Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to me.  I received beautiful hand made cards, expressions of love, and my favorite designed chocolate.  How am I so lucky???

Open Expressions

I was so proud of Micah and Simone because they had the courage to perform "Lava" at Open Expressions, a talent show at their school.  Noah played ukulele and sang with Simone.  It was so darling.  They were the only co-ed, mixed aged group- which surprised me!  They had a great time.  Will they want to reunite next year and perform something else???

Dodger day

Tonight was Teacher Night at Dodgers Stadium.  It was a great night of baseball but I only stayed for a few innings.  If truth be told, I spent more time walking the corridors, and looking at all the food, than watching the actual game.  After all the walking, I ended up with a beer and Dodger Dog.  Not so unique.  Oh well.  It was fun to hang with my co-workers.  When will we go out again???

Fun times

Uncle Jawsh loves spending time with Emma.  Here they are making rainbow erasers!  What will they make next???

STOMP

Today we went to the Pantages Theater to see STOMP with the V family.  Noah and J are in Blue Cluster and they are performing their own version of Stomp with their class this year.  We thought they might enjoy going to see the Broadway version.  The boys had a fun time and they really were inspired.  I wonder what their show will be like???

Homerun

Tonight Micah hit an in the park home run against the Braves.  This was an interesting game and they won by the most runs ever, 21-6.  The boys had a great time.  Will he hit another home run???

Object parade

Micah was a Visa credit card in the Object Parade.  He shared the history of colonial times and he sang various songs with his class.  These are all his buddies in Yellow Cluster.  I wonder what next year will be???

Rainbow Award

Noah received a Rainbow Award for his work in Social Studies.  We are always so proud of the work that he is doing!  We love that he is curious, inquisitive, and engaged.  What will life be like for Noah in middle school???

Puzzles

1,000 piece puzzle of different types of chips.  Micah loved this puzzle.  What will be our next one???

Good times

When I think of my childhood friends, I often think of the kids that we  spent the most time with our parents.  We knew that if our parents were friends, we would see them more often than not.  I hope that our boys will remember all the times we hung with the V and K family because we have grown to love them as extended family.  Next year, Noah and P head to one middle school and J will go to another.  And Micah may be in a different class than his two buds.  No matter what, we hope that we will continue to hang out.  When will we do movie and dinner again???

Chess winners!

We were so delightfully surprised when Micah and Noah won chess trophies for this session.  They are both in the Advanced Class and so we know that they are really developing their game.  Noah has been undefeated the whole year so he has received many trophies but this is the first trophy Micah has received this in the Advanced level.  How will the boys do in the GMG???

A great walk

Jawsh went to Reno for a few days to spend time with his mom while she recovered from back surgery.  Jawsh really enjoyed his time seeing family and spending some time with his mom.  I wonder when we will get a chance to visit her???

Still life

Sometimes we have quiet afternoons where we can spend some time at home not rushed to go to a practice, game, or party.  This afternoon, Jawsh spent time with  boys drawing a fruit of their choice.  Noah and Micah paid close attention to the color of the fruit and they had a good time with their dad.  When will they get a chance to draw again???

Happy birthday Dre

It's been many years since I have seen my college roommate, Dr. Dre, so it was such a delight to celebrate her 40th birthday 70's style!  It was a fun evening with people dressed like John Travolta to girls on roller skates.  Jawsh came in a Star Wars shirt and leather jacket!  It was a great party...  I can't believe she's 40 (and that I'm turning 40)!  Where has the time gone???

Redwood Forest

Today we drove to Henry Cowell Redwood Park.  We had an awesome day walking the trail and enjoying the scenery.  There was something about being in the midst of the beautiful Redwoods that have been around for thousands of years.  As we went down the trail, we were in search of a banana slug and by the end of the walk, Noah found one!  It was a wonderful day.  When will we come back???

The Giant Dipper

We made it to Santa Cruz!  As soon as we came into town, we ate lunch at the local hamburger joint and then we headed to the Boardwalk.  We didn't know that we would be transported back into time as the Boardwalk retained a classic carnival feel to it.  We decided to ride the Giant Dipper, the historic wooden rollercoaster, and we had a blast.  It was made in 1924 and it was very fun!  Afterwords, the boys ate cotton candy and took the Sky Glider, which gave us amazing views of the ocean.  It has been a great start to Jawsh's birthday weekend... what will tomorrow bring???

41

Happy 41st birthday to Jawsh!  We had a lovely dinner at Spring in DTLA.  We enjoyed the organic menu and the cocktails!  It is always nice when we can spend a romantic evening together.  Where will we go with the kids to celebrate???

Family walk

We have lived in Playa Vista for about two months now and we finally took a walk up the bluffs as a family.  We did not walk all the way to the end, but we made it about half way.  The boys are growing up so quickly now that I really do cherish the time we have as a family to spend time together.  When will we get a chance to do this again???

Chess #1

Noah received the first place chess trophy from Chess Tutors for session 2.  He has enjoyed playing chess all these years and we hope that when he goes to middle school there will be opportunities for him to continue playing.  What other interests will Noah have???

Classic candy puzzle

Micah received this 1,000 piece puzzle over the holidays.  We finally had some time to take it out and the boys took about a week to complete it.  They really liked seeing all the different kinds of candy from the past.  When will they work on their next puzzle???

Strolling the neighborhood

This past weekend, we took the opportunity to go through our neighborhood and walk through the trails. We walked about two miles and saw the Tongva Discovery Center.  It was very interesting to read about the history of the Native Americans who lived here before us.  We enjoyed going through the neighborhood.  When will we get a chance to walk through the bluffs???

Expanders

Micah was so excited to see the orthodontist to get expanders... but once it happened the excitement left and tears followed.  Micah has to widen his mouth so he has upper and lower expanders.  It was very uncomfortable for him and it took a long time for him to adjust.  Afterwards, we went to 31 Flavors where he got a World Class Chocolate shake so that made him feel better.  Will we have to go back to 31 Flavors every time we see the ortho???

Promises

Our first rainbow in Playa Vista.  Promises.  The future looks bright.  What's in store for us in 2018???

LACMA

Today we went to LACMA to see Chagall's show:  Fantasies for the Stage.  The boys were not that interested in the costumes but they did like the Jeff Koons sculpture. When will we go back to LACMA???

New Years Eve

The last day of 2017.  We spent some time at the beach with friends.  The boys played flag football, Jawsh made the words Hot Mess with rocks,  and I enjoyed watching the sunset.  Afterwards, we went to V house to celebrate.  It was a great day with great friends.  What will 2018 bring???

Cousin Time

Kaitlyn and Co came to visit today.  We walked to our neighborhood park and they had a great time playing.  We also played  tennis and Emma took pictures wit her new camera that she got on Christmas.  We had lunch at 800 Degrees and then they played some more.  Cousin time is the best time, wouldn't you say???

Merry Christmas

I don't know how we ended up at a movie on Christmas but that's what happened.  The kids were begging to see Jumanji but by the time we got to the theaters it was sold out.  Instead they watched the movie, Ferdinand, which gave me some time to take a nap.  At least the kids had fun.  Will they do this again next year???

Disneyland

The kids are so blessed that they got to go back to Disneyland with their Emo and Uncle Zack.  They had a great time going on all the rollercoasters.  They loved Space Mountain and went on three times!  I am so happy that they got to go but I am secretly hoping that we can go as a family since we haven't been on any roller coasters with the kids yet but we may have to wait for the new Star Wars land.  When will we go???

Breakfast with Emo and Uncle Zack

We met Kelly and Zack at Grand Central Market in Downtown LA.  It was fun walking through the stalls and deciding what to eat.  Afterwards, we went back home to get ready for Christmas!  What will we do tomorrow???

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah!  This is the first year in many years where we did not have a Hanukkah party.  There was too much to do with the move in and organizing our belongings. Will we have space to have one next year???

Yayoi Kusama

Today we went to Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors Exhibition.  It was such a great show.  The kids really enjoyed the bright colors and shapes.  Jawsh was impressed with her sheer artistry, imagination, and ideas.  This was definitely a must see and we were so happy we did it.  It's fun to expose the boys to art and I hope that they will appreciate it.  Will they appreciate it when they get older???

Micah's winter concert

Micah's class sang two songs:  "50 Nifty United States" where Micah was holding the stage Lousiana.  Their second song was "If You're Out There" by John Legend.  It was fun to watch and the kids sang beautifully.  I wonder what they will sing next year???

Noah's winter concert

This is Noah's last winter concert at Open School.  He has been on this stage singing for the past six years and now it's coming to a close.  Noah's class sang two songs:  "Pure Imagination" made famous by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and "Best Day of My Life " by America Authors.  It was fun to watch and the kids sang beautifully.  Will Noah have winter concerts in middle school???

Go Vipers!

Micah had a great soccer season playing defensive middle back.  According to the coach, Micah was perfect for this position because he was quick enough to always run the ball down.  Unfortunately, the boys lost in the Championship Game but they had a fun season!  Will Micah get to play with his same team next year???

Hot Chocolate Nutcracker

Teacher date night tonight!  Micah and I met T and M for dinner and then we headed to Debbie Allen's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker.  One of our students, B, was in the show so we had to go and support her.  It was fun to see our student (as well as two more students that attend the boys' school) in the cast.  It was a great play and we really enjoyed it.  I wonder if we will get a chance to see it again???

Daddy date

Jawsh and Noah went to Santa Monica for a Daddy date.  They went to Hillstone to have a nice dinner.  Afterwards they went to the Nike store and they had a great time shopping for new clothes and shoes.  Noah had such a great time.  When will they have their next Daddy date???

GR Post It

Bucket list... Jawsh has always wanted to show at Giant Robot and he was invited to show some work at the Post-it Show.  Jawsh had 4 pieces up and by the end of the day, they were all sold.  Jawsh was super excited to have his work at Giant Robot and I hope he has another opportunity.... what will be his next show???

Dog lover

Micah is our champion dog lover... here he is holding Ricky.  Since the passing of Goldie, Watts, and Peanut we miss having dogs at Halmoni's house.  I wonder if she will get a new puppy soon???

Cheers to home ownership

As the boys sleep in their new room... Jawsh and I sat on the balcony enjoying a glass of champagne.  It's remarkable... I can remember our first night in our apartment off Federal #104 eating shrimp scampi on boxes because we had no table.  Tonight we are in our new home, enjoying our glasses of champagne, on our ice chest alas we have no outdoor table.  Funny how things change yet seem to stay the same way.  As we enjoyed the sounds of the frogs from the nearby creek to the stillness of our new reality... we are so blessed to be doing this life together like this... I wonder how the rest of the year will be???

First night

Noah's 11th birthday... our first night in our new home... sleep tight boys... what are you dreaming???

Magic show

Tonight we took the opportunity to see a free magic show in Santa Monica called Magicopolis.  We had a wonderful time watching the show and there was a lot of audience participation so it was fun to see the family being pulled up to help the show.  When will we go to our next magic show???

Happy Birthday Noah!

Happy birthday to Noah!  He's 11 years old and I can't believe how time has flown.  Noah is definitely changing from a boy to a preteen.  He can be moody at times and want space and then he is asking us to buy him a Lego set at Target.  Jawsh says to always buy the Lego set because there will soon be a day when he no longer asks.  We can't say enough about how proud we are of him... he is everything a parent would want in a child.  Happy birthday dear Noah... wonder what you wished for???

Universal

I spoke too soon... what more could they want???  Another amusement park!  We ventured to Universal Studios and the kids enjoyed faster and bigger rides than Legoland.  They had a great time on Jurassic Park at night (which is even scarier than in the day) and they loved the Waterworld show!  Will the boys remember these great times with their cousins when they get older???

Legoland

We are so blessed that we get to see our Denver cousins a few times a year!  It was a great day at Legoland but we definitely missed Jawsh.  The kids had fun going on all the rides and just hanging out together.  They had their fill of sugar, lego, and rides... what more could they want???

Eat cake!

Noah decorated his birthday invite which we placed on his birthday cake.  Happy birthday to my 11 year old baby.  I wonder what he wished for???

All In

Noah is turning 11 next week and we decided to celebrate his birthday a week earlier since all his friends would be on Thanksgiving vacation.  We took the boys to see Justice League and then we went to Hop Doddy for dinner.  The boys really liked the movie and they especially liked Flash.  After the movie, we went back to the house for a slumber party.  What time  will they go to bed???

Knotts

It's always a great time with the V boys!  My boys are very fortunate to have such a special friendship with J and G.  J and Noah have been to school since kindergarten and although Micah is one grade above G the multi-age classroom has given them the opportunity to be in the same class!  Today they ventured to Knotts Berry Farm, where the boys experienced their first rollercoaster with a loop:  Montezuma's Revenge (which was also my first rollercoaster loop).  I was bummed that I wasn't there but at least D sent me video!  I wonder what their next big ride will be???

Rock climbing

While Micah was at a friend's birthday in West LA, I decided to take Noah rock climbing.  Noah's Harabujee climbed mountains as a young man in Korea, so I know it's somewhere in him.  It was really amazing to see him persevere throughout the session.  In the beginning, he was very hesitant and he could barely get up the wall.  But after taking a few breaths and composing himself he got up a little farther each time.  I told him that it wasn't about getting to the top, but about surpassing his last stopping point.  I think this helped him because each time he passed his previous stoppage point, he was excited and motivated to continue.  By the end of the session, Noah had scaled three walls and reached the top of each one.  Proud parent moment.  Will he want to take more classes???

Student council

Noah is a Student Council Representative for his classroom and now he is running for the office of Secretary.  He created these great posters on his own and he has a speech ready to read.  Even though he is running unopposed, he still has to garner over 50% of the votes.  As a student body officer in my day, I am very proud of Noah for taking this step.  Will he want to continue leadership in junior high???

Chess champ

Noah came in first place in the chess program at school with a record 14 checkmates this past quarter.  He was very humble while accepting his award and we were very proud looking on.  Noah has had a great time playing chess, developing strategy, skills, and confidence.  Will he continue to play next year at his new school???