Take your head out of the sand, come to Ostrichland!

On our way to Solvang, we stopped at Ostrichland! It is a small farm off the side of the road. The highlight of our visit to Ostrichland was feeding the ostriches and emus. The landscape on which they roam is quite lovely and seeing them walking about on the plain that resembles their native desert is like being in another place and time. Noah was apprehensive at first, but Micah wanted to grab the bucket and feed all the birds by himself! Once they warmed up to the animals, they wanted to feed them again and again and again! Jawsh remarked, "This was an interesting stop along the way, something we will always remember but not necessarily have to do again." To which Noah replied, "When we come back with Kaitlyn we will do this again." So, I guess we will do this again with Kaitlyn if she ever goes to Solvang with us in the future... Noah is a thoughtful cousin, wouldn't you say???

Last night

Tonight we celebrated the last night of Chanukah. The boys loved opening their final gifts for the year and I think Jawsh and I are officially partied out. When Chanukah and Christmas overlap there is an extra dose of blessings, food, and presents!!! Next year, Chanukah falls before Christmas so it will be better spaced out. The boys had a great time with family and friends and we look forward to what the new year will bring... what will be our New Year's resolutions???

7th night

Tonight we celebrated the seventh night of Chanukah with Bubbe, Uncle Zach, and Dolly. We had a great evening at Bubbe's house eating good food, opening gifts, and playing games. Noah loved playing Dreidel with Bubbe and he spun gimel a record amount ten times (or so he claims) which made him very happy. Uncle Zach also set them on their path to rock stardom with their first real guitars! What will the last night of Chanukah bring???

Merry Christmas

This Christmas we are so thankful that we can celebrate with family and friends. Most of the family was in Korea so Billy's closest friends came over to break bread. We had a delicious holiday meal which consisted of prime rib roast, sweet and mashed potatoes, mac and cheese (and a bunch of other tasty foods). Jawsh made latkes (now a third time) and by far these were the tastiest. They were a big hit. Earlier in the day, we took the kids to see the movie, Arthur Christmas, and then we made gingerbread houses. And of course, the kids had a great time opening their gifts. Noah's favorite gift was the Legos Star Wars and Micah loved his green light saber. What will Christmas bring next year???

4th night

We celebrated the fourth night of Chanukah with Grandpa, Uncle Zach, Delee, and Kyer. I made Barefoot Contessa's matzo ball soup and brisket while Jawsh made the yummiest latkes. There was a lot going on in the kitchen but it was well worth it. The boys had a great time running around while the adults had time to eat dinner. What will the next night of Chanukah bring???

Happy Chanukah with the Shields

The tradition of the Smith-Shields Chanukah celebration continues to year four! Last year they came to our place and this year we headed to Simi Valley. It was so much fun catching up with everyone and watching the boys play. The guys made two types of latkes: sweet potato and russet potato and they were both delicious. Kyer, Noah, and Micah got along very well, however, at times there was two ganging up on one. It's so nice to have the families together. When will we see them again???

2nd Night

I just had to post these adorable hats the boys received from the Davis Rubins. Oh and how they loved those honey sticks!!! Isn't this just too cute???

1st night

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah and the boys are very excited. They have been singing, Chanukah Oh Chanukah, for the past several days and Noah has been reviewing the rules of Dreidel. As the boys get older, we are able to explain more about the origins of this special occasion and the holidays have more meaning to them. As we run errands, Micah is always the first to find a menorah and shout, "Chanukah Mom!" and Noah quickly corrects him by saying, "No Micah, that's a menorah!" What will these 8 nights bring???

Disney on Ice

Today I took the boys and Kaitlyn to see Toy Story 3 at the Staples Center. I didn't know what to expect since I have never been to an ice skating show, but it was fun. The kids loved seeing all their favorite Toy Story characters and it was pretty cool to see how the movie translated onto the ice. When will we go back to the Staples Center again???

Bye Daddy

Jawsh flew to Reno to visit with Uncle Steve and the rest of the Reno Family. We dropped him off at LAX in the morning and then I headed to preschool to drop off the boys. Micah, who usually sprints to the playground and forgets to tell me goodbye, was stuck to my hip all morning. I think he thought that I was going to leave him as well. Eventually, we were able to distract him with his friend and I made a mad dash to get out of there! How will Micah react when he sees Daddy again???

Mr. Valentine's Nature Class

Today the preschool had a very special guest, Mr. Valentine and his animals. The boys got to touch a Wallaby, a Kinkajou, reptiles (like a bearded dragon), frogs and snakes. This time around, Noah held the tarantula and got to pull a web from it! Micah also touched a tarantula, but he would not get near the snakes. Will Micah hold one next year???

LACMA

Today we spent some time the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA. Jawsh was really interested in the Eames installation (a full-scale replica of the Eames living room), which was a key component of the exhibition "California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. Micah was asleep in the stroller and Noah liked walking around and listening to the headphones set around the exhibit. Afterwards we went to see Jeff Koons' 10-foot "Balloon Dog (Blue)" and some other interesting work. Our hope is that Noah and Micah will appreciate the arts and enjoy various forms of art.. wonder what they will be into???

Korean brush painting

Of course, we had to stop at the Boonne's Children Gallery, inside the Korean art galleries in the Hammer Building. The kids learn about brush painting and Korean art. Noah and Jawsh were focused on the brush painting whereas Micah was into mixed- media using the brush paint, colored pencils, and markers. When I asked Micah what his piece was called, he replied, "Paint." The next time he finished his piece, he called it "Art." My literal little boy. Wonder if he will get into paint as much as his Dad?

Birthday bash continues...

Bubbe had a special day planned for Noah's birthday... she took him to see the Muppets! Noah had movie treats, his favorite cousin Kaitlyn, Micah and his Dad to watch this movie. Afterwards, Bubbe took us out to eat some yummy Italian food and we ended the evening with Noah's birthday cookie- cake. How will we celebrate next year???

5

Noah wanted to have his 5th birthday party at Scooter's Jungle where there were jumpers, inflatable slides, zip lines, and much more. Noah's favorite friends were at the Curious George themed party and he had a great time celebrating until he bumped heads with another girl and received a nice bruise on his face. He devoured his pizza but was so preoccupied with the amount of presents waiting to be unwrapped that he actually passed on his requested carrot cake (I worked hard on that cake)! Oh well. He had a fun time and that was all that mattered. I can't believe that Noah is already 5 years old... where did the time go???

Happy early Birthday

I always thought having a birthday so close to a holiday would be unfortunate, but Noah absolutely loves it. The word Thanksgiving is now a trigger word... Noah hears it and immediately says, "my birthday is coming." It's nice that the whole family can gather to celebrate Noah's birthday. He got a special birthday cake from my cousin, JooYoung, and his wish came true when Uncle Bill gave him a blue lightsaber and blaster pack. Noah's party (with his school friends) is tomorrow... what will that bring???

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with traditional American fare and of course kimchi. This family get together was extra special because it was JooYoung and David's first Thanksgiving as a married couple and Liam's first Thanksgiving ever! David was inducted to the family by having the task to carve the turkey (Jawsh was finally off the hook). The kids were very excited to have everyone over and it was just so nice to see my family all together (now that my Aunt and Uncle have moved to Korea we really miss them). When will we see them again???

Early Thanksgiving

We spent the day with GGA and GGT at Bubbe's house. We tried 5 Guys for the first time (the boys and I prefer In N Out but Jawsh liked the new burgers) and spent some time at the park. Later in the evening, Bubbe prepared Thanksgiving dinner which was delicious. Zach and Dolly joined us with some yummy pastries from Zovs. It was such a nice treat to spend an early Thanksgiving with the family. We are so thankful that we live so close to Uncle Zach and Bubbe, and that even though GGA and GGT are in Reno, that they visit often enough that the boys not only know who they are but enjoy their company. When will we see everyone again???

Congrats David and Jackie!

My cousin, Jackie, got married to her best friend, David. It was a beautiful ceremony at Cicada in downtown LA. We had delicious food and a great time! My Uncle and Aunt were dressed to the nines and everyone had a fun time watching the couple. When will we see them again???

Hape Brda!

Today we celebrated my parents' birthdays... my Dad turned 69 last Sunday and my Mom is turning 59 next Friday! My Mom made meeyuk gook (birthday soup), kalbi jim (slow braised short rib), and we had a ton of Korean side dishes. Everyone ate so much and we finished with a Chiffon Chocolate Cake. Noah drew a great picture of himself with Harabujee and Micah... this year Harabujee was holding a popcicle and money and he drew Halmoni with Watts and Goldie. What will we do next year???