Morning Walk

Living in Playa Vista affords us beautiful walking paths and pristine landscapes.  We had a nice morning walk as a family.  I wish we would do this more often.  When will take our next family walk???

Summer days

Summer days are the best, wouldn't you say???

All Stars

Micah had an awesome season with his team and was selected to be on the All Star team again!  He had a good time with his friends on the All Star team.  Will he want to continue to play baseball next season???

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Nothing says beautiful acoustical music like the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  We had the opportunity to hear young musicians play in the hall and we had amazing (free) seats!  My hope is that these cultural experiences the boys receive will inspire them to create beauty in the world.  After hearing the music, I wonder if they will they want to learn a new instrument???

Art

After 20 years (yes, we met in 1999), we still like going to art museums and hanging out with one another.  It's always lovely being around Jawsh and an immersive art installation from Yayoi Kusama.  How many more art galleries will we visit in the next 20 years???

Culmination Party

Today was Micah's last hooray with some of his 5th grade friends from elementary school. They had fun watching a movie in the private screening room and playing games afterwards.  Being part of a magnet school means that the kids separate into various middle school programs.  Micah is bummed that he is no longer with his close friend, M, who is attending a different school.  What new friends will Micah make in middle school???

Micah's Culmination

My baby is no longer a baby.  I guess this has been a true statement for some time but now that he has culminated from elementary school and he is heading off to middle school, I really feel this.  Micah had such a wonderful, nurturing, and fun experience in elementary school and I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to be there to witness a lot of it.  I am so proud of the person he is and the person he is becoming.  How will Micah transition into middle school???

Noah- Resident Artist

Noah's middle school has many after school opportunities and we were so thrilled when they offered an art class!  He was selected to be a resident artist and participated in a ten-week session where he worked on painting.  At the end of the semester there was an art show in the library.  Noah was so happy to show three pieces inspired by Robert Oxley.  Isn't his work amazing???

Micah+Kona

Micah loves, loves, loves dogs.  Here he is with Kona.  Isn't this too cute???

Bandette

Jawsh was gifted this awesome electric guitar by his friend who plays in the band, Bandette.  Jawsh has been designing Bandette album covers for years and this was a nice surprise to find in the mail.  Will Jawsh take up guitar lessons???

The Bruin Experiment

The Bruin Experiment was started by UCLA neuroscience students to help young students pursue technological and scientific interests.  Noah had two mentors and studied the effects that video games have on the brain.  He presented his research at UCLA in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom and was judged by UCLA professors.  It was amazing to watch Noah discus his interests and findings.  We were very proud of his efforts and he was awarded an Honorable Mention Prize.  Will Noah want to pursue a career in the sciences???

TED Talk

Back to life in LA...  Micah created a Ted Talk on the Great Barrier Reef.  He worked incredibly hard on his research and that was reflected in his video.  We are so proud of the work that Micah has accomplished at school.  What will he think of middle school???

Liam

I don't even know how to start this post...  it was a freak accident that Liam slipped while playing basketball that led to a major head surgery.  I can't even believe what would have happened and how much our lives would have changed if Liam did not receive the proper care.  We are so blessed that Liam made it through surgery and that he will be okay.  Will this trauma affect him in the future???

Bryant Park

Our last day in New York City was not spent at the MET as planned but outside enjoying the city at Bryant Park.  We literally spent the day sitting, drawing, eating, and playing games.  It felt like we were locals and I loved it.  I loved not having to catch a subway to the next stop and to have to use my maps to get to our next destination.  We had such a lovely time that I look back at this day with great fondness and gratitude for our time spent in the Big Apple.  When will we come back???

Midtown Comics

If I had to search through New York looking for my family, I know where I would go... Midtown Comics.  The boys found their happy sanctuary here.  I thought we were popping in for a few minutes but an hour went by faster than they imagined.  A mecca of comic books, Noah and Micah were happily reading and catching up on series.  We were impressed by the depth and knowledge that the workers also had... when will we come back for a visit???

Word Trade Center

This was one of the more somber times we had this week in New York.  We weren't sure if we were going to come to World Trade Center but we decided that this was just too important to pass up.  It was quiet.  It was sad.  It was frequented by the most officers than we have seen yet.  We were all in awe and in appreciation of all  those that lost their lives in 2001.  A wonderful tradition is to place a rose on the plaque on their birthday.  Happy birthday to Stephen Harrell.  We wonder... we will ever see peace in our life time???

Central Park

I love going to the quiet and still parts of the city and was so happy to spend a leisurely day at Central Park.  We enjoyed walking the paths, seeing the cherry blossoms, visiting Strawberry Fields, and watching the boys make massive bubbles with a Bubbleologist in the park.  It just felt like the right time to visit and to get away from the bustle of the city.  When will we come back for a visit???

Empire State Building

To think that we were going to pass up on this iconic building is crazy to me... but there we were debating if we should wait in line to nature up to The Empire State Building.  Thank goodness we decided to take the plunge!  We went to the 86th floor and enjoyed the sites of the city!  It is a beautiful Art Deco skyscraper with a height of 1,250 feet and stands  total of 1,454 feet tall with the antenna.  The boys seemed like they enjoyed this experience more than the Space Needle in Seattle, although that is only half the height of The Empire State Building.  What iconic structure will we visit next???

Hamilton

Tonight we went to Broadway and watched Hamilton!  It was very exciting to be in the theater where it all started.  Jawsh and I had the opportunity to see it in LA but there was something magical about watching it in this city.  The boys were mesmerized and so thrilled.  They even got to meet the actor who played Hamilton after the theater.  Can anything beat this awesome experience???

Brooklyn

Today we ventured to Brooklyn where we met up with Cam.  We took the metro into Brooklyn and walked back to NYC over the bridge.  The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.  It is one of the oldest roadways and was the world's first steel wire suspension bridge.  It was so beautiful and the weather was just right.  Will we be able to walk across it again this trip???