Happy New Year

Happy New Year's Eve!  Our last day of 2019 was spent at my parents' home.  It's been a while since we brought in the new year with cousins.  My sister and brother were also there and I think the last time we were all together at NYE was over 10 years ago.  The family loved playing Catan.  What will the new year bring???

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). The kids enjoyed opening presents and the adults had a White Elephant gift exchange.  Kaitlyn was sick this year so she was confined into her room and Atticus was upset that he was not sitting with his mom.  What will Christmas bring next year???

Graphic novels

I love the fact that the boys love to read graphic novels still.  They love heading to Dream World Comics and finding the latest book.  Is this something they will enjoy as they get older???

Happy Chanukah

Nothing says Chanukah like lighting candles on the menorah and making latkes.  The boys love this holiday because it's 8 nights of fried foods, presents, and Dreidel.  Will the boys continue these traditions as they get older???

Growing up

Micah is half way through his first year in middle school and we can confidently say  that he is doing well and has "figured" it out.  By that, he knows how much time to get to class in passing periods, he is understanding the expectations (and different personalities) of his teachers, and probably the most important thing... he knows that if he works on his homework at school he has less of it to complete at home.  Jawsh and I are  so proud of him.  Here he is with his favorite Chanukah gift- new AirPods...  what will the new year bring???

Post-it show

Jawsh's 3rd Post-It show is at GR in West LA.  It is such an honor to attend the show and fun to look for Jawsh's art!  Which post-it will be sold first???

Knotts Berry Farm

We love it when the cousins, Sophie and Daphne, come out to California to visit.  We headed to Knotts Berry Farm and the kids had a great time going on rollercoasters and hanging out all day together.  I had to put them in matching t-shirts because it's just too cute.  When will we see them again???

Happy 13th Noah

Happy 13th birthday to Noah!  This is the big year... the beginning of the teens... and we really wanted to do something really big but Noah knew exactly what he wanted.  He wanted to play sports with his friends.  We rented the soccer field and the basketball court and Noah had a great time with his buddies.  They noshed on pizza and chocolate cake from Susie Cakes.  We can't believe that he's already 13!  What will this year bring???

13

Noah is 13.  My chubby cheek boy is now 13.  He is in 7th grade and doing very well in school.  He is more confident and has good friends.  He is swimming much more and as you can see, taller than me!  He is working hard on his Bar Mitzvah studies and still a great big brother to Micah.  What will this 13th year bring???

Marina del Rey

The boys had a great time visiting Bubbe and spending time in the pool in Marina del Rey.  When will Bubbe come back and visit again???

Mom's weekend

This is our 6th Mom's weekend to Big Bear...  I can't believe that we still keep in touch with monthly dinners and keeping tabs with one another. I love my friends from the co-op and am so thankful for each and every one of them.  We have been through the toddler, elementary, and adolescent years with our kids, new home purchase, divorces, and now many of us are holding hands tight as we go through the teen years.  I'm so blessed to have these friends of mine.  When will we see each other again???

Addams Family

This Halloween we decided to dress up as the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky, altogether ooky, Addams Family.  I can't believe this is the 13th year for us!  Will this madness ever stop???

"Finding Elsewhere"

Noah submitted this piece entitled, "Finding Elsewhere" for the Fine and Performing Arts Competition sponsored by the LA Arts Collective and Westchester Rotary.  Noah did not have a lot of time to work on his project.  He submitted his piece and was chosen as a semi-finalist.  He was interviewed about his work and was awarded a $%0 check as an award.  Will this inspire Noah to create more art???

School projects

Micah's English project was to read a biography.  Micah chose John Lennon and read a book, wrote a report, and then made a board about him.  Micah did a nice job with the project, so nice in fact, that the teacher chose to keep his project as an example and hung it in her classroom!  This is very exciting for Micah  because he knows that this teacher has very high standards.  What project will Micah work on next???

Atom-Phosphorous

Noah's school projects have started!  He had to create a model of the atom, Phosphorous.  It was laborious but hopefully Noah is learning how to manage his time.  He had to paint the spheres, then wait for it to dry, and finally construct the model.  Noah also learned the importance of reading the directions because his platform was the wrong size and it had to be adjusted.  Will Noah  learn from these experiences???

Skateboard

Micah thought he was receiving a cell phone for his birthday present but instead he got a cool skateboard!  He knows that he has to write a persuasive essay to get a phone but he is a reluctant writer.  He thought that if he held out to his birthday that we would gift him but he was wrong.  I hope that Micah enjoys his new skateboard and that he doesn't get hurt (knock on wood).  Will he learn any cool tricks???

Getty Villa

After Rosh Hashanah services, we went to Getty Villa for a few hours to enjoy lunch with an ocean view and to walk around the museum.  The boys did the Percy Jackson Interactive tour again and Jawsh enjoyed it too.  It was a nice day to spend together and to bring in the new year as a family.  What will this year bring???

Birthday Times

Micah had a fun filled bowling birthday with his friends.  They had a great time and he loved that his cousins were there too.  They played in teams, went to the arcade, and enjoyed a birthday cake from Susie Cakes.  At the end of the party, his friend M got hurt which dampened our spirits a bit but we were so happy that he recovered and will be fine.  Happy Birthday to Micah!  What did he wish for???

Happy 1st Birthday Atticus

Happy 1st birthday to Atticus!  He is such a blessing to our family.  Atticus chose the ukulele during the toljabee.  We thought he would choose the money!  What will this year bring for Atticus???

Happy Birthday Micah

Happy 11th birthday to Micah!  He woke up to streamers, balloons, and a birthday donut.  Micah is athletic, talented, funny, and smart!  He knows his way around  the city and he is always there to give me a hug.  He is my dimple cheek boy who I love so much.  What will this year bring???

Kona

Kona is so cute.  When I come over, she gets very animated.  In the beginning, she would pee when she saw me because she was so excited and thankfully she no longer does that.  Will she learn any tricks???

Cassia

Happy 41st birthday to me!  We went to Cassia for some good eats.  I love my family so much and so happy that I can celebrate with them.  What will this year bring???

First day of school

Today is the first day of 6th grade for Micah and 7th grade for Noah.  I can't believe that this is Micah’s first day in middle school.  I am hoping that he has a positive day and that he sees some familiar faces.  Noah is excited to see his friends although they have different schedules.  Our imparting words to Noah was to watch out for his brother!  What will today bring???

KCon

The kids had a great time at K-Con with my siblings and mom.  They tried all these new products, ate Korean foods, and spent a lot of time taking pictures with product!  Micah won a special raffle and came home with a golden microphone.  The highlight was seeing Rebel Wilson at the convention.  Will they want to go back next year???

Soul of a Nation

We viewed some thought provoking art at The Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983 showing at The Broad.  It was a celebration of art made by Black artists around issues of race and identity.  We really took some time at Jack Whitten's piece, "Homage to Malcolm" which he created right after his assassination.  I hope that the boys found this intriguing and momentous that this art defined a space for Black artists to express themselves.  I hope that Noah and Micah will also find creative outlets and that this will inspire them.  What will they want to share with the world???

Knotts

We have a few more days before we are back at school and the boys wanted to go to Knotts Berry Farm.  We purchased Fast Lane passes for the boys so they could skip to the front.  By the time Jawsh and I reached the front of Ghostrider, the boys had been on the ride 7 times!  I was not aware that the ride was so fast so I was immediately scared and shocked while on the ride.  I kept thinking that I was a bad mom for allowing my kids to ride this so many times but they were not phased at all.  After the ride, Jawsh and I took it easy and stayed on benches while the boys went on supreme rides.  We did a fun scavenger hunt in Ghost Town and enjoyed decent BBQ.  The boys had  great day and we enjoyed spending time together as a family.  When will we head back???

Duff Cakemix

The kids enjoyed decorating their cupcakes at Duff's Cakes.  The kids made different items and had fun using the fondant.  Will this inspire one of the four to go to culinary school???

Cousin Time

This year, we had Camp Cousins instead of our annual Camp Kaitlyn, as Emma joined this year.  The kids enjoyed going to the pier, hanging out, going to Starbucks, gardening, and much more.  Emma even made up a pseudo personality called "Emilio."  The boys loved spending time with their cousins...  when will we include Liam???

Little Tokyo

Jawsh's work has moved from Marina del Rey to Little Tokyo.  This has added a lot of time to Jawsh's commute but at least he is around interesting restaurants.  We met Jawsh for sushi and then the boys enjoyed eating frozen yogurt, at Bae.  The interesting flavor was the Charcoal Pineapple.  When will we visit Jawsh for lunch next time???

Coronado Hotel

We had a lovely time in San Diego with Bubbe and Uncle Zach.  We enjoyed visiting Coronado Island and walking around The Del.  When will we vacation again???

BBQ

The best times during our SD vacation was dinner.  Sure, it was great walking to the beach and hanging out but we had a great time grilling and eating out front of the house.  It was so much fun.  When will we head back to SD???

Olvera Street

After a great time at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, we walked to Olvera Street afterwards to enjoy some cool treats.  We learned a lot about the history of California.  When will we head back???

14

We went back to the exact spot we were married (7-24-05).  14 years!  We once thought that we would come back to Shutters on the Beach and re-create the moment... eat the same dinner (or get as close as we could) and spend time at the hotel reminiscing about the wedding.  As the boys get older, they are able to tell us stories from our wedding day.  It was a nice way to celebrate our 14th anniversary.  We had a lovely dinner and we enjoyed the view.  When will we return???

Korea

Today we went to Ktown to check out the Korean Museum.  The boys and I had a nice time walking around and then ate noodles for lunch.  We really want to take a trip next year.  Will we take the trip next year???

Cousin love

The cousins have been meeting in Las Vegas since 2012...  8 years of fun in the sun!  The boys look forward to this vacation ever year.  It's amazing how well they all get along.  Will we ever change the summer location???

Blue Man Group

The Blue Man Group was Noah and Micah's first Las Vegas show and boy it did not disappoint. The kids loved the crazy antics, music, and mischief that was created on the stage.  And before the show even started, my name was chosen at random, and was part of an audience participation set.  The audience was prompted to say things like "Kimberly Min, distribute your headache cow through Nevada and you should feel better now."  We thought it was pretty funny.  Will the boys want to go to another Vegas show???

Seven Magic Mountains

We finally did it... we stopped at the Seven Magic Mountains made by Ugo Rondinone!  Comprised of seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than 30 feet high, its burst of color and form against the landscape is pretty special.  It was over 100 degrees and it was a pretty miserable walk to the rocks but once we got there, it was worth it.  It's pretty amazing to see these sculptures up close.   Will we ever stop to visit this site again???

Date night

I love going to Father's Office for a date night with Jawsh.  It's one of the few places close to us that is for adults only.  I have to admit, I enjoy a nice quiet dinner without babies crying and kids complaining!  We like ordering our usual: Organic Beet Salad and Prime Hangar Steak with a Strand 24th Street Pale Ale and Old Fashion.  Yum!  When will we go back???

July 4th Parade

  Since the boys won Western States, they were invited to participate in the Westchester July 4th Parade.  The boys had a great time standing on the  float (with the large inflated soccer ball) waving to their friends.  After they finished, Micah and two teammates had to rush back to the front of the parade to walk with their baseball All Star team!  So Micah had the opportunity to be in the parade twice!  Will Micah remember this great experience?

Maxine Waters

A perk for participating in the Westchester 4th of July Parade is meeting Maxine Waters! She is a US Representative for our congressional district and serving her 15th term in the house.  What an honor to meet her.  Will Micah want to run for office someday???

Morning Walk

Living in Playa Vista affords us beautiful walking paths and pristine landscapes.  We had a nice morning walk as a family.  I wish we would do this more often.  When will take our next family walk???

Summer days

Summer days are the best, wouldn't you say???

All Stars

Micah had an awesome season with his team and was selected to be on the All Star team again!  He had a good time with his friends on the All Star team.  Will he want to continue to play baseball next season???

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Nothing says beautiful acoustical music like the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  We had the opportunity to hear young musicians play in the hall and we had amazing (free) seats!  My hope is that these cultural experiences the boys receive will inspire them to create beauty in the world.  After hearing the music, I wonder if they will they want to learn a new instrument???

Art

After 20 years (yes, we met in 1999), we still like going to art museums and hanging out with one another.  It's always lovely being around Jawsh and an immersive art installation from Yayoi Kusama.  How many more art galleries will we visit in the next 20 years???

Culmination Party

Today was Micah's last hooray with some of his 5th grade friends from elementary school. They had fun watching a movie in the private screening room and playing games afterwards.  Being part of a magnet school means that the kids separate into various middle school programs.  Micah is bummed that he is no longer with his close friend, M, who is attending a different school.  What new friends will Micah make in middle school???

Micah's Culmination

My baby is no longer a baby.  I guess this has been a true statement for some time but now that he has culminated from elementary school and he is heading off to middle school, I really feel this.  Micah had such a wonderful, nurturing, and fun experience in elementary school and I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to be there to witness a lot of it.  I am so proud of the person he is and the person he is becoming.  How will Micah transition into middle school???

Noah- Resident Artist

Noah's middle school has many after school opportunities and we were so thrilled when they offered an art class!  He was selected to be a resident artist and participated in a ten-week session where he worked on painting.  At the end of the semester there was an art show in the library.  Noah was so happy to show three pieces inspired by Robert Oxley.  Isn't his work amazing???

Micah+Kona

Micah loves, loves, loves dogs.  Here he is with Kona.  Isn't this too cute???

Bandette

Jawsh was gifted this awesome electric guitar by his friend who plays in the band, Bandette.  Jawsh has been designing Bandette album covers for years and this was a nice surprise to find in the mail.  Will Jawsh take up guitar lessons???