Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!! We enjoyed a quiet evening at home, drinking Martinelli's apple juice. What will 2012 bring???

Solvang

Today we went on a spontaneous day trip to Solvang, CA. Solvang means "sunny fields" in Danish. The city was founded by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony and is home to a number of bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California. The architecture of many of the facades and buildings reflects traditional Danish style. We ate authentic Danish food like medisterpolse (sausage), frikadeller (meatballs), and of course, aebleskiver (pancake balls with powdered sugar and raspberry jam). We also went around the town on a surrey which the boys really enjoyed. It was such a nice afternoon biking to museums, eating ice cream, and enjoying the nice sunny weather. It was a great way to end the year, wouldn't you agree???

Take your head out of the sand, come to Ostrichland!

On our way to Solvang, we stopped at Ostrichland! It is a small farm off the side of the road. The highlight of our visit to Ostrichland was feeding the ostriches and emus. The landscape on which they roam is quite lovely and seeing them walking about on the plain that resembles their native desert is like being in another place and time. Noah was apprehensive at first, but Micah wanted to grab the bucket and feed all the birds by himself! Once they warmed up to the animals, they wanted to feed them again and again and again! Jawsh remarked, "This was an interesting stop along the way, something we will always remember but not necessarily have to do again." To which Noah replied, "When we come back with Kaitlyn we will do this again." So, I guess we will do this again with Kaitlyn if she ever goes to Solvang with us in the future... Noah is a thoughtful cousin, wouldn't you say???

Last night

Tonight we celebrated the last night of Chanukah. The boys loved opening their final gifts for the year and I think Jawsh and I are officially partied out. When Chanukah and Christmas overlap there is an extra dose of blessings, food, and presents!!! Next year, Chanukah falls before Christmas so it will be better spaced out. The boys had a great time with family and friends and we look forward to what the new year will bring... what will be our New Year's resolutions???

7th night

Tonight we celebrated the seventh night of Chanukah with Bubbe, Uncle Zach, and Dolly. We had a great evening at Bubbe's house eating good food, opening gifts, and playing games. Noah loved playing Dreidel with Bubbe and he spun gimel a record amount ten times (or so he claims) which made him very happy. Uncle Zach also set them on their path to rock stardom with their first real guitars! What will the last night of Chanukah bring???

Merry Christmas

This Christmas we are so thankful that we can celebrate with family and friends. Most of the family was in Korea so Billy's closest friends came over to break bread. We had a delicious holiday meal which consisted of prime rib roast, sweet and mashed potatoes, mac and cheese (and a bunch of other tasty foods). Jawsh made latkes (now a third time) and by far these were the tastiest. They were a big hit. Earlier in the day, we took the kids to see the movie, Arthur Christmas, and then we made gingerbread houses. And of course, the kids had a great time opening their gifts. Noah's favorite gift was the Legos Star Wars and Micah loved his green light saber. What will Christmas bring next year???

4th night

We celebrated the fourth night of Chanukah with Grandpa, Uncle Zach, Delee, and Kyer. I made Barefoot Contessa's matzo ball soup and brisket while Jawsh made the yummiest latkes. There was a lot going on in the kitchen but it was well worth it. The boys had a great time running around while the adults had time to eat dinner. What will the next night of Chanukah bring???

Happy Chanukah with the Shields

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year four! Last year they came to our place and this year we headed to Simi Valley. It was so much fun catching up with everyone and watching the boys play. The guys made two types of latkes: sweet potato and russet potato and they were both delicious. Kyer, Noah, and Micah got along very well, however, at times there was two ganging up on one. It's so nice to have the families together. When will we see them again???

2nd Night

I just had to post these adorable hats the boys received from the Davis Rubins. Oh and how they loved those honey sticks!!! Isn't this just too cute???

1st night

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah and the boys are very excited. They have been singing, Chanukah Oh Chanukah, for the past several days and Noah has been reviewing the rules of Dreidel. As the boys get older, we are able to explain more about the origins of this special occasion and the holidays have more meaning to them. As we run errands, Micah is always the first to find a menorah and shout, "Chanukah Mom!" and Noah quickly corrects him by saying, "No Micah, that's a menorah!" What will these 8 nights bring???

Disney on Ice

Today I took the boys and Kaitlyn to see Toy Story 3 at the Staples Center. I didn't know what to expect since I have never been to an ice skating show, but it was fun. The kids loved seeing all their favorite Toy Story characters and it was pretty cool to see how the movie translated onto the ice. When will we go back to the Staples Center again???

Bye Daddy

Jawsh flew to Reno to visit with Uncle Steve and the rest of the Reno Family. We dropped him off at LAX in the morning and then I headed to preschool to drop off the boys. Micah, who usually sprints to the playground and forgets to tell me goodbye, was stuck to my hip all morning. I think he thought that I was going to leave him as well. Eventually, we were able to distract him with his friend and I made a mad dash to get out of there! How will Micah react when he sees Daddy again???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today the preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals. The boys got to touch a Wallaby, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), frogs and snakes. This time around, Noah held the tarantula and got to pull a web from it! Micah also touched a tarantula, but he would not get near the snakes. Will Micah hold one next year???

LACMA

Today we spent some time the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA. Jawsh was really interested in the Eames installation (a full-scale replica of the Eames living room), which was a key component of the exhibition "California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. Micah was asleep in the stroller and Noah liked walking around and listening to the headphones set around the exhibit. Afterwards we went to see Jeff Koons' 10-foot "Balloon Dog (Blue)" and some other interesting work. Our hope is that Noah and Micah will appreciate the arts and enjoy various forms of art.. wonder what they will be into???

Korean brush painting

Of course, we had to stop at the Boonne's Children Gallery, inside the Korean art galleries in the Hammer Building. The kids learn about brush painting and Korean art. Noah and Jawsh were focused on the brush painting whereas Micah was into mixed- media using the brush paint, colored pencils, and markers. When I asked Micah what his piece was called, he replied, "Paint." The next time he finished his piece, he called it "Art." My literal little boy. Wonder if he will get into paint as much as his Dad?

Birthday bash continues...

Bubbe had a special day planned for Noah's birthday... she took him to see the Muppets! Noah had movie treats, his favorite cousin Kaitlyn, Micah and his Dad to watch this movie. Afterwards, Bubbe took us out to eat some yummy Italian food and we ended the evening with Noah's birthday cookie- cake. How will we celebrate next year???

5

Noah wanted to have his 5th birthday party at Scooter's Jungle where there were jumpers, inflatable slides, zip lines, and much more. Noah's favorite friends were at the Curious George themed party and he had a great time celebrating until he bumped heads with another girl and received a nice bruise on his face. He devoured his pizza but was so preoccupied with the amount of presents waiting to be unwrapped that he actually passed on his requested carrot cake (I worked hard on that cake)! Oh well. He had a fun time and that was all that mattered. I can't believe that Noah is already 5 years old... where did the time go???

Happy early Birthday

I always thought having a birthday so close to a holiday would be unfortunate, but Noah absolutely loves it. The word Thanksgiving is now a trigger word... Noah hears it and immediately says, "my birthday is coming." It's nice that the whole family can gather to celebrate Noah's birthday. He got a special birthday cake from my cousin, JooYoung, and his wish came true when Uncle Bill gave him a blue lightsaber and blaster pack. Noah's party (with his school friends) is tomorrow... what will that bring???

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. This family get together was extra special because it was JooYoung and David's first Thanksgiving as a married couple and Liam's first Thanksgiving ever! David was inducted to the family by having the task to carve the turkey (Jawsh was finally off the hook). The kids were very excited to have everyone over and it was just so nice to see my family all together (now that my Aunt and Uncle have moved to Korea we really miss them). When will we see them again???

Early Thanksgiving

We spent the day with GGA and GGT at Bubbe's house. We tried 5 Guys for the first time (the boys and I prefer In N Out but Jawsh liked the new burgers) and spent some time at the park. Later in the evening, Bubbe prepared Thanksgiving dinner which was delicious. Zach and Dolly joined us with some yummy pastries from Zovs. It was such a nice treat to spend an early Thanksgiving with the family. We are so thankful that we live so close to Uncle Zach and Bubbe, and that even though GGA and GGT are in Reno, that they visit often enough that the boys not only know who they are but enjoy their company. When will we see everyone again???

Congrats David and Jackie!

My cousin, Jackie, got married to her best friend, David. It was a beautiful ceremony at Cicada in downtown LA. We had delicious food and a great time! My Uncle and Aunt were dressed to the nines and everyone had a fun time watching the couple. When will we see them again???

Hape Brda!

Today we celebrated my parents' birthdays... my Dad turned 69 last Sunday and my Mom is turning 59 next Friday! My Mom made meeyuk gook (birthday soup), kalbi jim (slow braised short rib), and we had a ton of Korean side dishes. Everyone ate so much and we finished with a Chiffon Chocolate Cake. Noah drew a great picture of himself with Harabujee and Micah... this year Harabujee was holding a popcicle and money and he drew Halmoni with Watts and Goldie. What will we do next year???

Trick or treat!

Last year we dressed up in Star Wars costumes but this year Noah really wanted to dress up as Ash Ketchum from Pokemon. Noah is the main character, Ash, a Pokemon Trainer. Micah is Pikachu, Ash's best Pokemon friend. And Jawsh and I went as Team Rocket's Jessie and James, who do as much as they can to steal Pokemon and thwart Ash's plans! We started at the mall with Grandpa, Grandma, Doug, and his daughter, Grace, and ended the evening trick or treating in the neighborhood. What will we decide to do next year???

Camping Day 2

Today we spent the day exploring the tide pools at the beach. Jawsh met up with us and we found all sorts of amazing sealife. The boys were busy collecting what they thought were shells, but they were really small sand crabs. Once I told them, all three boys started freaking out and crying! Once we got over that, we found mussels, sea anemones, and tons of brightly colored sea stars. A lot of the sea stars were eating the mussels, which was really cool to see once we lifted them off the rocks! It was not only a lot of fun, but such an enriching educational experience. When will we head back???

Camping

This weekend we went camping with friends at Leo Carrillo State Beach. The last time I was here was before Noah was born, so it was nice to be back within walking distance to the beach. Jawsh was unable to attend because he had an asthma attack so I went with the boys and learned how to pitch the tent (and I took it down by myself)! The boys had a great time walking around the beach and throwing rocks into the water. When will we head back???

3 year appointment

Micah had his 3 year appointment today. He is steadily growing as he is in the 90% in weight and height. He liked getting measured, weighed, and as you can see, his blood pressure taken. At the end of the appointment, both boys received their flu shot. Noah completely lost it and had to be held down by two people so the nurse could administer the shot. Afterwards the nurses asked me if I needed help holding down Micah, which I quickly accepted. Surprisingly, Micah sat on my lap and looked up at me and said, "I'm not going to cry." The nurses did not have to hold him as he sat calmly during the shot! I was amazed! I'm still in shock that Micah was so chill through the whole thing. Micah is full of surprises, wouldn't you say???

Two dollars

Noah's second visit from the tooth fairy was a quick one... no pomp or circumstance due to Micah's irrational fear of tooth fairies. He received two dollars and a note... when will she visit again???

Second toof

After all the fun and excitement at the pier, we went to dinner in Ktown. We ate at one of Noah's favorite restaurants and he lost his second lower tooth, his left central incisor, while eating tofu. This time Noah said, "Mom there is a bone" and he showed me his tooth. I wish I could say I was so surprised but I was so tired from the days activities that I forgot to take a picture that night (this photo was taken later). Noah was so happy and Kaitlyn looked over at him longingly and said, "you're so lucky, I wish my tooth came out." Too cute huh???

Fun in the sun

Today we met up with Sophie and Co. in Santa Monica. Noah and Micah had a great time at the pier with them. The kids had so much fun on the rides, can't you tell???

Hi Sophie and Daphne

Sophie and Daphne are Noah and Micah's second cousins from Denver! They were here on a family vacation and we had the opportunity to get together for dinner at my parents' house. The kids had a great time playing, running around in the back, and driving Kaitlyn's Hummer. Here is a great shot of Sophie and Micah... when will see them again???

Chaos

Here is a picture of controlled chaos. 4 kids and 3 dogs. Just wait until Baby Liam gets in the mix! We're in for trouble, wouldn't you agree???

Baby Liam

On Thursday, October 6, 2011, William Min Jr. (affectionately known as Liam) entered our lives. He weighed 8 lbs and 1 ounce (our first 8 pounder)! He is super cute and Michelle is doing well and recovering nicely. I think Liam looks like a mix between Kaitlyn and Emma. I wonder what he will look like with his eyes open???

Pumpkin time

Today we met Kyer and Family at Underwood Farms. The boys had a great time at the farm which was also hosting a public safety day. So besides taking a horse drawn carriage ride around the farm, the boys also got to climb fire trucks, police cars, and met emergency responders as well as the Bomb Squad. Their favorite part of the day was when a fire fighter climbed a ladder 30 feet in the air and dropped a large pumpkin, which exploded with candy. At the end of the day the boys got to pick out their pumpkins and had some treats to take home. When will we visit the farm again???

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎) is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days which occur in the fall. Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar and eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey. Although the boys did not join Dad at temple to hear the shofar this year, they did get to dip their apples in honey for a sweet new year. I also made matzo ball soup (one of Micah's favorites) and a vanilla honey cake (one of Dad's favorites). What will this sweet new year bring???

Goodbye Mickey

I couldn't resist... I had to go back to use our Disneyland annual passes one more time! We went to California Disney and watched a live show and rode the new Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure ride. Afterwards we park hopped to Disneyland where we rode Micah's favorite ride, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. On our way out we saw Mickey Mouse and the boys ate their last Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar. We had a nice time and hope the boys have fond memories of this place... how many years will it be before we return???

I'm 3!!!

Micah's 3rd birthday party was at Travel Town Museum. We had an old fashioned train theme with the kids in conductor hats and red handkerchiefs. BJs Pizza catered with gourmet pizzas, spaghetti, and BBQ chicken salad. All the desserts were handmade... I made a Barefoot Contessa chocolate cake, Martha Stewart vanilla cupcakes, and my Mom made various types of cookies using Barefoot's recipe. Micah and his friends had a fun time taking a train ride, decorating train cookies, getting tattoos, and hitting the number 3 shaped pinata full of balls. This birthday party was great... what will be next year's theme when he turns four???

Churros

Noah received a card from Bubbe congratulating him on the loss of his first tooth (the card also had 5 dollar bills which he promptly placed in his wallet). This afternoon we went to a local cafe to have Spanish style churros that you dip in chocolate. Jawsh paid for the first round but Noah offered to pay for the second round of churros. He went to the register and counted out 4 dollars... it was very cute. Micah had only 1 dollar and wanted to buy churros and left in near tears because he didn't have enough money. Noah tried to comfort him by saying, "just lose a tooth and you'll get money." Great advice, eh???

Surprise!!!

Today we celebrated Caryn's 60th birthday by surprising her with family, her closest friends, and the Beatles! This party has been in the works for a few months and it came off without a hitch! All of Caryn's favorite things were present (except her grandkids): the venue was at her favorite library, the food catered by Lazy Dog Cafe, her favorite Almond Creek wine, her favorite chocolate cake, her friends old and new, her family, the Beatles, and the most creative displays created by Jawsh and a new ebook (which lured her to the library) from Zach. Everyone had a great time eating, dancing, and drinking. I think the best part of the party was how happy she was. The next party we have to deal with is Micah's 3rd birthday... what are we going to do???

Homemade pizza

Today we made homemade pizza using a Barefoot Contessa dough recipe. I don't know why I was so hesitant, because it was very simple... the only difficult part was the amount of time that we had to wait. The boys loved rolling out their own dough and sprinkling cheese on top. I need to learn how to make homemade pizza sauce from scratch next... any good recipes out there???

First Day of School

Noah was excited to return to preschool (since he was born in November he will enter kindergarten next year) and Micah was very excited to go to school (finally!). Noah was looking forward to playing with his friends and Micah was looking forward to playing with one friend in particular, S.C. Since we are at a co-op, I volunteer on Tuesdays this year. I was able to stay today to make sure Micah was doing well, but he was so busy he didn't even notice that I was there. How will the rest of the week go???

One dollar

The Rubin Family has a long tradition of creativity. Grandpa Art used to write notes for Bubbe when she lost her tooth. Grandpa Art shared one story referred to as the "Famous Pay Off." He started a string under her pillow, then ran it down 1 1/2 flights of stairs (from bedroom level to basement) where he left a note....it was an I.O.U....the following morning Bubbe Caryn yelled "you know, there's a cheap tooth fairy around here!" With Noah, we left a note from the tooth fairy and left a string that led to the front door with a dollar attached. Noah was very excited but Micah looked nervous. Now every night before bed, Micah asks about the Tooth Fairy hoping she won't return... when will she visit again???

First toof

Noah lost his first tooth tonight, the lower right central incisor. We were at Pat and Oscars and he was eating a breadstick and out it came. Jawsh and I were talking and Noah tried to interrupt us to tell us what happened, and of course, before I heard him I said, "you need to say excuse me." Noah then said, "excuse me, I lost my tooth!" Jawsh and I were so surprised! There was not a lot of blood and Noah was very proud of himself... his first tooth... my baby is growing up, right???

The Force

Today we went to Disneyland with one objective: for Micah to be chosen for the Jedi Training Show. This is the last time we will be at the Jedi Training Show at Disneyland for a long time and it was very important for us to make sure he got a chance. We dressed him up in his Obiwon costume (Noah was dressed up as Luke), put him in the front row, and we even had him practice jumping while waving his arms frantically. All this preparation came in handy, as Noah and Micah were chosen first. I believe the Jedi Master said, "the two younglings come forward." Micah and Noah were center stage and Micah ended up being the butt of the jokes, which was funny. Micah got to fight Darth Vader while Noah got to fight Darth Maul. After the children duel the Siths they are supposed to sit, but Micah ended up jumping up from his seat and he ran towards Darth Maul with his light saber in hand. Micah ended up fighting Darth Maul as well (which was not supposed to happen). Jawsh and I were shocked that he did this and Jawsh said, "Micah is an opportunist." The opportunity was there and he struck! Who does he take after???

Jiu-Jitsu

A family friend, Chie, trains at the Gracie Academy. Chie introduced me to the Gracie Bullyproof program which teaches kids about confidence, increases awareness, and ensures readiness and offered to teach Noah. Now every Thursday, Chie comes over and introduces Noah to jiu-jitsu through games, which Noah absolutely loves. When will we sign him up at the Academy???

I'm a Ray

Noah is continuing his swim lessons and now he is at the Ray level. This means he is an intermediate beginner, able to swim 5 yards independently free style and 12 yards free style with a swimming barbell. Noah takes class with two friends, V.D. and Y.H. and he is doing well. When will Micah start swim lessons???

NHM

Today we went to the Natural History Museum with a few friends from preschool. The kids had a great time looking at fossils, playing in the Discovery Center, going through the Insect Hall, and eating lunch outside. Although Noah and Micah have been several times, they continued to be amazed by the dinosaurs. Noah really liked putting the dinosaur bones back together in the Discovery Center... will he be an archaeologist when he gets older???

Wildlife Learning Center

Today we ventured to Sylmar with the friends to the Wildlife Learning Center. The Center rescues wildlife and provides outreach and onsite education in wildlife biology. There are over 70 different species of rescued and zoo-born wild animals at the Center. The kids got to touch and hold a rosy boa and they got to do a wildlife encounter with a fennec fox! This fox was rescued and named, JoJo. He was very soft and those big ears were amazing. Micah loved petting the fox, can't you tell???

Pony-rrific Party

Today we celebrated my nieces' birthdays (Kaitlyn is turning 5 and Emma is turning 2)! They had a lot of friends over to play on a huge jumper that was attached to a water slide which was wonderful in 90 degree weather. There was plenty of food, drinks, and fun. The kids loved breaking the pinatas, playing pin the rainbow to the My Little Pony, and of course eating all the desserts. Noah had such a great time he asked me if he could have his party at Halmoni's House too. It was a beautiful party full of pink ponies, balloons galore (and I mean a ton of beautifully designed balloons), and water fun. Micah's birthday is at the end of this month and we have yet to plan... what are we going to do???

Shusi

Noah said "shusi" for the longest time until Uncle Zach helped him out with the pronunciation... good thing because Noah loves to eat sushi. He loves to eat hamachi, kappa maki, and shiro maguro. Micah also loves to eat sushi... his favorites are unagi and rice rolls. I'm so happy they like eating this, because now we can go get lunch together when Daddy is not around (he likes non-raw items like California Rolls). Will Jawsh ever get into it???

Disneyland

Our annual passed to Disneyland expire in a few weeks, so we decided to go in the evening when it was cooler. I usually take the boys on my own in the morning, but since Jawsh joined us, Noah finally got a chance to ride the newly renovated Star Tours ride. They actually lucked out because a cast member gave them a fast pass they could use right away (all the fast pass tickets were gone by 11 AM), so they only had to wait 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Micah and I, were sitting on the curb on Main Street holding spots for a parade. Just when the boys finished the ride, they joined us to watch the Mickey's Soundsational Parade. Then we went on a few rides (Buzz, Autopia, Small World, and the Tea Cups) and finally went to watch the night show, Fantasmic. Noah didn't do so well because he was a little intimidated by the images and the music was too loud, whereas Micah's eyes stayed open and glued to the show! It's amazing how different these two can act sometimes. All in all, it was a nice time at Disneyland and we will probably have to head back at least once more to catch World of Color. When will that be???

Hi Friend!

Today we met up with my friend, Letitia and Asante! We ventured to Polliwog Park and the boys played on the structures while Letitia and I caught up. Her son, Asante, is growing so much and starting to walk. I remember the days of first steps and it seems so long ago. Whenever I spend time with my friends who have younger children, I am reminded of just how fast it truly goes. I can't believe Noah will be 5 and Micah will be 3 this year! So many exciting changes... what will we do for the boys this year???