Happy Birthday Aidan!!!

It's official, we now have two toddlers in the house! In celebration of Aidan's 1st birthday, we invited my parents, sisters & their families over for a traditional Korean 1st birthday celebration (the Tol). In a few weeks, we will have a larger party for extended family, but since the first birthday is such an important milestone in Korea, we thought it would be special to honor that tradition on his actual birthday.

The Korean 1st birthday has 4 components: the making and wearing of traditional Korean clothing (the hanbok, which Aidan's foster mom provided for us), prayers for the child, performing the Toljabee (predicts the child's future) and sharing a meal with family. If you want to read more about the Tol, visit www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/tol/tol.cfm.

Our dining room table, all set for the party.
On each plate, we provided a short explanation of the celebration.

Everyone gathered around the table, enjoying the tradition Korean meal Chris & I prepared (beef bulgogi and Jap Chae). We also bought Korean beer and orange rice cakes from the local Asian market.

Our 1st attempt at a "kid table". Andy lasted about 2 mins before he moved to Chris's lap and then we pulled the little table up next to ours so Addy wasn't left all alone on the other side of the room.

Aidan in his hanbok....he looked sooo cute!

The kid table, set up for the Toljabee. If you are wondering what happened to the apple, Andy got a hold of it before the game and helped himself to a few bites.

Aidan selected the apple first, which means he will be blessed with a large family.

Aidan selected the paint brush second, meaning he will be talented in the arts.

An attempt at a family picture.

Aidan and Andy...this one is for a frame!

After Aidan finished, we gave Addy and Andy a turn at the Toljabee. Addy selected the book (she'll be a scholar) and Andy picked the knife (he'll be a warrior). Here's the 3 kids posing with their treasures.

This was the scene in my kitchen post party. I think we used every dish in the house. I stood there wondering who was going to clean all this up....

Luckily, I had two helpers ready to get to work.