A quick stop to The Zimmer

We weren't planning a trip to the Zimmer Museum, but it was raining and we felt that the boys needed to let out some steam. So we made a quick stop to the Zimmer. Micah really enjoyed the padded room where he could jump freely. Noah was in the room for a bit, literally jumping off the walls and doing somersaults, but he actually enjoyed playing in the Blue Bagel Cafe making food. We will not be surprised if he has a culinary future. Maybe Noah and Micah will be like the Voltaggio Brothers on Top Chef???

Pinks or Bon Chon?

Instead of taking a vacation this break, we decided to visit spots in our own city. So on the list of places to visit was Pink's Hot Dog Stand. I know, after almost ten years in LA, I have never been! Well after seeing that the lines wrapped around the building and the fact that it was sprinkling, I opted to go to Bon Chon Chicken in Ktown. Now although we frequent Ktown quite a bit, we have never been to Bon Chon Chicken, which serves really good fried chicken. When will we try to go to Pinks again???

GGA and GGT

We were so fortunate to see Great Grandpa Art and Great Grandma Tina over the holidays. We had a relaxing evening at Bubbe's house and we even found sometime to play a few games of Rummy Q. Grandma Tina has skills because she won the last game! When will be able to play again???

Merry Christmas

Last year I asked, "What will Christmas be like next year when Micah is one???" Well it was full of new memories of fun. Micah enjoyed standing on top of wrapped presents and pulling down ornaments (breaking a few). He had no desire to open or even play with the wrapping, but he did enjoy throwing things. Noah and Kaitlyn were all about the presents. Kaitlyn understood the concept of her presents and she knew who Santa was while I think Noah just enjoyed opening and passing out gifts. Chanukah Harry was there with packs of socks for Jawsh. Speaking of Jawsh, he made his homemade lasagna which was a hit. It had a lot of competition with prime rib roast, green beans and bacon, sweet and mashed potatoes, cornbread, and much more. All in all, it was a nice time spent with family and a ton of good eats! What will it be like next year when Emma gets into the mix???

Merry Christmas Eve

It's been sort of a tradition for us to go to Kaitlyn's house on Christmas Eve so the kids could open presents under her Christmas tree. Last year, Uncle Bill surprised Kaitlyn and Noah with their very own Thomas the Tank Engine ride! And I asked at the end of my post, "How is Billy going to top this next year???" Well it was definitely topped. This year he bought Kaitlyn her very own Cadillac Escalade! It's a bit excessive if you ask me, but the kids enjoyed driving down the cul-de-sac in their new ride. Dare I ask: How is Billy going to top this next year???

Dino time

We headed to Exposition Park and went to the Natural History Museum with Kaitlyn and family. Lately, Kaitlyn has really been into dinosaurs so this was a fun experience for her. Noah and Kaitlyn really enjoyed looking at the dinosaur fossils and they learned that dinosaurs with sharp teeth eat "kogi" (meat) and dinosaurs with flat teeth eat "salad or lettuce." When will visit again???

Happy Birthday Linnea!

Today we celebrated Linnea's 2nd birthday. The boys had a great time playing with her and all of her toys, but the biggest hit for Noah was wearing Linnea's butterfly wings! If you know Noah, he definitely has a love for butterflies! Micah on the other hand, liked picking up rocks and sitting in dirt. How many times do we say that these two are different???

Happy Chanukah!

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year two! Last year they came to our place and this year they hosted the last evening (yes, we know we were a day off). Jay's triple fried latkes and Delee's matzo ball soup were a big hit! It was so much fun catching up with the family and watching the boys play, and I'm referring to Jawsh and Jay. They were in the garage on the instruments, playing dreidel, and flying Jay's model helicopter while toasting away with donuts! Of course, the other kids were having a great time too. Next year we celebrate back at our place... will I be able to make the matzo ball soup???

Chanukah oh Chanukah

Here is a short clip of Noah singing on the last night of Chanukah...
"Chanukah, Oh Chanukah, come light the Menorah. Let's have a party; we'll all dance the hora. Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat. Dreidels to play with, and latkes to eat. And while we are playing, the candles are burning bright. One for each night, they shed a sweet light, to remind us of days long ago. One for each night, they shed a sweet light, to remind us of days long ago." Wasn't that beautiful???

3 candles

We celebrated the third night of Chanukah at Bubbe's house. We were so excited to eat homemade latkes and brisket! Noah had a wonderful time singing "Chanukah oh Chanukah" and Micah loved climbing up and down the stairs. What will the next night of Chanukah bring???

100 days

In Korean tradition, on the 100th day after a child's birth, a small feast is prepared to celebrate the child's life. The number 100 has an inherent meaning of maturity and perfection. Our family celebrated Emma's Baek-il with rice cakes and Billy made her a special 100 Day Cheesecake. It's crazy how fast time is flying... I remember when we celebrated Kaitlyn's Baek-il like it was yesterday but then I hear her roaring like a dinosaur and hear Noah chasing her down the hall with Micah right behind and realize that they're growing up fast! Before we know it, Emma will be joining in... can I just stop time now???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today Noah's preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals. Noah got to touch an opossum, a Wallaby from Australia, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), insects, frogs and snakes (including a Desert King Snake). I am so bummed that I missed this special event but Jawsh was able to go and take some awesome pictures. Mr. Valentine even threw an insect at Micah, which landed on his stomach! Noah's favorite animal was the snake, so this is the picture that I posted. I wonder if he'll want one when he gets older???

67

We celebrated Harabujee's 67th birthday today. Of course Halmoni made a delicious Barefoot Contessa cake and this year the kids actually let him blow out his own candle. Wonder what he wished for???

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. Last year, Noah tried asparagus and green beans and loved it but now he has an aversion to veggies! Micah loved the dark meat on the turkey... will he like veggies???

3 (later that day)

We went to Bubbe's for dinner. Uncle Zach got Noah a cool Beastie Boy's shirt and we brought over a chocolate cupcake from Disneyland. Doesn't Noah look older with Daddy's hat on???

3

Today we ventured to Disneyland for Noah's 3rd birthday. Casey Jr. Train, Toon Town, Small World, and finally crossing over to California Disney so he could watch the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live Show was on his list. It was a real relaxing day and so much fun! Now that our annual passes have expired, when will go to Disneyland again???

Happy Birthday Noah!!!

Noah's 3rd birthday party was at the Petersen Automotive Museum. We had a fifties car theme with the kids dressed in jeans and cuffed white shirts. Johnny Rockets catered with sliders, fries, and shakes and Bubbe made an awesome cake with a race car track in the shape of a 3! Noah and his friends had a fun time going through the Discovery exhibits. This birthday party was great... what will be next year's theme when he turns four???

10

It has been ten years since Jawsh took me out on our first date in San Diego. Around this time last year, Micah was just a few months old and we didn't go out to celebrate. But this year we had a lovely dinner at Craft (yes, Tom Colicchio's restaurant) which was much nicer than Corvettes (the restaurant we ate at ten years ago). Wow... ten years has gone by fast, hasn't it???

Bowling!

Tonight we went bowling with the parents at Noah's preschool. It was a great evening full of beer, fried food, and fun times. It was nice to see everyone without their kids, just having a great time. We bowled two games before we got an unexpected call from Uncle Zach (who was watching the boys). When will we go bowling again???

Happy birthday Kyer!

Today we celebrated Kyer's 1st birthday! We had a nice time at the park and it was great to be part of the celebration. Here is cutest picture of best friends (two generations) wouldn't you agree???

Adventureplex!

Today we went to Adventureplex to help celebrate Nathan's 3rd birthday. It's a cool place for kids to climb, jump, and slide. It was so great to reconnect... when will we see them again???

Oh Micah!

Anyone who has spent time with both Noah and Micah, know that these two boys are different. Micah likes to grab cords, the mini-vacuum, pull blinds, and jump off beds. Today he decided to pull the blinds, which then knocked down Noah's framed hand and foot print, cracking the frame, that hit the plug covering, which scared Micah and knocked him down over his car. Oh Micah! And where is your sock???

Crumb at the Hammer

We took advantage of Free Thursdays at the Hammer Museum to check out the Robert Crumb exhibit with a few of Noah's friends. Noah really enjoyed seeing Raiden (not shown), Andra, and Atom for dinner but the museum was tricky. Having 3 kids and 2 babies in tow was disturbing to some of the museum guests who gave us the "stinky eye." But as parents who love the arts and want to expose our children at an early age, we were determined to make this a pleasurable experience (meaning we took them out of the gallery if it got too loud). Next show on schedule is Giant Robot... who wants to come???

Trick or Treat

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell went Trick or Treating on Locust Street just like my siblings and I did when we were little. It was fun watching them ring door bells and say "trick or treat." Noah's candy collection went to Uncle Zach (we told him that he could not have the candy in the pumpkin) so when he saw Harabujee giving out Kit-Kats he put his pumpkin away and asked him to put it in his hand so he could eat it! This year we let him indulge in Kit-Kats... what will he like next year???

We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher

Micah has an arm. Can we say Chan Ho Park???

Introducing the Darling Family

Noah is really into Peter Pan so it was only appropriate to have him dress up as him for Halloween (and Kaitlyn is his little sidekick, Tinkerbell). We also decided to get in the act and we dressed up as the Darling Family for his friend's Halloween party... Wendy, John, and Michael. It was a little stressful finding all the different "costumes" but well worth it once we came out as an ensemble cast. I hope Noah appreciates this when he gets older. What will be next year???

Seeing double

Just a random picture of the boys in their pjs right before bed... don't they look cute???

Korean brush painting

We went to LACMA to check out the Korean art gallery and to do some brush painting with Raiden's family. Noah had a great time hanging out with his bud from preschool and it was really cool that the boys were exposed to some culturally relevant art (Raiden is also half Korean). Afterwards we went to a real cool art/food space called Royal T. When will we all get together again???

Mmm... chicken soup

The weather has been a bit colder these days, so we have been making some yummy chicken soup. Noah likes to help by throwing in all the vegetables and stirring the pot. Can we say Top Chef???

Brunch with the family

The birthday celebration continued today with cousin Isaac and Esther. It was great to see them before they headed off to Costa Rica. Before they left, we sang Happy Birthday to Bubbe again and enjoyed some yummy Sprinkles cupcakes. Did Bubbe make another wish???

Happy Birthday Bubbe!

Today we spent the day at the happiest place on earth with Bubbe to help celebrate her birthday. Noah had a great time with her at the park and we all enjoyed the nice weather and company. Here is Bubbe with all her boys... wonder what she wished for???

Happy Chusok!

Chusok is a Korean "Harvest Moon" festival. Although there are many traditional components to this special day (like visiting ancestoral graves, wearing hanboks, and dancing) we put a different spin on it and celebrated Emma's first visit to my parents' home. While she was swaddled and held with care, Noah and Kaitlyn were outside finding pumpkins and the last of this season's tomatoes, and Micah was walking all over the backyard grabbing golf clubs and bats! What will future celebrations be like with four kiddies???

September 27, 2009

After a fun filled evening at Yongsusan for Micah's Tol we weren't up to visiting a museum as planned. Unfortunately I was feeling under the weather and we spent the day chilling at home. Later in the evening we had a small Baskins Robbins cake at Auntie Cathy's to celebrate again... and Noah loved blowing the candle out for his little bro. The first year went by so fast, what will year 2 bring???

Micah's TOL

Micah's first birthday was such a wonderful celebration. We feel so blessed that we were able to share this time with so many people who love him. The room was filled with silver and blue balloons, Korean rice cakes, fruit, and of course items for Micah to grab during the toljabee. There was a book (scholar), stack of money (fortune), string (long life), stethoscope (doctor), and paintbrush (artist). I wanted Micah to grab the money and Jawsh wanted him to grab the paint brush... this time around I got my wish and he grabbed the stack of money! Although there were many highlights throughout the evening, we will never forget how later in the evening he grabbed the stack of money and the blue paintbrush at the same time! He is very special... wouldn't you agree???

Paging Dr. Smith

This is Noah's way of wearing a stethoscope. By the way, didn't you know he could hear the heart from the leg???

Dr. Dre

My good friend and college roommate, Andrea, came by for a visit. Last time I saw her was at her graduation party and now that she is doing her residency in Bakersfield, I hope that we will be able to see one another more often. Don't they look happy???

Snakes

We love the fact that Noah's preschool has easels set up for the children to paint everyday. Here is Noah's first art piece entitled, "Blue snake, red yellow snake." Since Noah chose the paint brush during the toljabee, and since his father is an artist, I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a world renowned artist (no pressure, right?). Will this piece be worth millions in the future???

Noah's first day of pre-school

Noah was very excited to take his lunch bag to preschool, making sure that I did not forget to pack his "strawberries and blueberries." The morning was great, he was a little attached to the hip at times, but he really enjoyed exploring the learning stations and of course, eating lunch. We can't get over how much older he looks when he is lining up to go into class, sitting with his peers eating, and going to the potty (no accidents today- knock on wood). Will the rest of the week go by smoothly???

Happy 3rd Birthday Kaitlyn!

Today we celebrated Kaitlyn's 3rd Birthday at the Children's Museum. The theme was Dora the Explorer and in honor of that, Jawsh made some shirts for the kiddies to wear. Kaitlyn had a Dora shirt that read, "I am 3 years old," Noah had on a Diego shirt (Dora's cartoon cousin), and Micah had on Swiper, the raccoon in the series that steals Dora's things. This picture was taken outside of the museum in the park. Don't they look absolutely adorable???

I wanna hold your hand

The boys fell asleep in the car holding hands. Isn't this the cutest thing???

Baby Emma

On Wednesday, September 9, 2009, Emma Min entered our lives. She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces. She is absolutely beautiful! Michelle is doing well and is recovering nicely (Billy is also doing well). A lot of people think that she looks like Billy but I disagree. I think she looks like her Aunt Jennifer, but we'll have to see. I wonder what she'll look like with her eyes open???

Quiche

I never blog about food but this is a first for me so I had to take a picture (because y'all know that I prefer cleaning to cooking). I made a ham and onion quiche from scratch! Jawsh helped with the filling, but I did the crust. Not sure when this will happen again, so we had to take a picture! Doesn't this look tasty???

60

Today we celebrated Grandpa Art and Grandma Tina's 60th wedding anniversary! It's such an inspiration... we only have 56 years to go before we make it. These past 4 years have gone by in a blink, so 60 years should feel like a snooze, don't you think???

First steps

Micah recently took his first steps at home. He has been taking one then falling, but today he was in the living room and he just started to walk towards Jawsh. GA, GT, and Bubbe were there to witness his little feet move. Now that he can walk he tries to keep up with his big bro but he usually ends up getting on his knees and crawling because it's much faster. How will our lives be once he can walk quickly???

Mickey Mouse Club? Naaa... 30 plus 1 club!

Today we went to Disneyland for my birthday. My parents came along and for anyone who knows my family, it's a big deal when my dad joins us out. It was so nice to see my parents with our kids... we love to see how they interact with them and how they turn into typical "Grandparents..." spoiling, over indulging, and doing silly things to make them laugh. My dad has not been to Disneyland in over twenty years and the first thing he said was, "It looks exactly the same." Hopefully, I'll still look 31 in twenty years time... is that possible???

31

Here is the official 31st birthday photo. We had some yummy Korean BBQ and a coconut cake! It was a nice relaxed evening with family and friends. I wonder if my wish will come true???

Noah's Ark

We went back to Noah's Ark at the Skirball Museum with Noah's friend, Phillip. They had a great time climbing through the ark, playing with wooden animals, making rain and thunder, and much more. Here they are sitting on one of the animals, made out of recycled goods. Isn't this too cute???

Finding Nemo

Blackout dates have passed and now we are able to go to Disneyland again! We decided to let Noah try the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and he loved it. At first, when Jawsh and Noah were getting into the submarine, Noah covered his ears and said that he did not want them to get wet (we think he thought he was going into the water). Once the ride started, Noah was mesmerized (as you can see in the picture). When will he get to go on with Kaitlyn???

BIC Buddy

We went out to downtown LA to support Marisa's toy design. Unfortunately we were unable to purchase her design (it was a blind choosing) but we were excited to see all the great work there. Will we be able to get Marisa's toy later???

Moving on up

Micah is now sitting in the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair! Noah was reluctant to move from this seat, but now he is in a booster and he enjoys that much more because he can get in and out of the chair by himself. Yet another perk to have babies so close in age, huh???

Beach baby

Micah's first beach experience was with the Rubin clan at Seal Beach. It was a clear beautiful day and nice to be with the family. Micah spent a good amount of time sitting in the shade but then crawled around here and there. Unfortunately Jawsh had to finish up some projects so he missed out and was sorely missed, but Noah didn't seem to mind. He was busy playing in the sand with Seth and Mason and asking Uncle Zach to take him deeper in the water. Will Micah be as adventurous???

Sleepy baby

Micah fell asleep in the chair (Jawsh was rocking him a bit). Doesn't he look huge???