Highline

After our time at the Whitney Museum, we walked up to the Highline to Chelsea Market for lunch.  The Highline is a 1.45 mile long elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan.  There were many interesting art pieces.  There was a chilly wind that met us on our walk, so we definitely walked briskly to Chelsea Market.  I wonder what the rest of the day holds???

Ellis Island

This is a big year for Noah as he starts his Bar Mitzvah studies and we wanted him to appreciate his family history so we thought that we should take him to where it started in America...  Ellis Island.  Jawsh's relatives came to the United States at the turn of the century.  With the help of docents, we were able to read historical documents and learn how relatives came in steerage, which were on the decks and were the lowest fare to cross the Atlantic.  It was amazing to witness the history and to try and comprehend what immigrants went through to make it to this country.  Our hope is that Noah and Micah understand the perseverance and grit that it took for their ancestors to come to this country.  I wonder can anyone really understand their struggle???

Statue of Liberty

Our first full day in New York started early in the morning.  We made our way to Battery Park and took the ferry, Miss Liberty, to Liberty Island.  It was so foggy that I was worried that we were not going to see the Statue of Liberty, but the fog wore off and we enjoyed our time.  We had tickets to go up to the crown so we walked up the 354 steps and a great view of the tablet and the torch!  It was definitely an amazing experience and it makes me excited for the rest of the week.  What else will we do???

NYC

Our first night in the Big Apple.  We ate dinner at Shake Shack and then walked around.  Grand Central Terminal is very close to our hotel so we bought our metro tickets for the week and read about the history of the building.  Afterwards, Micah wanted to eat a pretzel so we grabbed one on our way out.  It is so exciting to be in New York... I wonder what our week will be like???

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my brother, Billy!  He's a great dad, fun uncle, and we're so blessed that the cousins are growing up with one another.  Another birthday in the books!  I wonder what he wished for???

Western State Champions

They came, they saw, and they conquered!  The Blue Jets won Western States!  I can't believe it.  I remember when the Coaches said they would get here and it was a fleeting thought that actually came into fruition!  As team mom, I am super proud of all these boys!  Will they want to return and repeat next year???

Awkward

Noah's word: awkward.  This is an awkward picture most definitely.  As he matures, he is going through the stage where his parents are embarrassing (why, because I kiss his cheek in public?).  He's almost taller than me, he is independent, proud of his 4.0 GPA, juggling after school activities, new friendships, and we are so very proud of him.  What will it be like when he turns 13???

Soccer

The Blue Jets continue on their winning streak...  I can't believe how long this season is going!  They won Regional and now they are headed to State Finals.  Will they come out victorious???

Melting Man

Here is it...  Melting Man enjoying a cup of coffee.  Love. Love. Love.  Don't you love it???

Bavel

Happy 42nd birthday to my wonderful husband.  We drove through tough rush hour traffic to reach Bavel.  We were happy with our meal and the time we got to spend together.  The boys were adventurous and tried new foods, which we loved to see.  I wonder what Jawsh wished for???

Family garden

It's actually working!  Who knew that sowing seeds in soil, with water and sun would actually work!  It's amazing to see the fruits of our labor.  I can't wait to eat all the goodies from our garden.  Will the boys like beets???

Last day

This is the last day of the strike.  I am so happy to return to the class tomorrow.  10 days out of the classroom is a big deal and I know that everyone is happy to go back to school.  Well, maybe... Micah would rather be out striking still.  Who is this kid???

Day 6

The best picture ever.  Wouldn't you agree???

MLK

How poignant... we have been on strike for the past few days to take a collective break in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Now more than ever, I feel that we have to stand together to make a change.  I hope that Jawsh and I can impart this civic duty and social consciousness to Noah and Micah.  What will they do to change the world???

Day 1- Strike

 The last teacher strike in Los Angeles was in 1989.  Twenty years later, 34,000 educators went on strike.  As a veteran teacher, this was not something that I necessarily wanted but something I had to do.  This was a post I wrote the eve before the strike:

Tomorrow I will go on strike. I will be picketing in the rain with my husband and sons, 20 colleagues from my school site, and 30,000 more teachers from the district. This is not what I hoped would happen, but what has to happen. 

- I am striking to make a difference in the lives of all students. 
- I am striking for students who do not have the educational environment and support systems they need. 
- I am striking for the thousands of students who are sitting in overcrowded classrooms who don’t have desks and sit on the floor or lean on a wall. 
- I am striking for the 80% of the district’s students who live at or near the poverty line and have a right to librarians, nurses, counselors, and psychologists more than one day a week. 
- I am striking in the hopes that we do not break the district into “32 networks” so the haves keep having and the have-nots are left with nothing. I do not want Los Angeles to be the next New Orleans where there are no more neighborhood schools. 

I am not striking against schools but FOR schools. It’s not a cliche, teachers teach because they want to make a difference. And tomorrow, teachers will strike to make a difference.

The box

Jawsh was commissioned by the City of Los Angeles to paint this electric box located in Westchester.  I can't wait to see what he will do.  Any guesses???

Happy New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!!!  What are your New Years' resolutions?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year's Eve!  Our last day of 2018 was spent at Playa del Rey Beach.  Jawsh and I enjoyed a coffee from Playa Provisions and the boys enjoyed a sweet treat.  It was a very relaxing day and we enjoyed the time together.  What will the new year bring???

Santa Monica Pier

One of our gifts to the kids is the gift of time.  We spent the whole day in Santa Monica with the kids riding rides at pier and eating grass-fed burgers at Hiho.  It was a great day and the boys love spending time with their cousins.  At the end of the night, we played Catan as a family.  These are the memories that will last a life time, don't you think???

Adventure awaits!

Kaitlyn spent the tonight and we decided to have an adventure... we took the Playa Vista shuttle to the Fisherman's Wharf in Marina del Rey.  Unfortunately everything was closed and we didn't spend much time there so we walked a few blocks to eat at CPK.  Will we take the shuttle to Venice next time???