International Day

Today was International Day in Noah's class.  I brought in a Korean fan for the kids to paint.  As you can see Noah represented part of his culture.  Noah requested that I bring in a Jewish activity next year... what could that be???

Go Nets!

Basketball season officially ended today.  Noah was a starter in the last game and he was very excited.  He was really focused on defense and he set really tight screens for his teammates.  I can honestly say that he wasn't the best player on the team, but he really did improve.  Basketball is a game that I really enjoyed and I am excited that Noah enjoys it as well because this is the one sport where I can actually understand all the terminology.  What will Noah play next???

V-Day

Valentines Day...  Noah chose to hand out Ninjago valentines and Micah chose to pass out Spiderman cards.  But Noah had a special Minnie Mouse Valentine present for his friend, Nora.  And he also included her in his homework.  Isn't this adorable???


"This Valentine is for my friend Nora because she is nise.  She is my preescool frend.  She likes swinging on the monkey bars and she runs fast."

36

Jawsh is 36!!!  We went to one of Jawsh's favorite restaurants, Short Order.  It was too bad that Noah was in school so he could not join us, but Micah loved having all the attention to himself.  Afterwards we went to MOCA Pacific Design Center which was very interesting.  I have never been to the Pacific Design Center and it was such a beautiful space.  Later in the evening, Jawsh and I had a romantic dinner in Venice at Piccolo.  It was such a nice day and I am so happy that Jawsh got to enjoy all the great food and parts of LA.  What will we do next year???

Future barista

Micah loves coffee.  I blame it on Jawsh because he always lets Micah help make espresso.  Last year, Micah was the only child in his preschool class that identified the scent of coffee grounds (in the 5 senses lab) as "Americano."  While we were in Huntington Beach, we went to Portola Coffee Lab for some coffee.  It looks like a scientist's lab because there are beakers and baristas in white lab coats.  Micah loves coming here to watch and he said, "when I grow up I want to be a barista" (Noah says, "ninja").  Where are all my future MDs???

Micah is a-MAZE-ing

While Noah is in Korean class, Micah and I have been working on his letters and sounds.  He is still getting the hang of writing but he has been blending and I can officially say that he can read cvc words.  He is excelling in math as he is able to count past 100 and he is independently writing his numbers to 30.  Micah needs some encouragement staying focused except when it comes to mazes.  He is amazing and can finish them quick.  Here he is staying focused at the task at hand.  When will he start kindergarten???

First t-ball game

Micah's first t-ball game was... exciting. There were many tears shed by the players.  I think every child cried at least once but this is a very young team of 4 year olds.  Will he want to play next Saturday???

Go Kings!

Today we went to the Toyota Sports Center, the official training center of the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions, for Open School's ice skating fundraiser.  This was the first time the boys ice skated.  Noah was terrified of falling so there were some tears shed in the beginning, but once he fell down, he realized that he would be fine.  By the end of our skate time, he was skating by himself.  Micah was not that intimidated and  enjoyed ice skating so much that he asked if he could take lessons.  Will Micah be the next Wayne Gretsky???

First basket of the season

Noah made his first basket of the season!  It was an unexpected baseline jumper.  He was so proud of his shot and afterwards he received a sportsmanship award.  Look at that smile, doesn't he look so proud???

Noah's Reflection #5

Inauguration Day

We knew that it would be crazy, crowded, historic, full of energy, etc... and it was all these things and more.  We ventured out a few hours before the ceremony and we were so far back (but at least not as far as CNN) that we had to rely on the jumbo screen to see what was happening and Jawsh lifted Noah onto his shoulders so he could have a better view.  It was amazing to hear President Obama's speech and afterwards we decided to head back to my sister's place (where Micah was) and to forgo the parade because there was just too many people and of course, it was cold.  We know that this was a special moment in history and we feel so happy that Noah could experience this.  When he is older, he will be able to tell his children that he was at Obama's second Inauguration!  How cool is that???

The National Portrait Gallery

Chuck Close created a pair of images on tapestry capturing his expressions.  It was so cool to see this up close and then to enter the President's Portrait Gallery.  Again, Micah referred to the Presidents as "Mitt Romney" and we had to clarify again that Mitt Romney was never elected as President.  When will Micah differentiate between all the white faces on the wall???

Noah's Reflection #4

Washington National Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, known as the Washington National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world.  We had lunch nearby at a yummy restaurant called 2 Amy's and walked over a few blocks afterwards.  An interesting tidbit, in the 1980s, while the west towers were under the construction, a sculpture competition was held for children and a drawing of Darth Vader was sculpted and placed high upon the northwest tower.  The choir was singing, "America the Beautiful" and the boys were very solemn.  Noah said a prayer for his "kind dad" and Micah said a prayer for his "kind mom."  The magnitude and breathtaking beauty of the cathedral reminded me of Westminster Abbey.  When will we take the boys to London???

Noah's Reflection #3

Smithsonian Mall

Today we had such a wonderful day.  The weather was in the 40s and although it was cold, it was bearable.  We walked the National Mall and went through The National Gallery of Art Sculture Garden.  Then we went to the National Museum of Natural History where we saw fossils, the Hope Diamond, and the Insect Zoo.  The boys really enjoyed Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards exhibit as well.  We had a fun time, can't you see the look on their faces???

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Memorial

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is located in West Potomac Park in Washington DC.  This was my favorite monument and I loved hearing Noah read some of the quotes on the wall.  My favorite that he read:  "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."  Who can argue with that???

Noah's Reflection #2

"Washington C"

Micah used to say "Washing Machine" and now he refers to the capitol as "Washington C" (hopefully he'll get it right before kindergarten).  My sister suggested we visit some of the memorials at night because there would be less people and also because there were some designed to be viewed at night.  The kids loved the Lincoln Memorial, but our favorite was Martin Luther King Jr. (see next picture post).  Jawsh has a link to Lincoln because they share a birthday, February 12, and they are both upright, just, and moral men.  Isn't this a great photo???

Noah's Reflection #1

Washington DC

Our first cross country trip to Washington DC!  We have been looking forward to this trip so we could visit my sister, the nation's capitol, and of course, President Obama's Inauguration!  We started our first day heading to the Capitol and the Library of Congress (we secured tours through our Congressperson, but were unable to secure Inauguration tickets).  At the Capitol, we got to take the exact walk President Obama took to take his oath of office and we also went down under the Rotunda to the Crypt.  Noah made connections to Presidents that he recognized ("Mom, George Washington is on money") whereas Micah called every statue, "Mitt Romney."  There was so much history and beautiful architecture.  It was such a great way to start our trip, wouldn't you say???

Brooklyn Nets

Noah is playing his first season of basketball.  He is very excited because he is on the same team as his friend. We also had a nice surprise when we found out that his other friend was also on the team.  Just like soccer, he enjoys the game but plays on the periphery of the action... not wanting to commit and waiting for the ball to come to him.  It was very fun watching him practice today... how will he do in his game???

LA Zoo

Noah was recently at the zoo with his class and I realized that Micah's last trip to the zoo was when he was a baby!  We met our friends and enjoyed our day. The weather was overcast so it was a perfect day to walk around and see the animals in action.  It was definitely nice for the kids to burn some energy and enjoy the scenery.  When will we visit again???

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!  We attempted to have a snow day but we hit massive traffic so we detoured and ended up at Scandia!  The kids had such a terrific time miniature golfing (well, for about 20 minutes) and then they really loved the amusement park rides.  It was so much fun watching them smile and laugh in the new year!   What will 2013 bring???

Happy New Years Eve

Today we were on our way to take a day trip to Solvang but while on our way we decided to go to Santa Barbara.  We started off at the harbor and had lunch at Brophy Brothers... Jawsh said it was the best fish and chips this side of the Pacific.  Then we went to the Santa Barbara Mission and ended our time at McConnell's Ice cream.  It was a great way to end the year, wouldn't you agree???

The Griffith Observatory

The last time we went to The Griffith Observatory was when I was pregnant with Noah!  So, needless to say, it's been a long time.  We saw a movie in the Oschin Planetarium called, Water is Life.  The film showed the search for water in space... Micah fell asleep and Noah watched while covering both ears with his hands.  Later that evening, Noah had a nightmare about volcanos inspired from the movie!  When will he be able to watch a space film and not have a nightmare???

Chess

I didn't expect this... Noah's Queen captured my King!  The student defeats the master... the son surpasses the parent...  I wasn't prepared for this but I lost.  I am very happy with Noah's progress and I hope he continues to enjoy chess... I know he enjoyed capturing my King... can't you see it in his face???

Merry Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with family and enjoyed all the holiday food and treats.  Earlier in the day, we took the kids to see the movie, Rise of the Guardians, and of course, the kids had a great time opening their gifts.  What will Christmas bring next year???

6th tooth

Noah lost his sixth tooth tonight!  He and Micah were playing "magician."  They were pretending to make diapers (and the contents inside the diapers) disappear and at one point, Noah slapped himself in the face.  This made his tooth pop out!  Quite a magic trick, wouldn't you agree???

Fifth tooth

Noah lost his fifth tooth in his kindergarten class right after the winter program!  The upper right lateral incisor is out!  I was volunteering at the Korean BBQ Lunch Sale (yes, we sell Korean BBQ at the winter concert) and his teacher, Cathy, brought me his tooth inside a tooth-shaped case.  It was very cute!  When will the left later incisor fall out???

Noah's kinder winter program

Noah's kindergarten class performed three songs in the winter program: Dreidel Song (Jewish), Song-ee Song-ee (Korean), and Mele Kaliki Maka (Hawaiian).  It was a very cute medley that the kids practiced a lot.  Noah had extra support from my parents who taught him the correct pronunciation of words and my cousins sent me links to show him how it was sung in Korea.  He practiced so much in the car, at home, in the bath, etc that Micah has now learned the song.  I wonder if they will sing the same medley when Micah is in kindergarten???

Art class

The wonderful thing about Noah's school is that he gets access to art, garden, library, technology, and music on a weekly basis... and the sad thing about this is that this is not how it is for the majority of schools in California!  Noah's art teacher, Ms. Marya, is currently teaching his class about Claude Monet.  The last art piece he did was this awesome owl (his piece was the only one with a mini-owl in the back).  Isn't this great???

Korean class

Noah finished his 14-week course of Korean language class.  He has learned to identify some characters and sounds, he knows his colors, he can count, and he really enjoyed his time there.  I have to admit, I won't miss the drive to K-town twice a week so I will enjoy this time off until the next course starts in February.  Will Noah learn how to read Korean better than me???

Happy Chanukah with the Shields

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year five! Last year we went to their home and this year we hosted.  It was so much fun catching up with everyone and watching the boys dress up like super heroes.  We made Barefoot Contessa's brisket and Wolfgang Puck's latkes.  It's so nice to have the families together. When will we see them again???

Noah's last soccer game

Noah's last soccer game as a Blue Shark was this afternoon and he scored!  What a way to end the season... he received a medal and he was so proud!  Can't you see it on his face???

Rainbow award

Rainbow awards are presented at the school wide assemblies every week.  I was very proud as they announced the following, "This Rainbow Award is presented to Noah Smith for approaching learning with enthusiasm and confidence."  I love the fact that Noah was proud of his own achievement which is the best thing you can ask for as a parent.  Would you agree???

2nd place

What a surprise... when I arrived to pick up Noah from chess club he was holding a second place trophy.  He was awarded second place in his age division (Kinder-2nd) for game play.  I was very proud of him because this is the first trophy based on skill, not simply for participating.  Will Noah want to continue in chess club for the next session???

I did it!

For the past four years, I hid behind the camera and did not touch any of the reptiles or spiders.  The only thing I would touch was the wallaby, but now that this was our last visit from Mr. Valentine I was determined to hold the tarantula and a snake!  The tarantula's feet had soft padding and was very light to hold!  I still can't believe I did it.  The snake was not my finest moment... it was too active and it's head bopped around too much!  But at least I could say that I did it!  What fear will I conquer next???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today the preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals.  Mr. Valentine has been an annual guest but this is his last visit as he is retiring!  Micah got to touch a Wallaby, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), frogs and snakes. This time around, Micah held a very large snake.  At first he was okay but then he started to cry.  Mr. Valentine called him up and then showed him a few baby snakes and preceded to wrap a very small still snake called, Pinky, around his wrist.  He then told Micah to show everyone his new bracelet which made Micah feel much better.  But I had to post this picture because Micah is just so darn cute!  When will the kids get another experience like this??? 

Hungry Caterpillar birthday

Noah's kindergarten class celebrates monthly birthdays all on one day... so today Noah had a Hungry Caterpillar themed party with friends.  The kids had a great time making book markers, caterpillar hats, and they loved their cake pops.  Doesn't it look like a fun party???

Hungry Caterpillar cake pops

These took so long to make... I had to post a picture.  Jawsh was a trooper and he helped me melt all the chocolate to decorate the pops but swore to never help with this again.  Can you blame him???

Chess rules

Noah received a medal in chess today for completing his workbook and scoring the highest in his age division.  Ten minutes prior to receiving this award, he scored his first check mate against his buddy, Nicky.  Noah had a pretty memorable chess session today, wouldn't you agree???

Deja vu

Today is Noah's birthday and he wanted one thing... to head right back to the Santa Monica Pier to purchase a small bag of marbles.  It was a crazy request but we made it happen and we went back to the pier.  While we were there, Daddy and Noah tried the rock wall (something we didn't do yesterday) and then we went to CPK.  Anything to make his day... wonder what he wished for???

6

Noah's 6th Spiderman themed birthday party was at Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier.  The kids enjoyed all the rides, especially the bumper cars and the roller coaster.  They even got to meet Inky the Octopus.  I can't believe that Noah is already 6 years old... where did the time go???

70

Happy Birthday Harabujee!  He was with all his grandkids blowing out the candle... I think he got his wish, don't you???

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. This family get together was extra special because we were celebrating my Dad's 70th birthday!  It was so nice to see my family and we look forward to Christmas... what will that be like???

CSC

Noah spent the day with friends at the California Science Center.  We had a fun time going through the various exhibits. The kids liked the Discovery Rooms, especially the Transportation section where they got to design their own cars.  Noah loves hanging with these two guys... wonder what we'll do next???

Karaoke Bleu

Our annual Fall Social was a good evening full of beer and bowling.  Afterwards, a few of us went to Karaoke Bleu to sing the night away.  It was really fun to watch friends on stage belting it out.  A few hours into the singing, a woman went on stage, who looked really familiar.  I recognized her as the lady on The Voice.  Once it was confirmed by her friends, I was super excited and felt the need to get a picture.  Erin Willet and I at Karaoke Bleu.  Is it obvious that I don't go out that much???

Camping with friends

This weekend we camped at Leo Carillo State Beach with 14 other families from preschool.  It was quite a weekend with all the kids running around.  Camping with our preschool friends was such a great experience because there was always someone to hang out with and all the kids got along very well.  When will we go again???

4 more years

President Barack Obama was re-elected tonight!  We are so thrilled and excited to attend his inauguration in January!  What will that be like???