Lauren & Sarah

100th School Day

2012-02-09T07:49:00.002-05:00

To celebrate the 100th school day, we thought we'd try to do something that was a little more interesting than bring in 100 marbles. Lauren drew a turtle with 100 turtle squares and Sarah made a crown decorated with 100 flags.

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

2012-02-07T12:43:00.001-05:00

Sarah and Lauren are busily working on Valentine's Day cards for their classmates.

Is Daddy In a Show?!

2012-02-06T08:56:00.002-05:00

Cool! We all stayed up past our bedtime to watch daddy Joe give a toast to the lassies during the Tuck Scottish event. Watching all these men wear skirts was pretty fun too.

Bird Story by Lauren

2012-01-31T09:53:00.003-05:00

As I was cleaning up the pile of papers on the dining table, I came across this story that Lauren wrote and illustrated.

Artist at Work

2012-01-29T09:05:00.002-05:00

If you were to paint an animal's face, what would you paint first?

Lauren's expressionist painting of a dog.

Our House Shoe Rule

2012-01-27T15:47:00.002-05:00

Shoes on wood
ain't no good,
Shoes on tile
make me smile!

...Joe came up with this the other day and I thought it was pretty good.

Dressing Up

2012-01-24T07:58:00.000-05:00

Isn't daddy Joe being a good sport?!

Winter Cold

2012-01-22T09:28:00.001-05:00

Sarah spent much of Saturday fighting her cold.

Concert

2012-01-21T10:16:00.002-05:00

Sarah and Lauren have been in an after school children's chorus every thursday afternoon and they performed in their first stage concert last night. Sarah said that she was a little bit scared, but Lauren said that she wasn't at all.

(UVMC - Upper Valley Music Center).

Fighting for Prime Spot

2012-01-17T07:57:00.001-05:00

Sarah and Sam were vying for the warmest spot in our house.

Brrrr!!!

2012-01-16T09:38:00.002-05:00

With the wind, it was insanely cold outside yesterday on the ski slopes.

Official Ski Season

2012-01-11T20:09:00.002-05:00

First day of group ski lessons for Sarah and Lauren. They are doing really well ... this might the one physical sport that they feel confident about.

Daisy Scouts

2012-01-10T07:59:00.002-05:00

Today is Lauren's and Sarah's first official Daisy Scouts meeting.

Topic: Starting our Animal Adventure

Agenda: The Daisies begin to identify ways they can care for animals. They start a Team Animal Mural and create a Team birdbath.

Ski 2012

2012-01-07T17:19:00.001-05:00

Sarah and Lauren's first day on the ski slopes. Sarah was cautious and willing to do some ski "exercises" to improve her form. Lauren, on the other hand, did not want to do anything but just ski however she felt ... and she skied well, but fast and aggressively. Whee!!!

First Week of 2012

2012-01-06T07:58:00.002-05:00

As a start to this new year, Lauren and Sarah have freshened up their appearance with a new haircut and plenty of new clothes. Bring on the winter!

Daddy as Furniture

2012-01-05T08:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, Joe is there somewhere.

Home Sweet Home

2012-01-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

Everyone is relaxing at home before we all resume school, work, etc. tomorrow.

Our Last Day in New York City

2012-01-01T08:22:00.005-05:00

After spending a good amount of time in New York City, the big question was what we all wanted to do on our last full day here.

It was series of compromises, but we had a full and memorable last day ...

* Morning breakfast at Uni cafe (S & L's favorite; french toast, fruit, juice; couple blocks away from our apt at Columbia (Upper upper west side)).

* Lunch at Shake Shack (Joe's favorite; burgers, fries; near Museum of Nat'l History).

* Afternoon exploring Central Park (S & L brought their little journals where they drew sketches and wrote about what they saw.)

* Shopping at FAO Schwarz (All four of us got a little momento there...Joe got a fossil, I got some geodes, Lauren got a craft, and Sarah got a book.)

* Dinner at Kibo. Joe and I wanted our last dinner to be *spectacular* and this restaurant met all expectations. Incredible food, chic decor, great service. (Japanese grill a la "Kill Bill" movie, near Union Sq.)

City Transformed

2011-12-28T21:08:00.001-05:00

Picture of Lauren at Columbus Circle, NYC.

Power of Money

2011-12-27T09:33:00.004-05:00

Having received some money for Christmas, Lauren and Sarah (and I) spent the day after going shopping. Lauren and Sarah felt empowered having their own money and they were very excited knowing that they had enough to buy their favorite toys.

Lauren-isms

2011-12-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

First of Lauren sayings:

Go super early (spelling corrected)
Have a meeting
Play a game

Second of Lauren sayings:

Be a friend all the time!
Smile when you are happy.
Explore the world and have fun.
Play together.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T11:16:00.003-05:00

Our third Christmas in New York City is another big success! In great anticipation for all the presents opening this morning, Lauren slept in the closet while Sarah slept with Daddy last night. As soon as Joe and I got our first cups of coffee, Lauren and Sarah began opening presents. They are very happy with all the clothes, toys, books, and crafts. In fact, they are begging me to read them their new books as I'm writing this ....

The Nutcracker

2011-12-24T08:42:00.002-05:00

What a treat to see the NYC ballet perform The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. We wore fancy clothes to watch this fancy show at this fancy theatre.

New Sleeping Quarters

2011-12-23T08:31:00.002-05:00

Lauren and Sarah have created a new sleeping area for themselves ... in our closet. Now, they have their own bedroom with TWO beds and two closets but for some reason, the floor in our one little closet in Joe's & my bedroom makes for better sleeping and playing.

Tree Lights

2011-12-22T08:08:00.002-05:00

These trees that flank the main pathway across Columbia campus light up starting at 4pm. Joe, Sarah, and Lauren momentarily stop to eat some roasted almonds.

Sculptures Around Campus

2011-12-21T06:40:00.002-05:00

Because of the location of our apartment, we have to walk through campus whenever we want to go pretty much anywhere ... stores, restaurants, subway station. These are some of our favorite sculptures.

Children's Museum of Art

2011-12-20T10:34:00.004-05:00

What a great place: a museum dedicated to displaying and making children's art. It might be an all time record - we spent 5 hours at (this) museum ... looking at art, making our own art, making new friends, and seeing an old friend (who happens to be living in NYC right now).

Holiday Tree

2011-12-19T08:29:00.001-05:00

It's not the winter holidays without a decorated TREE!

Gingerbread House

2011-12-18T13:18:00.002-05:00

Making and decorating a gingerbread house is messy business!!

(We're in New York!)

Packing for Christmas in New York

2011-12-16T10:13:00.002-05:00

In addition to all the the regular packing for our upcoming New York City trip, we also need to make room for the Christmas presents! We reassured Sarah and Lauren that we will definitely have presents for them even though we will be away from home.

Helping Others

2011-12-15T09:56:00.002-05:00

Sarah and Lauren shopped for a bunch of groceries that we then donated to our local food haven. The staff at the haven were impressed to see two little girls come with so many groceries and help put them on the shelves. It was a great teaching moment that left all of us feeling pretty good about helping others.

How to Deal with Mean Girls

2011-12-11T09:54:00.002-05:00

It's heartbreaking to find out that there are some girls/boys who are not being nice to Sarah, but fortunately she seems to be taking it well. She told me that she's asked some girls who she thought were her friends if she could play with them during recess only to be turned down. Sarah said that she tries to only play with people who talks nicely to her. Her rule is that if they don't talk nicely to her, then they probably won't play nicely also!

Snow Puppy

2011-12-10T15:17:00.002-05:00

Two girls proudly showing off their snow sculptures: snow puppy & snow soup.

What I Want For Christmas

2011-12-06T07:49:00.002-05:00

Lauren said that she wants "turtle and Pegasus" toys/stuffies.

Sarah said that she wants "parrot and Pegasus" toys/stuffies.

What simple requests!

Gearing Up For the Holidays

2011-12-03T08:03:00.002-05:00

What a nice way to begin the holidays! Our town of Hanover had celebrations/activities all around town last night ... Christmas tree lighting, Santa, cookie decorating, ornament decorating, hot chocolate, caroling, music, horse drawn wagon riding.

Riding the Subway

2011-11-27T08:26:00.003-05:00

Lauren and Sarah said that one of their favorite parts of their NYC trip is riding the subway!

Central Park

2011-11-26T22:14:00.002-05:00

Another beautiful warm day in Manhattan. Today, we walked around Central Park and stopped by the FAO Schwarz toy store. We got some things at the store, but (to our surprise) they were not dolls. Hint: they are hard & sparkly.

Answer: some very cool quartz crystals in rock form.

"Are These Paintings Real?"

2011-11-25T23:17:00.003-05:00

Lauren and Sarah immediately recognized the paintings of Van Gogh, Picasso, and Matisse at the Museum of Modern Art before I said anything. As much as I enjoy living in our small town in New Hampshire, it is invigorating to spend time in New York City and go to museums like MoMA.

And of course with today being the day after Thanksgiving, we had to go s*h*o*p*p*i*n*g!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T21:03:00.002-05:00

Today might be the most active Thanksgiving we've had to date ...

In the late morning, we caught the tail end of the Macy's Thanksgiving parade near their flagship store in Herald Square.

Lunch at Joe's favorite Mexican restaurant in Times Square.

Then back on the subway to Lincoln Center to watch the Big Apple Circus. (L & S were on the edge of their seats during the entire show.)

Leisurely stroll toward midtown for Thanksgiving dinner at a "fancy" Korean restaurant.

And finally back to our apt for desert ... pies with ice cream.

NYC Sightseeing

2011-11-23T19:15:00.003-05:00

After spending the past couple days looking at what mommy wanted to see & do (home related stuff), we spent today walking around Times Square and watching the balloons get inflated for tomorrow's Macy's Thanksgiving day Parade. We went into the Toys R' Us at Times Square looking for ideas of what L & S might want for Christmas.

Week in New York City with Sarah and Lauren

2011-11-20T19:06:00.003-05:00

Last night: Korean food
Today: Museum of Natural History w/ Planetarium show; Shake Shack (Joe's favorite burger restaurant)

Getting Ready for Ski Season

2011-11-19T07:33:00.003-05:00

With Lauren and Sarah a couple inches taller than last year, we traded up their ski equipment for bigger sizes. They are very excited to begin skiing again!

Sarah in School

2011-11-18T22:46:00.001-05:00

1st parent teacher conference this year with Sarah's teacher.

Summary: Sarah is a solid 1st grade student!

Thank you Gr. Lynn

2011-11-16T14:01:00.003-05:00

Thank you for your wonderful visit to help and be with us, Grandma Lynn!

Sweet Home

2011-11-15T07:29:00.002-05:00

It's so nice to come home to see everyone smiling.

How many showrooms are there?!

2011-11-09T08:13:00.005-05:00

So many beautiful showrooms, so little time.

(This is one of many places around town!)

Joe in his element

2011-11-07T07:03:00.003-05:00

Joe showed me the classroom where he teaches. (I'm not sure who is more excited - he or I - that he's teaching here for a couple months!)

We did something that we haven't been able to do for a few years now: spending a good part of the morning lounging around and reading the Sunday NY Times!! Then it was off to East Village for some yummy food.

How are your feet doing?

2011-11-06T06:47:00.003-05:00

Walking (lots of walking), exploring Flatiron and SoHo areas (with a little celebrity spotting), and eating our way through the Zagat's restaurant guide one meal at a time. Fun, fun!

Greetings from NYC

2011-11-04T20:17:00.003-04:00

It's great to be in New York! Times Square, Joe's favorite Mexican restaurant, IMAX movie, and shopping today. ;)

Grandma Lynn

2011-11-03T09:30:00.003-04:00

Lauren, Sarah, and I are very excited that Grandma Lynn is here again!!!! This is Grandma Lynn's 3rd trip in one year to take care of Lauren and Sarah so that I can travel. (First time was last September so that I can travel to Asia for family matters; second was this past March to travel with Joe to Japan; and this third time is so that I can spend some time with Joe in NYC!!) Thank you, thank you, and big thank you Grandma Lynn!! (and thank you to Grandpa Greg for not minding!)

Whoa! How much snow?!

2011-10-31T08:27:00.001-04:00

Yeap. Enough snow to attempt making a snowman!

Halloween Party

2011-10-30T10:47:00.002-04:00

Move over princesses, Sarah and Lauren dressed up as vampires for their Halloween party this year. They had six of their friends over, and they all made a mask craft, played three games, got face painted, ate lots of sweet treats, whacked a pinata, and just had some fun.

(This picture was taken a few hours before our big snow storm!)

Early Winter

2011-10-28T08:48:00.002-04:00

It's starting to feel like winter as we got about an inch of snow last night. Brrrr!

Lauren

2011-10-27T08:54:00.002-04:00

I had my first parent teacher conference regarding Lauren this school year. Her teacher noted that Lauren's reading, writing, and math skills have improved significantly since kindergarten and asked if we did anything special with her over the summer. My response was that she spent a lot of time with all her grandparents ... maybe that's what helped!

"I Love You" says a boy

2011-10-26T17:28:00.004-04:00

Sarah came home from school blushing and smiling while Lauren teased her that a boy said "I love you" to Sarah. (Reminder: Sarah is only 6 years old...along with this boy.) Apparently, he also told her that she is the best girl in the class. I asked her what she said to him in response, and her reply to him was "why [do you love me?]"!!

A Day in NYC

2011-10-24T07:32:00.002-04:00

Pic 1: We took the subway to the Bronx Zoo. Sarah and Lauren said that they remember taking the subway. (last time they were in NYC was 2 or 3 years old...)

Pic 2: Bronx Zoo. The favorite animals to watch were the sea lions.

Pic 3: Exploring Columbia Univ. Daddy showed us his office.

Settling In NYC

2011-10-23T09:44:00.002-04:00

Sarah and Lauren are as excited as I am to spend some time with daddy in NYC. What a fun change from small town Hanover. The apartment is spacious and Sarah and Lauren love their new bedroom.

Soccer Team

2011-10-10T11:46:00.002-04:00

Sarah (top left) felt very shy when the boy next to her asked if he could put his arm around her as the other boys have done with each other.

Bowling

2011-10-04T16:38:00.001-04:00

Competition was fierce. Everyone played to win!

Fashion Statement

2011-09-30T09:28:00.001-04:00

Sarah and Lauren have gotten a lot of compliments about wearing their funky socks over their leggings. Such fashion freedom when you're only 6 years old.

Raspberries

2011-09-29T11:39:00.002-04:00

What is about eating berries straight from the shrubs that make them taste so good? They never seem to eaten to the same extent when home.

Practice Makes Perfect

2011-09-27T08:05:00.002-04:00

Sarah and Lauren are kicking the soccer ball around in our back yard.

Going to the Dance

2011-09-24T09:07:00.002-04:00

With great anticipation, Sarah and Lauren (and Mommy) went to the school dance last night.

Corn Maze & Apple Picking

2011-09-19T09:10:00.002-04:00

When Lauren and Sarah get older, I bet they are going to remember corn mazes and apple picking to be some of the best parts of New England fall season.

What's in Your Lunch Box?

2011-09-16T08:33:00.002-04:00

I think the school lunch menu is pretty good, but Lauren and Sarah said they didn't find much in it that they liked. So, I take a little extra time every day packing their lunch. Doing this for a couple weeks now, I'm starting to get a lot more efficient. What are they going to eat today?

Snack: cheese stick, chocolate chip cookies

Lunch: edamame, tofu, red bell pepper, grapes, strawberry pocky sticks for dessert, and apple juice

Chorus

2011-09-15T17:28:00.002-04:00

In addition to soccer this fall term, we've signed up Lauren and Sarah for children's chorus. (I know ... not a good picture.) So, soccer and chorus are their two big activities (before ski season.) They were very reluctant to do either of these two activities (and preferred gymnastics), but they seem to be really enjoying themselves now. Whew!

First Soccer Practice

2011-09-10T14:09:00.003-04:00

It's official - Joe and I are soccer parents! (Yes, we got shin guards for Sarah and Lauren right after their first practice.)

Making Bread

2011-09-08T10:41:00.002-04:00

Lauren and Sarah are becoming pros at the 3-strand (bread) braid.

Wheels On The Bus

2011-09-06T21:19:00.002-04:00

Sarah and Lauren seem to enjoy taking the bus to school and back home in the afternoon ... which gives me about an extra hour. Now, that's a win-win!

Family Tree

2011-09-03T11:53:00.001-04:00

If we were cute dogs, Lauren and Sarah indicated which ones we would all be!

Happy Birthday Joe!

2011-09-01T09:35:00.002-04:00

Joe gets better with time ... like fine wine! ;)

First Day of School (2011-2012)

2011-08-31T08:26:00.002-04:00

The best thing about school may just be all the preparation ... new shoes, new clothes, new backpacks, new haircuts, ...

Their clothes were all laid out the night before so that getting ready this first morning went smoothly. (No changing clothes multiple times!)

Sarah's Summer 2011 Diary Entry

2011-08-30T14:57:00.001-04:00

(Sarah (age 6) doesn't know that I'm posting this on the blog for everyone to see.)

Tropical Storm Irene Preparation

2011-08-28T13:38:00.002-04:00

Lawn and outdoor furniture put away. Potted plants sheltered. Dog under cover. and Joe ready with his shovel and chainsaw for any disaster.

Chopstix

2011-08-27T09:28:00.001-04:00

Lauren and Sarah are getting pretty good using chopsticks.

Summer Vacation Coming to an End

2011-08-25T16:13:00.002-04:00

Only one more week of summer break till school (1st grade) begins!

Hair Styles Books

2011-08-21T11:14:00.003-04:00

This is a sample of Lauren and Sarah's hair style books for girls. They will style your hair as you wish...(I mean, as they wish.)

Welcome Home

2011-08-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

Home Sweet Home!

Till Next Time

2011-08-18T22:28:00.002-04:00

How fast 2 weeks goes by. Our trip to visiting Grandpa and Grandma Choi comes to an end.

Zoo

2011-08-17T15:11:00.000-04:00

Did I mention that I like going to zoos?!

New Crayon

2011-08-17T15:08:00.001-04:00

Lauren noted that the Washington Monument looks like a new crayon. Sarah agreed.

New Hairstyle

2011-08-16T16:50:00.004-04:00

After a lot of consideration and with great trepidation, Sarah, Lauren, and I agreed to "update" their hairstyles. They didn't want to have their hair cut at a salon, but they agreed for mommy to do it.

They told me that it's now their turn to style my hair. I told them that they can do whatever they want as long as it didn't involve scissors. Apparently, I'm going to get the "Jasmine Up and Down" hair style. ...and no, I'm not allowing any cameras. ;)

Much Left To Do

2011-08-15T17:23:00.006-04:00

With a few more days here, we're trying to take in as many of the fun activities as possible. So many more stores, shows, museums left to see.

Strolling Along the River

2011-08-14T20:10:00.004-04:00

It's not Puget Sound with the big majestic mountains in the background, but the Potomac river is also magical and wonderfully serene. Sarah and Lauren REALLY wanted me to take a picture of these geese (?).

Heat Relief

2011-08-13T22:44:00.002-04:00

It's ~6pm and it's still HOT HOT HOT here. Unlike the high height requirements at our local pool, Lauren and Sarah easily exceed the minimum 42" height to go down these big water slides. Wheeeeeee!!!

U.S. History

2011-08-12T15:18:00.004-04:00

Q1: Benjamin Franklin's statue is prominently displayed at the State Department Foreign Service Institute. Why would that be?
A1: Benjamin Franklin was the first US Ambassador (to France).

Q2: Where can you get your picture taken with Barack Obama? (not real, of course)
A2: Lauriol Plaza restaurant at 18th & T St. in Washington DC.

Playmates

2011-08-11T10:33:00.003-04:00

With so many people who want to be with them, Sarah and Lauren are rarely alone.

Korean Food

2011-08-10T18:15:00.004-04:00

Halmani is relieved to find that Sarah and Lauren like some Korean food.

Swim Day

2011-08-09T16:36:00.002-04:00

It's been a few months since I've seen Sarah and Lauren in a swimming pool. I can see from their ability today that they need to get back to lessons. ;)

Best of Washington D.C.

2011-08-08T17:53:00.003-04:00

When in Washington DC, do as the "locals" do and act like you work in one of the many federal government offices. Today, we visited my brother Andy's workplace at the State Department. It was especially fun looking at the various displays and shopping at the gift shop.

Seeing the Gang

2011-08-07T16:42:00.003-04:00

It wouldn't be a trip to Wash D.C. without seeing my brother Andy and my cousin Alex with their respective families.

Tour de country

2011-08-06T11:50:00.004-04:00

Even though Sarah and Lauren just returned from Camp Ioka in Seattle, they are ready for another trip - this time to visit Halmani & Harabaji & more family & friends.

New Hampshire -> Vermont -> Massachusetts -> Connecticut -> New York -> New Jersey -> Delaware -> Maryland -> Virginia. Whew!

Happy Reunion

2011-08-03T12:30:00.002-04:00

All good things come to an end. It's GREAT to see Sarah and Lauren home.

Packing for Camp Ioka

2011-07-17T12:09:00.000-04:00

Two VERY excited little girls!

Sleeping Outside Part 2

2011-07-16T20:45:00.002-04:00

Tonight is Daddy Joe's turn to sleep outside with Sarah. At 8:40pm, it's still light outside. While they are waiting for the sky to get dark, they're figuring out what constellations they're going to see via the little computer.

Court of Justice

2011-07-14T09:14:00.002-04:00

Sarah and Lauren are really sweet girls but they still periodically (rarely) need (and get) a time out for various unacceptable behavior. I asked them recently if they think they've always deserved the time out when I've given it to them. Their answer: Yes! They told me that they knew that they were not being "good" and they thought I was right to give them a time out. (It's a good thing that they think I'm being fair!)

Being Independent

2011-07-08T09:29:00.002-04:00

I was curious to find out that Sarah and Lauren don't hang out together during their summer camp. At the end of each day, they always ask each other who they played with and what they did. They are happy to play with other kids even when they have the option to be together.

Field Trip to the Boston Art Museum

2011-07-04T13:13:00.002-04:00

One of the things that I used to enjoy doing when I lived in big cities was go to museums regularly and see "big" art exhibits. So, it was a treat to go to Boston's Museum of Fine Art with Lauren and Sarah and see the Chihuly glass exhibit. The exhibit was as jaw-droppingly spectacular for L & S as it was for me.

Sleeping Under the Stars

2011-07-03T10:44:00.002-04:00

After promising for a year, daddy Joe and Lauren finally slept on the deck last night. No tent so that they could see the stars ... Big dipper, Leo the lion, Arcturus.

Building The Firepit

2011-07-02T08:13:00.002-04:00

Joe has two little helpers to build our firepit.