Visiting with GA

Here is a great photo of the boys and Grandpa Art.  We are so thankful that the boys get to visit with him.  Noah and Grandpa Art have been writing letters since Noah was in first grade and they affectionately call each other "Penpal."  The last night we were in Reno, Noah and GA spent sometime talking at the table about GA's experiences growing up and living through World Wars I and II.  Will the boys remember these wonderful memories as they get older???

Fun in Reno

This weekend we ventured to Reno to visit family.  The boys loving visiting and staying at Bubbe's house.  It's almost a tradition to land in Reno and then to head to Sup for a healthy lunch.  The boys loved seeing the snow and hanging out.  We also went to a comic book/coffee shop (Jawsh's world colliding) and then we visited with Grandpa Art.  What will tomorrow bring???

Soccer mom

A lot of my free time is split between my responsibilities at home and my responsibilities as the team soccer manager.  I never thought I would be a "soccer mom" but here I am.  There is a lot of behind the scenes work but it makes it all worth it when the kids play hard and have fun.  This is a special team and they look like they are on a winning streak.  This weekend, The Blue Jets came in first place in the Hawthorne Holiday Smash tournament.  The final score was 2-1.  The boys were so happy and they really liked the medals (it had a snowman with a soccer ball) and the scarves they received.  Will they make it to Western States again???

HNY

Our family likes to head to the beach every new year... this year we headed to Manhattan Beach.  We had brunch, walked down the pier, and watched surfers and fishermen.  It was nice spending time with the family and looking forward to all of the wonders of the new year.  Going to the beach shows us how vast this world is... watching the waves and seeing how expansive the sea is reminds us to have gratitude for the new year.  What will the new year bring???

Mandoo

After sleeping in from last night's festivities, we celebrated the new year by making Korean mandu. Mandu are Korean dumplings filled with minced meat, tofu, green onions, garlic and ginger and usually served with kimchi, and a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar and chili. They are time consuming to make but worth it once you get to eat it!  The boys made a few then they lost interest and went to play with their cousins.  The mind was delicious nonetheless.  Will they remember these traditions when they get older???

Happy New Year

Happy New Year's Eve!  Our last day of 2019 was spent at my parents' home.  It's been a while since we brought in the new year with cousins.  My sister and brother were also there and I think the last time we were all together at NYE was over 10 years ago.  The family loved playing Catan.  What will the new year bring???

Merry Christmas

This Christmas, we had a delicious holiday meal which consisted of prime rib roast, green beans and bacon, sweet and mashed potatoes, four cheese mac and cheese (and a bunch of other tasty foods). The kids enjoyed opening presents and the adults had a White Elephant gift exchange.  Kaitlyn was sick this year so she was confined into her room and Atticus was upset that he was not sitting with his mom.  What will Christmas bring next year???

Graphic novels

I love the fact that the boys love to read graphic novels still.  They love heading to Dream World Comics and finding the latest book.  Is this something they will enjoy as they get older???

Happy Chanukah

Nothing says Chanukah like lighting candles on the menorah and making latkes.  The boys love this holiday because it's 8 nights of fried foods, presents, and Dreidel.  Will the boys continue these traditions as they get older???

Growing up

Micah is half way through his first year in middle school and we can confidently say  that he is doing well and has "figured" it out.  By that, he knows how much time to get to class in passing periods, he is understanding the expectations (and different personalities) of his teachers, and probably the most important thing... he knows that if he works on his homework at school he has less of it to complete at home.  Jawsh and I are  so proud of him.  Here he is with his favorite Chanukah gift- new AirPods...  what will the new year bring???

Post-it show

Jawsh's 3rd Post-It show is at GR in West LA.  It is such an honor to attend the show and fun to look for Jawsh's art!  Which post-it will be sold first???

Knotts Berry Farm

We love it when the cousins, Sophie and Daphne, come out to California to visit.  We headed to Knotts Berry Farm and the kids had a great time going on rollercoasters and hanging out all day together.  I had to put them in matching t-shirts because it's just too cute.  When will we see them again???

Happy 13th Noah

Happy 13th birthday to Noah!  This is the big year... the beginning of the teens... and we really wanted to do something really big but Noah knew exactly what he wanted.  He wanted to play sports with his friends.  We rented the soccer field and the basketball court and Noah had a great time with his buddies.  They noshed on pizza and chocolate cake from Susie Cakes.  We can't believe that he's already 13!  What will this year bring???

13

Noah is 13.  My chubby cheek boy is now 13.  He is in 7th grade and doing very well in school.  He is more confident and has good friends.  He is swimming much more and as you can see, taller than me!  He is working hard on his Bar Mitzvah studies and still a great big brother to Micah.  What will this 13th year bring???

Marina del Rey

The boys had a great time visiting Bubbe and spending time in the pool in Marina del Rey.  When will Bubbe come back and visit again???

Mom's weekend

This is our 6th Mom's weekend to Big Bear...  I can't believe that we still keep in touch with monthly dinners and keeping tabs with one another. I love my friends from the co-op and am so thankful for each and every one of them.  We have been through the toddler, elementary, and adolescent years with our kids, new home purchase, divorces, and now many of us are holding hands tight as we go through the teen years.  I'm so blessed to have these friends of mine.  When will we see each other again???

Addams Family

This Halloween we decided to dress up as the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky, altogether ooky, Addams Family.  I can't believe this is the 13th year for us!  Will this madness ever stop???

"Finding Elsewhere"

Noah submitted this piece entitled, "Finding Elsewhere" for the Fine and Performing Arts Competition sponsored by the LA Arts Collective and Westchester Rotary.  Noah did not have a lot of time to work on his project.  He submitted his piece and was chosen as a semi-finalist.  He was interviewed about his work and was awarded a $%0 check as an award.  Will this inspire Noah to create more art???

School projects

Micah's English project was to read a biography.  Micah chose John Lennon and read a book, wrote a report, and then made a board about him.  Micah did a nice job with the project, so nice in fact, that the teacher chose to keep his project as an example and hung it in her classroom!  This is very exciting for Micah  because he knows that this teacher has very high standards.  What project will Micah work on next???

Atom-Phosphorous

Noah's school projects have started!  He had to create a model of the atom, Phosphorous.  It was laborious but hopefully Noah is learning how to manage his time.  He had to paint the spheres, then wait for it to dry, and finally construct the model.  Noah also learned the importance of reading the directions because his platform was the wrong size and it had to be adjusted.  Will Noah  learn from these experiences???