"Happy birthday sweetie." Jin told Ji yeon, who was finishing her breakfast. When she was done she threw the empty pouch on to the table.
"My baby's not a baby not a babay anymore." Mi Sun said lifting her daughter put of her high chair. She took her to her room to get dressed in her first hanbok. The skirt was dark pink, while the long sleeved shirt was light blue and made of silk. Ji yeon's hair was put into pig tails and white socks were placed on her feet.
"Can you say appa?' Jin asked Mi Sun put Ji Yeon in his lap and sat down on the couch next to him.
Ji Yeon stared at her father for a minute before saying the only word she could."Eomma."
"No say appa." jin pleaded, only for Ji Yeon to say eomma again.
"Maybe she'll say it when you take her out so I can get the party set up." Mi Sun said.
"Where do you want me to take her?' Jin asked.
"It's your birthday too. Find some place you both would like." Mi Sun suggested.
"Where do you want to go?' Jin asked his daughter. Ji yeon responded by grabbing the tv remote and pressing some buttons.
"We're not going to watch tv all day." Jin laughed."That gives me an idea."
"Where are you going?" Mi Sun asked.
"The toy store. I forgot to get something." Jin answered standing up and walking to the door and putting his shoes on.
"I want to go to the store too." Min jun whined.
"You have to be my taste tester." Mi Sun told him.
"Oh yeah. I forgot." Min Jun said with a smile.
Jin drove with Ji yeon to the toy store where he ran into Didi and Betty along with their kids and Chuckie and Kimi.
"That's a really prettyful dress, I mean pretty." Lil said correcting herself when she saw Ji Yeon sitting in the stroller.
"Thanks. I gets to wear this cause it's my birpday and it's my daddy's birpday too." Ji yeon explained.
"We know it's your birthday. That's why we're here getting you a present." Tommy said.
"Maybe I can find a present for my daddy here." Ji Yeon said looking around at all the toys.
"I don't think growed ups like toys that are for kids. I think they have ttheir own toy store, but maybe you can get him something else." Kimi suggested."What does he like?"
Ji yeon thought for a minute before answereing."Well he likes fixing cars."
"Maybe we could get him some tools like my daddy has." Tommy suggested.
"But Tommy, we're in a toy store. I don't see no growed up toys in here." Chuckie said.
"You're right Chuckie." Tommy said.
"what else does your daddy like?' Dil asked.
"I don't know." ji yeon answered sadly."I mostly stay with my mommy." She soon got a smile on her face.
"I know what I can do for my daddy." Ji Yeon said excitedly."But I need help."
"What do you need help with?' Lil asked.
"You guys can talk to growed ups right?" Ji yeon asked. The kids nodded their heads yes.
"I think my daddy is sad cause I only knows one word. I need to say appa and make him happy." ji Yeon said.
"What does that word mean?" Phil asked.
"It's what my beother calls my daddy and this morning he tried to get me to say it but I don't know if I can." Ji Yeon said sadly.
"Dil you got this." Tommy told his brother."we still gotta find presents to bring to the party."
"What do you like anyways?" Phil asked.
"She's a girl Philip. She likes pretty stuffs." Lil said.
"Like this?" Phil asked pulling a fuzzy caterpiller out of his pocket and showing it to Ji Yeon.
"Ew! no I don't like bugs." Ji yeon yelled hiding her face.
"Philip! I said pretty things not scary things!" Lil exclaimed.
"Well I thought it was pretty." Phil said putting the caterpiller back in his pocket.
Once the older kids were gone Dil got to work trying to teach Ji yeon the newword she wanted to learn.
"Ok just say it over and over until your ready to say it like a big kid. Even if you say it wrong the growed ups will still be happy." Dil assured her."I only say a few words to the growed ups myself."
Ji Yeon practiced until she thought she could say it. She said it quietly in front of Dil to make sure it sounded how it was supposed to.
"Sounds good to me." Dil said proudly. He had heard Min Jun say the a few times when he was playing over after preschool and when Ji Yeon said it to him it sounded like when Min jun said it.
Ji Yeon began to cry to get her father's attention. When he knelt down to see what was wrong she stopped crying and said."Appa." She watched as her dad smiled and reached for his phone to call his wife.
"Thanks for teaching me. I think I made my daddy happy." Ji yeon said happily.
"You're welcome. Now what do you want for your firstest birpday?" Dil asked.
Ji Yeon looked around as far as she could at the isles of toys."I don't know what I want. Sprise me."
"Ok." Dil said looking around."I'll see you at your party." Ji yeon waved as she watched Dil walk off in search of a surprise for her.
Once Ji got what he came for they left the store and went to the aquarium. Ji Yeon loved looking at all the pretty fish. She even picked out a clown fish plush at the gift shop.
Back at the toy store Dil had caught up with his friends.
"Did you teach her the word?" Tommy asked.
"Yep and she made her daddy really happy." Dil said."Now I gots a problem. What do I get her for a present?"
"Me and Phil found some bathy toys that's Minnie Mouse." Lil answered.
"I found a sparkly pink ball." Kimi said excitedly holding the ball up.
"Me and Tommy found some squishy blocks so she won't get hurt if they fall down." Chuckie said.
"Maybe you could get her something for nigh night time." Tommy suggested. The kids went over to the baby toys isle so Dil could look there.
"I'll get her this. It's soft and it lights up and playes music." Dil said picking up a pink plush star."It's the perfect toy for a baby to go night night with."
There you pups are." Betty said as she found the kids in the baby isle."It's almost time for the party to start."
They paid for the toys and went to the park where the party was at. They arrived just as Jin and ji Yeon did and were introduced to Mi Sun's parents, brother, and sister in law.
"Hi guys." Min Jun greeted as he went to the big toy to play with his friends.
"Hi." They all greeted.
"Where have you been all day?" Phil asked.
"I was helping taste all the food for the party." Min jun answered."It's time to eat now."
The kids all followed Min Jun back to the pavilion where the adults helped them get food. Most of it was foods they had never seen before but Min Jun encouraged them to try it. Phil and Lil had no problem with the new food. There was kimchi, rice, beef, crab, and noodles.
After everyone had eaten a small table was brought out and several items were laid out in front of Ji yeon, who was sitting in Mi Sun's lap. The items included a pencil, computer mouse, stethoscope, thread, money, a rice cake, and a micraphone, and a golf ball. Each item represented what Ji Yeon's future would be depending on the item she picked. Mi Sun explained the custom to the Americans, who didn't have a tradition like this. Everyone stood around and watched. The Korean family members all spoke at once trying to get Ji yeon to pick what they wanted her to. She eventually chose the stethoscope, muh to her auntie Miju's delight.
"She's going to be a doctor just like her favorite aunty." Miju said happily.
They had cake, which was pink and had Minnie Mouse on top. Jin helped blow out the candle since it was his birthday too and then it was time for presents.
Ji Yeon didn't really understand the concept of opening presents. She was more interested in the shiny paper. She soon got the hang of it and liked the sound of the paper ripping. She got a lot of new toys and clothes. Her favorite presents were a toy remote, which was from Jin and a toy cell phone that was from her cousin Mun Hee. She opened Dil's present last, which she snuggled with and fell asleep, signaling the party was over.
A few days later Dil was being treated at the hospital for a fever. He ended up in the same room as where Ji Yeon was having her treatment. He didn't feel so bad anymore when he noticed her in the crib next to his and she was holding the star plush that he had picked out for her. Seeing her like his gift made him smile and he soon fell asleep.