Felix and the boys

The Reno Rubins have three adorable cats... Sampson, Brutus, and Felix. Felix, being the youngest, was very playful with the kids and Noah was very proud of himself that he could pick him up. When will Noah start asking for a pet???

Reno: Day 2

The agenda today was to get the boys out in the snow. We took them sledding with Uncle Zach, Mary, and Aunt Julia. We had a great time. The boys started off going down with adults and then eventually we just let them go down with one another. That evening we had another family dinner and the boys just loved being in the house. Noah even said that he didn't want to leave... How will he react when we have to depart???

Reno: Day 1

Today the boys had a great time hanging out at the Reno Rubin abode. Aunt Julia took the boys out back for a nature walk to the creek and as soon as they got there, Micah instinctively started throwing rocks while Noah tried to get as close as possible. We also took the boys to a small play park to ride and swing. In the afternoon, we went to the Nevada Museum of Art and when we left it was snowing! It was amazing to see the boys reactions to the snow. Later that evening, we had a great dinner with the whole family and then Uncle Steve took the kids out to play in the snow. What will tomorrow bring???

Friendly skies (again)

Micah's second trip on an airplane went really well... we flew to Reno to visit the family. The trip was smooth thanks to the boys' dispositions and Uncle Zach traveling with us. It was nice to have an extra set of hands to help! Micah was so excited to be on the plane and even more excited when they handed out mini-snacks. Micah munched on his snack saying "mmm, pretzel baby." Noah was in the row across from us with Dad playing his new DS. Now we know that we can take the boys anywhere! Next stop: Maui. Anyone want to join???

Merry Christmas

This Christmas, we had a delicious holiday meal which consisted of prime rib roast, green beans and bacon, sweet and mashed potatoes, four cheese mac and cheese (and a bunch of other tasty foods). We were also serenaded by Noah and Kaitlyn who sang, "We wish you a Merry Christmas." And last but not least, the adults played White Elephant gift exchange (I came home with Star Wars pancake molds and Jawsh got fragrance diffusers)! What will Christmas bring next year???

A gingerbread house

Today we spent the day with Cathy! We had lunch at Pitfire Pizza and had a blast hanging out. Cathy brought over a gingerbread house to complete with the boys. Micah lost interest pretty quick, but Noah worked very hard alongside Cathy. Isn't this great???

California Science Center

Today we ventured to the California Science Center with Y.H., V.D., and A.C. We had a great time going through the Ecosystems and various exhibits. The kids liked the Discovery Rooms and we all liked looking at our thermal output. In this photo, I am holding the camera and Noah up with one arm (Micah was napping in the stroller). Cool, don't you think???

Welcome Back Zach!

Uncle Zach is back from Louisiana! Will he like his Barefoot chocolate cake???

Central Library

For years, I have been saying that I would like to visit the library downtown and today we finally did it! Sure, it was raining... but it was well worth it. We only stayed an hour (we had to feed the monkeys... I mean boys...) so we hit the second floor, Children's Section. As a teacher, I was in awe. So many wonderful books, art, kid friendly furniture... everything was so inviting... If I was alone I could of stayed the whole day. The boys loved reading in the amphitheater and of course Micah gravitated toward, "No David" while Noah liked "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." We definitely have to come back again... the question is when???

Hi Asante

Today I got to meet Asante for the second time... the first time around he was about three weeks old and sleeping soundly in his crib. Fast forward to a few months and he was wide awake and hanging out with Micah (Noah was at school). Micah liked saying his name when prompted and Asante just took it all in. He is such a cutie pie (look into those deep eyes) and I can't wait for him to be mobile so he can play with my boys. When will we see him again???

Nice!

Have I been naughty or nice this year? According to Hanukkah Harry and Santa Claus... I have been nice! With my new Kitchenaid mixer, I have already made a few of Barefoot's desserts, like her chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake, and homemade frosting. I even make my own whip cream which the boys love eating with their challah french toast. I can't wait to use the dough hook and make some bread... wonder how that will turn out???

8th night

Tonight we celebrated the last night of Chanukah with friends from Noah's school, the H Family. Nagat and I have become good friends and there is never a dull moment with five kids running around. Noah likes to play with E.H. and Micah loves to play with Y.H., all while Baby Yexplores. When will we break bread again???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today Noah's preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals. Noah got to touch a Wallaby, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), frogs and snakes (including a Desert King Snake). This time around, Noah was not interested in the insects (he refused to hold the tarantula and the scorpion) but he was very much into snakes... I wonder if he'll want one when he gets older???

Happy Chanukah with the Shields

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year three! Last year we went to their place and this year we hosted. It was so much fun catching up with the family and watching the boys play. Kyer and Micah got along very well, so I think we have best friends in the making. When will we see them again???

4th night

Tonight we celebrated the fourth night of Chanukah with Bubbe, GA, GT, and some of Bubbe's close friends. We had a great evening at Bubbe's house eating good food, opening gifts, and playing games. Now that Noah understands the rules of the games, I think he enjoyed playing Dreidel and Go Fish with GA and GT more than the gift opening! When will we see them again???

Happy Chanukah

We celebrated the first night of Chanukah with Grandpa. We had matzo ball soup and latkes for dinner (well the kids had pancakes). Noah had a wonderful time singing "Chanukah oh Chanukah" with Grandpa. Noah is also old enough to understand the Dreidel Game and it was fun watching three generations spin for chocolate gelt. What will the next night of Chanukah bring???

4

Today we ventured to Disneyland for Noah's 4th birthday. Noah wanted to ride (in order) Dumbo, Teacups, and Small World. He also asked to see Minnie and we just happen to see her on our way out. His birthday wish came true because we were able to do everything (and squeeze in the Jedi Training Show). It was a relaxing day and so much fun to be my with my boys. When will we stay for the World of Color show???

Happy Birthday Halmoni

November is a busy month full of birthdays. My mom's birthday is the last one to celebrate this month. Kelly was still in town so we went out to dinner for her birthday in Century City. Wonder what she wished for???

Happy 4th Birthday Noah!!!

Noah's 4th birthday landed on Thanksgiving this year, so we celebrated at Halmoni's house. Emo made a delicious Barefoot cake with a star made out of raspberries and blueberries! Noah had a great time opening up all his presents... I think his favorite was the Obi-won spaceship Daddy bought him. I can't believe that Noah is already 4 years old... where did the time go???

Gobble gobble

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. This family get together was extra special because it was also Noah's birthday (see next post). Noah was too excited to really eat (who could blame him?) and Micah started off with meeyuk gook (Noah's birthday seawood soup) and some turkey... what will Thanksgiving be like next year???

Labor of love

Noah decided that he wanted chocolate cupcakes with Mickey Mouse decor for his class party. Since I volunteer on Mondays, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by having his party on my work day. I made the cupcakes last night and made a fatal mistake! Instead of baking soda, I used baking powder! When the cupcakes came out they were really tiny and dense. At this point, I did not figure out what went wrong, and I decided to scrap them and to purchase the treats on the way to school. But Jawsh helped me figure out my misstep, and I decided to rebake the cupcakes. So I started again after the kids went to sleep and finished frosting them at 12:30 AM. Labor of love. And totally worth it because Noah was so happy. Look at his face, wouldn't you agree???

Happy Birthday Reile!

Today Noah and I ventured to Woodland Hills to help celebrate Reile's 1st birthday while Jawsh took Micah out for some bonding time. Reile's mom, Jamila, and I were roommates in college. They now live in the Bay Area so it was really nice to finally meet her son and wish him a happy day. When will we see them again???

68

We celebrated Harabujee's 68th birthday today. Noah chose a card that had butterflies and dictated this to my mom who wrote the following in Korean: Happy Birthday Harabujee... I like you... Thank you for the love! Noah also drew a picture of him holding a green lollipop and a lighter! Wonder what he wished for???

Happy Birthday Kyer!

Today we celebrated Kyer's 2nd birthday at Underwood Farms! The boys had a blast on the hayride, climbing haystacks, riding trains, feeding animals, and riding ponies for the first time (whew!). I think it's so great that we live close enough to celebrate these special occasions together... wouldn't you agree???

Happy 50th Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty was celebrating her 50th anniversary at the Santa Monica airport. We thought that we would swing by to check out the art. The boys were saying, "Kaitlyn" the whole time because she likes Hello Kitty. It was fun for about ten minutes, but there was not much to do. The best part of the event (for me) was taking a picture inside of a Yogurtland cup. Hilarious, eh???

Family portrait

Noah drew the family... Daddy, Mommy, Noah, and Micah. Beautiful work, don't you think???

Halloween carnival

This year we went to Inland for the church Halloween carnival. It was such a nice set up. Amusement park rides, merry go rounds, jumpers, games, food, and live jazz music! The kids had such a great time. About half of the kids were dressed up and a handful of adults, so needless to say, Han Solo and Princess Leia stuck out a bit. A few people wanted our pictures but it's because we had such a great cast of characters... Han, Leia, 3 Jedis, and the cutest Ewok ever... who could beat that???

Halloween Party

Last year we were the Darling Family and this year Star Wars! As I mentioned in a previous post, Jawsh used the Jedi mind trick to get me to agree to not only be Princess Leia but to also don the itchy wig! The lengths that I will go through... This is us posing at Nicole's Halloween Party and having a great time. What will we decide to do next year???

Pumpkins!

We headed over to Santa Monica to visit a pumpkin patch after the boys' naps. Of course, it was nothing compared to Tanaka Farms as it sat on an empty parking lot, but the boys still had fun poking the pumpkins with their light sabers. I could not get a photo of both of them looking into the camera at the same time! It was so frustrating... but I finally knew when to quit and I let them get their sillies out on the jumper. When will they both smile and look into the camera???

Hot pizza

We were in line at Whole Foods waiting for a piece of pizza and Noah pointed to the word hot and recited the sounds to Micah and then said, "Mommy that says hot!" I asked him what the next word was (which was pizza) and Noah started to sound out the letters and using environmental clues, said, "pizza." It was very exciting! Will he love to read as much as his Daddy???

Noah's Ark

Today we ventured to the Skirball with friends from preschool). Although I would like for Noah to play with Y.H. and S.C? more, he is much more interested in following E.H. Y.H.'s older sister. E.H. and Noah bonded on the playground and now Noah just wants to hang with her... could it be her ability to speak French fluently? her gentle demeanor? or the fact that she is generous and gives him treats? Hmmmm... I wonder???

Tanaka Farms

This year we went to Tanaka Farms to check out the pumpkin patch. It was so awesome. 30 acres of sprawling fields with veggies galore. We ventured through the fields with Bubbe, Halmoni, and Kaitlyn and Co. and saw a pumpkin being launched from a cannon. Everyone really liked the corn maze (well, me not so much) and Kaitlyn and Micah enjoyed the petting zoo (Noah not so much). We are definitely coming back to this farm for strawberry season... wonder what that will be like???

Bippity Boppity Boo!

Tonight I tried a new recipe that I got from a blog called Week of Menus (my sister recommended it). Who knew this little pumpkin could turn into such a tasty dinner! The pumpkin was stuffed with rice, bacon, cheddar cheese, cream, garlic and chives. I wasn't sure how the boys were going to react but Noah loved it (he asked me to pack it in his lunch for preschool). Jawsh liked it as well... he thought it was comfort food and perfect for this cool evening. Micah asked for his usual rice, sesame oil, and soy sauce concoction. What recipe will I try next???

Star Wars AT AT

Star Wars continues to rule supreme in the house. Noah made Obiwon Kenobi an AT AT out of Legos. If you do not know what an AT AT is you just can't hang with the boys. What will he make next???

Luke and Obi-Daddy

After much deliberation between Jawsh and I (he used the Jedi Mind Trick) the boys will be Luke Skywalker and Obiwon Kenobi for Halloween. It's funny because the boys pronounce the names differently... Noah says, "Yoot Stywalker" and Micah says, "Obi-Daddy." The boys are super excited to dress up as Jedis. I have to admit that it is fun to watch them but I secretly wished we went with Toy Story... maybe next year???

Juleah's cupcakes

This past weekend we met up with Noah's friend, Raiden. His mom, Juleah, is the expert in all things gluten free and she brought along some gluten free/ vegan muffins. Micah devoured her muffins and kept asking for more... which is why I decided to try and make them. Her blog: http://eatloveandplay.blogspot.com/ lists the recipes of all the yummy things she bakes. I took a trip to Whole Foods and bought two bags full of new ingredients and tried it out! Once they cooled, I made a Barefoot cream cheese frosting and piped it on top. They came out pretty well, in my opinion, but the real test was to see if Micah would eat them. He not only ate one, but two! He even asked for more! I love the fact that Micah is eating a ton of new and good things (like flax seed) and enjoying it... what will I try to make next???

Cupcakes for Carey

One of the great benefits of having Noah in preschool, is meeting and befriending a great group of Moms, Carey being one of them. She recently adopted twin girls from Ethiopia and we threw her a Baby Shower after school! Of course, I had to consult Barefoot Contessa and I made her chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and I also made some with chocolate/coffee frosting. The girls being from Ethiopia liked the coffee frosting! They were yummy... and all the kids loved the little rings. What will the next special occasion be?

Disney with the boys

Noah's preschool was closed today so we took a trip to Disneyland. This is the first time I went solo with just the boys and with no stroller, which is why we were only there a few hours! Noah and Micah really liked going on Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Mad Tea Party (affectionately known as the Teacups). It was a great trip that ended with a visit with Mickey... when will we go again???

Force Cookies

Today we baked Star Wars sugar cookies at Halmoni's house. I got the cookie cutters at Williams Sonoma and the recipe came in the box. It was so much easier baking using my mom's Kitchen Aid Mixer (instead of my hand mixer). The cookies came out just right and Noah loved them. Micah, took the Darth Vader cookies, and fed them to Watts (until I caught him in the act). I think I may have to ask Santa Claus or Hanukkah Harry for a mixer this holiday season... we'll see... a girl can dream right???

Just hangin'

Micah really loves going to Noah's preschool. After we sign Noah in, we hang out and play outside with the kids. Micah is really coordinated and not afraid to try new things, so after watching the boys swing off the bars, he decided to try it for himself. Sometimes my heart just stops watching him do these things, but I have to remember that he's an active little boy who is going to fall and get hurt at times (although I want to minimize that as much as possible). So, here is Micah just hangin... what will he try to do next???

LA Korean Festival

Today we spent some time at the 37th annual Koreatown Festival. It's been a few years since I have gone, but my Mom and Kaitlyn and Crew wanted to check it out on the last day. Although there was plenty of food vendors we ended up at out usual restaurant, Dol Il Jang. It was nice to see everyone for a few hours although it would of been nice if my Dad could of come along. When will we all get together again???

Happy Birthday Bubbe!

Jawsh and Zach took Bubbe out to a lobster dinner on the Santa Monica Pier for her birthday... just Bubbe and her boys. I know they had a great time eating delicious lobster prepared different ways. After dinner they came back to our place for dessert and Bubbe's birthday song. I wonder what she wished for???

I'm 2!

It's hard to imagine that only two years ago, Micah entered our lives. He is such a bundle of energy, always keeping us on our toes. Micah teaches Jawsh and I have to more patience and hopefully he inspires Noah to take more risks (because we all know how Micah can assert himself). Today Micah is officially considered a "toddler" so this marks a new chapter in our lives. What will the terrible twos be like with him???

Happy 2nd Birthday Micah!

In honor of Micah's 2nd birthday, we went to Disneyland to celebrate. We spent sometime in Fantasy Land but the majority of the time we were at the Jedi Training Academy Show (we watched it three times)! The highlight of the day was when Micah was chosen out of the crowd to train as a Jedi to fight Darth Vader but then immediately sent back once they found out that he was only two! When will Micah get a chance to fight the Dark Side???

Birthday with Bubbe!

Today Micah enjoyed hotdogs from Portillos and his first Hostess cupcake at Bubbe's place! Tomorrow we head to Disneyland... wonder what ride he'll like best???

Happy Chuseok

Chuseok is a Korean "Harvest Moon" festival. This day is kind of considered like Thanksgiving in Korea. The celebration starts with a family get together at which rice cakes made of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts are served. Although there are many components to this special day (like visiting ancestoral graves, wearing hanboks, and dancing) we put a different spin on it and celebrated Micah's birthday. Wonder what he wished for???

Happy 4th Birthday Kaitlyn!

Today we celebrated Kaitlyn's 4th Birthday at Harabujee and Halmoni's house. The theme was Dinosaurs! There was so much food and games that everyone had a good time (with the exception of Noah who is still feeling under the weather, and Jawsh, who is also fighting a virus). Fortunately, Micah had a great time going up and down the jumper and hitting the pinata (finally he was allowed to swing a stick and hit something). I can't believe that Kaitlyn is already 4 years old... where did the time go???

Sick

It started with Micah last week... fever and cough. Then Noah got a fever, stomachache, and sore throat on top of his cough that he has had for weeks (probably due to allergies). The poor guy just wants his "Bubbe blanket" and a tummy rub. When we went to the doctors I was desperate for him to eat something on the way back home. I offered his favorite staples, udon and cheese pizza, which is refused. I then took it to another level offering him Yogurtland, Sprinkles cupcakes, and raspberry macaroons and he declined that as well! You know this kid is sick! When will he feel better???

A blessing

We were running afternoon errands when we were rear ended. This blog entry is entitled "A blessing" because no one was severely hurt. Thank God. Now we have to deal with the aftermath of insurance and fixing the car, which is not how I want to spend my time, but again, a blessing that we are all okay. Can anyone recommend a good body shop???

First day of pre-school

Noah was excited to return to preschool. He really missed his teacher, Cynthia, and he was looking forward to playing with his friends (although a lot of them have either moved or graduated). Since we are at a co-op and I volunteer on Mondays, I was there the whole time. The morning was great, he enjoyed playing with his friends and inside time he was at the building table making Star Wars spaceships. Here is a picture of Noah with his sidekick, Micah, who is holding his Star Wars lunch pail. How will the rest of the week go???

Emma's Dol

We celebrated Emma's first birthday with family and friends. Jawsh made an incredible slideshow that reflected upon Emma's first year of life, games were played, and the food was enjoyed by all. A highlight of the evening was the Toljabee. Laid out in front of Emma was a stethoscope, pencil, thread, and money. It's said that the child's future is predicted according to what they grab. Emma grabbed the money (signifying prosperity). What will she do when she grows older???