Fall

The weather has finally gotten somewhat cool here so we have started venturing outside for some activities. Friday night we went to EPCOT for the Food and Wine Festival. It was Min and Joo's first time at the fest and Joo definitely enjoyed it. She loved the Fried Ravoli in Italy and the Cheese Fondue. My favorites were the Braised Short Ribs in France, and all four of us loved the Chocolate Lava Cake in Ireland. Min has his usual Orange Chicken from China. We were also excited because South Korea was one of the countries this year. Mr. Cash and I hope to go back and sample more foods without the kids.

On Sunday while Min was at Lacrosse and a birthday party, Joo and I ventured to the Halloween Spooktacular at Sea World. Apparently, we weren't the only ones with that idea. It was very crowded. We managed to hit all of the candy stations. Sea World was pretty stingy with the candy, however, only handing out one piece at each station. Very much unlike Mickey's Not So Scary which gives you handfuls at each station. After getting candy, we visited the sharks, penguins and dolphins. We wanted to see the Sting-rays, which are Joo's favorites, but the pool was closed for refurbishment. I guess we'll have to see them next time.

Next week, we hope to make it to the pumpkin patch.

Minivan Mom

After driving to downtown Orlando and back for a month and a half with Min and Joo, I realized that my SUV just wasn't big enough for my two growing kids and all of their stuff so I have become one on those moms who drives a minivan. We bought the 2011 Sienna Limited. I have to say that I am loving it. I like all of the features that my van has like satellite radio and the back up camera to name a few. We also got the dual dvd player so both kids can watch their own movies. The drive home in the afternoons are now a lot quieter too since there is no more fighting over space. I also love the automatic doors, no more wincing everytime one of the kids open the door hoping that they don't hit the car in front of them. We'll see how I feel once the newness wears off, but for now, I highly recommend the Sienna minivan.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

It's been a couple of years since we attended Mickey's Not So Scary so we decided to journey back to the Magic Kingdom and check it out again. We went on a Tuesday night in September so we were optimistic that it would not be crowded, and we were right. We had the best time since the weather wasn't too hot, we were able to ride all of the rides that we wanted to, including Dumbo, with a minimal wait, and got lots of yummy candy. Min dressed up as a Star Wars character and Joo was Junie B. Jones, which is her favorite book series at the moment. One of our favorite parts of the night is the ride of the Headless Horseman so we made sure not to miss that. Next up for Joo and I, Sea World's Spooktacular.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The crowds have finally thinned out enough at Universal's Island of Adventure for us to explore the new Harry Potter section of the park. Both Mr. Cash and Min have read the books so they know all about the food, stores and characters featured in the "world" and rides. Joo and I are just along for the adventure. The kids enjoyed drinking the Butterbeer and riding on the Forbidden Journey. The only place we haven't been able to get into is the wand store. Both times we have gone there has been a long line that we aren't willing to wait in. In this store, you can buy unique, one of a kind wands. We'll get in there eventually.

It's a very busy time for us now, both kids have started their activities. Joo has decided to do ballet, tap and jazz dance this year with a friend from school and Min is playing lacrosse with football to follow. Not to mention, college football has started so Saturdays are spent in front of the tv. Go Bucks!!!!!!

Lake Leann, Michigan

We recently returned from a two week stay at my in-laws house on Lake Leann in Michigan. We had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect; not too hot which is important when you live in Florida and are trying to escape the heat. The lake temperature was also perfect. Min's favorite thing to do at the lake was tubing. He racked up 13 hours on the jet ski, most of that was tubing. Joo loved playing and swimming in the lake. They both liked to fish off the dock, and caught several fish. I loved sitting in the sun for hours without getting hot or sunburned and swimming in a lake that didn't have alligators or deadly amoeba.

We also did some sightseeing while we were in Michigan. We went to Frankenmuth, which is a German village known for having the world's largest Christmas store and famous fried chicken dinners. We bought some Christmas decorations at Bronners and ate a delicious chicken dinner at Zehnders.

The kids also enjoyed spending time with their grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles.

We had a great time in Michigan and can't wait to go again next year.

Now it's back to school time. Min has already started fourth grade at LHPS, I return to work tomorrow and Joo starts first grade on Monday, August 23 at BME.

Aruba

On June 19, the kids and I left for Aruba. Mr. Cash did not join us since he was up in Ohio for our niece's high school graduation party and some work related visits. He also went to a Detroit Tigers baseball game with his dad for Father's Day. We went to Aruba with many members of my family including my mom, sister and brother-in-law, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Min and Joo with grandma and Aunt S
Joo with her cousin from Oregon

This was our first trip to Aruba and we were very excited. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort for the week so our food and drinks were included in the price.

Min's favorite part of the trip was eating and drinking. Every day he had a standing play date with a friend he met at the pizza bar. They would order a pizza and a strawberry daiquiri with no alcohol and would sit at the bar talking. By the end of the week, they knew the chefs and bartenders by name. He also had numerous ice cream cones and bags of popcorn. His other favorite activity was boogie boarding in the Caribbean Sea.

Joo's favorite things to do were swinging in the hammock and playing in the pool.

The kids also loved seeing the many iguanas at the resort. Some were tame enough to touch and feed.

Most of the days, we just stayed at the resort and played in the sand, sea and pool, but some days we did leave the resort. On Monday, my uncle took Min and I along with my cousin and her husband out in the jeep that he rented to explore the island. Aruba is a very interesting island, the side that we stayed on has beautiful beaches and calm water, but if you go to the other side, it's very rocky with rough seas. Most of the jeep ride was off road and it was very bumpy. Min loved it, but my cousin and I were jostled every which way. It was worth the bruises to see the sites though.

On Wednesday, we did some shopping for souvenirs. We bought Mr. Cash a hand painted picture of an Arubian Divi Tree and an Arubian Beer t-shirt. Min got a shirt and Joo got a dress while I bought a beach towel and sea glass earrings.
Two of the nights, our entire family ate dinner together. There were 20 of us total. One night was at a steak house and the other night was at the Italian restaurant, both were good. One of my favorite meals was the Asian restaurant that we went to with my cousin, who lives in Oregon, and her family.

It was a great trip, but I returned home very tired. It's hard work to take care of 2 kids by yourself!!! We also missed Mr. Cash very much and will make sure he goes on the next trip like this with us.

In the Last Two Months

It has been awhile since I have posted anything, not because I didn't have anything to post, just that I have been so busy I haven't had the time to do it. So I am going to post some things that we did in the last two months now.

DISNEY'S BEACH CLUB RESORT APRIL 2010
The family stayed at Disney's Beach Club Resort at the end of April for a weekend of relaxation. We enjoyed spending the day at the pool, which has a cool water slide, a very deep lazy river, an actual whirlpool that you get in and it pulls you in a circle, and sinking sand. The pool also has a sandy bottom and a sandy shore for the kids to play in, which is one of Joo's favorite things to do. We also went to EPCOT and played on the playgrounds, which were set up for the Flower and Garden Fest. I wish they would keep them up year round. We had some yummy food and rode Soarin'. It was a fun weekend!

HAMMOCK BEACH RESORT MAY, 2010

I celebrated a milestone birthday this year so to celebrate we went to the beach for the weekend. This was our first time visiting the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida, but it won't be our last. We really enjoyed it. The kids liked playing in the lazy river and boogie boarding. I enjoyed relaxing and watching them play.

The weekend after that, Joo got her ears pierced. I would ask her quite often if she wanted them pierced and she would always say no. Finally, she said yes so we went and had them done. She cried a bit when they were doing it, but she is happy with the results. Only a few more weeks and she can put new earrings in.

JOO'S KINDERGARTEN SHOW

In the beginning of June, the kindergarteners at BME put on a musical show. Joo was a flower so she had to wear a pretty dress and a flower hat. They say several songs with motions and every student had a part in the show. The kindergarten show is one of my favorites that the school puts on.

After the show, it was time for end of the school year parties. Joo's was a pirate theme and Min's was a picnic. Finally, the school year ended and it was time for camp. Min went to Wilmot Sports Camp at BME. The kids learn and play a different sport every day and on Friday, it's water day. This is his third year going and he really enjoys it. Joo went to Sea World Camp and had a blast. Each day they learned about different sea animals. They watched the shows, touched and fed the animals, and made crafts. She even got to touch a shark! Joo loved it! I never saw her so excited about something. I would pick her up and she would talk non-stop about her day.

Once camps were over, it was time for our trip to Aruba.