Potty Dance

When we arrived back in Korea from our visit Stateside, the heat and humidity was not very condusive to diaper wearing....Since it was giving Caleb problems, I thought I would try to see if he was interested in using the big boy potty at all.  We took him to the store and let him pick out a potty.  He was very excited. I was hopeful.  We took him home and tried to get him to use the potty.  He wanted nothing to do with it.  I tried to entice him with treats, a potty dance and cute big boy underwear with trains on them. Nope.  The closest he wanted to get to his new potty was to introduce it to his stuffed monkey friend.

I did some reading and decided that 1) I didn't want to force it and didn't want it to become an issue and 2) I decided I wasn't sure I was reading for him to potty train.  Diapers and traveling around Korea on the subway and bus sounded like a much more pleasant experience.....Plus I decided I really wasn't ready to have to actually take him to the potty every half hour while we were out or clean up accidents at someone else's house.  That and his dipes are just so darn cute. 

So I stopped trying and felt pretty happy about the fact that I could wait several more months before jumping that hurdle.  And then a funny thing happened....my little boy decided he was ready.  His diapers remain dry for the most part and when we change him, he wants to go on the potty.  And go and go and go.  And then he likes to remind us that in the previous attempt we had offered him a treat if he went.  And a potty dance too.  Apparently he intends to make good on those offers.  A lot.

He isn't completely potty trained, but he's making a pretty impressive go at it.  He even told us the other day when we were out at a volleyball game that he had to go.....and he did.  His dipes continue to be mostly dry throughout the day and he goes fairly often on his little potty chair.  We're getting pretty good at the potty dance too. 

I'm not quite brave enough to let him go out of the house diaper-less yet but his big boy undies are pretty darn cute.

Wordless Wednesday

That's my Boys!

I am so. in. love.

CCS Retreat

Steve had the opportunity to speak at a youth retreat for another Christian School in Seoul (Centennial Christian School or CCS) this past weekend.  Steve, Caleb and I left at about 5:30am Thursday morning, walked to the train station for the hour and half ride into Seoul.  We then drove about 2 hours with the staff to the retreat center and returned Saturday evening.  It was a fun event and we really enjoyed meeting the staff and students at this school.  It was awesome to see the passion and love the staff has for their students.  It's so much more than a job or even a ministry.  They care so much and it was humbling to see them pouring their life out for these 80 high school students.  The kids were a lot of fun too.  It was a busy weekend and C and I were on our own (meaning daddy was off running around playing capture the flag and showing off his running abilities or hanging out with high school boys or working on a talk).  We were never really on our own -- the staff adopted us in and by Friday we felt like part of the family.  Caleb absolutely loved that we got to sing and listen to guitar and piano during worship several times a day.  He also enjoyed the wide open spaces and all the attention.  Here are some pics from our adventure.

5:30AM @ Songtan Station

Steve preaching

pictured above - our room...no beds, just a mat (we brought C's pack 'n play)

COEX Mall Aquarium

We took a trip to Seoul to the COEX Mall Aquarium with our friends the Shorts (Dave and Sara have two girls, Anya is 3 and Maddy is 13 months.  If you live in MN, think MOA Underwater world but bigger, longer, more fish and more things to see.  It was pretty cool.  They had all the various water animals, big sea tanks, the moving walkway, an artistic area with sculptures filled with live fish, a Dr. Fish pool, a kids play area and a monkey to boot.  Yes, a random monkey. 

Caleb loved it, of course.  He is still talking about it.  If you ask him about the "aquarium" he will likely excitedly rattle off a whole laundry list of things like "Anya!" "Dolphins!" (they were actually manatees but he insists they are dolphins), "turtle...BIG turtle" "froggies...RIBIT!!" "monkey" "daddy" "wa wa" "shark" "fishies....blub blub."