Enjoying Time

It seems like the last month was jam-packed and things are a little less crazy right now, so it's nice to take advantage of the moments of free time we have!

The weather was so nice on Thursday and since Ben and Jason did not have school, we went to play at the park.  To our surprise, they were doing some work on the sidewalk and we spotted a sitting construction vehicle, which for Jason, is like spotting a movie star.  A must take photo opportunity.

Jason is talking up a storm these days.  He is very expressive with his words and expressions and you have to be careful, because he can say anything you say and he can tell the truth!  Recently, after a few hours at Grandma and Pampa's house, I asked if he had been a good boy or a bad boy and his reply was "Jason not bad boy... Pampa bad boy.  Jason good boy."  So I then had to ask my dad what he had done while I was gone... Jason likes to spend his free time running around the house with his foam sword and "shield".  He also learned how to ride our little motorized vehicles, and he's proven to be a pretty skilled driver. 

Ben has done really well with learning to read his sight word flashcards and today he started reading the Star Wars phonics books that Santa brought in his stocking.  It was pretty exciting to hear him read a full sentence.  We've been talking about kindergarten registration which is coming up and he asked if he can bring his book so that he can show Mrs. Harrell that he can read.  Ben is super happy to build and play with his Lego creations, complete with sound effects.

Kara was happy to return to school and to see all of her friends.  Somehow I have become the girls JV basketball coach at her school, even though she is four years away from participating in school sports.  Kara has been at every practice so far and will likely be my assistant on the bench during games.  Soccer season is over, but she's continuing with ballet and has basketball on the weekends.  So between school, practices, lessons and homework, the poor girl isn't left with a whole bunch of free time.   

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of Sho and myself snowboarding or eating at any new restaurants, but we definitely enjoy and appreciate all the time we're able to spend with the kids and we'll take our late-night watching of Top Chef on DVR any day.

Last Hurrah

It's been a very busy and fun winter break and we had to get one last trip in before the kids go back to school... We made a quick trip to San Francisco and in less than 24 hours we saw Uncle Gregg, Uncle Bill, Tantie, Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Ross and Bachan and Jichan...

On Saturday, we visited the California Academy of  Sciences... and later that evening Sho and I went to see The Book of Mormon.

And thanks to an advertisement we saw on a bus driving by, we found out there was a Star Wars exhibit in San Jose and we decided we had to stop on our way home.

It has definitely been a fun-filled, action-packed winter break... who's ready to go back to school?  As Jason would say, "Me, I do, I do!"

Racing into the New Year

It seems like these last weeks have just flown by...

It was the Hawaii trip, then we headed straight into Christmas, and then it was prep for the Rose Parade and New Year's!

I had a few days of scheduled craziness in Pasadena, and then Sho brought Kara and Ben to Bakersfield, where did a parking lot exchange and then the older kids came back with me to Pasadena for a few days of fun.

They got to see the floats up close and learn about what makes these floats to special and beautiful...

They got to see "mommy's work" and read some of the dedications on the roses...  and Kara received many compliments on her tiara, which has now replaced her silver headband that she used to wear almost daily.

We visited the Natural History Museum, since the kids have been asking to go back for two years.  We saw the dinosaur bones, the gem stones, the gardens and spent time in the science lab...

And then we decided to see "Frozen" since Ben didn't get a chance to see it as part of Kara's birthday gathering with her friends. 

On New Year's Day, with beautiful southern California weather, we watched the parade with all the other Donate Life supporters and cheered for our float!

And then we hopped in the car and headed back to Kingsburg so we could celebrate New Year's with the rest of the family.  I can't believe there is just one day left of Kara's winter vacation!!  If you think I look tired.... I am.  Pictures do not lie.  I finally got to come home and sleep in and I awoke to a good morning kiss from Jason... Life is good.

Here's to a wonderful new year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays from Jason!!

The kids were super excited this morning and only because of their jet lag did they end up waking up a decent hour.

Jason was happy that Santa brought him a Mickey Mouse robe, some bling and some sugar... He wanted to sit and watch garbage truck videos and it took some coaxing to get him to open his presents, but he got the hang of it.

Ben was excited about all of his gifts... Star Wars figures, Skylanders, a skateboard... he wasn't sure what to play with first.  I think he has lots to keep him busy and happy for quite awhile.

My favorite Christmas moment was when Kara saw the tiara from Santa... Kara was given a tiara from her ballet teacher last spring for her recital.  She wore it around the house and somehow, the tiara broke and we had to throw it away.  Almost in tears, Kara asked, "how can we throw away diamonds?"  Since Santa knows all, Kara found the tiara in her stocking and when she placed it on her head this morning she said, "I'm back."  She literally wore it all day.

The kids got to play with their cousins on the Kozuki and Hiyama sides of the family during the Christmas Eve and Christmas gatherings.  They had a great time... With the vacationing, traveling and then immediately going into Christmas, I think we all wish we could just enjoy a mid-afternoon nap.

Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night's sleep.

Family fun in Hawaii

What better way to start off winter break than with a trip to Hawaii!!  Thanks to Pampa and Grandma, the entire Kozuki family took a vacation in Kauai.  We enjoyed perfect weather, which meant there was plenty of beach time for our little ones.  Kara enjoyed snorkeling for the first time, while Ben loved boogie boarding and Jason just liked being in the water.

Of course there was lots of food to enjoy... trying the different shave ice places, comparing poke from all the local fish markets and grocery stores, searching on Yelp for the hole in the wall winners.  We definitely ate well.

On our last two trips to Kauai, we stayed at a house in Poipu, which happened to be booked already... so we stayed in a new house right near Baby Beach and one of the big pluses was the outdoor heated shower!

We had a wonderful trip and there is so much to be grateful for... watching the kids have so much fun with their auntie and uncles, not having to take my walking boot to Hawaii, Sho and John's love for 80s music, mini iPads to make the time on the plane bearable, our first giant-turtle-on-the-beach sighting, that Jason loves being with BF (a.k.a. Grandma, Jason's Best Friend) and is happy to be without us for a period of time, and mostly, the luxury of time together.

On the drive home, as we were approaching our exit back in Kingsburg, I asked the kids what their favorite part of the trip was... Kara loved snorkeling, Ben liked boogie boarding and having family fun and Jason replied "I dunno."  But when I told Jason that we were almost home, he replied, "No, Hawaii house."  Smart cookie.

Mochi

Before Kara's birthday party started, we began our day at the Parlier Church making mochi... Kara watched closely and followed the directions to make her nice, round mochi.

Ben stacked his mochi and declared that his snowman was complete...

Jason, usually eager to get his hands dirty and get into the action, was quick to give up his apron and opted for alone time with his friend, Alyssa.  Ben watched them and said, "I think this is their first date."
 

Happy Birthday, Kara!

Now that Kara is 7 years old, there are no more Barbie or princess cakes.... not when you can get a Chocolate Raspberry Torte from Masse's!  Thanks to Auntie Anna, we now know about this treasure and could not pass up the opportunity to upgrade.

On Kara's birthday, she invited a few of her close friends from school for pizza, a movie and ice cream.  

After a really fun (and tiring) Thanksgiving week vacation (where we saw the Woodson, Hsiao, Gordon, Itagaki, Ishimatsu and Morita Dea families in addition to our immediate families for Thanksgiving), having a small, intimate birthday gathering was the perfect celebration for our little princess.