Redwood Forest

Today we drove to Henry Cowell Redwood Park.  We had an awesome day walking the trail and enjoying the scenery.  There was something about being in the midst of the beautiful Redwoods that have been around for thousands of years.  As we went down the trail, we were in search of a banana slug and by the end of the walk, Noah found one!  It was a wonderful day.  When will we come back???

The Giant Dipper

We made it to Santa Cruz!  As soon as we came into town, we ate lunch at the local hamburger joint and then we headed to the Boardwalk.  We didn't know that we would be transported back into time as the Boardwalk retained a classic carnival feel to it.  We decided to ride the Giant Dipper, the historic wooden rollercoaster, and we had a blast.  It was made in 1924 and it was very fun!  Afterwords, the boys ate cotton candy and took the Sky Glider, which gave us amazing views of the ocean.  It has been a great start to Jawsh's birthday weekend... what will tomorrow bring???

41

Happy 41st birthday to Jawsh!  We had a lovely dinner at Spring in DTLA.  We enjoyed the organic menu and the cocktails!  It is always nice when we can spend a romantic evening together.  Where will we go with the kids to celebrate???

Family walk

We have lived in Playa Vista for about two months now and we finally took a walk up the bluffs as a family.  We did not walk all the way to the end, but we made it about half way.  The boys are growing up so quickly now that I really do cherish the time we have as a family to spend time together.  When will we get a chance to do this again???

Chess #1

Noah received the first place chess trophy from Chess Tutors for session 2.  He has enjoyed playing chess all these years and we hope that when he goes to middle school there will be opportunities for him to continue playing.  What other interests will Noah have???

Classic candy puzzle

Micah received this 1,000 piece puzzle over the holidays.  We finally had some time to take it out and the boys took about a week to complete it.  They really liked seeing all the different kinds of candy from the past.  When will they work on their next puzzle???

Strolling the neighborhood

This past weekend, we took the opportunity to go through our neighborhood and walk through the trails. We walked about two miles and saw the Tongva Discovery Center.  It was very interesting to read about the history of the Native Americans who lived here before us.  We enjoyed going through the neighborhood.  When will we get a chance to walk through the bluffs???

Expanders

Micah was so excited to see the orthodontist to get expanders... but once it happened the excitement left and tears followed.  Micah has to widen his mouth so he has upper and lower expanders.  It was very uncomfortable for him and it took a long time for him to adjust.  Afterwards, we went to 31 Flavors where he got a World Class Chocolate shake so that made him feel better.  Will we have to go back to 31 Flavors every time we see the ortho???

Promises

Our first rainbow in Playa Vista.  Promises.  The future looks bright.  What's in store for us in 2018???

LACMA

Today we went to LACMA to see Chagall's show:  Fantasies for the Stage.  The boys were not that interested in the costumes but they did like the Jeff Koons sculpture. When will we go back to LACMA???

New Years Eve

The last day of 2017.  We spent some time at the beach with friends.  The boys played flag football, Jawsh made the words Hot Mess with rocks,  and I enjoyed watching the sunset.  Afterwards, we went to V house to celebrate.  It was a great day with great friends.  What will 2018 bring???

Cousin Time

Kaitlyn and Co came to visit today.  We walked to our neighborhood park and they had a great time playing.  We also played  tennis and Emma took pictures wit her new camera that she got on Christmas.  We had lunch at 800 Degrees and then they played some more.  Cousin time is the best time, wouldn't you say???

Merry Christmas

I don't know how we ended up at a movie on Christmas but that's what happened.  The kids were begging to see Jumanji but by the time we got to the theaters it was sold out.  Instead they watched the movie, Ferdinand, which gave me some time to take a nap.  At least the kids had fun.  Will they do this again next year???

Disneyland

The kids are so blessed that they got to go back to Disneyland with their Emo and Uncle Zack.  They had a great time going on all the rollercoasters.  They loved Space Mountain and went on three times!  I am so happy that they got to go but I am secretly hoping that we can go as a family since we haven't been on any roller coasters with the kids yet but we may have to wait for the new Star Wars land.  When will we go???

Breakfast with Emo and Uncle Zack

We met Kelly and Zack at Grand Central Market in Downtown LA.  It was fun walking through the stalls and deciding what to eat.  Afterwards, we went back home to get ready for Christmas!  What will we do tomorrow???

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah!  This is the first year in many years where we did not have a Hanukkah party.  There was too much to do with the move in and organizing our belongings. Will we have space to have one next year???

Yayoi Kusama

Today we went to Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors Exhibition.  It was such a great show.  The kids really enjoyed the bright colors and shapes.  Jawsh was impressed with her sheer artistry, imagination, and ideas.  This was definitely a must see and we were so happy we did it.  It's fun to expose the boys to art and I hope that they will appreciate it.  Will they appreciate it when they get older???

Micah's winter concert

Micah's class sang two songs:  "50 Nifty United States" where Micah was holding the stage Lousiana.  Their second song was "If You're Out There" by John Legend.  It was fun to watch and the kids sang beautifully.  I wonder what they will sing next year???

Noah's winter concert

This is Noah's last winter concert at Open School.  He has been on this stage singing for the past six years and now it's coming to a close.  Noah's class sang two songs:  "Pure Imagination" made famous by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and "Best Day of My Life " by America Authors.  It was fun to watch and the kids sang beautifully.  Will Noah have winter concerts in middle school???

Go Vipers!

Micah had a great soccer season playing defensive middle back.  According to the coach, Micah was perfect for this position because he was quick enough to always run the ball down.  Unfortunately, the boys lost in the Championship Game but they had a fun season!  Will Micah get to play with his same team next year???