Sunday, December 13, 2015

Pooping Snowman

Da boys and I completed a project! Gingerbread houses. Or more accurately, Graham Cracker Houses. Hey, some houses are made of brick, some of stucco.. I suppose a little variation in building supplies is normal. It was my first time building a house. Casey built one last year. Sydney recently built his first one at school and set out to do some home improvements and remodeling. I never knew any of this, but apparently, all the building supplies are edible.. even the 'glue'... More than a house, we built entire scenes. All of ours featured a pooping snowman... Come on, what do you expect if you give three boys brown M&M's, Hershey Kisses and marshmellows..

Monday, November 30, 2015

Eyeglasses

I have been told numerous times that Casey looks just like me. Well, add one more similarity to the list... Glasses. My boy got his first pair of eyeglasses.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Kissing Game

Sydney and I are playing a new game we made up. It's called the "Kissing Game". It usually takes place at bed time. Here's the way it works. Whoever goes first picks a body part to kiss. For example, I kiss Sydney on his forehead. Then he must reciprocate, and kiss me on my forehead. Then I pick another body part, such as his ear, nose, shoulder, etc. and kiss it. He then kisses the exact same part on me. Then we usually move to his variation of the "Kissing Game". This part is called the "Scratching Game". He usually starts this one off. He scratches a part of me, in a particular manner. For example, he will scratch my forehead from eyebrow to ear, then move down my cheek. I have to remember what/ and how he scratched me, and do the same motion to him. It's kinda like that old game where a series of different colored buttons would light up in a random pattern, and you had to press the buttons in corresponding order... Ah yes, Simon...

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Halloween 2015

We just completed Halloween festivities for 2015. They included a school costume parade, a house party (complete with a ghost pinata)... ( Don't ask.. its Southern California, we have pinata for every occasion), pumpkin carving, and of course, trick-or-treating. This year, Casey dressed up as Thor. Mommy got creative and MADE Thor's hat and Mjölnir (Thor's hammer). Sydney opted for video game legend, Mario.

The Cutest Mario Ever!


Thor and his superhero buddy Iron Man


Pinata party with friends... Joshua, Kaishu, Gian and Paolo


Pumpkin Carving

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Casey and Sydney's Factory of Treats

Da boys and I went to the grocery store. Da boys picked out chocolate cake and sprinkles frosting. We walked in circles looking for eggs, and then spent considerable time debating the differences between brown eggs and white eggs. Ultimately convinced that brown and white eggs are interchangable, we returned home. Da Boys blocked off the kitchen, and created signs... "Casey and Sydney's Factory of Treats" and "Do Not Come In" . Da boys helped pour the water and the oil.. then did the most important task... Licked the cake batter bowl. We baked Mommy's birthday cake, then all Da Boys frosted it...

Blocking off the kitchen so Mommy cant come in
Warning sign: Do not come in
Casey and Sydney's Factory of Treats
Quality Control
Group Effort
Make a Wish and Blow

Friday, September 25, 2015

Game Time

Sydney had his first t-ball game this past weekend. I'll be honest. I was a little worried. The weather was HOT. I was hot and uncomfortable... and I wasn't wearing a baseball uniform. Those poor kids were sweating bullets. But little Sydney did great. He played in the field all three innings, standing in the HOT sun and didn't complain once.

First in game at-bat ever
Roasting in the sun
Legging out an infield hit

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Sydney Pre-school

This week, Sydney started his last year of pre-school. Of course we had to take photos to commemorate the moment.

1st Grade

Casey just started 1st grade. Just like we did last year for kindergarten, we all walked him out the back gate to his school to drop him off. We took correlate photos to compare from year to year. To see one year ago at this time.. CLICK HERE.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Sydney T-ball

This week was Sydney's first foray into T-ball. We were fortunate enough to get him on the team with Coach Mike and Team Mom Ashley, who served similar roles for Casey's previous T-ball teams. Sydney's first practice went pretty good. He followed along, and did everything the coaches asked... And he did it all with a big smile on this face. He ran the bases.. in the correct direction. I suppose this shouldn't come a surprise, as he liked to race me around the bases at the conclusion of every one of Casey's games last season. In addition, he did get to RUN THE BASES AT DODGER STADIUM this summer. They did fielding drills, in which Sydney tried to lower his glove on top of ground balls as they came toward him. They also hit off a batting tee. Coach Mike patiently showed Sydney how to stand, hold and swing the bat. He did get quite a few hits!

Unfortunately, he had to miss his team's first game, as he needed to attend his grandpa's 75th birthday surprise party. But we'll be back to practice next week and then he will make his game debut next weekend!

Notice the red and green socks and mis-matched shoes. This is Sydney's 'Thing'. He loves to express his individuality by intentionally choosing mis-matches. Coach actually LOVED the idea, as it make it simple to instruct 'red sock forward' or 'green sock forward', instead of assuming 4 year olds know the difference between their right and left foots.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Pool Games

One thing that has been told to me over and over again is to enjoy and savor every phase as the kids grow up. Kids grow in and out of phases so quickly, it seems that if you blink, you might miss a phase in your child's life. So, I try very hard to take that advice to heart, and soak up each phase as it presents itself.

We are currently in a phase where Da Boys love swimming. I know, shocking huh? Kids that love swimming pools. How novel. But the particular phase is that they love swimming with Daddy. They love when Daddy plays with them in the pool. Sometimes, I'm tired, or cold, or whatever, but I try to remind myself; this phase isn't going to last forever. Accordingly, I try to take advantage of as many of these opportunities as I can.

One of these pool phases as already kinda passed. It was called Casey-Bomb, or Sydney-Bomb. This was a game stolen from Uncle Ed and cousins Chantal and Elena. When they were little, Uncle Ed did Wugga-Bombs and Goo-Bombs, where he would pick them up in the pool and throw them, thus causing them to splash down in the water like a bomb. Well, I stole the idea, and would announce "Casey-Bomb" or "Sydney-Bomb" before picking them up and throwing them into the water. Casey always enjoyed this 'activity' more than Sydney; although Sydney is beginning to derive pleasure from this game too!

Hulkie
This one comes from the Incredible Hulk. I am Hulkie; and I chase Da Boys around the pool and roar and pick them up and throw them. In turn, they hit Hulkie in the head, and try to push his head underwater.

Sharkie
This one is sort of dying off too. It was more popular back when Da Boys didn't swim so well. Each one would ride on my back as I swam partially submerged as they rode above the water surface. Hence, they were riding the shark.

Cargo
This one consists of each of Da Boys hanging on to my arms, while I tow them around the pool like cargo. Of course, the ride gets rough, and I eventually dump the cargo into the water.

Tick-Tock
I think this is actually a children's activity that was learned in organized Daddy and Me swimming classes. Of course, me and Da Boys have our own version. It goes a little something like this. "Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, I'm s little cuckoo clock, how I'm striking X o'clock." I pick a number for X and dunk them X amount of times underwater until the clock runs out. Sometimes, on the last repetition, I will throw them in the water instead of dunk them.

These are all the games that come to mind now, I'll add to the list when we phase into new ones. Maybe I can even dig up video examples of each game.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Surfing USA

Da Boys took in an evening beach session in Ocean Beach, Ca. Uncle Ed and cousin Elena came surfing, and Casey did some boogie boarding. Until now, Casey had mixed feelings about boogie boarding; he was definitely interested, but a little scared. Well, one ride and he was hooked. I showed him how to dive under waves while paddling out and he even survived some epic wipeouts!

Friday, August 21, 2015

Sydney Basketball

We are in the mist of a new basketball season. As you may recall, Sydney's rookie basketball season didn't go so well. To read about it.. CLICK HERE. In fact, he didn't make a basket the entire season. He definitely got discouraged, and quit trying. Not unlike some early entrants in the NBA draft, Sydney just started playing while he was too young. And that is on Mom and Dad. We miscalculated, and started Sydney a FULL YEAR earlier than we started Casey. And at age 3-4, what a difference in maturity (both physical and mental) a whole year makes.

So that brings us to today. He donned his old #24 uniform, and played the whole game. He smiled and laughed while playing! And... he made his first competition basket. Yup, that's right, he made a basket during the game! Actually, now that I think about it, it was his first basket ever, of any kind.. Practice, game, shoot-around, anything.. To have it happen during his first game of the season made it that much more special!

Congrats Sydney!!

Video and Photos below.

Sydney 7-2015 from p wang on Vimeo.