Some stuff lately

Finals week in our high school is a big deal. It is hard. The kids get out at 12:25 each day to study. Seminary is cancelled. Mutual is cancelled. It feels like finals week at college. It's hard and it's good. I feel it better prepares kids for college. It's also fun to have everyone hunched over tables as I make soup. Blueberry banana buckwheat pancakes are so good. I have made them every single morning because I love the feel of warm blueberries and bananas in my mouth.

Anyway, back to finals. I always have thought that the more time kids are home, better. I love noise in the house. I also like quiet in the house when I can read my book. It's all good I guess.

Why am I caring how Maddie does? She's already applied to college. Will these grades even matter? hmmm. I conclude that they do matter, because you will always know what your high school GPA was when you graduated. Don't you remember what yours was or am I crazy? End in strength!

Ali especially works so hard. Way harder than Spence and Maddie ever had to. I'm really proud of her. She has worked and worked and worked and spent hours with a tutor and stayed up late. Those qualities will serve her for life!

We had a really cool experience last night. We have become friends with the sweetest Korean family over the last few months. A lot of Maddie's friends are Korean. She came home and said, "Mom, did you know that on Chinese New Year, (or Korean Thanksgiving), that my friends kneel down in front of their parents and grandparents, bow and wish them a good New Year and then the parents give them money?" Not fair!

Well, I asked our new friends about it and they told me all about this tradition. They wear the traditional clothes once a year which are really beautiful. They show respect to their elders by bowing. There is a certain way they do it, how long they hold it, etc. The kids become very serious and respectful. The elders sit in a row facing the children. After the children say their New Years Blessings, the parents get to impart their wishes for them and give them advice. Then comes the money. So I told these kids that if they come to my house, and show me this tradition, I would give them money too. So last night, the doorbell rings. These pictures are what followed. They brought an extra dress for Sydney and Jung Yee did her hair and taught her proper hand placement, etc.

We all got a good laugh when Kate came around the corner having put on this...

Ha ha. She knew she was being left out.

I had asked Maddie's high school friends if $5 each was good and they said no. Should be more than that. Most of the time, grandparents give $100 each. It's a big deal. I had forgotten to mention to Brett this fact and when it was time to get them money, as we scrambled to get it, Brett handed me $3. Ha ha. So I gave them $10 each. I think Brett was dying. Then Jung Yee said, "Now you would give Sydney more than $20 dollars." Oh! Syd's eyes lit up. I'm thinking waaaaait a minute.... but go get all I had left which happened to be "over $20." $24 to be exact. As I handed it to Sydney, she couldn't believe it. Better than Christmas.

Then Jung Yee and her children told us amazing stories of Korea, of WWII history, Japanese occupation, of traditions and food and firing squads. All amazing. Did you know that a lot of Chinese and Korean people can trace their ancestry back to BC? She told me that their lines go all. the. way. back. Their children are taught that they are "Parks, 63rd generation.." or whatever. Then they are expected to tell their kids to memorize that they are "Parks, 64th generation." Jung Yee knew all about her ancestors in much detail.

I was so grateful that we happened to be home on a Saturday night or I would have missed it!! Grateful for these experiences.

I also attended a Power of Moms 2 day training/workshop that pretty much will change my life. I'm so excited by what I learned and how I am going to put it into practice! I'll write more later. e