Ho Ho Ho Let it Snow!

Wishing you all a very Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! This year was my first Christmas since 2000 in Hawaii. I have to admit, spending the day in shorts and a tank top in 80 degree weather pre Turkey dinner just didn't feel very Christmasy. But about an hour before our 13 guests arrived the weather turned and it became cold and rainy and dark. Today feels very Seattlesque. We have our gas fireplace keeping our house warm and Mauna Kea is covered half way down the volcano with snow! I am just dying to take the dogs and play in the snow sometime over winter vacation. Moki hasn't seen snow since he was a tiny puppy and he loved it!
Dinner was a success! Alex and I make a 20 lb Turkey and crock potted lamb. And there were about 5 different vegetable dishes to choose from. A video chat with my parents opening presents was the finishing touch to a delightful day! My cousins Ryan and Jason stayed late and we watched The Grinch Stole Christmas on our movie projector against a giant white sheet.
We call our house the Woodbury zoo thanks to the surplus of dogs that seem to always be around us. In these pictures, you can see the 4 dogs drooling at us as we ate. Our porch is right off the dining room so they dogs could see us eating. In the Mauna Kea picture, you can see the rivers streaming down the mountain. Welp, my work is cut out for me today! I was hoping Santa would come back and clean my house post party, but I think he got distracted by the Mai Tai's on the beach in Hawaii! Happy Holidays!

Waimea Country School Winter Show!

Last night was my K-6th grade Winter Music concert! The kids did such a great job. Even though I've been doing school shows for 6 years now, I was a little nervous last night because it was my FIRST concert for Waimea Country School and I hadn't met any of the parents yet. And for whatever reason, I can PLAY in front of hundreds of people, but TALKING is a different story for me! Public speaking is literally the most painful thing I can possibly do. I have to write down every single word I want to say because I certainly can't wing it! So I introduced the Kindergarten reindeer class and the teacher whispered "one of the students had to use the potty!" so I nervously glance at the teacher manning the CD player and say "Play a song". The song seemed eternal, so I stood up and smiled and said "So I'm going to tell you guys a little bit about myself" and they laughed. I told them about my musician parents and music programs back home. I glanced around and said "Is the reindeer back yet? No? OK...so I started the piano when I was like 5 years old!" and made them laugh again. All in all the show went very well and I'm quite pleased. It's the only show I have to do all year so I got through it! The students do a May Day Hula show in the spring. So enjoy a few videos from the program!

The Grinch Stole X-mas Tree

I have received lots of questions about how my little family is doing. I need to take more pictures of my host daughter! I haven't been good with the camera lately. She helped me decorate the tree last weekend for my faculty and staff holiday party hosted at our house. The tree looks a bit like the Grinch Stole X-mas Tree. It's potted and it's from our yard. Still, it stands at about 5 foot 6!
Our host kid is on winter vacation from school and will have a few weeks free! Alex and I will take X-mas Eve to Sunday off from work and New Years eve to Sunday off as well so we will squeeze in family hikes, BBQ's, and social friend time. I think New Years eve we will all go to Volcano with our friends Charles, Hilke, and their 4 kids for a great family bash! Charles and Hilke have a 15 year old daughter who will be perfect company!
I told Tehniyat that when school resumes I would love to see her join a sports team, try out for a play, join an after school club, have her friends come over, and go to her friends houses. There is so much out there to experience and I want her to be more involved. Yes I know I was an incredible overachiever in high school, did as many activities as I possibly could, was a member of almost every school club (except the chess club), and was my senior class Prom Queen. But I really think that kind of a high school experience made me who I am today. Yes we are young hip fun parents, but it's important that she socialized with her peers.These are all life skills and she would be taking back an incredible once in a lifetime experience. She is such a bright, intelligent, funny girl! So stay tuned for more Wacky Woodbury stories and pictures as we embark on winter vacation!

Meet the extended family

So last night we are sitting at the kitchen table listening to music and talking and Alex and I hear this strange chirping ringing sound. When I realize it is my computer's ichat program inviting me to a video chat I leapt up from the table like a gazelle and sprinted to my music room to click "accept". And within seconds I see the smiling faces of my parents, Kimi, her brother Ho Young and her sister Mi Jeong, and the Korean English translator "Alex". We all smiled and chatted. I played my steel drum, Moki sang, I played the piano for them, Alex plucked his banjo. The view of the ocean is outside their hotel window. They can hear the waves crashing on shore all night long. Ho Young was only 3 when Kimi left for the United States, but remembers a few memories. Mi Jeong was about 11 so she really remembers Kimi. My parents told me Kimi and her sister have spent the whole time walking hand in hand smiling at each other. Mom says she sees so many personality similarities with Kimi and her siblings and that this experience is just incredible. And Kimi and I are going to be Aunts! (aunt is pronounced Emu in Korean). Kimi's sister is pregnant! Stay tuned for more updates!

Salerno departure for Korea!

Today at 1pm my parents and Kimi departed for South Korea. There is a 5 hour time difference between Hawaii and Korea (Korea is earlier but the next day...does anyone want to teach me about international time zones and lines?!) For instance. It is now 2:30pm Wednesday in Hawaii and it is 9:30am Thursday in Korea. They are bringing Kimi's lap top so I might be able to video chat! They will send pictures and e-mail and I have Kimi's sisters cell phone. I am so excited for them! My dad is my biggest blog fan so it almost feels wrong to blog when he is 33,000 miles in the sky unable to check it! But I will be thinking of them all day every day! They get back December 22nd. I reminded them of the only 2 vocabulary words they need to memorize:
Anyang haseo (Hello how are you?)
Kamsahamnida (Thank you very much)

This week in pictures

Whoo boy! I feel like I was on vacation for months! And now I'm back to the teaching/family routine full swing! What a wonderfully delicious vacation. I am so happy everyone is healthy and happy.
In a nutshell: My parents take Kimi to Korea next week to be reunited with her sister and brother; My winter school show is December 18th; a school faculty and family Holiday party is being hosted at my house this Sunday (and the house looks like a hurricane came through); our house was featured in Sunday's newspaper magazine (sorry, no internet link but it's a wonderful article talking a lot about what Alex and I do for a living and Moki the rock star dog); and the holidays are upon us at gaining speed!
So back to my flying Hawaiian airlines story/experience. I was escorted to the head of the line to check my bag; there was not a single person in the security line; and my gate was just 10 steps from the security line (no train, bus, or car to get me to my gate). I board the plane and it's a B-767 (with the middle 3 seats row and 2 seated sides). The flooring of the plane is this trendy corkboard with nicely dimmed lights. The seats have leather tops. I am in front of the big screen and around the corner from a conveniently located bathroom. Half way thru our flight, the funny, friendly, young flight attendants instruct us to put our seats in the upright position. (I was engrossed in my book on loan from my friend Terry so I didn't hear WHY we were putting our seats up, only to ASSUME that we were making an emergency water landing). And instead of a water landing, the attendants are serving DINNER. When I was asked if I wanted the roast chicken and potatos or pesto penne, I couldn't help but STARE at this attendant like he is from MARS. I couldn't physically answer him because since WHEN do they FEED us? I manage to stutter that I've already bought a $30 flippin' airport sandwich for the long flight. As I got off the plane, I told the attendants that Hawaiian airlines feels like European luxury flying. I was blown away. OH! And when it came time to collect my check in bag, it was the first one out of the chute.

Sorry if this entry post is BLAAAG, but I'll amuse you with pictures from Denver and Seattle.

Leaving on a jet plane

I have been so busy in Seattle I haven't blogged in a week. I'm sitting in the seatac airport waiting to board my 10:30 flight to Hawaii! From kissing dad goodbye to sitting at my gate took 30 seconds! I walked in, there was not a single person in the security line, and my gate was. 10 steps from getting thru security! Tomorrow I'll upload pictures from my wonderful trip to Seattle! Bon voyage!