Hotel Transylavnia 2

We were here... at the theaters watching Hotel Transylvania 2 with Micah's friend, E.  E's dad worked the first and second film.  The kids had a great time.  When will see E again???

KCRW Food Pie Contest

Today we split up... Jawsh took Noah to KCRW's Food Pie Contest at UCLA and I took Micah and his friend to a movie.  Jawsh and Noah ended up at a coffee shop and enjoyed the afternoon together.  When will they go on their next Daddy Date???

Happy Birthday Liam!

Liam is now four years old and more loveable than ever.  He is still getting into mischief and he still likes to play rough, but he's the baby of the five grandkids and we love him so much.  I wonder what he wished for???

Happy Birthday again Micah

A birthday celebration is not complete until we celebrate with the Min kids... what did Micah wish for???

Camping at school

Now that I am a teacher at the boys' school, I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the night at school...  I work there, I volunteer there, I live across the street from there... but Micah really wanted to go and wake up on his birthday in a tent so we did it!  The boys had a great time at the drum circle, playing games, and eating s'mores.  It was a fun time.  Will we do it again next year???

Donating Doggy Goods

This afternoon, Micah  went to the animal shelter to donate over 30 lbs of dog food, toys, shampoo, treats, and bowls.  These were the items that he asked his friends for in lieu of gifts.  It's pretty amazing that Micah is not that into gifts and prefers helping animals...  it's makes us very proud.  When we walked in with all these items, the volunteer walked to the back and brought out a 4 week kitten that she allowed Micah to hold for his good deed.  It was very special indeed.  Afterwords, we walked through the shelter and saw so many dogs looking for homes and Micah said, "at least they will have food and toys to play with" which is true.  Will Micah continue to do this at his next birthday???

Happy Birthday Micah

 Happy 7th Birthday to Micah (9-27-08)!  We celebrated his birthday at Ocean Park Beach with a Pokemon theme.  There were all things Pokemon (his donut and treasure poke balls   The kids had a great time playing near the water but the highlight of the party was the pokeballs that the kids had to find full of Pokemon candy, figurines, and gum.  I can't believe Micah turned 7... where has the time gone???

Pokemon!

We are gearing up for Micah's 7th Pokemon birthday at the beach.  Jawsh spray painted over 40 poke balls that are filled with Japanese candies, Pokemon figurines, and Pokemon gum!  The lengths that we will go through to have a fun party for our son... will the kids appreciate them as much as we do???

Roy Choi

Tonight my girlfriends and I went out to dinner to Sunny Spot, one of many restaurants owned by Roy Choi.  As we sat on the terrace, my friends saw Roy himself walking around and I called him over.  He graciously took a photo with me but my friends refused!  So, I had to throw up a peace sign and a smile with Roy Choi!  This was my second celebrity chef sighting (my first one was Robert Irvine at California Disney).  Who will I meet next???

Happy Birthday Kaitlyn and Emma

Happy Birthday to my nieces who turned 9 and 6.  They had a fun birthday party at a jump warehouse and although we could not stay for the whole party (the boys had a soccer game) we were glad that we were able to come for the time that we did.  I wonder what the girls wished for... and Liam where are your clothes???

Blue Thunder

Noah is also playing AYSO this season.  He is on the team with one of his best friends, Jack.  Noah has a great coach and is making new friends on his team.  Here is a shot of his playing goalie.  Will Noah enjoy his season???

Strike Force!

Micah is playing AYSO in Westchester.  He is back on the same team as many of his Astros buddies.  We feel very fortunate that his teammates live on our street so we can take advantage of carpooling to games and practices. Micah has such good friends and we are lucky that he is making solid friendships.  How will the boys do this season???

Love the walk

I just feel very fortunate that I can now walk to work.  We are saving so much time and gas by walking to school.  This is a photo of the boys walking together hand in hand.  I love this and appreciate the fact that I get to be with my kids everyday.  I am lucky and I know that.  And I will try my best to remember moments like these when all I want to do is pull out my hair!  When will the boys walk to school without me???

The best

Nothing beats my homemade chocolate chip cookies and organic vanilla ice-cream...  wouldn't you agree???

Rainbow Award

Noah received a Rainbow Award the first week of school!  We are very proud of him.  The Rainbow Award says:

This Rainbow Award is Presented to Noah Smith for starting off the year demonstrating hard work and excellence and leading by example.

Noah is working hard to be a great leader (meaning he was in the same cluster last year) in Orange Cluster and we can see that his hard work is paying off.  When the boys receive special recognition, we like to celebrate by taking them out to dinner... I wonder where Noah will choose to eat tonight???

Happy Birthday!!!

Thank you to my partner teacher's mother for this birthday cake...  even though I had to go to work on my birthday I had a fun day.  What will we do this weekend to continue celebrating???

Double Rainbow

My partner teacher, Tina, is really great to work with.  The school is unique because the classrooms are larger, multi-age, and have 48 students!  This has been an adjustment, but I feel very fortunate that my teaching partner is so upbeat, positive, and patient.  As we were getting to know one another over the summer, we discovered that we share the same birthdate as well as the same anniversary date!  So, we celebrated our birthdays with a "double rainbow" theme.  We wore the same "double rainbow" t-shirts, and invited the staff to our classroom during lunch where we treated everyone to Double Doubles from In N Out, Rainbow Sherbet ice cream, and Double Mint gum.  What will be our birthday theme next year???

Spago

Jawsh took me out for my birthday dinner to Spago.  The last time we were at Spago, I was pregnant with Micah so it has been quite awhile.  We had one of the best cocktails in the city here and we would come back just for that!  The meal was great but we walked to Bouchon Bakery across the street for dessert.  Where will Jawsh want to go for his birthday???

Go Noah!

Noah had a great season with his teammates.  I don't know if he'll continue playing next season but he enjoyed his time on the court.  Noah learned a lot and now he can make a layup and dribble with confidence.  We saw a lot of growth this season and I hope that he will want to play again next season.  Will Noah want to sign up???

First day with Mom

Here we are... the first day of school together.  The boys were on the playground reuniting with friends and I was walking around meeting new students.  I was really glad that I was able to see the boys before they headed to class.  What will this year be like for all of us???

First Day

The annual photo... they just keep getting taller, cuter, smarter, and happier as the years pass.  This year the boys will both be in the same cluster.  What will that experience be like???

Shaun the Sheep

Today we went out to enjoy time together before the school year starts in two days.  The boys really wanted to see a movie and I really wanted to eat Korean food.  So we went to watch the movie, Shaun the Sheep.  Then we went to K-town to have dinner.  Everyone was happy and hopefully this will help jumpstart our school year.  How will the boys do their first day of school with their mom as a teacher there???

Go Micah!

Micah had a great basketball season with his Coach J.  She taught the kids how to set screens and to pass the ball around.  Micah had a fun season and made a few baskets along the way.  Will he play next season???

Hi Emo

Kelly came in for the weekend before she heads to SF for work.  We just happened to be wearing the same outfit so we had to snap a quick picture.  When we were growing up, my mom used to dress us up exactly the same.  I find myself doing that to the boys when we travel and I hope that they don't mind.  When will we see Emo again???

Reunited

This evening my bridesmaids came back together after ten years to share a few laughs over delicious eats.  Jawsh picked up Mozza Pizzeria for us and we got to catch up.  I hope that it doesn't take another ten years to pass for all four of us to be together again.  When will we see each other again???

Camp Kaitlyn Day 4

This afternoon we headed to Ocean Park Beach and spent a few hours playing in the water and making sand castles.  We had lunch there and then shortly after the kids ate a Minion ice cream.  You can tell by the look on their faces that they really enjoyed them.  As Camp Kaitlyn comes to a close, the kids are already talking about next year and including Emma.  Can Jawsh and I handle all 4???

Camp Kaitlyn Day 3

We love heading to the pier for a quick adrenaline rush!  All the kids (especially the big one next to Kaitlyn) had a great time.  What will we do tomorrow???

Camp Kaitlyn Day 2

Today the kids went to the JibJab Studios to visit Jawsh.  They had a great time because they got to slide down the huge slides that are in the middle of the office.  The kids raced down several times and then it was time to go to our next destination!  This photo is the entrance of the office space. The kids are standing in front of the reception area that Jawsh designed.  When will we go back and visit???

Camp Kaitlyn Day 1

The boys love spending time with their cousin Kaitlyn.  This week has been named, Camp Kaitlyn, because she is staying the week in LA.  Today, we went to the Toyota Ice Rink to ice skate at an "off time" and the kids had the whole entire rink to themselves.  It was so much fun to watch the kids skate.  Kaitlyn is very graceful and I hope that she will continue to ice skate because she was fast and fearless.  Micah was more fearless and Noah was working hard to keep his balance.  What will we do tomorrow???

10th photo

Our annual photo on the terrace of Shutters on the Beach was taken a few days after our anniversary this year.  As you can see, it was windy which reminded us of our wedding day with the chuppah blowing in the wind.  Since we take this photo every year, the boys are starting to remember stories that we have shared and it's been such a fun reminder of the love and time that has passed since 2005.  What will our 10th year of marriage bring???

Happy 10

For our 10th anniversary, Jawsh and I ate at Toqué! We ate delicious French cuisine using locally sourced products at one of Montreal's most popular restaurants.  We had a wonderful dinner with incredible service.  Big thank you to Bubbe who had a special dinner with the boys and yummy maple desserts.  This was such a great trip to take as a family and we are thankful for the time that we got to spend together.  Where will we go to celebrate 11???

Bonsecours Basin

We had a relaxing afternoon in Old Montreal.  After a delicious Olive and Gourmando lunch in the park we strolled by the port.  To enjoy a new perspective of Old Montreal we explored the waters of the Old Port in a paddleboat, or ‘pedalo,’ as it’s known in French. We took a 30 minute paddleboat rental on the Bonsecours Basin which allowed us to admire Montreal’s beautiful waterfront in a fun and active way. The boys loved kicking off their shoes and letting their feet drag in the water.  This was a highlight of our day.  When will we paddle boat in LA???

Funiculaire

The Old Quebec Funicular is a funicular railway in the Old Quebec neighbourhood of the city of Quebec in Canada. It links the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town), which includes such sites as the ancient Notre Dame des Victoires church, the historic Petit Champlain district, the port, and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization).  We took it down to Lower Town for our last dinner in Quebec City with Bubbe and took it back up when we returned to the hotel.  It was a slow ride that showed us views of the city.  When will we go on one again???

Foos ball

We are in Quebec City... in a new country... staying in a beautiful castle... a UNESCO World Heritage site... and all the boys want to do is goto the game room and play foos ball... That sounds about right for a  6 and 8 year old.  We had a nice time playing the game and now the boys love it... where can we find a foos ball table in LA???

The Smith House

This afternoon we took some time to hang at The Smith House so the boys could sketch and write postcards while enjoying the weather.  There were street performers, good coffee, and yummy swirl ice cream.  I have to admit it was nice to just sit and relax with no where to go.  We should probably do this more in LA... don't you think???

Citadel

One of the most imposing sights to visit in Quebec City is the Citadel.  The Citadel is an active military and official residence of a Canadian monarch and although we didn't see one, we did get close enough to take a picture with the Queen's Guard.  The boys enjoyed the free roaming and running, the cannons, and the time outdoors without rain.  We didn't have the time to tour inside but hopefully we will do it the next time we visit.  When will that be???

Via Rail Canada

 

This was the boys' first train ride.  They really enjoyed it and had a good time.  The ride was smooth and the views were picturesque.  The attendants were really nice and we just had a nice roundtrip experience.  When will we go on a train again???

Cafe St Malo

We left the hotel in search of Cafe St. Malo.  Within 10 minutes it started to rain down hard!  The umbrella was being hit and we were so glad that we were within steps to the restaurant.  When we entered, there were a few people but by the time we left the restaurant was full.  This was the best salmon we had on the trip... doesn't it look delish???

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

We arrived in Quebec City and had the wonderful opportunity to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.  We had a lovely time walking around the city.  It really felt like we were in Europe in a small town with street performers and French speaking people everywhere.  Our first night we enjoyed mussels and fries and the best salmon we had on our trip.  What will tomorrow bring???

Juliette Chocolat

After our very wonderful lunch at Schwartz's Deli, we continued our walk.  We made our way to Juliette Chocolate and the boys had a great dessert.  Micah ordered a chocolate sampler plate and Noah had his first experience with chocolate fondue.  I think its safe to say that he will be ordering this again in the future.  Tomorrow we head to Quebec City... what does tomorrow bring???

Schwartz's Deli

We only had to wait about 30 minutes to squeeze into Schwartz's Deli.  It was one of the best meals we had because the smoked meat was that good.  I also really like the pickles.  Everyone was very happy with their meal and we had a nice time there.  If we every head back to Montreal, I am definitely coming here again... who is with me???

Drawn and Quarterly

Finally, Jawsh has been called to the homeland... well, comic land.  Drawn and Quarterly was a very intimate comic book shop that had some hard to find comics.  The boys really enjoyed their time there and bought some more recent comics whereas Jawsh spent most of his time debating which comic novel to purchase.  It was definitely an eclectic shop and I'm glad that we could other and support this business and the cause of art.  After this, we are heading to lunch... what will Schwartz' be like???

St. Viateur

We began the day at St. Viateur Bagel Shop.  Every review that we read states that Montreal bagels are better than anyone else.  I don't know if it was the hype but many people in our party did not care for the bagels!  I liked the bagels and thought that the old school method of cooking was really cool.  After our bagel and coffee stop (Jawsh found 49th Parallel beans next door and was happy with his coffee), we walked toward Drawn and Quarterly.  What are we going to do there???

Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

Today we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art.  There were so many wonderful art pieces outside of the museum and a small maze that the boys enjoyed walking through.  We bought tickets to Rodin and saw so many beautiful sculptures.  Afterwards, we went to Old Montreal where we had lunch.  We walked to Notre Dame but missed visiting hours.  It was a long but lovely day... tomorrow we head to Plateau Mont Royal, the artsy part of town.  What will that be like???

Montreal

We made it to Montreal, Canada.  This is the destination that we have been planning for quite some time.  When we were first married, we thought we would head to Greece at our ten year anniversary, but after deciding to take the boys with us, the flights were just too expensive.  The next best thing to Europe, was Montreal and Quebec City, as its the closest we can get to Europe without going to Europe.  As soon as we arrived at the Fairmont, we were greeted with an anniversary tiramisu and a great view of Cathedral of Marie Reine du Monde.  I think this trip is going to be so wonderful... we have our family, Bubbe, Emo, and Uncle Zack... what does tomorrow bring???

Vegas, Baby

Las Vegas.  This is the place that the boys are waiting to go to every summer.  They love swimming multiple times a day, spending time with their cousins, and eating out all the time.  Only if life was like this everyday.  It's always fun to see the cousins reunite and play like no time has passed at all.  When will we do a different trip together???

MC

Check off the bucket list!!!  Tonight, Jawsh took me to see the one and only, Mariah Carey.  It was such a great show.  She was amazing!  We left before the show was over and while I was in the lobby, we got a glimpse of her between songs getting primped and drinking water.  It was so cool that I was only ten feet away from her.  Will I see her in concert again???

Bye HOB

Jawsh worked at HOB for several years while we were dating so we came back tonight to reunite with old friends and to see the venue one last time.  We ran into old co-workers and had a nice time.  I remember seeing epic shows for free with all the food and drink comped due to Jawsh's employment.  Upstairs was the Foundation Room and I remember that was one of our first nice meals when we first started dating.  It was a fun night and I'm glad that we got  to attend.  When we will see his old friends again???

Date night

Tonight we made it out to Connie and Ted's for a nice meal.  I love when we can just walk up to the bar without a wait and have delicious seafood.  We were heading to an event at the House of Blues, but decided to eat here first.  The House of Blues is finally closing its doors and we wanted to say farewell before the location at Sunset strip is demolished.  What will go up in its place???

Happy 4th

This was the first year at the neighborhood, Westchester Fourth of July Parade.  It was a few blocks long of local organizations, politcians, and clubs that walked the parade route.  The kids had a great time with the W family.  Later tonight, we head back to Cheviot Hills to watch the fireworks light up the sky.  This has been a tradition that we have enjoyed because we get to see our old preschool friends.  Who will we see tonight???