Kennedy in Kindergarten

It is May already...I can't believe it! On Friday, it will be just five weeks before we fly back to the States! It's still only in the mid-60s this week. When I checked the weather this morning, I saw that on the same day last year it was 85 degrees. So, I'm not crazy; it was warmer last year. Last year, the day of our staff picnic was really warm. I don't think it's going to be really warm this year, but it should be comfortable this afternoon. I don't have many pictures to go along with this post, so I'm just going to post the pictures I took the other day while walking through Namsan Park.

I can't believe that this girl's first year of school is coming to a close. There is a Kindergarten graduation ceremony, which is a pretty big deal around here, in just a few weeks. This year has flown by!

She has really been enjoying her new camera. And I'll admit that my little "photo walk" the other day was a lot more fun when I wasn't the only one taking photos. I also got left behind much less!

Last week Kennedy got "in trouble" for the first time. She had to move her clip, which meant that she was in the warning zone. All year she has had a heart on her calendar to show us at the end of the day, until now. She was devastated. Eric and I were happy that she finally knew what it felt like to get in trouble at school--it's a learning experience for anyone. Of course, Eric has heard the whole story from her teacher before he even picked her up after school--the perks of being a staff kid--but she was so worried about the whole thing. Poor kid.

Other than this event, Kennedy has had an impeccable record this year. Her report cards have continued to reflect the fact that she is learning what she is supposed to, and she still has more learn, so we're happy. She even won the Guardian Way award for her class in 3rd Quarter, reflecting the fact that she is performing above and beyond in terms of our school's expectations in truth, excellence, and diversity. We were very proud parents!

Eric and I are continuously amazed by the things that come out of her mouth and how different our children's lives are compared to our own. A couple of weeks ago, we were sitting at the dinner table when she started talking about the colors of her classmates' passports. The way she spoke wasn't any different than any other 6-year-old: "Jayme has a green passport. DaHyun has a green passport and a blue passport. Kanon's passport is red." It was the content we couldn't get over. Eric said, "I didn't know what color my own passport was until I was almost 30, but my 6-year-old discusses it with her friends at recess."

Her life is very different than ours in terms of technology, too, of course. She doesn't call people, she Skypes them. She doesn't write notes, she sends texts. And she's starting to pass us up already. Last week, she convinced me to join Twitter! (My principal may have influenced that decision, as well.) Her class has a Twitter account, so her teacher posts their daily happenings in class. Instead of a written "what did I learn today?", they get to Tweet it! You can follow along with them (even without joining Twitter!) at twitter.com/kinderinkorea.

We are also very thankful for the growth that she has had in what she eats, as well. I can't say that I'm proud of some of the foods that she has started eating: hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. But, she has had huge growth in trying new foods, and while this time last year, she was eating beef (as long as we called it bulgogi), she was still rarely eating chicken, and that I am relieved to say she eats all the time now--even when it's not fried. The other night after dinner, she told me, "Mom, I'm falling in love with your cooking." My heart melted.

Last night, we had a party in honor of our HR director and his family who are moving to Malaysia at the end of this year. There were a lot of people in a little Korean apartment--and a lot of kids in a small space! Kennedy has struggled a bit this year with the concept of "friend." She and her best friend, Jade, from last year are in different classes this year. She hadn't realized that their friendship was one of convenience, being the only two staff kids at the same age. This year, with so many more kids in the mix in school, she was surprised to realize that she and Jade didn't have that much in common (though at times they are too alike to get along!). As it turns out, she likes other girls in her class more than Jade, and Jade feels the same way. But, last night (and nearly every Saturday), they still managed to play well together. She has matured and grown in so many ways this year, and we are very proud our little girl!