R4

Here is Noah's latest drawing of R4. If you only know R2D2, you can't hang with Noah! Noah takes Star Wars very seriously... so much so that he quizzes Micah all the time. First it was Thomas the Tank Engine series, now Star Wars, what's next???

Star Eco-Station

Noah's summer camp took a field trip to the Star Eco-Station. It is a non-profit environmental education and exotic wildlife rescue center, dedicated to the mission of Preservation Through Education. They work in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other government and environmental organizations to provide a last chance for illegal or abandoned at-risk exotic wildlife. Noah got to meet several animals that were rescued and of course, he did not pass up a chance to hold a snake! I personally enjoyed learning about the programs and the animals... when will we head back???

Age of Mammals

Kaitlyn and Crew went with us to check out the Age of Mammals permanent exhibit at the the Natural History Museum. The Age of Mammals tells an epic evolutionary story that spans 65 million years! But its theme can be distilled into just six words: Continents move. Climates change. Mammals evolve. This picture shows Kaitlyn doing her tiger growl! We went on the first free Tuesday and it was way overcrowded with summer campers and families on vacation! When will we head back???

Air and Space Gallery

We went to Exposition Park to meet Kaitlyn and Crew, but we arrived earlier so we had time to check out the Air and Space Gallery. It was interesting to see the boys' reactions. There are life size satellites, airplanes, and helicopters on display hanging from the ceiling, so it was somewhat intimidating at first. Noah was hesitant but started to make connections to Star Wars (of course) and warmed up quicker than Micah. Micah on the other hand, was timid, walking slow, and clasping his hands together! I have never really seen Micah look so nervous! Noah really enjoyed going into the helicopter, but Micah wanted nothing to do with it. Will Noah want to be in aeronautics when he grows older???

The Getty Villa

Today we went to Malibu to check out The Getty Villa with Joel, Kristie, and Linnea. The landscape is beautiful and there is a amphitheater where they perform Greek tragedies in the evenings. The kids were able to paint frescoes and play in the family room. And we enjoyed walking around and eating lunch in gorgeous weather. Noah did not want to leave Linnea, but I promised him we would meet up again soon... maybe at the beach???

Roller coaster #2... Journey to Atlantis

Today we took a day trip down to San Diego and spent sometime at Sea World. Noah and Micah loved the Shamu Believe Show (again) and this time Noah and Jawsh went on a roller coaster called Journey to Atlantis. We weren't surprised that Noah wanted to go on (because he just had a great experience with Suzy). But Jawsh was surprised at how fast it went. There were many fast turns, high drops into water, and Noah was holding on to dear life. When Noah got off he said, "that was too fast." Will he want to ride a roller coaster again after this???

Noah's first roller coaster

My cousin, Suzy, flew in from Texas! She is getting married 1-11-2011! Noah is going to be a ring bearer so she spent some fun time with him this visit. Highlights were getting lunch at the Kogi truck, driving to Santa Monica, and eating it at the beach. It was such a nice day. Then we walked to the pier, where we let Noah choose one ride. He decided to go on the roller coaster! He barely made the height requirement of 42 inches and he was off with Suzy! I was nervous for him, but he did great. What will be his next roller coaster ride???

5

This morning we went back to the exact spot where we were married (7-24-05). Yes, it's been 5 years! Afterwards we took a stroll on the beach and had lunch at one of our favorite places, Cha Cha Chicken. For dinner, Jawsh and I ate at Providence. It was such a wonderful dining experience... we ate so many delicious things. Jawsh's favorite was the wild black sea bass with braised artichokes, candied orange rind, and basil and my favorite was the big eye tuna and kumamoto oysters! Yum! Thanks to Bubbe, Uncle Zach, and Dolly for watching the boys... where will we go next year???

Whole Foods Fieldtrip

Noah went on his a fieldtrip to Whole Foods with his summer camp. I always thought it was weird when kids go to grocery stores for fieldtrips, but it was sort of fun. The kids got to try all types of food, starting with the desserts! I think Noah's favorite part was eating the organic banana. His next fieldtrip is the Eco-Station... I wonder how that will go???

5 years tomorrow!

It's the night before our fifth wedding anniversary! I feel so blessed to be married to Jawsh... he is still ever patient and loving. And we both feel blessed to have the most wonderful boys. Tomorrow we head to Shutters on the Beach for a quick visit (no brunch this year) and then to a romantic dinner at Providence! Wonder what tomorrow will bring???

mygym with Micah

Micah has been enjoying mygym classes for the past few weeks. Since I did Gymboree with Noah, this is a nice change. mygym focuses more on gymnastics and there is a lot to do. Micah has been enjoying the trampoline and the ball pit. He also loves somersaults and flying down a zip line in a plastic airplane! Will Micah want to be a gymnast when he grows older???

Santa Monica Pacific Park

Today Noah and Kaitlyn went to Santa Monica Pier to enjoy all the amusement park rides. I got a great deal on groupon which gave them all you can ride passes. I originally bought these passes for Jawsh and Noah, but when we went Noah would not go on any of the rides with his Daddy! Of course, with "Kaitlyn Kourage" by his side, he went on all the rides with no problem. Here they are going up and down, enjoying the view of the Pacific, while Micah is on the bench enjoying his view of his older brother and cousin. Micah was a bit upset that he could not go on any of the rides, but all in good time, right???

Captain Rex

Noah's fascination with Star Wars continues. He is sort of into the Clone Wars (the library has first readers about this series) which upsets Jawsh because it's not the original. Anyway, we were at Toys R Us and even though I usually do not succumb to Noah's requests this costume was over 50% off. So, for 11 dollars, why not, right???

Pavilion of Wings (again)

It was time for our annual visit to The Pavilion of Wings. Like last year, Noah took charge of the camera and took many pictures of butterflies (and not the ground, his shoe, and his shadow like last time). He also identified different butterflies and the stages that they were in! He could work there as a volunteer! Micah, on the other hand, sat in the middle of the dirt path and played with the dirt. He also liked standing on the rocks and holding the signs. Now you might think, "oh Micah's just too young," but when I looked back at the blog archives, we took Noah at around this age and he did not exhibit the same behavior. I chalk it up to... they're just different! What will Micah really enjoy... spiders???

NHM

We took advantage of the Natural History Museum free day (the first Tuesday of every month). Noah and Micah had a great time at the Discovery Center. We also went upstairs to see the dinosaur fossils and as soon as Noah saw the teeth he said, "Mommy, that dinosaur eats kogi because it has sharp teeth and that one eats salad." Noah has a great memory, wouldn't you agree???

Bikes at the beach

We spent a few hours at Santa Monica Beach riding bikes and going to the play park. It was really crowded there today but a beautiful day nonetheless. When will we ride again???

Happy 4th!

This Independence Day was spent with family. My mom made kalbi, rib eye, and salmon and Jawsh played bartender (again) and made yummy blood orange mojitos for all to enjoy. Later in the evening, we watched the fire works in the backyard and my dad also lit a few. He was in a great mood dancing around the lights, holding Micah. Yup, Micah was not scared. But Noah was sitting in my mom's lap holding her hand over his eyes! Will he like the fireworks next year???

He did what?

I am beginning to think that my dad really loves Micah, not just loves but really loves. He bought a small inflatable pool for Micah. Now of course, Noah and Kaitlyn can enjoy it too... but it's really for a smaller kid. And if anyone knows my dad, he does not go to the store to buy things. As I was explaining to Jawsh, my dad's inner GPS takes him to only a few places: home, work, golf, LA, and occasionally Home Depot. So when I heard that he went to Wal-Mart and bought this I was shocked. As you can see on Micah's face.. he loves it. What will my dad buy next???

Gymboree (second time around)

We recently signed up Micah for play class at Gymboree. I take Micah to class while Noah is at summer camp. Micah enjoyed freeze dance and of course bubble time. Is this the beginning of enrichment classes for him???

Toy Story 3

The whole family came out for this event... Noah's first movie! Jawsh and I screened Toy Story 3 the weekend prior so he would know when to take Noah out for a bathroom break (Micah and I hung out at the mall while they watched the film). Noah had special treats like his Star Wars fruit snack and Honest Kids Fruit drink. Overall, Noah had a good time although he was scared at different points in the movie. What will he watch next???

Happy Shower Letitia

Today I spent a wonderful afternoon at Letitia's house at her baby shower. Yummy food, good company, and plenty of yellow gifts. But the gift giving would not be complete without her two loves: Prince and the Raiders. Jawsh made some onesies with the prints and I think Letitia was tickled by them. Everyone was making predictions about the gender of the baby so the question is... what will it be???

Long Beach Aquarium

Today we spent the morning at the Long Beach Aquarium, courtesy of Cousin Rebecca who sent us tickets that she won. Last time we went Micah was chilling in the Baby Bjorn watching Noah touch sharks and feed lorikeets, but today Micah got in on the action. He touched the sharks, helped Daddy feed a lorikeet, and he played in the splash zone. Noah had a great time as well... he followed directions and touched the animals with two fingers (here you see him petting the huge manta ray)! When will we head back???

Still life

The boys and I ventured to the California Science Center to check out the new wing, Ecosystems. We had a great time and somewhere between the kelp forest and the Discovery Room, it suddenly hit me how big they are. Noah's 3.5 years old and making connections about sea life, asking questions about nature, and exploring independently. Micah, 21 months, is fearless, climbing through tubes, running after Noah, and he didn't need his stroller! Towards the end of the trip, we went outside to an art space and Noah wanted to draw. He told me he was going to draw a ladybug (little did I know he had a figurine he grabbed from a station) and he proceeded to draw it and then he signed his art. Noah's first still life drawing (the yellow streak is from Micah's marker). What will he make next???

Summer Camp

Noah is signed up for summer camp at MarVista Park. He has eight friends from his preschool that are also there, so he is really having a nice time. Today they learned about lady bugs! He got to paint one (but he calls it a Star Wars spaceship) and he actually got to take some live ones home (but we let them go in the garden). What will he do next???

Micah's way

There's no wrong way to eat ice cream, right???

Happy Father's Day

This year we celebrated Father's Day at Grandpa's house. Uncle Zach, Uncle Jay, and Kyer were also there hanging out and watching the boys play. We had a nice dinner and some yummy desserts. I think that Jawsh is the BEST father to Noah and Micah, hands down! What will we do next year???

Go Torea!

Noah and Micah are sporting their Red Devil shirts in honor of South Korea's match against Greece. Noah yells, "Go Torea!" When will he get that "k" sound down???

Happy Birthday Aunt Michelle!

Today we celebrated Aunt Michelle's birthday. We had a nice time at Buca di Beppo with all her family and friends. Wonder what she wished for???

Vote!

It was a very long day today. My class had a fieldtrip to Exposition Park and then I had to pick up Noah from Michael's house and Micah from daycare. Then we drove to the senior center so I could vote and found out that they moved the location to Brentwood! Noah was not a happy camper and Micah wanted to be held... it was quite a sight to see me voting with a toddler close to tears and a baby on my hip. After tracking down the new polling place, and dragging Noah and Micah along for the ride, there was no way I could find the energy to make dinner. We ordered pizza from CPK and finally got home around 6:30 PM. It was a long day and to all those people who did not vote, you have no excuse! How else will we change the world???

Me, Myself, and I

Today I had an early dinner by myself. Noah was spending time with my sister, Micah was in daycare, and Jawsh was at work. It's been a while since I've been just by myself. I didn't have to cut anyone else's food, I didn't have to wipe mouths, entertain at the table, nothing. It was weird. I enjoyed my salad, in peace, and when I picked up Micah from daycare, I was rejuvenated and of course, happy to see him. When will I make a date with me again???

On a blog

We made it on the B&G Photography blog: http://www.bandgphotography.com/blog/ What do you think of the pictures???

Oh Micah!

Micah continues to get into all sorts of mischief! I set some rice on a plate to cool and the next thing I know, Micah has climbed his high chair and consumed the rice. He was trying to clear his area by throwing it on the floor, but the evidence is all over his face! Oh Micah... when will you learn???

Congrats Billy!

Billy graduated from Biola University today. We are very proud of him and his achievements. I wish this picture showed his footwear, as I think he was the only one wearing Kobes across the stage. What will he do next???

Happy Graduation Yohan!

My cousin, Yohan, graduated from Cal State Northridge with his BA in Liberal Arts! He has worked very hard to accomplish this and we are very proud of him. What will he do next???

Mommy and Noah

Noah's preschool yearbook will be designed by who else? Jawsh! So we took Parent Child photos at the school today. Here we are happy and smiley, but if you look closely you will see Micah crying at my side. He's in the jealousy phase where he can not stand Noah being held by me! When will it pass???

Spring picnic

Today we were at Cheviot Hills Park for Noah's preschool spring picnic. It was a nice afternoon, with plenty of food, games, and friends. I spent the whole time face painting, while Noah climbed trees, Micah chased dogs, and Jawsh chased after Micah. It was a great time had by all... but we think Micah had the most fun. Can't you tell???

Happy Graduation Yojin!

My cousin, Yojin, graduated from USC's prestigious Architect and Design School. We are very proud of her and all her accomplishments. She has worked very hard and leaves for China for an internship very soon. Will she stay in Asia to pursue her dreams???

Noah riding a trike

This is a short video of Noah pedaling Micah around preschool. At the beginning of the school year, Noah had difficulty doing this but as you can see, he is pretty quick now! When will Micah learn how to ride???

3 in the back

When we visit the IE, sometimes we take Kaitlyn with us in the car. This is what it must of looked like to my parents driving around with three kids in the back! How cute is that???

Family photos

As an early Mother's Day gift, we went to Santa Monica Pier to get family pictures taken by our favorite LA photographers. The great thing about Nate is that he likes to capture real moments... he got some great shots of the boys in the sand and playing in the water. Where will we go next time to get family photos done?

Spring planting

Noah loves going to preschool because he gets to do all sorts of different activities. His teacher, Cynthia, is great. When I asked Noah why he liked her, he responded, "because she give me stickers and she so happy." Here they are watering his little garden. When will it grow???

Firefighters

The local fire station came to Noah's preschool today. The kids had a great time climbing through the fire engine and the fire truck. The fire fighters spoke about their jobs, uniforms, and vehicles. When it was time for questions, a bunch of little hands popped up, but being three and four years old, they had statements to share like: The truck is red... I have a hose at my house... I like the fire truck. The fire fighters were good sports about the whole thing. Here is Noah and his pal exploring one of the vehicles. Will he want to be a fire fighter when he grows up???

Uncle Bill to the rescue

After Noah lost his Darth Vader toy and cried himself to sleep... I emailed two people. Sehee, who works at Lucas Films, and my brother. Now I tried to find the Lego myself on the Lego website, but was out of luck. When I contacted my brother he said not to worry. Turns out he had another one. When Bill came over Saturday, he brought Darth Vader and Chewbacca... Kaitlyn kept Obiwon. What would we do without Uncle Bill???

Festival of Books

Today we ventured to the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA with Kaitlyn and Emma. I remember when Jawsh and I came to this event, pre-kids, and we steered clear of the Target Stage (where all the kid programs are held). Now that is the destination! The kids were in the front row watching Nickelodeon's Fresh Beat Band and they also got to see the 14 year old girl, Kaitlyn Sanchez, who voices Dora the Explorer. I can't wait until the boys start reading so they can meet their favorite authors. I think Micah will be in line for David Shannon... who will Noah like???

"I lost him"

Noah lost his Lego Darth Vader. It's a big deal. What are we going to do now???

"31 dollars"

When we are at the store, we can go down a toy aisle, and I can explain to Noah that we "look with our eyes" or "the toys live here... not at your house." He gets it. 99% of the time. Well, we were at Target and he saw a R2D2 robot. He was quite taken with this and I tried to use my lines with him, but he was relentless. Finally I said, "Noah, I don't have 31 dollars for a toy. Ask Harabujee." Well the following weekend, he said, "Harabujee, may I have 31 dollars?" Harabujee gladly gave him 40 and we went to Target and bought his toy. You can see the look of excitement on Noah's face as Harabujee is putting in batteries. What will Noah ask for next???

Goodbye butterflies

Today we let the butterflies go out into the wild. It was quite a send off with Uncle Zach and Dolly bearing witness to this event. Noah said "good luck" while Micah squirmed to get out of my arms (maybe so he could go out in the wild)?

Plan... what plan?

The plan: Jawsh goes to work, Kim stays at home. The reality: Jawsh goes to work (and likes it) and Kim stays at her work (and does not like it). Don't get me wrong... I love my students. But I am really not liking the fact that I have to send Micah to daycare and the stress of shuttling Noah back and forth from his preschool in the morning to my school in the afternoon. In the end, I know that there is only a few more months until summer, but it's especially hard saying goodbye to Micah in the mornings. Will I get used to this???

Time for a change

We've been really blessed that Jawsh has been able to be very involved in the boys' early years, as he's balanced taking care of them and freelancing from home. But it was time for a change. Now he has a new job as Art Director at an interactive design studio in Santa Monica. I think Noah and Micah will miss him throughout the day... who will miss him more???

Butterflies

Jawsh sent me this picture. I wonder how Noah will react???

Research

So is this where Micah gets all his ideas???