Clash

Sarah definitely takes after me ... even some of the bad things. With Sarah, the very fierce and stern tactics of disciplining fail more than 9 of 10 times. I almost wish she didn't take after me. I could see how difficult it was as she struggled to control her temper. As if she wanted to let go and act out violently but knew that she shouldn't. I could immediately see the frustration and stress in her face from the inner struggle and regret of having acted out, and that's what made me so sorry. I know so well how that feels.

Learning to be a gentle model of a parent is hard ...

Finished PhD Courses

Finally finished my courses! Now the comprehensive exam in the Fall, and I'll have just the dissertation and oral defense left. It would take a year at minimum, and some go as long 6 or 7 or never finish. I'm aiming to be ABD for no more than 2 years, if all goes well and according to plan. So very grateful.

First Birthday Card

Today's my birthday and, for the first time, I got a hand-written, -drawn card from Sarah. One side had me with a thumbs-up sign ("아빠최고!"). Drawings of an octopus and whale ("고래와 문어 선물") graced the other side to accompany my image. I'll have to scan this, save it, and upload it here sometime in the future.

I'm not sure what makes me smile more: the warmness of receiving the card or looking at the drawings. Of course it's gotta be the warmness of getting a card from your little girl, right? After all, she's only two-years-old, and how good can it be? Well, you gotta see the drawing of me holding up my thumb. A 27-month-old drew that (with the utmost care), on what she thinks of as nice & fancy stationery.

Scraped Knee

Sarah took her first big fall and received a knee scrape yesterday.  The wound scabbed over nicely this morning, and she should be fine.  But it made me think: how many more of these will I witness over the next 15 to 20 years?  I suppose I'd be one of the luckiest fathers if scabs are the worst things I get to witness.

Thankful Regardless

We lost our unborn second child a few days ago (April 24) via a miscarriage.  What do you say to that, right?  Well, Ruth and I are very thankful.  Really.  There's a long and personal story to this that would explain a lot of things to those that would believe us.  But despite the fact that almost no one reads this blog, I'm still skeptical about posting that story here because it's very personal.  My apologies to the one or two people that happen to accidentally wander here only to get their curiosities stirred for nothing.

Just know this: Ruth is healthy and recovering well.  More importantly, despite the difficulties, we are incredibly thankful.  There's always a reason to be thankful.  We've been through worse times, and we are definitely thankful.

Long Time No See ...

It's been too long since my last post.  Let's see ... since my last post Sarah has grown considerably, we've moved to Seoul, I've finished more than half of my doctoral program at Korea University.  Oh, and we're expecting another child by early December.  This last bit of news is really too early to share; we've yet to share the news with friends and family since it's only been about a month.  It's with the comfort of knowing that virtually none of my folks will view this post that I write it here.

I regret I didn't post more consistently.  I should've posted things concerning Sarah's development and progress in the last couple of years.  And to make up for it now, I post the following video clip.