Happy Easter

Happy Easter!  The kids went to church where there was a mini petting zoo... there were rabbits, a miniature pony, and a pot belly baby pig (only in Ontario).  The kids loved petting the rabbits and then they did a mini egg hunt there where every plastic egg was filled with candy.  Noah and Micah ran all over the grassy area whereas Kaitlyn decided to climb a tree where a golden plastic egg was hidden.  Then we went on an Easter Egg Hunt in Harabujee's backyard where the plastic eggs were full of money (I think I prefer the latter egg hunt).  The kids took off running all over the back yard and loved finding eggs and stashing the goods in their baskets... what should we stuff the eggs with next year???

Easter Party

Micah went to his friend's house for her Easter party.  It was nice seeing him with all his preschool friends outside of the school.  All the little girls were in Springtime dresses and the boys were in little button up shirts... too cute!  Micah enjoyed the jumper and of course the egg hunt.  He had a strategy to run the perimeter of the house so he found a lot of eggs (so many, that he had to give some back).  What will be his strategy at Halmoni's egg hunt???

Happy Passover

Tonight we celebrated Passover at Bubbe's house.  Jawsh led the Seder and it was a special night because Noah got to read the "Four Questions."  He did pretty well and needed help with a few words like "reclining."  The Four Questions is reserved for the youngest at the table to read and he made Jawsh swell with pride.  Micah was not out of it completely... he found the Afikomen and Uncle Zach gave him $5.  When will Micah read the Four Questions???

Micah's first trophy

Micah's first trophy... a prized possession that he received for participating in t-ball.  I hope the next trophy he receives is earned for something other than just participating.  No pressure to any of my boys, but if they bring a trophy home I hope it's for something that they worked hard for and earned distinction in... MVP would be nice...  All Star Hitter...  oh didn't I say no pressure???
(Picture to come-- it's cute)

Kyer

It's so great that Jawsh and Jay have boys the same age...  Kyer spent some time over the weekend with us and had a fun time.  He is such a good little boy and it was fun watching them play.  When will we see him again???

Twin Day

Today was Twin Day at Open School.  The boys were so cute in their little Ninjago shirts.  They even coordinated down to the color of their socks.  Don't they look like twins???

Comic genius

Noah is a comic genius.  No, not the Jerry Seinfeld type... I'm talking Stan Lee.  Noah made his own version of a comic which was very impressive considering that he took several days to complete it.  You can have your very own copy for $1.  Noah will even sign it for you.  Will he be a comic book artist???

Poet's eyes, part 2

Here is another poem... this one will be published at the end of the year in the Open School anthology.  Which one did you like to read more... the first one or the second???

Marbl Tower
Culerd Towers
zig zaging all oever
Marbls roeling down the brijs
zzzzzz
spining so fast
like a boelder roeling down a hil

Poet's Eyes

Noah is learning about poetry in his class.  His teachers like to remind him to use his "poet's eye" when writing.  Here is Noah's poem... isn't absolutely wonderful???

Old leaf

spots

blak little dots

like a hand

with sharp nales

Heal the Bay

The boys and I headed to Santa Monica Pier Aquarium to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Heal the Bay.  The kids enjoyed touching the sea life and participating in art as well as getting their faces painted.  They also liked story time and of course, eating a birthday cupcake.  It was a nice experience, super low key and fun for the kiddos.  Will the boys want to volunteer there when they get older???

9-5

Tonight I had a fun girls night out... every few weeks we go for dinner or drinks, but today we really made it a night out.  We headed to Manhattan Beach to eat at MB Post where we enjoyed a delicious meal and afterwards we went to the Redondo Beach Playhouse to watch the musical, 9-5.  Our friend, Chris, was playing the male lead role and it was so much fun seeing him action.  When will be the next girls' night out???

I love New York

Jawsh is in New York eating pizza (without the cheese), catching taxis to the museums, and enjoying the new scenery while he is attending a conference for professional development.  What are the boys and I going to do while he is away???

Firefighters

The annual Firefighter visit came to the preschool.  Micah loved climbing in to the fire engine and wearing the Captain's hat.  Will he want to be a firefighter when he grows up (I'll take that over a barista)???
(Super duper cute picture to come)

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???