We stayed close to home this long weekend, going to the Seattle aquarium, checking out this new place called The Scratch Patch (thanks Joanne for the idea) and having a very artsy weekend doing various crafts at home.

Micah had a half day on Friday so we met Bo in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle to check out The Scratch Patch.  It was right up Mich's alley-he loves details, classifying, and searching for things.  You basically pick out rocks that you think are interesting, then look them up on a chart to see what they're called and where in the world they're from.  Then you purchase bags and take the rocks home.


Micah making the most of this sensory experience.







These beads that Halmoni and Habugi bought for the kids to make jewelry was too difficult to string because most of the holes were so darn small.  So I bought some natural clay and the kids had fun using them this way.  We'll paint them when they're dry.  And yes, the kids stayed in PJ's for most of the day.  Does anyone remember "Little Twin Stars" from Sanrio?  They were my favorite Sanrio characters in the 80's so when my mom saw these nae bok in Korea when they went this past winter, she got them for Hannah because it reminded her of me when I was little.  Of course, these are unlicensed :)



 

 

More plaster animals and rock painting



Face painting



 

   

AZ hanging out





So this is the corner of our living room that's the kids art space.  I like leaving paper, stickers, scissors, stamps, and various writing tools available for the kids to use whenever they want.  It's great because they'll be playing and think of an idea, run to the table, draw, color, cut, tape and they've got a "picture" version of whatever they needed. I also keep math manipulatives(from my old teaching days), puzzles, and other educational activities in the drawers.  This is also the wall space that is their rotating art gallery.  They spend a good amount of time here everyday so it's worth the mess that often results...we're still working on learning to clean up after ourselves.



I wanted to post this because this is my all-time favorite art find!!  Micah had this kraft tape dispenser at his old co-op and I loved it because there were so many uses for it and the kids could use it without much help and it's much easier for them to use than regular scotch tape.  I can't remember the website I got it from but you can google "wooden kraft tape dispenser".  It's kind of a big investment up front for "tape"(around $50), but the rolls just last and last.  And the kids use it for so many things besides just sticking things up with it. 

You might be getting sick of all these pics of my kids, and wonder occasionally if I really have any other interests other than my kids, but I ditched the paper version of scrapbooking when I had Hannah, and opted for this time-saving, instant gratification way of preserving family memories.  I can't even begin to tell you the hours I would spend in considering layouts, incorporating different mediums, color choices, themes, cropping, no, enlarging pictures...and all that before I even got to the journaling part.  I miss the creative outlet it was and the satisfaction of creating something that i could hold and touch but who has the time?!?!  And since I have even less time now, I guess xanga is becoming a way of just cataloging and sharing the many pictures I take during the week. 



Bo had a late meeting last week so I surprised the kids with a special after school activity of painting these little plaster dogs and cats while we waited for him to come home.  Micah gets pretty intense with "projects".  While he's doing it, it doesn't look like he's having any fun b/c he doesn't talk, gets real focused, and won't stop until he completes it.  Then, when he's finished he'll smile and say "That was fun!".  I was immensely relieved that aaron took his long nap during this time because these days, I feel like it hardly slows down enough to really enjoy being with these two.  I especially miss Micah since he's gone all day and when he comes home, I pass aaron off to Bo and get started with dinner.  And soon after, it's already bedtime.  It made me sad today to think of how little I read with him now.  It's a good thing he's starting to read on his own



Hannah and her friend Mia after church on Mother's day. 
We got Mia that dress for her birthday and her mom and I  *facebooked* that they would be twins that day.



For rest time, Hannah wanted me to make a "bed" for her on the first step of the basement.  I thought it was really cute how she fit perfectly!



Hannah banana. 
That banana toy az is holding was Hannah's when she was a baby.  az just licks it to death.
You can actually "peel it" to reveal the face.  It's cute.



On our way to her end-of-year class picnic at the park.  She insisted that she wear her hat that way and that she had to wear some bling.
Those are my mother's day flowers in the planter.  I love them!  I enjoy cut flowers but always feel like it's a waste of money for how long they actually last.  So I told Bo years ago that i really don't mind if he doesn't buy me flowers and I don't think he minded being told so .  But thise mother's day, HE had the great idea of buying me ones that I could plant.  He and the kids let me sleep in Sunday and came in the bedroom each holding the different flowers in their hands.  I tried really, really hard to ignore the little pieces of dirt falling on the carpet while I admired the flowers and thanked them.



How hairbands always end up on Hannah.


So FINALLY it warms up here in seattle this past weekend.  And our backyard gets all lush without us noticing until now so we spent a lot of time in the creek.



Look at micah's pastey white legs.  It's been a looong winter, folks.




I love this picture because it looks like they're out in the wilderness somewhere. 
We've waited all winter to do this and now I can't wait for the blackberries!







Micah searching for the first water striders, aka "jesus bugs", of the season. 


Hmmm, something feels weird up there


Think I'll check it out


Got it!

We spent the weekend in Portland with our friends from Sacramento the Huesters and the Shupes who now live in Portland and Vancouver, BC.
The best part was watching our kids play together as if no time had passed.  These guys are some of my kids "oldest" friends and I'm so glad we're close enough to each other now to get together at least once a year.




The boys doing what boys do

 

 

 

Making S'mores after dinner on a tiny little s'more maker.  
We're all telling the kids, "No, you can only make one, that's enough for you."  But after they went down, us grown ups polished off the rest of the grahamcrackers and when there were no more crackers left we just ate marshmallows with chocolate. Muhaha...what we get to do...because we can.
 

Some pics of Hannah around the house after school one day.  Just thought she looked extra cute that day

Dancing...
  

....and her 80's flashdance look after rolling around in the playhut




Hannah is a v-e-r-y slow eater.  It drives me nuts!  Especially since I had Aaron and we're usually on a very tight schedule in the mornings.  She eats so leisurely and chooses that time to do lots of imaginary play and talk to herself.  And these days, besides breakfast(her favorite meal of the day), she eats so little.  And she really can't afford to lose weight.  So to entice her to be excited about lunch, I've been having lunch tea parties with her.  Nothing fancy.  I use cookie cutters to do different shapes for sandwhiches and anything that can be dipped.  Hummus and pita or veggies and ranch.  Then she gets her drink in a tea cup.  It works everytime!



Aaron trying out a bumbo seat at a local drop in and play place




Happy Teacher's Day!
Picked up this succulent garden at Trader Joe's yesterday, painted it, stuck on ribbon and a stamped tag and tada...and inexpensive but cute teacher appreciation day gift for Mrs. Schultz!




 

Yay for Korean Nae bok (or pj's)!!!  
They are so comfortable, become super soft as you wash them, and look so quirky because of the "roomy" backside and funny pictures or words on them that make no sense "Happy dog day smile" (you know what I mean if you've ever seen Korean stationary or Art Box stores in LA )  When we went to Korea 2 years ago, I bought enough Nae Bok to last the kids until next winter.  And since Bo's brother lives in Korea, I can ask them to bring some back when they visit the states.  Micah wore his nae bok to school for PJ Day and his teacher told me his pajamas were "interesting"  

So today was AZ's Baek-Il, or 100th day of life. 
Back in the day when infant mortality rates were high in Korea, they often didn't fully expect their babies to live on until they reached the 100th day of life.  Many times, babies wouldn't be given a name until they reached this age.  So on the 100th day, they celebrate.  According to my mom, today the significance of the 100th day is generally thought of as the time when mothers have fully recovered from labor and babies become easier to care for because they're sleeping better, fall into a rountine, etc. 

AZ at 100 days:
-sleeping 12.5-13 hours straight at night from about 8pm-8:30am-PRAISE THE LORD!
-found his thumb so is self-soothing at night, which is responsible for the above
-napping 3-4 times a day
-really easy to make laugh or smile(he has a really hearty laugh-SO cute!)
-trying to grasp and at least hitting his hanging toys
-not pooping everyday anymore(not sure if this is good or bad!)
-eating every 3-3.5 hrs
-cooing at everyone but Hannah
-still hating, hating his carseat
-holds head up
-follows small objects with eyes
-drooling incessantly




We don't have family around Seattle but we wanted to do something small to mark this day since AZ is our last baby.
So I made dak kal gook soo(korean chicken soup w/thick noodles) and picked up some dduk(rice cakes) from the korean market.
Those dduks right in front feel just like AZ's cheeks and thighs


AZ is sportin' Micah's old soccer outfit(that he never got to wear b/c at 3-6 mths. it was still cold in Chicago) and Micah wore his soccer shirt tonight too.
One of those Bumbo seats would have been helpful but it worked with Bo hiding behind him and holding him up.

 
That pose on the right is supposedly called the "moro reflex" that all babies have at this age.
(edit:oops, actually it's called the "tonic neck reflex".  Moro reflex is when they startle and their arms and legs kick out.)
I think it's really AZ practicing his poses for when he scores on the field like his big brother.



It was impossible to get all three looking at the camera at once but these candid shots are more fun anyway.



I swear Hannah was not posed in these!

 


So after pictures, we put his bib on and this is what it looked like after about 5 minutes!  He started producing crazy amounts of saliva at 2 months and the stuff just drips out constantly.  I think he completely soaks through 6 bibs a day and then I "recycle" them.  If they don't have spit up on them and it's just clear saliva, I let it dry and then reuse it later the same day-a bit stiffer but it gets the job done!   What can I say, he's a third child.

Aaron was baptized last Sunday by Pastor Eugene Cho at our church Quest. 
Thanks to Vince Vonada for taking these pictures!



I love my Aaron boy-especially since he slept 12 hours last night, waking only once to eat, and is taking a looong morning nap now
I am constantly amazed by his pleasant, smiley, sweet personality.  He is such a joy to us already!











I like this picture of the church extending their hand of blessing to us during the prayer



This was at the very end of the day and by then, AZ was hungry and tired and just wouldn't go for one last picture.
Our pastor, Eugene, went to Lowell HS in SF with Bo and they even ran track together.  Now here we are at his church after all these years!