Margaret finally said a word we recognize - I think. She seems to be saying "block," though often-times it comes out as "glock" or "duck." Who knows. I'm sure she'll be tickled when her parents finally catch a clue.

We found a vehicle! We're buying a 1992 Mazda MVP. It's in great shape for its age and has been well-maintained. Originally, the owner wanted to keep it for a week or two but after he saw we had 2 small children, he insisted we take it ASAP. We'll have the keys either tomorrow or Tuesday. Now we have to get a move on and get our official USFK driver's license! It's a huge relief to have wheels, getting groceries and other errands done on post have been downright painful.

Sean & Mary headed back to the post to go swimming. Margaret is down for a late afternoon nap, so I'm enjoying a quiet apartment. A rare moment, indeed!

Almost forgot, I finally uploaded photos I took during our visit stateside. You can view the ofoto album here.

It's official now, the girls and I can stay in Korea through 2006. Went to Korean Immigration today and got our Visas. Phew! It involved the typical bureaucratic headaches, that seems to translate into every culture.

It was a very full day. After seeing Mary off at the bus stop, we headed to the post for a few errands (including picking up the missing diaper bag, it was turned into the police on post!). Then we went to the realtor's office and paid the first rent payment. In cash. Ever wonder what it'd be like to carry 9.6 million in cash? I can tell you, it makes the bag very heavy! Before you completely freak out, it was only worth about $7,875 in US Dollars. Regardless, we were very happy to complete the transaction and get it off our hands. [The first payment was higher than normal as it included about 2 month's worth of rent + security deposit.]

Next, we hopped on the subway to the Immigration office. It was about a 45 minute ride/walk. First of all, the Seoul subway system is beautiful. Clean, quiet & very easy to figure out. Most signage includes English and the lines & stations are numbered. After tackling the Tokyo subway system, this one's a piece of cake. (For that matter, anyone who's managed to ride Boston's T or DC's Metro will do just fine). Margaret charmed the pants off most folks on the subway, of course.

Once we got to the Immigration Office, we spent an hour waiting in the wrong department. Just so you know, the place to get a Visa is NOT the Visa department. We got to the right section at Noon, just in time for the entire staff to go on their hour lunch break. So, we headed out ourselves and had some yummy Korean food for lunch. Couldn't tell you what style it was, but our meal included some fresh cucumber, fresh hot peppers (I passed on those), a couple different sauces, rice and a big bowl of pork ribs (on the bone) in a savory, hot broth. Yum! Each meal cost a whopping 5,000 Won (less than $5).

After lunch, we headed back and got the visas squared away in short order. Hopped back on the subway and headed back home. Sean got off at the post and headed in to work for a short while and I got home just in time to pick up Mary at the bus stop. Couldn't tell you how much I walked today, but I know I'll sleep good tonight!

More later, gotta help put the little ones to bed...

Made some more headway with boxes this weekend, I think we've turned the corner. Figured out why the door to our entertainment center won't close - it's warped! Really strange, hope we can get it fixed.

Saw an ad for '95 minivan that's promising, only drawback is it's not available until late June. We hope to go see it this week.

This week we wrap up the last bit of administrivia. Have to get to Korean Immigration for visas for myself and girls. We'll also take our driver's test this week.

Suddenly realized I haven't given an update on the girls in quite a while. Guess I've been preoccupied!

Margaret has started to sign a few words. She can sign "all done," which is also accompanied by a very crude verbal approximation of "all done." She also nods her head "yes" and "no," which makes it a lot easier to figure out what she wants. She's also taken to patting my chest when she wants to nurse. If she's on the ground, she rubs her face in my leg. Adorable!

Got a note last week from Mary's school, her current teacher is moving to the 1st grade next year and Mary can choose her as her teacher. It's called looping and is very favorable because it eliminates some of the adjustment period usually associated with a new teacher and new students. Mary's vote is yes, so we're going to sign her up with Mrs. Allen again.

What a productive day! Attended day 2 of the newcomer's brief at the post, they started a new format where they're reviewing Korean culture & language. Spent the morning learning basic Korean words, enough to get me around town without making an absolute fool of myself. It almost felt like a date because Sean and I got to spend the morning together without the kids!

After lunch, we swung by the new car sales lot on post. There's a program where we can buy cars with a healthy discount while overseas. Only drawback is they don't include Honda & Toyota. Just the domestic lines (Ford, Chrysler, etc.). Anyways, we could get a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan for less than $25,000. A very good deal, but we haven't decided yet whether we want to buy new or not.

Headed home afterwards and sat next to another American on the bus. Started chatting, and it turns out she lives in the same apartment complex as we do, one building over. She (her name's Patricia) was tickled to meet another stay-at-home mom, she's been here 4 months and has already found the best money exchange place, grocery store & bakery in the immediate neighborhood. I suspect we will be fast friends and hang out together during the day.

The woman who watched Margaret, Almin, did some straightening up for me while Margaret took her nap. So, my floors and bathrooms are clean! She also said she'd be happy to watch Margaret again anytime. Oh, and my neighbor, Patricia, has two teenage daughters who have taken the Red Cross babysitter's course. Yeehah!

Needless to say, the day away from the apartment (and the boxes!) did wonders for me.

We managed to make some decent progress on the apartment this weekend. We can now cook/eat in the kitchen, and we managed to make a run to the grocery store so we have food to cook! Margaret is sleeping in her own crib tonight, and Mary's PC is up and running. Hooked up the TV & stereo so Sean is happy. Now I just need to get my new PC that's en route and we'll all be happy! :oP

Tomorrow, I head out for some social activities! Sherry has invited me to a "baby blankets" meeting at the base chapel. I believe it's a sewing circle where they make quilts for baby layettes. I'm sure I'll get the full scoop tomorrow morning. Tuesday, we'll attend a meeting for one of the wives associations. Wednesday, I plan to attend the Newcomer's Orientation held by the base (if childcare gels), it involves a walking tour of Seoul.

While shopping on Saturday, we were approached by a modeling agent! She was interested in Margaret for certain and possibly Mary (who was reading books on another isle). I'm intrigued, there was a huge demand for western children in Japan for photo shoots, I'm guessing it's the same here as well. I'm going to ask around to see if anyone on base has done modeling. Might be a fun way to get out and explore Seoul while padding the kid's education funds.

We're back online, PHEW! We're set up with VDSL, looks like it's pretty darn quick. The apartment is a wreck, there's stuff everywhere and the closets are filling up rapidly. We hope to make some good headway this weekend. Sean headed back to work on Tuesday and has been putting in full days. Tomorrow he hopes to skip out early.

The Bendradyl did the trick for me, no more rash! Finished more bureacratic check-in on Friday, I've now got a ration card so I can shop at the base stores. A military ID isn't enough for access by dependents, I suspect because there are so many military members here on unaccompanied tours (without family). The ration card "proves" I'm authorized to be here.

Took Mary to the apartment this afternoon, she's very excited about the playground on the grounds. The landlord was there getting vertical blinds installed when we arrived. The a/c units will be installed on Thursday, and our furniture will arrive on Monday. Next week will be busy!

Well, it's official! Finished our lease paperwork with Housing this afternoon. Sean talked briefly with Personal Property, delivery of our furniture on Tuesday should be no problem. The landlord is getting a/c units installed on Monday, but we'll still get keys, etc. Don't mind checking out of the hotel a few days earlier!

Found a decent write-up on the section of Seoul we're living in, Hannam-dong. You can read up on it here. Our apartment complex is mentioned in the very last paragraph, Hyundai hometown apartments.

My rash is still hanging around. It keeps reappearing in the weirdest places. I'm suspicious of laundry, Sean did a load recently in the hotel laundry room and I'm wondering if I'm having a reaction to the detergent or something. I've taken some Benadryl, we'll see if it helps.

We found a place! It's a brand-new apartment with 4 bedrooms and a great view of the river that cuts through Seoul. We're on the fourth floor, and the complex has garage parking and a beautiful landscaped courtyard between the towers (with a playground!). We just completed the initial paperwork, if Housing approves it we'll get the keys on Wednesday. Haven't talked to Personal Property yet, can only hope that they'll be able to set up delivery of our furniture next week. Needless to say, it's a huge relief to have a place to call home.

Next big item is to get wheels!

Yesterday evening, I came down with an itchy rash all over my body. I think it's a reaction to a bug bite. It's better this morning, though remnants remain. I hope I'm not allergic to Korea.

Mary is fired up to start school tomorrow. Met her teacher today, a very sweet woman with a Southern drawl named Mrs. Allen. Suspect she and Mary will get along just great.

Another frustrating day looking for apartments. There is a "fair market value" cap established by the military that caps the monthly rent we can pay. Frustrating because this cap is preventing us from affording a nice 4-bedroom apartment like we want to have. We've seen some nice 3- bedroom units, but we're concerned about how we'd fit our stuff in them. Space is going to be more important to us here vs. Japan because (a) we're here for 2 solid years and (b) Sean will be home much more. We head back to the Housing office tomorrow morning to get the scoop on the wait for base housing and clarification on how this rent cap works. *sigh*

Margaret got up twice last night, but went right back to sleep after nursing. Woohoo! Felt like a new woman this morning.

We made some forward progress yesterday. Got some admin stuff done, Sean's going back this morning to complete it. Got Mary registered for school at the main office, I'm heading out shortly to the Elementary school to complete the registration.

Margaret's sleep schedule improved slightly this morning. She woke up at 3:30 am (vs. 2:00 am the night prior) and only stayed up an hour before going back to sleep. I feel like a new woman from having 4-1/2 hours straight sleep.

The exciting activity for the day is apartment hunting at 10:00 am!

Today, we'll get a taste of how the Army works. Sean will head in to work for a brief check-in and to get his new uniform (cammaflouge). Then, we'll head out to the Personal Support Detatchment to start in-processing. Can't wait until tomorrow morning, when we start apartment-hunting.

Our quality of life has vastly improved in the last hour. Sean had requested a family suite when he made reservations at the hotel, but when we checked in we were informed there were none available. We were placed in a "deluxe" room that the desk clerk said was even nicer than the family suites. Yeah, right. Just got settled in the new digs, it's twice the size. It's essentially two hotel rooms with a connecting door. One side is the sleeping area (two doubles, bathroom with two sinks, lots of closet space) and the other side has a kitchenette with a dining table, a sitting area and a desk for the PC. I was nearly giddy at all the space. After 4 weeks spent sleeping in the same room as my kids, I'm looking forward to having my own space!

I did manage to get a few more hours of sleep after Margaret puttered around for just over an hour this morning. Not much more, but every little bit helps. She's napping as we speak. Mary and Sean are taking a swim in the hotel pool.

The view from our new room is stunning. There's a beautiful landscaped garden that we look out on, plus we have a great view of the base from our 9th floor. Once I get my camera dock hooked up, I'll try to post some pictures.

Yes, the time stamp on this post is correct. It's 2 am and Margaret is up. For the day. At least I got about 3-1/2 hours of sleep. Yesterday morning, Sean got up with her, so it's my turn. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her for the next few hours. She keeps walking over to the beds where Mary & Daddy are and jabbering at them. Guess she's trying to figure out why they're still sleeping. Adjusting to the time difference with a toddler is a very different experience than doing it with an infant!