Disneyland

I took the boys to Disneyland today... it was fun. We went on a few rides in Fantasyland but the rides that the boys love the most are the Mad Tea Party and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. They like the Teacups because of the spinning and they love Buzz Lightyear because each person gets a blaster to shoot alien targets. When will they want to go back on Small World???

Abby

Music Teacher Abby comes to Noah's preschool on Tuesday mornings. She always brings in a new interesting instrument to share with the children. This week she brought in a Saz from Turkey. Noah got to pluck at the Saz but Micah passed. What instrument will Noah want to play when he grows up???

"It is your destiny..."

Earlier this week, Noah told us that he was ready to fight Darth Vader. We have been to the Jedi Training Show at Disneyland several times, each time with him refusing to raise his hand to participate, so we were excited that he wanted to do this. We dressed him in his Jedi costume and we ventured off to Disneyland. Noah was chosen to go up and he was center stage right next to the Jedi. He fought Darth Vader and received a certificate afterwards... what will be the next fear he conquers???

Congrats Suzy!

Here is a great shot of Noah and my cousin, Suzy. Noah was the ring bearer and he held the rings that were attached to an orange camera (Suzy and groom Mike are photographers). Noah did a great job walking down the aisle! It was a sweet modern ceremony that brought me to tears... when will we see Suzy and Mike again???

Year of the Rabbit

After the rehearsal dinner, we went for a walk down the strip and walked to the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The kids loved walking around and we got a semi-good photo of 4 out of 6 (not shown, Baby Daphne and Emma). It was great to get all the cousins together. When will see them again???

Picasso

We had a wonderful dinner at the Bellagio Hotel at the Michelin star rated restaurant, Picasso. My sister was watching the boys and we were able to enjoy a few hours by ourselves among good food and art (of course, all originals). When will we go back again???

Tumbling class

Noah is taking a Tumbling class at the local Y. I have been waiting to sign him up for this class because it will help him with his coordination! Parents are allowed to sit in the first week of classes, so I got to see him do jumps, lifts, stretches, somersaults, and other various things... but my favorite part if when they finish an exercise they have to stand straight and lift their arms straight into the air (as if they just dismounted from the vault). It's the cutest thing. What else will Noah learn???

White Elephant

At the Christmas gift exchange, I chose Star Wars pancake molds. I thought it would be easy to make, but it was actually pretty time consuming. I have noticed that Williams Sonoma recipes have very specific directions, which I can follow, but the pancakes just took too long to actually make. I don't know when I'll make them again, so I hope the boys enjoyed them! When will I bring out the molds out again???

Happy 2011

Happy 2011! 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. 2010 was such a memorable year, what will 2011 bring???

Felix and the boys

The Reno Rubins have three adorable cats... Sampson, Brutus, and Felix. Felix, being the youngest, was very playful with the kids and Noah was very proud of himself that he could pick him up. When will Noah start asking for a pet???

Reno: Day 2

The agenda today was to get the boys out in the snow. We took them sledding with Uncle Zach, Mary, and Aunt Julia. We had a great time. The boys started off going down with adults and then eventually we just let them go down with one another. That evening we had another family dinner and the boys just loved being in the house. Noah even said that he didn't want to leave... How will he react when we have to depart???

Reno: Day 1

Today the boys had a great time hanging out at the Reno Rubin abode. Aunt Julia took the boys out back for a nature walk to the creek and as soon as they got there, Micah instinctively started throwing rocks while Noah tried to get as close as possible. We also took the boys to a small play park to ride and swing. In the afternoon, we went to the Nevada Museum of Art and when we left it was snowing! It was amazing to see the boys reactions to the snow. Later that evening, we had a great dinner with the whole family and then Uncle Steve took the kids out to play in the snow. What will tomorrow bring???

Friendly skies (again)

Micah's second trip on an airplane went really well... we flew to Reno to visit the family. The trip was smooth thanks to the boys' dispositions and Uncle Zach traveling with us. It was nice to have an extra set of hands to help! Micah was so excited to be on the plane and even more excited when they handed out mini-snacks. Micah munched on his snack saying "mmm, pretzel baby." Noah was in the row across from us with Dad playing his new DS. Now we know that we can take the boys anywhere! Next stop: Maui. Anyone want to join???

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). We were also serenaded by Noah and Kaitlyn who sang, "We wish you a Merry Christmas." And last but not least, the adults played White Elephant gift exchange (I came home with Star Wars pancake molds and Jawsh got fragrance diffusers)! What will Christmas bring next year???

A gingerbread house

Today we spent the day with Cathy! We had lunch at Pitfire Pizza and had a blast hanging out. Cathy brought over a gingerbread house to complete with the boys. Micah lost interest pretty quick, but Noah worked very hard alongside Cathy. Isn't this great???

California Science Center

Today we ventured to the California Science Center with Y.H., V.D., and A.C. We had a great time going through the Ecosystems and various exhibits. The kids liked the Discovery Rooms and we all liked looking at our thermal output. In this photo, I am holding the camera and Noah up with one arm (Micah was napping in the stroller). Cool, don't you think???

Welcome Back Zach!

Uncle Zach is back from Louisiana! Will he like his Barefoot chocolate cake???

Central Library

For years, I have been saying that I would like to visit the library downtown and today we finally did it! Sure, it was raining... but it was well worth it. We only stayed an hour (we had to feed the monkeys... I mean boys...) so we hit the second floor, Children's Section. As a teacher, I was in awe. So many wonderful books, art, kid friendly furniture... everything was so inviting... If I was alone I could of stayed the whole day. The boys loved reading in the amphitheater and of course Micah gravitated toward, "No David" while Noah liked "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." We definitely have to come back again... the question is when???

Hi Asante

Today I got to meet Asante for the second time... the first time around he was about three weeks old and sleeping soundly in his crib. Fast forward to a few months and he was wide awake and hanging out with Micah (Noah was at school). Micah liked saying his name when prompted and Asante just took it all in. He is such a cutie pie (look into those deep eyes) and I can't wait for him to be mobile so he can play with my boys. When will we see him again???

Nice!

Have I been naughty or nice this year? According to Hanukkah Harry and Santa Claus... I have been nice! With my new Kitchenaid mixer, I have already made a few of Barefoot's desserts, like her chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake, and homemade frosting. I even make my own whip cream which the boys love eating with their challah french toast. I can't wait to use the dough hook and make some bread... wonder how that will turn out???

8th night

Tonight we celebrated the last night of Chanukah with friends from Noah's school, the H Family. Nagat and I have become good friends and there is never a dull moment with five kids running around. Noah likes to play with E.H. and Micah loves to play with Y.H., all while Baby Yexplores. When will we break bread again???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today Noah's preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals. Noah got to touch a Wallaby, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), frogs and snakes (including a Desert King Snake). This time around, Noah was not interested in the insects (he refused to hold the tarantula and the scorpion) but he was very much into snakes... I wonder if he'll want one when he gets older???

Happy Chanukah with the Shields

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year three! Last year we went to their place and this year we hosted. It was so much fun catching up with the family and watching the boys play. Kyer and Micah got along very well, so I think we have best friends in the making. When will we see them again???

4th night

Tonight we celebrated the fourth night of Chanukah with Bubbe, GA, GT, and some of Bubbe's close friends. We had a great evening at Bubbe's house eating good food, opening gifts, and playing games. Now that Noah understands the rules of the games, I think he enjoyed playing Dreidel and Go Fish with GA and GT more than the gift opening! When will we see them again???

Happy Chanukah

We celebrated the first night of Chanukah with Grandpa. We had matzo ball soup and latkes for dinner (well the kids had pancakes). Noah had a wonderful time singing "Chanukah oh Chanukah" with Grandpa. Noah is also old enough to understand the Dreidel Game and it was fun watching three generations spin for chocolate gelt. What will the next night of Chanukah bring???

4

Today we ventured to Disneyland for Noah's 4th birthday. Noah wanted to ride (in order) Dumbo, Teacups, and Small World. He also asked to see Minnie and we just happen to see her on our way out. His birthday wish came true because we were able to do everything (and squeeze in the Jedi Training Show). It was a relaxing day and so much fun to be my with my boys. When will we stay for the World of Color show???

Happy Birthday Halmoni

November is a busy month full of birthdays. My mom's birthday is the last one to celebrate this month. Kelly was still in town so we went out to dinner for her birthday in Century City. Wonder what she wished for???

Happy 4th Birthday Noah!!!

Noah's 4th birthday landed on Thanksgiving this year, so we celebrated at Halmoni's house. Emo made a delicious Barefoot cake with a star made out of raspberries and blueberries! Noah had a great time opening up all his presents... I think his favorite was the Obi-won spaceship Daddy bought him. I can't believe that Noah is already 4 years old... where did the time go???

Gobble gobble

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. This family get together was extra special because it was also Noah's birthday (see next post). Noah was too excited to really eat (who could blame him?) and Micah started off with meeyuk gook (Noah's birthday seawood soup) and some turkey... what will Thanksgiving be like next year???

Labor of love

Noah decided that he wanted chocolate cupcakes with Mickey Mouse decor for his class party. Since I volunteer on Mondays, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by having his party on my work day. I made the cupcakes last night and made a fatal mistake! Instead of baking soda, I used baking powder! When the cupcakes came out they were really tiny and dense. At this point, I did not figure out what went wrong, and I decided to scrap them and to purchase the treats on the way to school. But Jawsh helped me figure out my misstep, and I decided to rebake the cupcakes. So I started again after the kids went to sleep and finished frosting them at 12:30 AM. Labor of love. And totally worth it because Noah was so happy. Look at his face, wouldn't you agree???

Happy Birthday Reile!

Today Noah and I ventured to Woodland Hills to help celebrate Reile's 1st birthday while Jawsh took Micah out for some bonding time. Reile's mom, Jamila, and I were roommates in college. They now live in the Bay Area so it was really nice to finally meet her son and wish him a happy day. When will we see them again???

68

We celebrated Harabujee's 68th birthday today. Noah chose a card that had butterflies and dictated this to my mom who wrote the following in Korean: Happy Birthday Harabujee... I like you... Thank you for the love! Noah also drew a picture of him holding a green lollipop and a lighter! Wonder what he wished for???

Happy Birthday Kyer!

Today we celebrated Kyer's 2nd birthday at Underwood Farms! The boys had a blast on the hayride, climbing haystacks, riding trains, feeding animals, and riding ponies for the first time (whew!). I think it's so great that we live close enough to celebrate these special occasions together... wouldn't you agree???

Happy 50th Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty was celebrating her 50th anniversary at the Santa Monica airport. We thought that we would swing by to check out the art. The boys were saying, "Kaitlyn" the whole time because she likes Hello Kitty. It was fun for about ten minutes, but there was not much to do. The best part of the event (for me) was taking a picture inside of a Yogurtland cup. Hilarious, eh???

Family portrait

Noah drew the family... Daddy, Mommy, Noah, and Micah. Beautiful work, don't you think???

Halloween carnival

This year we went to Inland for the church Halloween carnival. It was such a nice set up. Amusement park rides, merry go rounds, jumpers, games, food, and live jazz music! The kids had such a great time. About half of the kids were dressed up and a handful of adults, so needless to say, Han Solo and Princess Leia stuck out a bit. A few people wanted our pictures but it's because we had such a great cast of characters... Han, Leia, 3 Jedis, and the cutest Ewok ever... who could beat that???

Halloween Party

Last year we were the Darling Family and this year Star Wars! As I mentioned in a previous post, Jawsh used the Jedi mind trick to get me to agree to not only be Princess Leia but to also don the itchy wig! The lengths that I will go through... This is us posing at Nicole's Halloween Party and having a great time. What will we decide to do next year???

Pumpkins!

We headed over to Santa Monica to visit a pumpkin patch after the boys' naps. Of course, it was nothing compared to Tanaka Farms as it sat on an empty parking lot, but the boys still had fun poking the pumpkins with their light sabers. I could not get a photo of both of them looking into the camera at the same time! It was so frustrating... but I finally knew when to quit and I let them get their sillies out on the jumper. When will they both smile and look into the camera???

Hot pizza

We were in line at Whole Foods waiting for a piece of pizza and Noah pointed to the word hot and recited the sounds to Micah and then said, "Mommy that says hot!" I asked him what the next word was (which was pizza) and Noah started to sound out the letters and using environmental clues, said, "pizza." It was very exciting! Will he love to read as much as his Daddy???

Noah's Ark

Today we ventured to the Skirball with friends from preschool). Although I would like for Noah to play with Y.H. and S.C? more, he is much more interested in following E.H. Y.H.'s older sister. E.H. and Noah bonded on the playground and now Noah just wants to hang with her... could it be her ability to speak French fluently? her gentle demeanor? or the fact that she is generous and gives him treats? Hmmmm... I wonder???

Tanaka Farms

This year we went to Tanaka Farms to check out the pumpkin patch. It was so awesome. 30 acres of sprawling fields with veggies galore. We ventured through the fields with Bubbe, Halmoni, and Kaitlyn and Co. and saw a pumpkin being launched from a cannon. Everyone really liked the corn maze (well, me not so much) and Kaitlyn and Micah enjoyed the petting zoo (Noah not so much). We are definitely coming back to this farm for strawberry season... wonder what that will be like???

Bippity Boppity Boo!

Tonight I tried a new recipe that I got from a blog called Week of Menus (my sister recommended it). Who knew this little pumpkin could turn into such a tasty dinner! The pumpkin was stuffed with rice, bacon, cheddar cheese, cream, garlic and chives. I wasn't sure how the boys were going to react but Noah loved it (he asked me to pack it in his lunch for preschool). Jawsh liked it as well... he thought it was comfort food and perfect for this cool evening. Micah asked for his usual rice, sesame oil, and soy sauce concoction. What recipe will I try next???

Star Wars AT AT

Star Wars continues to rule supreme in the house. Noah made Obiwon Kenobi an AT AT out of Legos. If you do not know what an AT AT is you just can't hang with the boys. What will he make next???

Luke and Obi-Daddy

After much deliberation between Jawsh and I (he used the Jedi Mind Trick) the boys will be Luke Skywalker and Obiwon Kenobi for Halloween. It's funny because the boys pronounce the names differently... Noah says, "Yoot Stywalker" and Micah says, "Obi-Daddy." The boys are super excited to dress up as Jedis. I have to admit that it is fun to watch them but I secretly wished we went with Toy Story... maybe next year???

Juleah's cupcakes

This past weekend we met up with Noah's friend, Raiden. His mom, Juleah, is the expert in all things gluten free and she brought along some gluten free/ vegan muffins. Micah devoured her muffins and kept asking for more... which is why I decided to try and make them. Her blog: http://eatloveandplay.blogspot.com/ lists the recipes of all the yummy things she bakes. I took a trip to Whole Foods and bought two bags full of new ingredients and tried it out! Once they cooled, I made a Barefoot cream cheese frosting and piped it on top. They came out pretty well, in my opinion, but the real test was to see if Micah would eat them. He not only ate one, but two! He even asked for more! I love the fact that Micah is eating a ton of new and good things (like flax seed) and enjoying it... what will I try to make next???

Cupcakes for Carey

One of the great benefits of having Noah in preschool, is meeting and befriending a great group of Moms, Carey being one of them. She recently adopted twin girls from Ethiopia and we threw her a Baby Shower after school! Of course, I had to consult Barefoot Contessa and I made her chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and I also made some with chocolate/coffee frosting. The girls being from Ethiopia liked the coffee frosting! They were yummy... and all the kids loved the little rings. What will the next special occasion be?

Disney with the boys

Noah's preschool was closed today so we took a trip to Disneyland. This is the first time I went solo with just the boys and with no stroller, which is why we were only there a few hours! Noah and Micah really liked going on Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Mad Tea Party (affectionately known as the Teacups). It was a great trip that ended with a visit with Mickey... when will we go again???

Force Cookies

Today we baked Star Wars sugar cookies at Halmoni's house. I got the cookie cutters at Williams Sonoma and the recipe came in the box. It was so much easier baking using my mom's Kitchen Aid Mixer (instead of my hand mixer). The cookies came out just right and Noah loved them. Micah, took the Darth Vader cookies, and fed them to Watts (until I caught him in the act). I think I may have to ask Santa Claus or Hanukkah Harry for a mixer this holiday season... we'll see... a girl can dream right???

Just hangin'

Micah really loves going to Noah's preschool. After we sign Noah in, we hang out and play outside with the kids. Micah is really coordinated and not afraid to try new things, so after watching the boys swing off the bars, he decided to try it for himself. Sometimes my heart just stops watching him do these things, but I have to remember that he's an active little boy who is going to fall and get hurt at times (although I want to minimize that as much as possible). So, here is Micah just hangin... what will he try to do next???

LA Korean Festival

Today we spent some time at the 37th annual Koreatown Festival. It's been a few years since I have gone, but my Mom and Kaitlyn and Crew wanted to check it out on the last day. Although there was plenty of food vendors we ended up at out usual restaurant, Dol Il Jang. It was nice to see everyone for a few hours although it would of been nice if my Dad could of come along. When will we all get together again???

Happy Birthday Bubbe!

Jawsh and Zach took Bubbe out to a lobster dinner on the Santa Monica Pier for her birthday... just Bubbe and her boys. I know they had a great time eating delicious lobster prepared different ways. After dinner they came back to our place for dessert and Bubbe's birthday song. I wonder what she wished for???