Christmas Tree Lighting

Micah started playing the ukulele a few months ago and his teacher asked him to play at a Christmas Tree Lighting in El Segundo.  Micah played two songs, "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" with another student.  Then he had a solo for "Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah."  He did a great job.  Will Micah want to participate in the school talent show???

Climbing trees

While the older brothers play their soccer games, the younger siblings find a tree to climb!  When will they be interested in watching their brothers play???

Timmy and Charles Fails

Noah and his friend, J, created this board game early this year and Noah finally finished it!  We played it as a family and found it to be really fun and engaging.  The objective is to get to the volcano first (black cup with paper flames) and die!  Remember, the game is called, Timmy and Charles Race to the Volcano.  Will this inspire Noah to create more games???

White House

Today is Election Day!  I already voted early last weekend and today we walked in Jawsh's ballot to our local polling place.  We are hoping to celebrate the victory of our first woman President of the United States.  Who will win tonight???

I voted

Obligatory photo of the boys at our local polling place.  Jawsh cast his vote.  Will his candidate win???

#1 Chess

Micah came in first place in the Intermediate Level at his school!  This was a huge accomplishment for Micah and he was very proud of himself!  He has really grown as a chess player from last year as he is actually winning games on his own merit.  Will he want to play in the Chess Tournament this summer???

Wolves

Noah is playing soccer this year.  He's on the Wolves and he's back with his same coach from last year too!  Noah had a great season with no injuries!  He scored a goal this year, which is a big feat at this level.  He played all positions but his favorite position was Center Forward.  Will he want to play soccer again next year???

Drive north

Jawsh and Zach took a drive north to Reno to drop off Bubbe's car.  We can't believe that this is happening but we are happy for Bubbe and her big move!  Now that she's there we will have even more reason to visit!  When will we visit Bubbe???

Bye Bubbe

Today Bubbe moved to Reno!  We are excited for Bubbe but saddened that we won't get to see her on a regular basis.  The boys have been very fortunate that they have their grandparents in their lives and in close proximity.  Now that Bubbe has moved, we will have to take more trips to see her (which the boys are very excited about).  What will it be like when Bubbe moves???

Deathly Hallows Eve

This year we continue the tradition of dressing up together on Halloween!  Noah was ready to branch out and dress up as a "Slenderman" from Minecraft but Jawsh insisted we dress up as a group so we all agreed on Harry Potter.  We thought this fitting since Noah recently finished the 7 book series (which is equivalent to 4,224 pages)!  Micah dressed up as Harry's best friend, Ron.  I was Professor McGonagall and Jawsh was Sirius Black.  In my opinion, Jawsh looked the most realistic... wouldn't you agree???

Jack-o-lanterns

Happy Halloween!  The boys enjoyed cutting their pumpkins and making Jack-o-Lanterns.  What does Halloween have in store for us this year???

Rainbow Awards

This was a complete surprise!  Both boys were honored with Rainbow Awards the same day!  I was so proud of both boys and all of their hard work.  Usually when they receive a Rainbow Award they get to choose what they want for dinner.  Who will choose tonight???

Dinner with friends

About once a month, I go out to dinner with some really good friends that I made at the boys' co-op.  It's been really great for me to spend time with friends and share laughs, tears, and good food!  What would I do without these ladies???

Strike Force II

Micah is playing soccer again this season.  He's on Strike Force again with the same coach as last year.  His game has developed a lot and he's one of the best defenders on his team.  Nothing gets by him!  Micah is so into playing Center Defense that he has a hard time transitioning to a Forward.  When will Micah want to play offense???

Legoland

Noah and Jawsh stayed over Thursday night in San Diego and Micah and I drove down Friday to spend the night, so we could spend the day at Legoland together on Saturday.  It was surprisingly not that busy and the boys had a great time exploring the park with the V family.  We love that the boys have such good friends.  When will we head back to Legoland???

Lego Ed

Noah and his best friend, J, were partnered up in the Lego car building contest.  From what I heard, their car beat all the other cars in the class.  They learned a lot about robotics and engineering and then they had the rest of the day to play at the park.  Will this experience inspire them to be engineers???

Good morning

Good morning!  The boys survived the night next to the lions roaring!  They are off to Legoland next.  What does the day have in store for them???

San Diego Wild Animal Park

Noah's class had an overnight field trip at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  They got a special behind the scenes tour of the park and got to sleep in tents.  Jawsh went as a chaperone and had difficulty sleeping with 4 excited boys.  Noah is really enjoying his time in Yellow Cluster, what will tomorrow bring???

Getty

We were so impressed with London Calling that we had to take the boys to see this exhibit.  They enjoyed looking at the art, especially the work of Auerbach, where they were trying to find the hidden picture within the paint strokes.  We hope that we are instilling some art appreciation and history so they will enjoy these experiences as they get older.  What exhibit will we go to next???

Liam's Birthday

  Liam turned 5! He's a big boy now attending TK at his sisters' school.  He really seems to like school.  What kind of year will he have in TK???

Disneyland

Today Uncle Zack and Emo took all the kids (except Liam) to Disneyland for the day!  This was their early Christmas present.  Although the boys have been to Disneyland multiple times before, they were very young and never went on the rollercoasters.  This time around, they got to ride Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, and even the Haunted Mansion.  The boys had a great day at the park... when will they do this again???

London Calling

While the kids were with Uncle Zack and Aunt Kelly at Disneyland, Jawsh and I spent the day together. We  started our day in downtown LA where we had breakfast at Egg Slut. Then we went to the Getty Museum.  We saw the the London Calling exhibit. Afterwards we met friends for dinner at Father's Office. We had a great day but we missed the kids. I wonder if they missed us???

Happy Birthday Micah

Happy 8th Birthday to Micah (9-27-08)!  We celebrated his birthday at Ocean Park Beach with a Minion theme. The kids had a great time playing near the water but the highlight of the party was the Minion water bottles full of Minion pez and whoopee cushions that the kids had to find.  I can't believe Micah turned 8... where has the time gone???

New retainer

Noah officially received his new retainer today. He chose a funky tie dye color. How long will he have to wear this retainer???

Building character

The kids washed cars just like my siblings and I did when we were kids. They enjoyed scrubbing the cars, getting wet, and playing with the soap.  They did a pretty good job and the neighbors were asking them to wash their cars too!  I wonder if they should start their own business???

Micah's turning 8

  Micah is turning 8 in a few weeks.  We asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he chose to celebrate it the same way he has for the past few years.  He wanted a Minion theme with the same type of food and the same invite list (he's pretty consistent).  One thing  I love about his birthday list is that he invites kids that he went to preschool with that he has not seen in a long while, so its nice when we see his old friends.  What will we hide in the sand this time???

Ukelele

Micah has now started learning the ukulele.  His teacher, Ms. Yolanda, teaches him piano and ukulele.  Micah is enjoying the new challenge although he says his fingers hurt. I wonder if he will be playing this on the beaches of Hawaii when he is older... nice dream wouldn't you say???

First Day of School

Back to life, back to reality...  we returned from Maui and now a few days later we are back at it. Micah is in Orange Cluster, now a big 3rd grader and a leader.  Noah is in Yellow Cluster, a 4th grader, with new teachers and curriculum.   I feel very blessed to be working at the same school, so I can see them throughout the day.  What will this year be like???

Bros

Noah and Micah are so lucky to have one another.  Since they are only two years apart they have similar school friends, interests, and experiences.  Now don't get me wrong... anyone who knows the boys well can see that they are different in many ways... but it's also nice that they share interests.  As we were vacationing, they only had each other to play with... no other cousins or friends nearby.  And they got along very well.  They talked about their favorite games, they built sandcastles together, and shared shave ice...  they even held hands as they walked through the rainforest.  It's nice to have a brother and friend, don't you think???

Snorkeling

The boys were able to head to the beach and snorkel everyday.  They were so comfortable in the water.  We saw some amazing ocean animals and we were lucky enough to see sea turtles!  When will we visit the Great Barrier Reef???

Deathly Hallows

Even in Maui, you can find Noah getting lost in a great story.  He is reading, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book in the Potter series.  Will he finish before his birthday???

Lahaina

  We enjoyed walking around Lahaina and getting a sweet treat at Ululani's or Locol Boys.  The boys liked switching up their shave ice flavors but mostly stuck with cherry and lime.  Will they remember these walks when they get older???

Brothers

Here we have two sets of brothers that enjoy spending time together.  They share similar interests but they are gifted and talented in their own ways.    I hope they remember these special times together.  Will Noah and Micah be as close as Jawsh and Zach when they get older???

Aloha

We made it to Maui.  It's such a beautiful place!  Although we are staying at the same resort as our last visit, it is much different without their cousins.  We went walking down the beach and we enjoyed relaxing mornings and snorkeled filled days.  The boys have enjoyed eating their shave ice every morning and we are enjoying all that the island has to offer.  What we will do tomorrow???

What's different???

Noah's teeth look great!  I can't believe that he's out of his braces!  But it's not for too long... now he has a retainer he has to wear!  All this work to correct his bite and straighten his teeth has been a lot of work, so we will have to celebrate with a Candy Party.  What type of candy will he choose?

Candy party

Noah has been dreaming about this day.., his candy party!  Since he's had braces he wasn't allowed to eat certain candies.  He's been waiting for this day to eat marshmallows, jelly beans, licorice, and Mike N Ike's.Noah invited friends over and they had a fun time playing Pie Face and watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  But I think the biggest hit was Micah's school project:  The Claw Game.  The Claw Game was filled with Push Pops, See's Lollipops, gum, and Spray Candy!  The kids loved playing the game and they had a great time.  When will Noah get his retainer???

JPL

We had a great day touring Jet Propulsion Lab this morning.   We learned so much about what JPL works on and we had the behind the scenes tour of Mission Control (pictured here).  It was pretty amazing to see all the rovers, modules, and research being conducted.  This is a tour that I would love to take again next year.  I wonder if this experience inspired Noah or Micah...  will they want to attend Cal Tech when they are older???

Preschool buds

 Today the boys went bowling with the W boys.  They had a great time.  Noah and J Really enjoyed bowling and played two games.  But the younger brothers were done after the first game and spent time in the arcade.  When will we head back???

Happy 11th!

Our annual photo on the terrace of Shutters on the Beach was taken the day before our anniversary this year.  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 11th year of marriage bring???

Apple Camp

Noah had the opportunity to participate in Apple Camp.  He had the opportunity to use an iPad Pro with the stylus pen.  He made a great comic about a character named Timmy against a volcano.  He set it to music, added sound effects, and he presented it to the other campers.  It was a fun opportunity... and it was free.  Will he want to do this again next summer???

Boba Boys

These boys love boba...  when will they try Taro with boba???

Louie CK

Tonight Jawsh and I had a rare opportunity to see Louie CK...  and we were watching from the 4th row!  It was a great show and we had a nice time.  When will we do this again???

John's Incredible

The kids had a great time at John's Incredible Pizza.  They rode the Twister and Micah won several prizes playing the claw game.  Even though a year passes, when they see each other they just pick up from where they left off.  What will we do tomorrow???

Hi Myles!

We finally met Myles!  He is such a snuggle bug.  We met for lunch at Gordon Ramsey's BURGR.  Although it was pretty loud and crowded, Myles was super chill.  He didn't cry when I held him and he just sank right into my arms.  It was nice to catch up with Adam and Claudia too.  When will we see them again???

Las Vegas

The boys love going to Las Vegas very summer to see their cousins, Sophie and Daphne.  We enjoyed swimming and hanging out at my aunt's house.  The kids especially liked going to the lazy river and they loved playing Marco Polo.  What will they want to do tomorrow???

Magic Mountain

Today we made a quick trip to Magic Mountain to celebrate the boys' reading accomplishments.  They received free tickets for completing their reading goals.  The first ride we went on was Roaring Rapids followed by Ninja.  That ride proved to be too much for Micah.  He looked terrified.  So we shifted gears and went to Bugs Bunny World.  The kids had a great time dabbing for the cameras and riding rides again and again and again.  When will we return???

Happy 4th

We stayed back in the neighborhood for 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???

Lego Camp

The boys participated in a week of Lego Camp.  They got to play and design with legos, do art projects, and they also made stop motion videos.  Here is a picture of the boys taking photos for their stop motion video with an iPad.  The scene they created was a bank and Batman... what will they be inspired to do next???

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

After dinner, we went to Mulligan's to play a round of mini-golf.  Afterwards we played a few arcade games and we came out victorious.  Jawsh actually won the claw game and successfully grabbed a minion, Bob, which made the boys very happy.  We also won over 1500 points so the boys got candy and Jawsh got a pair of jumbo plastic sunglasses (for his art).  It was a great summer night... when will we do this again???

Kings Hawaiian

Summer days are flying by and we wanted to take advantage of the longer days so we went to Torrance to eat at Kings Hawaiian.  The boys really enjoyed the desserts and Jawsh was able to eat the Dole Whip because it is dairy free!  Three boys smiling are better than two, don't you think???