Free Choice

I picked Ben up at school today and he said, "I have to show you my Book of Clay that I made during Free Choice."

Here is the cover...

And the content...

It's obvious that Ben loves school, he loves learning and he loves Clay!  So... Grandma, Grandpa, Bachan, Jichan, auntie and uncles... remember this love and this smiling face when he hits you up for Jog-a-thon pledges next month!

Round Two

With a few days left of winter break and a parking pass that was still valid, we decided to head back up the mountain for another day in the snow!

Kara and Ben gathered large pieces of snow/ice to build an igloo...

Though it's hard to tell from this picture, they created an open concept igloo with an en suite.  We watch a lot of HGTV at our house!

Kara loved showering herself in snow...

While Jason just wanted to eat it!!

Snack time is always a favorite time for these kids, no matter the location.

We ended the trip with some sledding down the mountain, which all the kids enjoyed.

Mostly, it was nice to just have a family day before we the kids head back to school.

Snow Day!

We were invited to join the Kozuki and Ikemiya cousins for a snow day.  Since there was so little snow last season, our kids were eager to take a day trip.

Claire was kind enough to make Jason some perfect snowballs, which he quickly smashed or threw to the ground.

James initiated the idea of building forts and walls to prepare for the eventual snow ball fight.  He's also the cousin that is good to the little ones, making sure everyone is included and having fun.

Sho had a lot of work to do and couldn't take the day off, but fortunately Fun Uncle Todd was in town and was able join us for our snow day.

After a few hours in the snow, everyone enjoyed the yummy snacks and food.  And once you're sitting near the heaters with a plate of food... it's hard to leave your chair!

Kara and Elyse found their own snack spot up on a rock and enjoyed the views from up top.

After lunch, Jason remembered reading about snow angels in the book "Peter's Snowy Day" and tried a few times to make snow angels of his own.

It was a great day full of fun and family... our kids are already asking when we can go again!

Happy Holidays!!

We  had a great visit with the Wank family as they made their way down to southern California and the kids got their first exposure to Hanukkah with an impromptu banana menorah! 

In the Kozuki household, it never quite felt like Christmas until the sugar cookies appeared... so last night the kids helped Tantie decorate our traditional Christmas cookies.  

Though we always thought they were candy canes, Jason quickly found all of the "J" cookies, which he thought were for him.  Given that inspiration, how could we resist creating a few letters of our own?

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Happy 8th Birthday, Kara!

How time flies... we were talking about how we thought there was a chance that Kara might be a Christmas baby, since my due date was mid-December and we weren't sure if she'd be late... but knowing it would stress me out thinking about how we'd get back to Parlier for Christmas, Kara was born early and at eight years old, she is obsessed with time and never being late.

It was a back-to-school morning, but we managed to have some of Kara's favorites for her birthday breakfast.

Over the weekend, Kara celebrated her birthday with some of her friends...

We knew her actual birthday would be a busy day.  We were at school in the morning to celebrate both Kara and Ben's birthdays and then after school, Kara went to KCAPS for her weekly volunteer duties.  Then it was off to soccer practice and dinner out with the family.  Good thing Mrs. Boyd gives out a Homework Pass on your birthday!

We had to stop at Yogurtland on the way home because no birthday celebration can be complete without something sweet!

Our little birthday babies have been busy these past few days... it has been Lego central at our house.  Ben built the Millennium Falcon and the Star Wars Republic Gunship.  Kara built a shopping mall, cruise ship and beach house.  The Legos have definitely kept them busy and entertained.  I think the hardest part is trying to keep Jason's little hands away from all of the masterpieces!

Happy 6th Birthday, Ben!

Ben has been looking forward to his birthday for a long time... and the day finally arrived!  He was so excited for his first birthday party that he didn't want to eat breakfast, but we made him a plate anyway.

Since Ben and Kara's birthdays are so close and they both enjoy Legos, we decided to have a combined party with a Lego demo.

A few of Ben's friends were out of town for the holiday weekend, but Ben had lot of fun with Luke, Chase and Adam.

Dessert, Legos and Star Wars is definitely a winning combination for our Ben!

It's hard to believe that Ben is already six... He is reading, playing the piano, and learning how to skateboard.  He loves making his own Lego creations.  He has 8th grade friends that he plays soccer with.  He is growing up fast!

On Thanksgiving, out of the blue, he came down with a fever and while he was lying on my lap he said, "Mom, I still feel little.  Maybe we can find Neverland so that I can just stay little."  He is so sweet.... that's why he'll always be my sugar.

We moved!

It has been a busy few weeks, but we are moved!  It's hard to believe that three years has gone by so quickly... We have made wonderful friends and great memories at the Saginaw house and I will definitely miss the window waves.

But we are already loving life in the Academy house and know that we'll have lots of good times here for years and years to come.