Merry Christmas

Last year I asked, "What will Christmas be like next year when Micah is one???" Well it was full of new memories of fun. Micah enjoyed standing on top of wrapped presents and pulling down ornaments (breaking a few). He had no desire to open or even play with the wrapping, but he did enjoy throwing things. Noah and Kaitlyn were all about the presents. Kaitlyn understood the concept of her presents and she knew who Santa was while I think Noah just enjoyed opening and passing out gifts. Chanukah Harry was there with packs of socks for Jawsh. Speaking of Jawsh, he made his homemade lasagna which was a hit. It had a lot of competition with prime rib roast, green beans and bacon, sweet and mashed potatoes, cornbread, and much more. All in all, it was a nice time spent with family and a ton of good eats! What will it be like next year when Emma gets into the mix???

Merry Christmas Eve

It's been sort of a tradition for us to go to Kaitlyn's house on Christmas Eve so the kids could open presents under her Christmas tree. Last year, Uncle Bill surprised Kaitlyn and Noah with their very own Thomas the Tank Engine ride! And I asked at the end of my post, "How is Billy going to top this next year???" Well it was definitely topped. This year he bought Kaitlyn her very own Cadillac Escalade! It's a bit excessive if you ask me, but the kids enjoyed driving down the cul-de-sac in their new ride. Dare I ask: How is Billy going to top this next year???

Dino time

We headed to Exposition Park and went to the Natural History Museum with Kaitlyn and family. Lately, Kaitlyn has really been into dinosaurs so this was a fun experience for her. Noah and Kaitlyn really enjoyed looking at the dinosaur fossils and they learned that dinosaurs with sharp teeth eat "kogi" (meat) and dinosaurs with flat teeth eat "salad or lettuce." When will visit again???

Happy Birthday Linnea!

Today we celebrated Linnea's 2nd birthday. The boys had a great time playing with her and all of her toys, but the biggest hit for Noah was wearing Linnea's butterfly wings! If you know Noah, he definitely has a love for butterflies! Micah on the other hand, liked picking up rocks and sitting in dirt. How many times do we say that these two are different???

Happy Chanukah!

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year two! Last year they came to our place and this year they hosted the last evening (yes, we know we were a day off). Jay's triple fried latkes and Delee's matzo ball soup were a big hit! It was so much fun catching up with the family and watching the boys play, and I'm referring to Jawsh and Jay. They were in the garage on the instruments, playing dreidel, and flying Jay's model helicopter while toasting away with donuts! Of course, the other kids were having a great time too. Next year we celebrate back at our place... will I be able to make the matzo ball soup???

Chanukah oh Chanukah

Here is a short clip of Noah singing on the last night of Chanukah...
"Chanukah, Oh Chanukah, come light the Menorah. Let's have a party; we'll all dance the hora. Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat. Dreidels to play with, and latkes to eat. And while we are playing, the candles are burning bright. One for each night, they shed a sweet light, to remind us of days long ago. One for each night, they shed a sweet light, to remind us of days long ago." Wasn't that beautiful???

3 candles

We celebrated the third night of Chanukah at Bubbe's house. We were so excited to eat homemade latkes and brisket! Noah had a wonderful time singing "Chanukah oh Chanukah" and Micah loved climbing up and down the stairs. What will the next night of Chanukah bring???

100 days

In Korean tradition, on the 100th day after a child's birth, a small feast is prepared to celebrate the child's life. The number 100 has an inherent meaning of maturity and perfection. Our family celebrated Emma's Baek-il with rice cakes and Billy made her a special 100 Day Cheesecake. It's crazy how fast time is flying... I remember when we celebrated Kaitlyn's Baek-il like it was yesterday but then I hear her roaring like a dinosaur and hear Noah chasing her down the hall with Micah right behind and realize that they're growing up fast! Before we know it, Emma will be joining in... can I just stop time now???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today Noah's preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals. Noah got to touch an opossum, a Wallaby from Australia, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), insects, frogs and snakes (including a Desert King Snake). I am so bummed that I missed this special event but Jawsh was able to go and take some awesome pictures. Mr. Valentine even threw an insect at Micah, which landed on his stomach! Noah's favorite animal was the snake, so this is the picture that I posted. I wonder if he'll want one when he gets older???

67

We celebrated Harabujee's 67th birthday today. Of course Halmoni made a delicious Barefoot Contessa cake and this year the kids actually let him blow out his own candle. Wonder what he wished for???

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. Last year, Noah tried asparagus and green beans and loved it but now he has an aversion to veggies! Micah loved the dark meat on the turkey... will he like veggies???

3 (later that day)

We went to Bubbe's for dinner. Uncle Zach got Noah a cool Beastie Boy's shirt and we brought over a chocolate cupcake from Disneyland. Doesn't Noah look older with Daddy's hat on???

3

Today we ventured to Disneyland for Noah's 3rd birthday. Casey Jr. Train, Toon Town, Small World, and finally crossing over to California Disney so he could watch the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live Show was on his list. It was a real relaxing day and so much fun! Now that our annual passes have expired, when will go to Disneyland again???

Happy Birthday Noah!!!

Noah's 3rd birthday party was at the Petersen Automotive Museum. We had a fifties car theme with the kids dressed in jeans and cuffed white shirts. Johnny Rockets catered with sliders, fries, and shakes and Bubbe made an awesome cake with a race car track in the shape of a 3! Noah and his friends had a fun time going through the Discovery exhibits. This birthday party was great... what will be next year's theme when he turns four???

10

It has been ten years since Jawsh took me out on our first date in San Diego. Around this time last year, Micah was just a few months old and we didn't go out to celebrate. But this year we had a lovely dinner at Craft (yes, Tom Colicchio's restaurant) which was much nicer than Corvettes (the restaurant we ate at ten years ago). Wow... ten years has gone by fast, hasn't it???

Bowling!

Tonight we went bowling with the parents at Noah's preschool. It was a great evening full of beer, fried food, and fun times. It was nice to see everyone without their kids, just having a great time. We bowled two games before we got an unexpected call from Uncle Zach (who was watching the boys). When will we go bowling again???

Happy birthday Kyer!

Today we celebrated Kyer's 1st birthday! We had a nice time at the park and it was great to be part of the celebration. Here is cutest picture of best friends (two generations) wouldn't you agree???

Adventureplex!

Today we went to Adventureplex to help celebrate Nathan's 3rd birthday. It's a cool place for kids to climb, jump, and slide. It was so great to reconnect... when will we see them again???

Oh Micah!

Anyone who has spent time with both Noah and Micah, know that these two boys are different. Micah likes to grab cords, the mini-vacuum, pull blinds, and jump off beds. Today he decided to pull the blinds, which then knocked down Noah's framed hand and foot print, cracking the frame, that hit the plug covering, which scared Micah and knocked him down over his car. Oh Micah! And where is your sock???

Crumb at the Hammer

We took advantage of Free Thursdays at the Hammer Museum to check out the Robert Crumb exhibit with a few of Noah's friends. Noah really enjoyed seeing Raiden (not shown), Andra, and Atom for dinner but the museum was tricky. Having 3 kids and 2 babies in tow was disturbing to some of the museum guests who gave us the "stinky eye." But as parents who love the arts and want to expose our children at an early age, we were determined to make this a pleasurable experience (meaning we took them out of the gallery if it got too loud). Next show on schedule is Giant Robot... who wants to come???