Another month has flown by! The boys are yelling and laughing at each other, playing games like soccer and badminton outside, and just enjoying Indian summer in Korea. 

Let's begin with Jordan. After cleaning our apartment last Saturday, Jordan and I decided to go to a coffee shop. (I decided and he agreed to it.) We went to one about 10 minutes from our place. I ordered tea and he ordered a lemonade. And then he saw the display. He was looking longingly at the macaroons and asked, "Mommy, may I have one?"

He was just so polite and cute! He got his macaroon. He sat down with me at a table, pulled out his tablet, and started to drink his lemonade and very slowly ate the macaroon. 

I realized over the course of the half hour that we were at the coffee shop that I had forgotten something back at the house. He packed up like a little adult when I said we needed to get back. No drama at all. He just got in the car. 

Actually, the drama comes from Aidan. My child who can concentrate the most is also the most dramatic. Last night he refused to sit down at the dinner table with Jordan because of a perceived problem of Jordan not doing exactly what Aidan said in his math book.

The math book had come in the mail last week. Jordan ripped that package open, and started to look at it as soon as it had arrived. It was my husband who decided that Aidan could be Jordan's teacher and work through the book.

Anyway, Aidan walked off about 30 minutes before dinner, slammed a door, and proceeded to cry. I followed him into the bedroom, told him to work with Jordan, and he decided that I was not being supportive of him and burst into tears all over again. Drama!

I was genuinely surprised when he refused to sit with Jordan over supper. 30 minutes later I asked Aidan back to the table. He ate his supper. I told Jordan to go and apologize for whatever had happened and Jordan obediently did what I had requested. Aidan, of course, refused the apology and then I lost it on the child. I took his phone from him and told him to get over himself and accept the apology. More crying...

And then we were interrupted by Justin. He had just had a shower, and I could hear the music from his phone playing. Sure enough, Justin bursts through the door on Aidan dancing to "Ooga-chucka, Ooga-chucka... I can't stop this feeling."

Both Aidan and I burst out laughing. (Just an FYI, Justin really can't dance!) It took another hour to get things sorted out with Aidan, but he did eventually cooperate with Jordan and with me. 

In my last post I mentioned that Justin is in his last semester of high school. I am more than a little concerned about the fact that he is doing almost nothing when it is just me in the house. I am sure this will continue until he takes his exams and graduates. 

Have I mentioned that Justin wants to be a pilot? I know miracles happen and anything is possible. He is just waiting for Suneung (Scholastic Aptitude Exam) and not really studying anymore. After the dancing episode last night, he spent some time talking to Aidan and then spent 45 minutes playing with his phone. I told him to go study. He went into the study room that he shares with his father for about 30 minutes and then proceeded to watch Aidan play games on the Play station. I seriously hope that child is studying after I fall asleep in the evening.

The other man you may be interested in is my husband. He got a promotion at work, Dean of Planning. Apparently, what that means is that he gets to plan events on campus for students and attend a lot of meetings. He has been at school for three days, and I am wondering if he is going to spend the whole week in YangPyeong. 

But tonight we get to celebrate! Jordan's birthday is today and we are having a special dinner for him. He gets beef, rice, and seaweed soup (a traditional birthday meal here in Korea). We will cut cake and blow out candles when my husband gets home.

My son Justin is pictured above. He is working with the sound team at church most Sundays.

There is a Bible Verse about hard work that is worth mentioning. “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Proverbs 13:4

It may be difficult to teach children the value of discipline and hard and work, but it does have its rewards! 

Justin, my eldest son, came home from school last week with two awards. It was a pleasant surprise for this parent! He and his friends got a bronze medal for an English project where they interview yours truly about Sejong High School. The other project was more individual. He received a silver medal for creating an anti-smoking poster. Apparently, my child’s artistic talents are starting to blossom! And Daddy rewarded him with fried chicken as a late night snack.

The English project that he and his friends won for was something! I remember the day they interviewed me. I was simply asked to say, “Tell me about your school, Justin! I want to learn about your school!” It was one of those days where I had many small things to do and I was a little annoyed because it was an unusual request. The rest of the video is Justin and his friend walking around school showing anyone who was watching the video the buildings. The English was quite good even if my initial question was more than a little awkward!

Jordan also did some great work at school. He and his classmates put together a multicultural show for parents last Wednesday morning. They all prepared little dance numbers! Jordan was wearing a Chinese traditional hat and I was genuinely wondering what they were going to do before they started dancing to ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. His friends and he were reasonably coordinated as they performed it and the parents broke out into laughter when they heard the song. 

The other song that the whole class performed was ‘Jumbo’. It’s an African song that has a Korean counterpart. While they were performing I understood why I had heard him humming the song so many times at home. While they were doing it, I could hear many of them singing. And, of course, they broke out into hysterical laughter when it was all done! I commend the teacher for pushing all those second-graders to perform so well. I will remember that day for a long time!

Aidan and Jordan go to Taekwondo every night at 7:00. When they have worked hard, the teacher gives them tickets. These tickets are 10 points, 50 points, and 100 points. Aidan was pleased as pie to receive a ticket for 50 points last week. It was the same night that they all received chicken from Daddy so all was well with the world!

Hard work and perseverance are difficult things to teach. Each boy was able to show some aspect of perseverance last week and I was very proud of them all!

“A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Proverbs 13: 4

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Advent begins on Sunday. They boys looks forward to the little chocolate gifts in the Advent Calendar but I look forward to the read-alouds!

My family will be reading Ann Voskamp's The Wonder of the Greatest Gift along with other holiday favorites. This year I will wrap up books for them to choose, two or three, and we will read that book in the evening. We will light candles, read The Wonder of the Greatest Gift, hang an ornament on the tree, and read the book they have chosen. I look forward to this bonding time with the boys!

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For those of you who are curious, there has been a delay with the book I’m publishing. The Giver: The Life of Jesus and the Book of Acts (Fifty Sermons for Children) will be published in January. I am still very excited about the book!  I hope you will be too!