It was so late and we were all so tired, there was nothing we wanted more than to sleep, and to sleep late! Unfortunately, Austin had to be at work the next morning at 9 am to start in processing. (They sure don't waste anytime around here.) Luckily we learned before he left for work that I wouldn't be able to purchase anything on post myself until I had a ration card! I sure would have had some hungry grumpy kids on my hands had we not figured this out. We had a nice nutritious breakfast of doughnuts and danishes after Austin made a quick run down to the deli in the hotel before heading off to work. The kids and I spent the first day laying around as much as possible, getting acquainted with AFN television (a post on that to come), and enjoying our view!
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| Day view from our hotel room. |
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| Night view! |
It took three days to finish in processing then straight to full duty days for Austin. Which left the kids and I to get acquainted on our own. Once I figured out no one was going to tell me anything unless I asked, it was much easier. The flow of information and the in processing "process" here is greatly flawed. It seems as if everything is planned around single soldiers and families are left to fend for themselves. I'd understand this if we hadn't been through the entire process of getting command sponsorship. If you are coming here, I highly recommend your first stop be ACS (Army Community Service) and picking up a welcome guide and going over it thoroughly! Although, you may have to ask for a welcome guide specifically! Had I not found the
Seoul Survivor online before our arrival, I'd never known to go to ACS. Although MUCH of the information provided in the Seoul Survivor was not accurate, there is still a good amount of helpful information.
The first few days in the hotel were spent running errands to get required papers, stamps, cards, tests, shots, and doing our best to get over the jet lag! Addley had a heck of a time!
Addley falling asleep waiting for dinner. She doesn't generaly sit in a high chair, nor ask to, when we are out to eat, but we decided after the fact, she must have wanted to be sure she didn't fall on the floor! Poor girl.
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| She was always falling asleep! |
Tracker had two days of deciding 4 PM was bed time, there was no convincing him other wise! After that, he was fine. Carter didn't seem to have a problem, to bed at 8 pm, up at 8 am.
We ended up spending 16 days in the hotel. I enjoyed every second of being able to leave and come back to a clean room. The restaurants in the hotel had great food, I'm pretty sure we had every meal they serve at least once! The kids loved the play ground and we had a great view and were fairly close to everywhere we needed to go. But somehow, it never failed, anytime Tracker went down for an afternoon nap, our 'Do Not Disturb' sign disappeared and housekeeping woke him up. The crib they provided was EXTREMELY squeaky! The only time Tracker slept in it, was when he would nap. The rest of the time he was in bed with us. I have to say, I don't know how you co-sleepers do it. I swear I was awake 1,000 times a night and when I was sleeping it was on the literal 3 inches of bed left after Austin and Tracker got comfortable. So though it was nice to take a break from cooking and most cleaning....I couldn't have taken too many more days!
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| Tacker enjoying our view! |
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| The kids and I's first outing on the bus! |
While in the hotel we celebrated Halloween! It was raining and a little chilly,but the kids had a blast. Well, Carter and Addley! Tracker fell asleep half way through our walk to the 'trunk-or-treat' parking lot! We decided that for the two years we are here, we are going to participate in the trunk-or-treating. There were only a handful of cars, but having JUST got here (for some reason trick or treating on post never seems to be ON Halloween) and not knowing the housing areas and such, trunk-or-treating saved Halloween!
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Our fairy princess, Master Yoda, and Darth Vader
(it was tough getting a picture with Yoda, he's a quick little guy) |
Carter also started school while we were in the hotel! I think he was pretty happy to get back into some sort of routine. He had just finished the first quarter of kindergarten when we left home, so the whole going to school thing was still new for all of us. Although he had absolutely no problem with it, I must say it was MUCH easier on me, leaving him at a school I myself had attended than here, but his teacher seems to be great and he has no complaints.
We would move out of the hotel the day before Tracker's 1st birthday. Knowing things would just get crazier then, I had already prepared to have Tracker's 1st birthday pictures done in a near by park off post the Saturday before. It was a HUGE, beautiful park, but unfortunately Tracker had just come down with what everyone calls the Korean crud, and we had to cut our session short. Though it's a vicious head cold, it did run it's course rather quickly on all of us!
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| Random HUGE bench |
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| Random hand? |
Considering how quickly I was able to find a photographer, get scheduled and Tracker being in an extremely rare, terrible mood...I was quite happy with the few pictures we were able to get.
Next up....MOVING DAY!
What a difference just a year can make!
