Emma:  I don't like scary movies because they give me silent tears.  (note:  Disney princess movies qualify as scary.)

Jacob:  John 3:16.  For God so loved the world and firetrucks...

Jacob:  (pointing at the  public bathroom at the park)  Is that the potty house?

Summer is almost over and here's a recap of what we've been up to.  At the end of July, we spent one week in NYC.  A very fun family vacation, but not very restful, especially when you're walking 20 or more blocks, AND carrying one of your children (or both, which was often the case with Nate, since I was holding the all-important map ).   But we really enjoyed walking everywhere and taking the subway-- things you never get to do in suburbia.  We stayed on Pacific time so we could stay out late with the kids and enjoy a little nightlife.  Some highlights:

American Museum of Natural History:

 

 

Making cornmeal

Nate is holding the Native American version of a baby carrier, which the mother would strap around her forehead!

 

The Met:

 

No appreciation for the Impressionist Movement

 

The Staten Island Ferry (free! and no walking!):

 

Seeing Mary Poppins with Emma:

It was her first time seeing a Broadway musical, and some of the musical numbers literally made me teary-eyed.  Amazing!  I definitely recommend it .  We also all went to see Cirque Dreams, where Jacob charmed audience members with all his oohs and aahs.

 

The Guggenheim:

Yeah, I don't get it either.

 

And last but not least, THE FOOD!!!

Lunch at Lupa Restaurant, one of Mario Batali's more casual places.  Yum!

 

 

We had the famous frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3.  We got there at 9:30pm and waited over an hour for a table.  The kids were incredibly patient since they knew they were in for a treat.  This never would've happened in real life.  It was definitely worth the wait!

 

Pizza at John's of Bleeker Street

Honorable mentions (in other words, food was devoured before we could retrieve camera):  Magnolia's Bakery (the best Red Velvet cupcakes); Little Pie Company (ingenious!); Crumbs (more cupcakes); Crazy Bananas frozen yogurt; Grays Papaya hot dogs (remember the hot dog scene in "You've Got Mail"?); Artisanal Restaurant (nice bistro a couple blocks from our place).  Restaurants in NYC are open 24hrs.  Food was everywhere.  I suffered from withdrawal when we got back, then quickly realized that I needed to reintroduce vegetables back into our diet.  We had a great time and I hope we can go back one day.

Shortly after we returned from our trip, Nate's parents, his brother, and his family stayed with us for a week for their 4th annual San Diego visit.   Emma and Jacob had so much fun playing with their 3 cousins.  Then we went to the Bay Area for a wedding and had a blast seeing old college friends.  The groom was our friend Roger, and he is now a missionary in Albania.  Nate and I, along with Roger and 22 others, were members of the first UCLA short team missions team to go to Albania in 1995.  Nate and I often dream about going on another short term missions trip, and taking our kids.  My brother and sister-in-law went on a short term missions trip this summer to Ecuador, and I was so encouraged to discover that there were a couple families on their team who brought their school-aged children.  One day! 

I haven't been too good about writing updates, but I did want to mention that Emma graduated from preschool last month.  She went to a Christian Montessori preschool that was out of the teacher's home, which made it the perfect, small, warm, family environment for Emma.  We appreciated the teachers so much for all the care, love, and patience that they showed to her and all the children.  They had a cute graduation ceremony where Emma got to pose in a cap and gown, and receive her diploma.

Emma and her teachers, Ms Quan and Ms. Marcy (mother and daughter)

And last week, Emma turned 5!  We celebrated her birthday last weekend with a party with some friends and neighbors at our neighborhood park. 

I set up a scavenger hunt for the kids, using different photographs of the park (since most of the kids were too young to read) that lead them to this Hello Kitty pinata.

These cupcakes, including the giant cupcake in the middle and the chocolate-covered strawberries, were made by Emma's previous nanny, Janelle, who is now a 5th grade teacher with a cupcake business on the side.

Happy to open presents!

I'm in denial that Emma will be starting kindergarten in the fall.  She's going to be a big girl going to the big school with the much bigger big kids (my kids seem to be vertically challenged).  These past few years have definitely gone by quickly, and I'm learning to appreciate every moment.  Happy 5th Birthday, Emma!  We love you!