Beach days

The boys have been waiting for this day for sometime... a beach day with the K family.  It was so nice to hang out again.  It took a minute for Micah and B to warm up but once they started playing sports it was easy to hang out again.  Sometimes I forget how weird it can feel for the kids to reacquaint themselves with friends especially since it has been such a long time but they were fine.  When will we see them again???

Chess Smiths

Noah has been working hard to develop a program called Chess Smiths.  It is a two-week introduction course to the basics of chess.  He had 3 students join and he met them over Zoom for 1.2 hour sessions.  It is really nice to hear Noah be so encouraging to his students and to watch him prepare all of the slides that he is using to teach.  Will his students enjoy the game of chess???

F9: The Fast Saga

We hosted a celebratory movie screening for Noah and his friends who completed middle school and are off to high school!  The Cinemark rents out theaters for private parties so the kids watched F9: The Fast Saga.  It was so nice for the kids to reunite.  When will Noah see his friends again???

Homemade Icecream

Homemade vanilla ice cream was the first attempt Micah made in our new ice cream maker.  He did a great job making the ice cream.  Then we made Jawsh's coconut ice cream.  What ice cream flavor will we make next???

Swim Team

Now that LA County is in the yellow tier, which is the least restrictive, due to low COVID 19 rates and that the boys are vaccinated, we felt conformable enough for them to rejoin the swim team.  The boys have not really swam in such a long time but they were surprisingly fit when they went to their first practice.  We were amazed that they swam so many laps in one hour.  They were definitely tired after they finished, but they felt accomplished.  When will they return to training for the Junior Life Guards???
 

Nara at LACMA

For Father's Day, Jawsh wanted to go to the museum.  Our first re-entry into the world of art took us to LACMA to view the work of Yoshitomo Nara.  He is a Japanese artist and his work was influenced by his memories, music, and literature.  We viewed his expansive collection that spans over 30 years and there were so many of his personal sketches!  There was so much inspiration to view.  What are the boys inspired by???

Emma's World

Finally!  After 16 months the boys were finally able to enter Halmoni's home!  Since Emma and Liam are too young to get vaccinated, the boys wear their masks indoors.  Kaitlyn was at volleyball practice so the boys hung out with Emma and Liam for most of the day.  Emma painted their nails and did their hair and they played all of the old games they used to play like Hide and Seek.  Now that they are much bigger they are finding that they don't fit in the same old hiding places.  It was a fun day being back with the cousins... when will we visit again???

Galaxy's Edge

After much contemplation, we took the boys to the happiest place on Earth with one destination in mind... Galaxy's Edge.  We made reservations for Disneyland, timing it with their COVID vaccinations to ensure that they were fully vaccinated before we ventured into the amusement park.  But right before our well in advance planned trip, California lifted the mask mandate!  Even though we were all fully vaccinated, and it was a hot summer day, we still wore our masks all. day. long.  The silver lining was that the park was at 35% capacity so the boys could ride all of the rides that they liked.  They also got to ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run where they were both the pilots and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.  An unforgettable experience was  building their own custom lightsabers at Savi's Workshop and trying Luke's blue milk at The Milkstand.  It was a very memorable day... what summer adventure will we try next???
 

Tennis

For the past year, we have been playing a lot of tennis.  We especially liked reserving a private court near our home since LA County was in a high tier of COVID 19 transmission.  The boys took to tennis well and Noah became more interested in the sport, declaring that he would like to play in high school.  Since we just play casually, it was time for Noah (and Micah) to have some direct instruction so they started lessons with Coach Byron.  We hope that Noah will reach his goal to make it to the freshman team.  Will he make it in the Spring???

Car Parade

Over the weekend, Noah's school had a 8th grade car parade so the students could pick up their certificates from the school.  Noah saw a few of his teachers and ended up seeing a friend who was a few cars behind us which was a nice surprise.  In a year full of the unexpected we are glad that there was some sort of closure for Noah this 8th grade year.  He worked incredibly hard all the while dealing with social distancing and not seeing friends.  What will this summer have in store for him???
 

Happy Promotion Noah

 

In a year of school closures, the 8th grade promotion was also cancelled and celebrated from home.  We watched a virtual culmination where Noah was honored with the Gold Principal's Award for maintaining a 4.0 GPA all 3 years in school.  He was also voted 8th Grade Best Hair and he received the Most Improved from his Art teacher.  But Noah's dreams came true when he got to eat his own 6 inch Susie Marble cake!  He was very happy.  We are proud of all of Noah's accomplishments... what will high school bring???

Getty Villa

We went to the Getty Villa this afternoon!!!  It was our first outing in a public setting in over a year and it went okay.  We avoided all of the buildings and stayed in the garden the entire time.  We found a cool marble bench and the boys spent some time sketching.  It was a really nice visit.  When will feel comfortable going inside???

Just us

It's been a very long time since Jawsh and I got to spend some time together alone. Today we left the boys at home and we went to the South Coast Botanical Gardens. We took our time in the Rose Garden, smelling every rose, and then we walked along different paths.  It was a really peaceful day.  When will go out again???
  

Vaccines

Today was a very exciting day.  The boys received their COVID 19 vaccines!  Jawsh drove them to the Forum and they were able to get their shots.  When Jawsh sent me this picture, I felt this cloud lift off my shoulders.  I didn't even realize it was there.  This pandemic has taken a toll on, not only the kids, but us parents as well.  I have been so worried and concerned but I will say thanks to modern medicine, I am feeling so much better.  I hope that their friends will also get their vaccinations so they can all hang out together.  When will they be able to see their friends???

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers in the world who love their children with all of their heart.  The boys made me wonderful cards with illustrations.  What will the day bring???

Vaccine

I am so happy that  Jawsh was able to get his vaccine shot.  We have been concerned about Jawsh and Noah because they have asthma but I am so glad that we have one less person to worry about.  I hope that the kids will be approved to have a vaccination soon!  When will that happen???
 

Back at work

I am back at work in person with the students in the morning and on Zoom in the afternoon.  I didn't know what to expect today so I tried to be prepared.  I purchased a well fitting mask, had a plastic face shield, and also a portable microphone so the children could hear me clearly.  I am sure that it was weird for them to see me like this in class but then again everything is weird.  Keeping the students 6 feet apart is challenging but they have been really great about wearing their face masks.  What will it be like next week when they have to COVID test on campus???

Hello Cousins!

 

It was so nice to finally hang out with the cousins at the park.  Our stay was not as long as the kids would have liked but we were all grateful.  Kona was so happy to see us that she kept barking, jumping, and started to pee out of excitement. The kids played basketball and soccer and had a great time.  When will we head back???

Lunch Buddies

This is a behind the scenes shot of the teacher teaching class!  This will the last week we see our students over Zoom so we are all having lunch together.  Micah likes to make me lunch so I enjoyed a sandwich and BBQ chips.  I will miss the days of having lunch made for me.  What will they serve tomorrow???

Happy Birthday Grandpa

Happy 70th Birthday to Grandpa Barry.  We got to swing by to wish him a Happy Birthday.  Later in the evening, we sang and watched him open presents over Zoom.  We can't wait until we all get to share a meal together again.  When will that be???

Happy Easter

It's been a few years since the boys celebrated Easter with the cousins.  Three years ago, Liam was hospitalized with a head injury, and the last two years we have been in a pandemic.  The boys were pretty disappointed that we did not see family but the 12 inch golden egg filled with candies and coupons helped their mood.  It was a quiet Easter, just like the other holidays, and we are looking forward to celebrating again.  Which holiday will it be when we get to celebrate with family???

Boujee vs Budget?

The boys participated in the UCLA Bruin Experiment as it went virtual this year!  Micah chose to do a chocolate study he called, "Boujee or Budget?  The Chocolate Taste Test." He had participants try different types of dark chocolate with 70% cacao and rank them.  Noah did an experiment entitled, "Feeling Moody: How Screentime Affects Your Mental Health and Mood."  Noah surveyed 8th graders regarding their time spent on devices and their mood afterwards.  Micah placed first in his group and Noah received an Honorable Mention.  This was a great experience for both of them as they got to present their research to UCLA professors, UCLA students, and peers.  Will Micah want to participate next year???

Beach Nights

We love the beach.  Morning. Noon. Night.  Sometimes it's just nice to go and take a walk and to feel the sand in between our toes.  We love to hear the crashing of the waves and to breathe in the salty air.  Micah usually finds a treasure buried in the sand and Noah likes the water- even going in when it is way too cold.  We are thankful that we live so close to the beach and can venture there when we feel.  When will we head back???

Happy Passover

Like all of the holidays during the pandemic, Passover was celebrated differently.  It was a quiet Passover this year.  We celebrated with Cool Shul over Zoom and then we enjoyed our Seder at home.  The boys were in charge of making the charoset and they especially liked eating the matzo ball soup.  We made small Passover bags to give to family.  Micah found the afikomen but it took longer than expected.  Will we be able to celebrate Passover together next year???

From Italy

The sculpture is in...  all the way from Italy.  Jawsh found an artist in Italy that was able to make a 3D model and print of Melting Man.  Due to COVID-19, it took 4-5 months to be delivered because it was held in customs in NYC.  Jawsh was so excited that it finally made it here.  What will he create next???
 

UCLA

It's been nice to venture to UCLA for a walk around the campus.  We like to start off at north campus so we can walk through the Sculpture Gardens.  The Sculpture Gardens established in 1967 has figural and abstract art.  Here we are in front of Richard Serra's 42.5 ton installation entitled "Torqued Ellipse" or AKA known as "T.E. UCLA."  As we walk in and around the installation, we experience space and balance in a different way.  It's pretty amazing to see how grand this installation is up close and I like the fact that it is outside.  The other Serra pieces are at LACMA and there is a definite difference when we see the installation outside.  When will we return to campus???

South Coast Botanical Gardens

We have really enjoyed walking at the South Coast Botanical Gardens.  It's just far enough away to feel like we are going somewhere and it's so expansive that we have plenty of room to walk and enjoy nature without others right next to you.  We enjoy walking the perimeter of the estate and my favorite garden to walk through is the Rose Garden.  Every time we go to the gardens, we notice something new.  Micah especially likes finding the rabbits and Noah and I are on the look out for the blue peacock.  We haven't seen it in a while so we have an increasing prize pool for the first person who sees it.  I think the prize pool is up to $40 now.  Who will see the peacock first???

Brothers = Buds

 It's been a while since I've seen the boys side by side on the same bed...  this made my heart so happy.  Through the pandemic, the boys have been together 24-7.  They are in the same room while taking classes, they eat their meals together, and they spend all of their free time together on walks, playing tennis or skateboarding.  They are together a lot!  But even though they are together all. the. time. I am so happy that they have one another.  Even though they are in different Zoom sessions, it's still nice to have a real person next to you like you would in class.  And even though they argue, it's still nice to have someone to argue with someone face to face.  These two are definitely buds.  Will they be like this as they get older???

COVID 19 Vaccine

Today I received my first COVID 19 vaccine.  I signed up for the Forum and was able to drive through.  It was about an hour wait because there were so many cars.  I was happy to sit through the line because that means there are a lot of people who are getting the shot which will make it better for our community in the long run.  At this point, I think the schools will be reopening soon so I hope that I will be able to get fully vaccinated before I return.  What will that be like???
 

Hang Out, Do Good

The boys have been continuing their Jewish studies with Rabbi Diane over Zoom.  She recently shared about a non-profit organization that helps the unhoused and hungry called "Hang Out, Do Good."  The boys made lunches and we also included a kit that contained socks, chapsticks, and face masks.  It feels good to help others.  Will they continue this good deed???

Palos Verdes

Sometimes it's nice to take a drive just to get away...  and we have found that we enjoy the drive to Palos Verdes.  The boys can spot Catalina Island and it's just a really nice scenic drive.  As we look out the window, the boys will share stories from their experiences in 5th grade at Catalina and remember some of the good times they have shared with their friends.  It's been almost a whole year since they have seen their friends so we know that they miss them a lot.  We are hoping that the COVID 19 vaccine will be made available for teens soon....  when will that be???

Happy Valentines Day!

This morning I made challah french toast shaped into hearts for the boys.  Then for lunch they had heart shaped grilled cheese sandwiches and then for dinner we ate Mongolian food made with love by a good friend.  All of the meals were an expression of love.  It's important for us to remember that, especially when we feel so isolated.  It's good to celebrate the holidays that pass as it helps break up the monotony and reminds us of the good times, wouldn't you agree???

Happy 44th

Happy 44th Birthday to Jawsh.  Micah put the sign up but since we did not have enough b and p letters, he had to be creative with the spellings.  It's a weird time that we are celebrating birthdays in quarantine and not able to be together with family and friends but the boys and I tried to make this day special for Jawsh.  Happy 44th... what did Jawsh wish for???
 

Viruses

Micah has been learning about viruses in science and was tasked to make a bacteriophage.  He learned about how a virus can infect and reproduce which is so apropos with all of the news about COVID 19.  He made the top with paper origami and placed it inside a toilet roll with paper clips on the side.  He seems to enjoy science very much.  Will Micah have a future career in the sciences???
 

Family walks

 

This is a typical day for us.  After a long day of Zooming with our classes we take some time in the evening to enjoy a socially distance mile walk.  We have our normal walk which takes us to a small trail and then out to the fountains where we can see ducks and turtles.  There are so many people out feeding the animals that they like to swim up to us in hopes of getting some food, but we never have any.  We are incredibly blessed to live in this community to enjoy all of the trails and the boys are so blessed to have one another to keep each other company. As much as I like to think of the positives, I am ready for us to go back to normal.   When will that be???

Crazy for Kamala

It's so nice to have something positive happen right now and we are so incredibly excited that Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States!  How amazing and uplifting!  We watched the Inauguration and have been following all of the headlines.  We wished that we could have been there in person but we will hopefully be there in 4 years when the Biden-Harris team is re-elected!  What will the world be like in 4 years???

Diversity

We are really glad that Noah is taking art this year.  It gives him a different way to express himself and the course work requires him to work off of the computer!  Long gone are the rules of limited screen time, as the boys have all of their assignments, books, and classes online.  It's pretty hard to determine if they are online studying or doing something else, now that they are in the room with their AirPods in their ears and the door closed.  What is going to happen when they transition back to school???

Music Appreciation

Jawsh has tasked himself to create a Music Appreciation course designed by him to teach to the boys.  There have been a few sessions so far and the boys seem to enjoy it.  They have heard music from Mozart, Beethoven, Claude Debussy, and George Gershwin to name a few.  I wonder what genre they will listen to next???  

Ahead in the Clouds Puzzle

Jawsh made his very own puzzle entitled, "Ahead in the Clouds"  It is a 1,000 piece puzzle with lots of pink!  This has definitely been a challenge for the boys but they are motivated to complete this task because their Dad designed the puzzle.  When will they finish the puzzle???

Kenneth Hahn Park

 

The boys and I went to Kenneth Hahn Park to take a walk.  We are really fortunate to have some of the cleanest and prettiest trails in PlayaVista but it was nice to venture off to a new part of town.  We barely scratched the surface walking around Kenneth Hahn and we hope that we will be able to take longer hikes on the more popular trails in time.  We are still social distancing and staying away from crowds so it has been challenging to find popular walking trails that do not have a lot of people around.  When will COVID 19 end???

Harry Potter 3D Puzzle

The boys received a 3d Harry Potter Puzzle this past holiday season.  It was definitely a challenge to build up and connect pieces of cardboard that could easily rip.  Even through the frustration, they persevered and were able to complete the Hogwarts grounds.  Jawsh then made a short movie with a Harry Potter mini figure flying around the castle.  What puzzle will they work on next???

Happy New Year

This has been some year.  We are hoping for a new year full of good times with family and friends and hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel.  This has been hard but we want to remind ourselves that we have so much to be thankful for.  What will 2021 bring???

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from sunny California.  The boys woke up to Christmas in our home for the first time in a long time so it was definitely different.  They opened their presents, had cinnamon rolls, and then we went out for a 2 mile walk.  It was warm and sunny and we were thankful that there were not a lot of people outside this morning.  Another holiday has come and gone and we are really looking forward to the day where we can be with friends and family... when will that be???

Drive by Santa

Micah and I drove to Ontario to drop off presents for the family.  It was definitely sad to not go in the house or see family.  We literally left the box of presents at the front door and then as we drove off Micah called Liam to tell him to retrieve the presents.  Liam wanted to see us but we drove back to LA.  Micah was really sad but we know that this is the right thing to do, especially because of COVID.  Anyway, this is a different year and we will get through it.  When will we see our family again???

 

Harry Potter 3D

We have been on a Harry Potter kick these past few months.  Micah read the entire Harry Potter series in a matter of weeks for the first time.  Then we watched the films and allowed the kids to finally watch the last few movies.  For Chanukah, we bought Micah the Harry Potter 3D puzzle set so the boys have been steadily working on constructing the wizarding world. Micah also received the Harry Potter Advent calendar (see Lego on the map) and he was happy to get the Durmstrang ship.  When will they finish this puzzle???

Holiday lights

Tonight we drove through Westchester looking at the holiday lights while listening to Mariah Carey's Christmas album and drinking hot cocoa and eating candy canes.  It was fun to drive around the streets with different themes like the gingerbread street, snowman street, and candles.  This was one of our favorite houses...  gingerbread sporting UCLA and Caltech gear.  Who knows... will Noah be wearing these sweaters in a few years???

Happy Chanukah

 

Happy Hanukkah!  Noah received his own menorah from Bubbe so we had two beautiful Hanukkiahs at the table.  It was a quiet celebration this year but we were grateful to Zoom with family and wish them a Happy Hanukkah...  will we be able to celebrate together next year???

Treats

Gluten and dairy free banana muffins and a cold press helps Jawsh get through the work day.  We miss the days when we could walk to Blue Bottle for a mid-morning drink but grateful that we can enjoy it at home.  What can I bake next for him???

Chocolate Tasting

Cool Shul had a chocolate tasting as part of their Hanukkah celebration over Zoom.  It was very interesting and we learned a lot about chocolate and how it is grown and cultivated.  It's a pretty long process from bean to sweet treat and now we have more of an appreciation for chocolate and chocolate makers.  Will this inspire us to try different chocolates???

Sip and Paint

This evening I participated in a Sip and Paint class with my co-workers for our holiday party.  It was not as relaxing as I would have liked but I came away from the evening with a deeper appreciation for artists.  I can't even remember the last time I painted... when will I paint again???