Star Wars

Noah has really been into Star Wars for the past few weeks. Uncle Bill continues to buy him small action figures (the latest addition, Chewbaca) and Noah is begging us to read him Star Wars books. What is it with little boys' fascination with Star Wars???

Passover

We had a lovely Passover at Bubbe's house with Jawsh leading the Seder. This year Noah got to look for the Afikomen, and Uncle Zach gave him a dollar as a reward. I wonder if Micah will get the chance next year???

The butterfly life cycle

Noah's fascination with butterflies continues so I purchased some plastic toys and three caterpillars at Kidspace (my school was there on a fieldtrip). When I came back home, Noah was really into it. I tried to get him to name the caterpillars and he chose the name "Caterpillar" for all three! Here he is explaining the life cycle... will he be a lepidopterologist when he gets older???

International Day

For the past few weeks, Noah's co-op has been learning about different places in the world. Each parent volunteers to expose the children to a new culture and today I got to teach the children about South Korea. I brought in Korean Shingo Pears, small yogurt drinks, and Korean cookies for the kids. We played a matching game with Hwatoo cards and the children also got to paint Korean fans. I really enjoyed exposing the kids to part of Noah's culture. What will I do next year???

Asleep

Noah's had a busy morning, can't you see???

A random family picture

So here is a random picture of us at home . It's been a while since we've all been in the same frame. When will take real family pictures???

How to eat chocolate

Micah loves chocolate. Can't you tell???

Fowler Museum

Today we ventured to UCLA to visit the Fowler Museum. The museum was celebrating 40 years of Ethnic Studies and also featured an exhibit by Nick Cave. It was really nice to go back to campus and walk around. The boys loved playing in the open grass areas. This picture is a typical one as of late... Micah trying to get whatever is in Noah's hands. Can't you just hear him screaming at his older bro???

Stuck

We recently purchased new lamps in the living room and here we found Micah stuck behind one while playing around. Not a happy camper, can't you tell???

I found a match!

GGA and GGT came by for a quick game of Matching Bears. Noah had a great time playing with his great grandparents. I'm not sure who won, but it doesn't really matter as long as you're having fun! When will we see them again???

Switching places

We had a rough night... Noah had some ear pain and was unable to sleep, especially in the hotel room. As you can see he was very grumpy and irritable. Micah on the other hand, loved the comforter, the soft pillows, and was out like a light. So he woke up energetic and ready to play. Micah has been Mr. Copycat as of late and was eager to get on the board. What's wrong with this picture???

SD

Today we took a quick trip down to San Diego. We had lunch in Hillcrest, spent the day at Sea World in Mission Bay, and then stayed at the Estancia Hotel, which is directly across from my alma mater, UCSD! Quite a day. Sea World was a fun experience... Noah absolutely loved the Shamu Believe Show and Jawsh had fond memories of his own childhood while we were there. Here is a great picture of Noah at the Tide Pools. He wasn't really following the rules (you're not supposed to take the sea star out of the water) but we made him put it back right away. When will go back again???

Happy Birthday Arjuna!

Today we ventured to Peekaboo Playground in Eagle Rock to celebrate Arjuna's 3rd birthday. Arjuna is a special friend Noah met in Y Gym. It was a great space for the boys to play and Noah had a wonderful time. When will we see them again???

Birthday bash 3

We celebrated Jawsh's 33rd birthday today with friends, yummy Mexican food, and plenty of cerveza! It was nice to see everyone and celebrate Jawsh and his art! We transformed the space by hanging up his art all over the walls. It was a fun time had by all, young and old. What will we do next year???

Birthday bash 2

Today we celebrated Jawsh's birthday with a quiet dinner at home. We ordered food from the Nook and had some yummy desserts. What did Jawsh wish for???

Happy Valentines Day

Today Noah celebrated Valentines Day with his classmates. They exchanged small cards and gifts. For snack, they all received a heart shaped piece of watermelon. Isn't that too cute???

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We really love the fact that Noah's preschool teaches the kids about recycling. Too bad Noah thinks it's a telescope. Great picture, though, wouldn't you agree???

Birthday bash 1

February is a busy month full of birthdays in the family. We celebrated Jawsh's 33rd birthday a week early with Bubbe, GA, and GT. Bubbe made a delicious lasagna and Jawsh's favorite dessert, an apple tart. What will we do on Jawsh's actual birthday???

Pad thai

As you can see Micah loves pad thai! He has some on his fork and some in his other hand, all the while eating from my chop stick. Wonder how he'll react to pad see ew???

Chop chop

I am so saddened that we cut Noah's hair. The good thing about this experience is that Noah handled it very well. He let Susan wash his hair and cut it, all without tears and remaining still. But the bad thing about this experience is the actual haircut. We don't like it. Noah doesn't seem to mind though. Jawsh keeps reminding me not to obsess about it as it will grow back, but I'm not a patient person. When will his hair grow back???

He said what?

Here are some funny things Noah has said lately. Background: Noah had a butterfly in his hand and was ready to go to bed. Dad says, "Noah time to go potty and the butterfly needs to go potty too." Noah responds: "No Daddy, the butterfly don't have a penis." Background: Noah is playing with Luke Skywalker action figure (courtesy of Uncle Bill) and says to Dad, "He not talking because he needs batteries." What funny thing will he say next???

Crock pot kalbi-jim

Kalbi-jim is a very popular Korean beef dish. It is short ribs that are marinated in traditional seasonings, then cooked long and slow. By the time it is done, the tender beef is practically falling from the bones, and the sauce is thick with flavor. I decided this should be the first meal I attempt in the crock pot, and it came out great! Everyone really enjoyed the food, especially Micah. What will I make next???

H-A-T

Noah has been reciting his abc's for quite a while so I started to teach him his sounds. Last night while playing with blocks, Noah started saying his sounds as we stacked. I started quizzing him on sounds and then decided to put some letters together. I made the word, H-A-T and he sounded it out, "h, a, t" and then blended it together and said, "hat, mommy that says hat." Oh my goodness. I was so excited!!! Will he love to read as much as his Bubbe???

Jawsh's New Website

Jawsh has been taking ucla extension courses in the evening learning how to build websites! He received an A+ in his class and has made a new website from scratch (using CSS- whatever that means) featuring his work. Check it out: jawshsmyth.com and be inspired! He's a wonderful husband, great father, and awesome designer! Am I biased???

Preschool

Here is a picture of Noah at one of the craft tables at his school. He's still in love with butterflies and his hair is still growing out (we have it pinned up so he can see). What are we going to do with that hair???

Chop chop

This is a difficult blog for me to write because I still can't believe that I allowed Jawsh to cut Micah's widow's peak! After much deliberation, Jawsh took some scissors and cut his bangs. Micah was not happy and he cried and screamed. After the haircut, we gave him a hug and kiss, but I was really bummed because he doesn't have a lot of hair to begin with. When will his hair grow back???

GR Show

We went to the Japanese American National Museum with Jawsh's friend, Spencer, to check out the Giant Robot Show. But we were in luck, the museum was also hosting a day of activities to celebrate the new year. Noah got to make a ton of crafts and participate in a drum circle. It was really cool to see how much he enjoyed drumming. Will Uncle Jay teach him how to drum???

Ode to Micah (part 2)

Again, I know that Micah is not getting his equal share on this blog... so here I find myself playing catch up again. Micah has 8 teeth (4 on the top and on the bottom) and his upper molars are starting to grow in. Micah is also more verbal saying words like thank you, neh (which means yes in Korean), mama mogo (I want to eat in Korean), and Evah (anytime he sees anything associated with the movie WALLE he says that). He also hums Walk Old Joe and It's A Small World. And the cutest thing is, if you say "tiger" he'll growl. Micah likes to play with whatever Noah has in his hands, and we are finding that he's very coordinated. What will Micah do next???

Snow Day

To start off 2010, we ventured to snow! We drove to a local site near Mountain High called Wrightwood, and the kids had a great time sledding, and of course, making snow angels and a snow man, . It was a lot of fun for everyone, especially since this was Noah and Micah's first time. When will we go back???

Happy 2010

Happy 2010! We ate traditional Korean soup and afterwards Noah, Micah, Kaitlyn, and Emma bowed to Harabujee and Halmoni. They received money, symbolizing good luck and good wishes. 2009 was such a memorable year, what will 2010 bring???

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???