Beach burritos

Today we finally made it to the beach!  The boys loved digging sand pits and chasing birds.  Although it was a bit overcast, the boys loved being chased by the waves and then being wrapped up like beach burritos.  When will we head back???

Lunch with Daddy

The kids had a great time at bring your kids to lunch day at Live Nation Labs.  They got to play mini-golf, face paint, and bang on drums.  There was pizza and snacks with Finding Nemo projecting on all the walls.  The boys had such a great time they didn't want to leave and I think they now have a misconception of what Daddy does at work!  All in all, it was a fun afternoon... when will we have lunch with Daddy again???

Time with Cousin Mike

Last time I saw Michael was in 2007.  5 years later and he is now visiting colleges in California! I was thrilled that he could spend some time with us before he headed to his UCLA campus tour.  We went to the pier and forced Michael to ride the Frog Hopper with the kids (pictured) and we also got him to take Noah and Kaitlyn on a roller coaster.  It was so nice to see him.  I wonder if he'll go to college in California???

Yum, yum, Dim Sum

Dim Sum refers to food prepared as small bites served on small plates with its origins dating back to tea tastings where weary travelers on the Silk Road in China stopped to drink tea and eat.  We travelled the 110 freeway to Chinatown to eat some Dim Sum at Ocean Seafood Restaurant.  Ocean Seafood is known for its quick, tasty and extensive selection of Hong Kong style Dim Sum.  We loved the steam pork buns, steamed shrimp dumplings, turnip cakes, and the boys really loved the dessert jello.  I loved eating Dim Sum because it was so fast and easy... definitely heading back... which restaurant should we try next???

Long Beach Aquarium

Today we took advantage of the free teacher day at the Long Beach Aquarium (yes, I still use this perk). Last time we went, Micah would not touch any of the animals, but today he was so excited to touch and feed them.  Micah fed the lorikeets while Noah had the opportunity to feed a manta ray a piece of shrimp.  It was so much fun to watch the boys interact with the sea life, the only part missing was Daddy.  At the end of the day, the kids also participated in a live kid show and they dressed up as penguins.  What will happen next time  we head back???

JANM

Now that the Culver City Metro line is open, we ventured to the Japanese American National Museum.  It took us about an hour to get there by Metro, so it was a pretty lengthy trip with 3 line changes.  The boys were able to handle it and once we got to the museum, they had a nice time going through the origami exhibit.  Next time we go to downtown on the Metro, we will have to stay for a few hours to make it worth the trip.  Where will we head next???

Underwood Farms

Today we went to Underwood Farms with a few friends from preschool.  We spent most of our time in the fields picking blackberries and strawberries.  The boys were great about finding ripe fruit but still liked eating off the vines.  It was a really nice day at the farm... when will we head back???

Let's go ride a bike...

Jawsh took Noah out for a bike ride at Douglas Park.  Noah enjoys riding except for the fact that he doesn't go very fast.  Once he builds momentum, he enjoys the ride but sometimes it takes longer than he would like and then we hear him ask for his scooter!  Hopefully he'll get the hang of it soon.  When will we take the training wheels off???

Hop on Pop

Noah read Hop on Pop (totally independent) tonight to Jawsh before bed.  It's one of Dr. Seuss' best books (and one of the most easiest to read for beginning readers).  The majority of the book is filled with c-v-c (consonant vowel consonant) words and is seen repeatedly which helps build Noah's sight word bank.  Which book will he read independently next???

Beautiful Butterflies

We went to the Pavilion of Wings at the Natural History Museum with friends.  This year they had large cards that the kids could walk around with to identify butterflies.  This time around we found many interesting caterpillars and flowers.  Micah was somewhat interested but Noah's fascination was still strong.  Do we have a budding entomologist???

JPL

Today we ventured to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena with a friend from preschool.  This year's theme was "Great Journeys" where we got to share in the wonders of space through 3D videos, live demos, and interactions with scientists.  The kids had a great time walking through the campus and the most memorable demo was the Mars Rover rolling over their backs!  It was a very interesting visit... will we head back next year???

Noah's first bike

Noah's graduation present was a new bike!  We parked it in his room and he woke up super excited.  Noah still prefers his mini-kick scooter to the bike but I am hoping that he will learn quickly so we can go bike riding at the beach!  Will he want a bright red ribbon on a new car when graduates from high school???

Noah's Preschool Graduation

Noah's preschool graduation was very sweet.  The children were dressed in cap and gown and received a diploma from their teacher, Cynthia.  The graduation was held at friend's beautiful backyard and the graduating parents hosted a vibrant Mexican themed party with a taco cart, delicious homemade sangria, and yummy Mexican doughnuts for dessert.  Noah was a bit embarrassed by all the attention, but he was so cute, how could we not take a million pictures???

Last day of school

Today is the last day of preschool for the boys.  I am so thankful that Noah had this experience to learn and socialize through play.  There are not a lot of co-op preschools in Los Angeles and these past few years have been wonderful.  I can remember when I received a call informing me that he was admitted and feeling so lucky.  I have met a lot of caring families here and it's been so nice to have others care for my boys like their own children.  Will his kindergarten experience be as wonderful???