were multiple projects happening that day. School French poster, blogging, photography, science homework, counting money for the charity boxes, making the charity boxes, and playing dolls.

4. Feeling really peaceful. I can't explain why but it is very obvious lately. Even with the above mess.

5. Packing, organizing, going through our clothes, deciding what to take to Italy and France, and California and New York.

6. Doing Sky's CD cover with Isa, a sweet young designer. You will have to wait and see this.

7. The kids. Here they are preparing for yellow belt Taekwondo testing this week.

8. My garden. Watering weeding, harvesting. Also I have successfully saved our lawn and filled in the dead areas with seed. It looks great now.

9. Being busy. And productive. I like having a long to do list and am surprised at how much I have done, and how relaxing this month is in preparation for a 3 month trip.

10. The constant music, all of our offspring and my husband make around here, of course. Gary is doing a house concert this weekend too. We haven't done that since 2003, it will be fun.

hello

For my newest blogging friends who are suddenly visiting from all corners of the earth - Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Australia, Norway, and New York, to name a few. It's so fun to have you and get to know your worlds. Here's a little bit of my corner...

seva - sanskrit for "service"

clothes to send to Mother Miracle School, overseas

I feel it is my duty as a mother of children in such a developed nation, with such a comfortable life, to teach them about the plight of the poor, the importance of sharing what we have and of helping others in need. Since 2004, we have been taking the children to see Amma, an Indian saint, and world renown humanitarian who emphasizes the important of selfless service, or seva. She walks her talk. Her entire life mission centers around comforting people through her famous hugs, as well as numerous charitable organizations. Knowing Amma has had a profound effect on the children. Currently all three kids are working in their own way to raise money for poor children, they each have their own charity jars. They are making "charity boxes" that they will give to Amma when we see her in June, emptying the jars into the boxes, the jars will be refilled again when we return home.

We are gathering items to send overseas to the school where we sponsor several children. The girls have donated many beloved stuffed animals. It was very sweet to see Annabel kissing each one goodbye and telling them they are going to a new home where they will be very loved.

A friend and I have started a small green project and word has now spread all over the U.S. We scour thrift shops for metal forks and spoons to bring to the U.S. mainland and donate to Amma's organization to use for their various meals served all over the U.S. during her tours. City by city, they are replacing plastic cutlery with the hundreds of forks and spoons we and others have donated. It saves the organization money and also cuts down on pollution. A small idea with a big message.

Also every year our family donates something, usually handmade, to Amma's bookstores to be sold to raise money for her charities. This year Skylar made potpourri bags. Also the girls created activity books with word scrambles, mazes, dot-to-dots, etc. A friend wrote a children's story, Skylar illustrated it, we have copies of handmade books to donate to Amma's bookstore.

My feeling is that every bit makes a difference, and when the children are involved and it's real and personal, it makes a deeper impact.

We leave for the mainland in 17 days. Our first stop is to see Amma in California and deliver all of our goodies.

ten-isness

There is nothing like a ten-year-old girl running with the wind, practicing cartwheels, absorbed in a great book, speaking with eloquence and big words and humor to crack us up and leave us staring right at the face of absolute girlhood. That's our Annabel.