Chess Tourny

This was Noah's first chess tournament where kids throughout the city came to compete for a grand title (Noah tied for second place with his friend pictured above).  It was pretty amazing to see all these kids from different schools from kindergarten to fifth grade playing for the top prize.  Considering the tournament went on for a few hours, past 7 on a Friday night, I think Noah did great.  Micah was eligible but preferred to watch from the stands.  Will Micah play in the next tournament???

Twins

Not to be outdone...  here is Micah and his twin!  Wonder who Micah will choose next year???

Triplets

Twin Day at school... Noah and his two friends decided to gel their hair into mohawks.  Within 10 minutes, all their hair went back to place.  Noah was a twin with the friend on the right last year... will they be twins again next year???

The wall #3

Color on the wall!   This painting is going to be so beautiful when completed!  We missed Jawsh at the basketball game but know he was there cheering the boys on in spirit while painting her hat.  What will it look like next week???

Pot o' gold

Noah made a leprechaun trap to put in his classroom for the weekend.  It was a super cute design with the straws propping up the trap. I wonder what he will think when he gets to class on Monday???

Readathon

The School Readathon is pretty amazing because the school community are on teams to see how many minutes they can read.  This year's theme is Time Travel so the kids have to read books from different genres.  Noah is on the blue team and Micah is on the red.  Which team will win???

Everything is AWESOME!

Today we went to see The Lego Movie (again).  The boys had a great time watching this action Lego adventure.  Everyone took a different message home... The boys took this message away: everything is awesome.  Jawsh thought the message was about how everyday people can be heroes.  And I left thinking that it's okay to mix the Legos up!  That was hard for me to see that yes indeed Ninjago can coexist with Star Wars.  How long will I be able to stand it???

Race for Success

The boys ran a 1k at the Race for Success at LMU this morning.  This was a fundraiser for the school and they had a great time.  Noah saw a good friend and ran with him whereas Micah and I ended up running together.   I didn't think I was going to run but I couldn't let him run alone so there I was running with a backpack and knapsack on my arm.  Note to self:  Jawsh or another adult has to be with me when attending these events.  It was fun but very crowded and I seriously thought I would lose one of the boys.  What will it be like next year???

Micah

At the beginning of the year we were worried about him in kindergarten unsure if we made the right choice to enter him (his birthday was 4 days before the cut off).  He was waiting for me to pick him up, he would cry at times, and share that he had no friends.  We were definitely concerned.  But after the winter break, things changed.  Micah learned how to play handball and the clouds parted.  He learned how all the chess pieces move on the board.  He started to make new friends.  He's been invited to too many birthday parties.  And he's happy.  He's a happy kid who loves school and likes to play handball.  Once he learns how to do a  slicey (a handball move) he will be ecstatic.  When will that happen???

Brooklyn Nets

The boys had a great basketball season.  Noah did a great job being a team leader and Micah gained confidence as the season went on.  The boys scored baskets throughout the season and they loved playing this sport.  Next year we have to decide if Noah goes on to the next league or if he stays one more year to play with his brother.  What will we decide???

Walking with Emma

When we arrive at my parents' home, the boys jump out of the car and run full speed to see their cousins.  They have a quick embrace with my parents,  quickly pet Watts and Peanut, and then they run for the room and play Minecraft. or Pokemon.  I always ask who wants to walk the dogs and usually Emma is up for the task.  I love these quiet moments that we can share with our niece.  When will we walk the dogs with her again???

Love note

Having boys two years apart is a good and not so good thing.  They spend a lot of time with one another at home and at school, so there are times when they bicker.  There are times when Micah cries out: When will I beat my brother in chess???  But there are also times when I find them sitting too close to one another reading a book or sharing an inside joke.  Or when Noah is in Micah's bed laying down with him.   I found this on the floor the other day that Micah wrote to his big brother.  I thought it was sweetest and hope to find more in the future.  What will their relationship be like when they get older???

Translation:
Der Noah I lov you
kis kis
frum Micah

The wall #2

The wall is slowly taking shape into a beautiful Oaxacan woman in a dress.  I wonder what it will look like when Jawsh is done???

Date with Mom

Jawsh and Zach took their mother out for Valentines Day to The Forum to watch Paul Simon and Sting.  I thought this was so sweet that they surprised her with tickets and by their smiles it looks like they had a great time.  Will Noah and Micah treat me the same when they are older???

Cousins forever

Noah loves his little cousin, Liam.  It's fun to see the boys interact with one another.  Liam is now trying to get in the mix with the older kids and it's really nice that the kids can grow up with their cousins.  When will we see them again???

Valentines Day

Tonight we went over to a friends for Valentines Day dinner and Noah got to see his special friend.  Last year he wrote this in kindergarten: "This Valentine is for my friend Nora because she is nise.  She is my preescool frend.  She likes swinging on the monkey bars and she runs fast." It's one year later and although they don't see each other often, it's nice to share a cupcake with a friend.  Isn't this adorable???

Chess

Micah is learning how to play chess after school at Chess Tutors.  I originally wanted Micah to play fiddles but he chose to play chess with his brother.  Noah is in the advanced level and Micah is now a beginner so they do not have a lot of interaction after school.  However at home, I have seen Micah's understanding of the game and his confidence  grow. Research shows that chess players show greater confidence, develop problem solving skills, logic and reasoning, develop mental disciple and concentration while learning good sportsmanship and strengthening rudimentary skills.  When will Micah capture Noah's king???

The wall

This is the wall.  It's the side of Cinco Restaurant.  Jawsh was commissioned to paint a mural.  What will he do???

Jordan and Pippen

Micah is playing his first season of basketball. He is very excited because he is on the same team as Noah.  Noah has really gained confidence this season (it also doesn't hurt that he is the tallest on the team) and Micah is playing a supporting role (meaning he passes the ball to his brother at every chance).  It's fun to watch these little guy play.  How will they do this season???

Goodbye friend

Today we said goodbye to Marshall Shields.  He was a member of the Smith Family who we will miss dearly.  Jay said it best, "all cookie recipes are made with a dash of salt to balance out the sweet" to which I added, "and Marshall was a cookie full of nuts."  I wonder what Marshall would say to that.

Post by Jawsh