JGs here they come!

The boys have been training for this 100 yard swim for quite some time.  We have wanted them to participate in Junior Guards for quite some time but COVID put a pause on this.  The boys have to complete 100 yards within a specified time frame to join the program.  Noah had to finish 100 yards in 90 seconds but he completed it in 70 seconds.  Micah had to complete 100 yards in 100 seconds and he finished in 75.  The boys are assigned to Venice Beach and we are very excited for them.  What will they learn???

End of an era

The store is closing very soon.  It's an end of an era.  The original store was opened in 1945 and then purchased by my dad in 1977.  The original store was demolished and relocated to its current location in 2003.  My parents have had this market for over 40 years.  I can't believe that it is closing now... I have my own childhood memories from the original store... what will the boys memories be???

 

Micah's Bar Mitzvah

We are so proud of Micah...  he had a wonderful Bar Mitzvah with family present and friends Zooming in to watch and support him. He did such an amazing job going through the service and his speech was so relevant and inspiring.  To say that we are proud of him is an understatement.  Even though we had to celebrate this huge milestone in a different way we were so thankful that family could be there in person.  I love this picture of Micah reading with his family through the generations. How will Micah look back at this time in his life???

Happy Birthday GA from the GG's

Happiest of birthdays to GGA from the GGs.  It's amazing to see the age different between the boys and Dot.  We were so happy to celebrate the birthday of our wonderful patriarch, GA.  What did he wish for???

 

45

Happy 45th Birthday to my dear husband!  While he enjoyed the grounds of the Getty Center I was stuck at home with COVID.  In over 20 years, this is the first time I have missed his birthday.  But I was happy that he facetimed me while they were there so I could be part of his day.  What did he wish for???

 

Go Liam

The boys finally made it to one of Liam's basketball games.  They enjoyed cheering on Liam and his team.  I missed this opportunity but hopefully I'll be able to catch a game next time.  Will Liam continue playing basketball???
 

Volleyball

This was Noah's last tournament of the season at the Anaheim Convention Center.  His team made it to Round 2 so they were very excited to represent their club.  Noah has improved quite a bit since the start of the season.  Will he continue to play club next year???

The Simpsons

Jawsh, Micah, and I found an old game at a pop up arcade next to Noah's tournament.  We all got to play The Simpsons.  Micah was Bart with the skateboard, I was Marge with the vacuum , and Jawsh played Homer.  This was a game that I played in my childhood so it was fun to share this moment with them.  I wished Noah was there so we could all play 4 characters at the same time.  Will we make our way back there???

Park time

The boys got to spend some time at the park with Grandma and Grandpa.  I was unable to join this time around but it's always nice when we can spend time with family.  When will we see them again???
 

Love

I love spending time with my husband.  It's hard to believe that we met last century and that it's been over 20 years of walks, talks, and everything in between.  Whether we're walking to pick up groceries or waiting for our kids, there is no one else I'd rather be with.  Who else would put up with me???
 

New Years Eve

Happy New Years!  After all this time, COVID 19 continues to inform our decisions so we decided to stay in together and to ring in the new year together.  It is always helpful to have sweet treats after a delicious dinner.  What will the new year bring???

First Clean Teen

Magic Mountain

Over the break, we were so excited to hear that Magic Mountain was requiring masks, checking for COVID 19 vaccinations, and negative tests before entry!  So, we decided this would be a great day to take the boys.  Unfortunately this was not just our idea!  It was pretty busy but despite that the boys were able to ride Tatsu twice and Goliath.   This was great especially since we only stayed a few hours.  The boys had a fun time.  When will we head back???

Teen Clean

We are so proud of Noah that he had his first Go Fund Me for a beach clean up fully funded!  These are the tools that he purchased with the donations.  He was super excited that Old Navy also donated money to help this cause!  What Noah plan next???
 

Merry Christmas

Merry masked Christmas.  We are so happy that we can celebrate Christmas with the family.  We did it a little different this year by asking that everyone take a COVID test before coming over to celebrate and to wear masks.  In all honesty, this is the only way we could celebrate together in these times.  My dad was feeling better and since he now has the booster shot we felt comfortable inviting extended family over.  Windows were opened, air filters were purchased, and tables for dining spanned across 3 rooms.  Merry masked Christmas... hopefully this is the first and last of this kind.  What will it be like next year???
 

Big boys

Big boys.  Noah is 15, taller than his father, and doing well his first semester in high school.  Micah is 13, taller than his mother, and also doing very well in his first semester in 8th grade.  Both boys are working hard in highly accelerated math courses, Honors programming, playing sports, attending Hebrew school (Micah is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah), and enjoying the freedom that eluded them last year at the height of COVID (when there were no vaccinations for their age group).  I still limit some of the activities that they can attend (which they think is unfair).  I think back to all that has happened and I am incredibly proud of these two because they navigate through their world with kindness and respect (and with a stressed out Mom).  What will 2022 bring???

Time with Emma

This was the first time Emma stayed the night in Los Angeles on her own and she absolutely loved it!  The boys were especially nice to one of their favorite cousins.  We had a great time hanging around Playa Vista, shopping at 3rd Street Promenade, and strolling Candy Cane Lane.  When will Emma visit again???

 

LACMA

Kehinde Wiley, the artist of the Obama Portraits, is an alum of the boys' middle school!  So we had to make a quick and special trip to LACMA to view his art before it leaves in a few weeks!  This piece is so wonderfully vibrant and amazing to see up close.  I love that the boys have their LACMA cards that give them free access to art!  When will we visit again???

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Bubbe and Aunt Julia came to Los Angeles to visit the family and celebrate the last night of Hanukkah!  Today Jawsh met them at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.  They had a nice time going through the exhibits.  The special exhibition features Hayao Miyazaki which spans all of his movies and illustrations.  When will the boys have a chance to visit???

 

Happy Chanukah!

Chanukah celebrations have been pared down for us because we are doing our best to keep everyone safe.  The boys have been going to masked teen meetings at Cool Shul once every few weeks and today we sent individually packaged Randy's donuts that they could pass out to celebrate Hanukkah but that the kids could eat at home.  It feels like a lot of extra work, because it is, but well worth it to keep everyone happy and safe.  When will we have a Chanukah celebration???