Korean Palace

Hi,
So pretty much since the first week we were here in Korea (almost 2 years ago), we have wanted to see the ancient palace that we drive by on our way to church. By 'we' I mean T and I. The kids seem to have decided that it looks like a boring place to visit. Our oldest son N has a bad case of the homebodies. He never wants to get out of the house. I seem to recall a sense of this in his early childhood when he had the opportunity as a 2nd or 3rd grader to join the chess club at school. He and his dad had been playing at home and it was getting to be a joy of his. When I offered to sign him up I thought he would be thrilled to do so. To my surprise he claimed that he only wanted to play chess in the quiet of his own home with the smell of me making cookies in the background. I thought that was endearing at the time, but I have since come to realize that the kid just doesn't like to leave the house.... at all! N, would you like to go to the zoo? "nope" would be his reply. Anyhow it is somewhat frustrating that this tendency has rubbed off on his siblings. Our trip to China does not get mentioned much at home- too painful.

So I ramble. But I want to make the point that us getting to the palace was a big fat hairy deal. N didn't come, as he did not have a half day of school that day. I must say that while there was less complaining and contention. T and I both admitted to missing him there with us. The other big surprise was that the beards on these guards are not real! We have seen them as we drive by many, many times and wondered aloud just how hard it must be to get a job working there what with the facial hair requirements and all. Now we know the real truth of it all. Taped on mustaches and beards- what a rip!

Kelly

PS Big Girl looks bothered in this photo of her alone by the pagoda. It could be because I told her this is where the king threw his parties and she didn't think it was a good place to have a parrrtee (said with Nacho Libre hispanic accent which she can do actually).