Wednesday's Child: Dennis

Here's Dennis! He's wicked awesome. He loves to skateboard, bike, play video games, and swim.

He's good at athletics, and he's a sweet boy. He is a people-pleaser. His foster mom says all six of his biological siblings have been adopted, so he's really looking to find a forever family!

K-Pop Got Me Again

I am becoming an addict of K-Pop. Here's my problem... I've always liked Korean pop music, but I'll get behind and forget about it for a while. So, by the time I like a Korean song, it's close to being outdated in Korea.

If you want to know, my faves right now are Rain, BoA, and Tae Yang... but lately, I can't get a 2NE1 song out of my head...

I just love how Korean and English get mixed together... plus, I think Korean pop artists could easily be confused for the latest American pop artist. Okay, that might be going too far... but just watch.

Miniature Korean KU Fans!

I sent matching KU outfits to my sister's adorable babies, Tae Hoo and Won Hoo. Can't wait to o this to my own kids one day!

My Niece, Tae Hoo!

Here are some updated pics... this is Yeon Jeong's second baby. She was pregnant with Tae Hoo when we were in Korea. Won Hoo is Big Brother. (Yeon Jeong is the youngest of all four of us.)

Thanks to Hyun Jeong for putting them on her FB page! She's my lifeline!

Wednesday's Children: Jayson and Joey!

Fantastic news! After 8 weeks of featuring children on our Wednesday's Child segment, we can report that one of the children is being adopted!

Joey is far enough in the process that we can make the announcement. I personally couldn't be more thrilled. I'll keep you posted! Wow!

------------

On another note, my latest Wednesdays' Child feature is on Jayson--

He's such a cute kid. Really outgoing--definitely the least shy of all of the kids I've interviewed.

A Challenging Week, A New Discovery

This week has been a tremendously challenging week for several reasons... my dog's ACL injury, stress at work, life issues, etc.

But in all of it, I discovered something personal, and I thought I'd share.

I've been with my husband for about seven years. We spent five years dating and will celebrate our second wedding anniversary this September.

But, through various adversities this week, I discovered the best quality in Jim. (At this point, you can stop reading if it makes you want to gag a little bit. It's okay, this blog post isn't for everyone.)

The reason I think it's so poignant is because it hit me in a single moment. It was like a light bulb went off, and it was clear as ever. People always say the dorkiest crap about their spouse, but, it is pretty incredible that a marriage can truly grow into something bigger than imagined.

My discovery with Jim is that he is honest to a fault. He has not a single mean bone in his body. That doesn't mean he's a sucker, a door mat or a push over... it just means he does not boast in being correct, seek revenge or turn around and wrong the person who wronged him.

I realized recently that he is truly a good man. One who takes care of his family, and one who is always on the right side. Jim has never been in trouble for being "wrong." I mean, there are a lot of times I think he's wrong about his opinion... but he's never wrong in his intent.

And, I'm lucky to discover this before our two-year anniversary. I can't wait to see what's in store for the next two, three, or four decades! (However, I wish he'd do more yard work...)

Wednesday's Child: Shaneice

Check out Shaneice! She's 15 and available for adoption. Super sweet girl!

Click here to see her story!

I met a girl who didn't know how to make a wish!

Today I shot five Wednesday's Child stories (which is why I wasn't on air today.) These are stories about kids who are in the foster care system and are available for adoption.

Most, if not all, have been abused or neglected by the very people who were supposed to love them and take care of them.

They are children who have faced levels of disappointment most of us can't imagine...

Today, I met a little girl who didn't know how to make a wish. It really blew me away, and it made me realize how important it is to save our children.

I asked my regular question..."If you could have 3 wishes, what would they be?"

She said, "I don't wish."
M: "Why?"
Girl: "Because they never come true."
M: "Well, I hope we can change that."
Girl: "Well, then... what can I wish for?"
M: "You can wish for anything. Would you wish for a family?"
Girl. "Yeah..."

My heart broke right then. Her adoption specialist told me she's had so much disappointment... Every time someone wants to adopt her (birth family members, mostly), it falls a part. She gets her hopes up, and then she reaches new lows.

These are our children! Kids who are in our schools, our neighborhoods... some are living in residential centers... Can you imagine a child living in an institution? Simply because there's no one out there to take care of them?

At this point in my life, it would be hard for my husband and I to adopt a child. But, I think we will consider respite care. It's like being a relief-foster family...

Anyway, please open your hearts and minds to these children. So far, I've featured four children on our newscasts... Here they are... and yes, you will soon hear about the girl who didn't know how to make a wish! Her story will be up later...

Dalton
Joey
Kenny
Heather
What is Wednesday's Child?

Strangely Loving The Bachelorette

I can honestly say I've never had an interest in watching The Bachelorette.

But this season is different.

First of all, I am rooting for Jesse. Why? He's from my neck of the woods! Who would've thought that a boy from Cass County would wind up on national TV. He's cute, he's sweet, and I bet he's a good Midwestern boy at heart...

I think his bio said his accomplishments were owning his house, buying a truck and living where he wants. He lives in KC. (Another bachelor from Wichita also lives in KC, but he was eliminated. Is it odd to have two dudes from the same city?)

Anyway, go Jesse! He's from Peculiar, Missouri, so already people are saying jokes like, "He's peculiar!" Sure he hasn't heard that before...

And, by the way, I noticed some bad editing on ABC's part. If you watch The Bachelorette (episode 2)... right before Jonathan, a.k.a. Weatherman, got his rose from Ali, a cutaway actually showed him with a rose. Huh? I was so confused, I went back and watched it thinking I had missed him getting a rose. Turns out, the editors flubbed it and showed Jonathan with a rose before he got his rose.

Whoops! They ruined the surprise!

Anyway, Craig was a jerk. Good teeth, great hair, bad personality.

My Picture of the Moment

At one particular moment, Jim said I looked like a combination between my sisters Hyun Jeong and Yeon Jeong. These are my POMs (pictures of the moment.) I love these new pics of my sissy HJ.

Conditioning Our Minds to the Threat of War

It seems like everyone is wondering about the situation between North and South Korea (and let's not forget the U.S., Russia, and China...)



Today, I talked with a friend of mine who travels to Korea two to three times a year. She said something like, "Normally, my concern level is at a 2. But now, it's definitely more." To me, that's saying something.

Then, just a few minutes after that, someone at worked asked me, "Have you talked to your family in Korea?"

Clearly, it's on a lot of people's minds... well, at least if they're American.

When I got off work tonight, I called my sister, Hyun Jeong. And like usual, she said she is not concerned. Not concerned? How can this be?

Then, I talked to her husband, Glenn. He said he was a little worried, but his voice didn't have the same urgency as the voice in my head. Really?

It has occurred to me over the years that South Koreans really don't consider the North to be a threat. They don't believe that the North wants to really go to war. They are used to crazy threats from Kim Jung Il and his regime. They even shrug their shoulders at a torpedo now and then.



It's unimaginable to me. My parents were so concerned when Jim and I went to Korea back in November... I can't imagine what they'd be thinking now.

I'm getting off subject a bit, but generally Korean people are so hard to understand. In one regard, they're super healthy with the way they nourish themselves. The food seems so healthy. Yet, when we were in Korea, people kept sneezing on each other and us during the height of swine flu. Jim was outraged! No one taught them to cover their mouths?

The same thinking goes for the tense situation over there. How can people ever get scared? They live next to an unstable country with a leader who's eccentric and aging. What does he care if he starts a war? The countries never signed a treaty to end the war in the 1950s. They just signed a cease fire. UH, HELLO?

I know South Koreans are just used to this kind of behavior from their naughty neighbors to the north, but it sure scares the daylights out of me. South Koreans are (again, generally) such happy, pinky-ponky people. I worry about their internal threat meters sometimes.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mike Kim
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I've Stopped Buying Groceries

So... the last two weeks, I've played a game with myself. I've stopped buying groceries.

Why? Because I spend about $200 every time I go to Sam's, and I think--for what? Really? $200?! It seems crazy. I have enough basmati rice to last a year. The same goes for oatmeal.

I've had enough. Time to stop the insanity!

Just two weeks ago, I spent about $200 and was actually surprised. I was amazed at how out-of-touch I was with reality. I thought I had about $100 of groceries in my cart, but nope... it was double that. So, I decided I was going to start using what I had in my pantry.

How's it going? Well, tonight, I took my basmati rice and added butter, broccoli and cheese... next up, chicken sausage with basmati rice, onions, and olive oil. Not bad! I also gathered all of my veggies (potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, and garlic) to make vegetable soup.

Now, we're on a roll.

I make a bunch of food so that I don't have to cook for the rest of the week. I can eat the same two things all week long and so can Jim. I might make a bunch of tuna salad for him during the week, and then have one or two options for him for dinner. I do the same with me... usually, it's a cheese tortilla for lunch, soup or chicken for dinner. Our poor (future) kids... they're going to hate leftovers by the time they grow up.

The only problem with cooking late at night...is EATING late at night!

Anyway, I should add that in this game of ours, we can buy staples. Today after work, Jim rode the scooter to Dillons and bought $16 worth of groceries. Milk, eggs, bread and toilet paper. I think that's the first time Jim's been grocery shopping by himself since we've been married! Of course, I really think he wanted an excuse to ride the scooter...

Wednesday's Child: Joey

Please check out Joey! He is so adorable... and he needs a home!

Taehoo, My Niece...

WHAT A DOLL!!! I WANT TO EAT HER!

Wednesday's Child: Dalton

This is a very important new project I'm doing at KSPR-- I hope it changes lives! PLEASE DOUBLECLICK ON IT BECAUSE IT PLAYS WEIRD HERE!

Meet Dalton, an intelligent, energetic and determined young boy with a charming smile!

This all-American boy loves sports, especially football and basketball. Playing outside is another thing he enjoys. Outside or inside, you will see Dalton playing with Star Wars toys, which are his favorite!

Dalton is in the second grade and does well academically. He is very smart and is especially talented at reading.

Dalton currently benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after placement.

Dalton’s caseworker prefers a two-parent family for him; however, all family types will be considered. A loving, structured home environment would be the most beneficial for this young boy.

In the future, Dalton wishes to maintain contact with his siblings. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. Call The Adoption Exchange for more information at 1-800-554-2222.

New Pic of Won Hoo... whoops!

This is my nephew Won Hoo... in Korea, there's no such thing as flippin' the bird... so, my sister has no clue how bad this looks! But, it's still so cute!!

My sister wrote, "Now he knows that he is taking a picture." Ha! Lost in translation...

Yo-Yo Champ is Actually...Kind of a Loser

This fake yo-yo champ has been duping TV stations... even in Missouri. I laughed so hard watching the video... apparently in St. Joe, this yo-yo guy hit himself in the head and the groin!

Scroll through some of the video to get to the good stuff... and read this story. *UPDATE* Apparently, the Wisconsin station pulled the video, but I found another! This one from Joplin!

What do you think? Should I book this guy on KSPR News at 4?

Deal of the Day: Free Gourmet Cupcake from Askinosie Chocolate

Can anyone honestly pass up Askinosie Chocolate? Tomorrow (Tues.), they'll be handing out free cupcakes to kick-off their new line.

The first 100 customers will receive a FREE chocolate cupcake with chocolate butter cream icing! From there on, Askinosie Chocolate will offer more flavors including chocolate, vanilla, banana, and red velvet each Tuesday.

Can you say YUM!?!?!

Here's an OLD story I did on Shawn in 2007. A little embarrassed about the way I sucked down some chocolate, but whatever. It happened.

Chickens in Springfield city limits AND why you can call me ROOSTER!

Is this a great idea? Is this a bad idea? Is this hillbilly or is this progressive? I've heard that we're actually behind in this movement.

If the city allows residents to own chickens, I hope only my good neighbors consider them. I have/had a couple of neighbors who can't/couldn't take care of their cats... they ended up pooping in my yard all the time and chillin' on my porch. Minnie thought their poo was "kitty candy."

And, I guess since I grew up in farm country, I'm kind of over it. My mom would tell me these awful stories of my strong, big-boned, great-grandmother chopping off a chicken's head and then plucking out all of the feathers so they could have something for dinner. I think she hated chicken for years.

Still, I also think having chickens and eggs would be kind of fun. Cost-effective? NO. But, kind of fun. And maybe a little smelly.

The woman in the story is a friend of mine. Actually, I hang out with her teen girls! Our connection is adoption, so the girls and I will get together a few times a year and do something fun. Last time it was Silver Dollar City!

Anyway, back to the chickens. I like chickens. We had some when I was a kid. I am all about sustainability. I just don't think it's for me... but again, you're talking about someone who killed off her garden a couple of years ago. I'm hopeless. I will, however, gladly accept some chicken eggs!



OTHER CHICKEN TALES: Chickens embarrassed me as a kid. How can that be? In high school, our mascot was a rooster. Seriously??? It was like I lived in a mocumentary--Asian girl grows up in a chicken town...with a rooster as a mascot. We were the Roosters and Chicks. You can imagine the jokes when we played ball against the Carrollton Trojans or the Lexington Minutemen. Try telling somebody your high school mascot was a rooster and see the response you get... that's all I'm sayin'. A former co-worker at KY3 (news producer and blogger Chris Replogle, a rival from Nevada) gave me the nickname "Rooster"... and it stuck.

One more story-- I once hit a chicken while it crossed the road. It was like a cartoon. A poof of feathers flew up in the air, and I couldn't see out my windshield for several seconds. I'm pretty sure I had two girlfriends in the front seat (someone always sat in between the driver and passenger back then--don't recommend it!) We screamed like any 16-year-old would... then we laughed. That's what happens when you live 15 minutes out of "town" and on a backroad. To this day, I still slow down over hills on backroads-- you could run smack dab into a chicken, a cow, a tractor, or much worse if you're not careful.

Speak American!

Have you ever heard someone say, "I wish people spoke American," and you wanted to say, "You mean, English?"

American and English go hand-in-hand to some people.

It's a feeling you might get from Tim James, a man who wants to be the next governor of Alabama. His latest political ad is getting some attention--



DISCLAIMER:
I am ALWAYS careful when blogging about anything related to politics. I want people to know I'm interested in this topic--not the man in this ad nor his political affiliation.

My opinion? At first, the message seems a little bullyish, but I'm sure it would be a cost-effective measure. Printing out tests in a dozen or so different languages seems like it would cost taxpayers more money.

On principle alone, I think we need to remember we are a country of immigrants. Some of us have just been here longer than others. I recently visited Chinatown in San Francisco, and I thought it was so beautiful. I felt lucky to live in such a diverse country. I spent time people-watching and saw many who didn't appear to speak a lick of English. It didn't bother me. Why would it? Am I supposed to feel more entitled than someone else because I grew up speaking English?

When I visit Korea, I try to speak broken-Korean, but I don't make a big effort to learn that language. In fact, I'd prefer it if Korean people tried out their English on me. Boy, that's a big, fat, ugly American for you, isn't it? I know Korean people learn English at a young age, so I figure that's probably the way I'll communicate with Koreans. It's faster. Plus, English is everywhere in Korea--even on the road signs... and that country is super homogeneous, unlike the U.S. Can you even imagine if Americans tried to add another language to all U.S. road signs? Or the political ads that would come out in response?

Again, the argument could very well come down to money (with the above political ad.) I'm just sayin'...