End of school year smorgasbord // BTS // Zoo // tournaments // 5th grade promotion // fire!

Do you know what the word smorgasbord comes from?  Usually used to mean a coming together of various things, it is from a Sweden concept of a buffet style meal where many different hot and cold dishes are served at the same time.  I remember learning that when I was there in 2002 and thought it was pretty cool.  This a bunch of events from the end of our school year :)

I was able to go on a field trip with Jad to Happy Hollow.. so fun
for all the 2nd graders :)  They loved the little mini coaster

So a couple of months ago, a friend of mine got tickets to BTS to their concert at Stanford.  She bought extra because she wasn't sure what dates she could make with our work schedule so then she had extra tickets.  While Amy or Sora aren't huge kpop fans, they knew that this was going to be a big concert and Amy thought this would be a chance to be the cool mom and enjoy some mother-daughter time so we bought the tickets from her.  Yes, they were expensive but we figured worth it for the experience.  I have only ever been to one concert (U2 360 tour with Amy) and that was a lot of fun and memorable.  They prepared by listen to BTS songs on repeat and watching the specials on Netflix :p  Sora's friend from school, Olivia, also went with her along with her dad.  There were all these logistics between parking, lightstick pickup, carpooling but in the end, they went to the concert and it was a lot of fun.  Sora said it was 500 out of 10 (though maybe she's just being her dramatic self :)  What a good first concert experience for her!

They walked down to the stage before things started.  They weren't this close but still not too far away

Amy, Sora, Olivia and Ken.  Olivia's mom was going to go originally but she had to go out of town for work so he went instead.  What a good dad :)

The 2nd-6th grade Science Olympiad also comes at the end of the year.  The person who usual coordinates wasn't able to do it this year so there was a fear that it wouldn't even happen for our school but, of course, Amy stepped up and volunteered to lead it.  Luckily, Victoria, Jestine and Joni also volunteered and they all helped to run the event coordinating 4 teams of about 50 elementary school kids to the competition.  It was a lot of work but they did a wonderful job coordinating the high school student coaches, leading teams (Amy led the ecology teams), scheduling practice sessions, assigning teams and everything else.  The competition was very stiff this year and I learned that most of the schools in Milpitas are majority South Asian (in fact, many other teams were >90% South Asian).  Last year, Noble took 2nd place, I think but this year we only place in a couple categories.  Notably, Sora + Olivia took 1st in the Ecology and Sora + Emily also in 3rd in Rocks and Minerals).  That girl is a smarty pants though I think it's her dedication/OCD that really puts her over the top when it comes to studying.  Jad and Colton were also in the Straw tower competition and they did really well coming in  12th (I think) out of like 30 teams.  Considering they are 2nd graders competing against 3rd-6th graders, that was pretty good.

Here they are practicing/playing 
at building a strong tower

Me too!  I did a great job and my tower
would have won.  Admittedly, I do have 40 years of experience
on these kids though :p

The whole group on the competition day.  Most kids said they had a good time and would do it again so that's a win!

Kai also finished up his end of year concert at Piedmont Middle.  He did well even though he doesn't love violin.  I think this next year will be his last with regular lessons as we let him decide more of what he wants to do (as long as it's not sitting around reading/gaming all day :)  He's supposed to pass some sort of aptitude test first though so he'll work on that this year with Jackie (who is really really nice to him for a student that doesn't really practice much).

A picture of Kai smiling with friends

Amy's mom's birthday was in May.  She is doing well with her lung cancer treatments, keeping up with meds and follow up appts regularly along with tests and scans.  She is staying busy but of course, is lonely too.  I can't imagine what it must be like to be without a spouse after being together for more than 50 years.  Amy is trying to go over at least once a week and we're keeping up with Sunday family dinners.  David is over there a couple times a week as well though he isn't sleeping over as much now. Unfortunately, Matt is farther away and has his own family and little one to take care of or else I'm sure he'd be here too.

Happy birthday, Mrs. Huang!  (I still call her that because I can't really think of anyone else except my own mom when I say mom.  I think she doesn't mind because there is some measure of respect there but also doesn't like that I don't call her mom either.  I can see how it could make someone feel.)

Also went with Jad to the Oakland Zoo.. lots of fun, they were
super ADHD and ran from place to place.. I was like, "do you guys want
to actually see any animals or just run around?" haha

Jad and Sora finished their Spring Dance class and had a showcase.  Sora (bring older and more coordinated than the other kids) did great and Tarhata put her in the right back because she didn't want her to overshadow the others, I think.  Jad was in the left back so he could follow the others if he got lost.  They both did great and I think it helped with their body control and coordination.  Sora is planning on doing performing arts / theater club in middle school next year but maybe Jad will do more dance in the fall.  

Sora is second from the left and Jad is on the far right of the group.  Great work, kids!

The Connicks hosted a party to taste New Riff Bourbon which turned into 
a karaoke party hosted by the Ngos... lots of fun!  Kids really got into it :)

We also had a chance to go up to SF to meet with Kristin and Rich (finally!) after months of delay.  We saw their new place in the outer sunset which, of course, looks awesome and we got to catch up over sushi dinner at this place near their house.

We just saw Willie (because his brother, Benji, was in Japan on
a school exchange trip!).. really nice kid. Musically talented and very
well mannered.  Great job, Shimammons!

Sora really hit the trifecta (or should I say hat trick with all the World Cup fever going around now? :) .. she won 1st place in her Science Olympiad event and then her yearbook design (which she did with Emily) was chosen for the cover and then she was also picked to speak at her 5th grade promotion ceremony.  People were like, "you've done a great job raising her" but we mostly say that we did the same thing with Kai and he didn't really want to do any of those things so it's mostly the kids themselves :p  

They made a very cool cute design showing the coming together of Toyon's
Tiger mascot and Noble's Knight mascot.  Anonymously chosen by the PTA
so our friends on there did not influence the choice :D

Graduation time!  We got her the flower lei and friends got her the money and
candy ones

Congrats, Sora!  On to middle school!

Jad still loves his soccer and had tournament at the beginning of summer. They went 1-1-1 and it's clear that he's gotten better over the past year.  This coming fall the competitive soccer league is reshuffling all their players into school year so his team will change but some friends will stay and I'm sure he'll make new ones easily.  

Finally got to wear some pink during a game

Summer has been slow and mostly quiet.  We're relaxing for the first few weeks because of our big trip in July so mostly the kids have been at home relaxing.  There is a lot of reading, playing video games and watching movies.  We are going through Lord of the Rings because we're going to New Zealand and will visit the Hobbiton set.  Also watching Superman (w/ Henry Cavill) movies because we're done with Marvel for now.  Both these series are a bit dark/violent and I worry that Jad is getting overexposed but we always tell him that it's fantasy so maybe that helps a bit.  When it gets too serious, we've been watching Culinary Class Wars as well.  Love those Asian game shows :)

David joined Amy and the kids for a visit to the 
USS Hornet up in Alameda and then they went to
eat Native American food.. was ok :)

The dad in our church small group got together before our summer break and met up at Big Al's, a place with bowling, TV's, beers, arcade games, etc.  Mostly we were there for the $2 Tuesday specials and to watch the Columbia vs Congo soccer game.  Chinh was being silly and cheering for Congo loudly on purpose and we got some dirty looks from the many Columbia fans there.  Glad we didn't get beat up :)

The next night the women got together, even if not all of them could make it with summer travels and all.  They went to a much more civilized dinner at Han Sang Tofu and enjoyed a chance to chat without kids or husbands :)  I babysat some of kids at home but it was pretty easy

There was a fire on the hill behind our house.  It was quite dramatic as it was in the evening and Amy saw it while driving home after dinner (above).  It wasn't super close but a reminder that we're near some very dry hills.  

View from our street

Very dramatic with the helicopters dropping water

The kids have had friends over or visited others the past couple of weeks.  Kai has been able to see old friends like Ethan, Brian and Abhai and they still have fun together even as they all slowly age out of this childhood time into the teenage years.  

Still enjoys Smash Bros with Ethan

Sora went ice skating with Emily

We also went hiking with the Yeh, Tal and Wally+Rachel up in
Alum Rock park.  Good times :)

2nd graders are the silliest

Amy has also made the kids come along for many 
chores out and kept them busy at home

That's all, folks!  I'll leave this time with this picture of Jad and his friends after a couple of hours of soccer practice.  There is something magic about long summer evenings and innocent friendships.  Probably not another post until we return from our summer trip.  Take care, everyone!

Spring Break in SLC and Moab // Amy's Chicago trip // Science Camp for Sora // and more!

 It's mid-May already?!?  I really do have to try to keep up with these updates every couple weeks, otherwise it becomes to big :D

A few things happened at the end of March before we had our spring break

Sora finished her state project on Oregon.. she put a lot of work into sculpting clay
for various props.. turned out very well though she said it was smaller than many of
her classmates'.  We tried to let her know it was the quality and effort that she
put in that counted and we thought it was great.

Jad finally got his glasses.. his vision isn't too bad (just 0.25 in one eye and 0.5 in the other) but
the glasses should help him not strain his eyes and keep them from getting worse.  All the
kids are getting atropine drops now for same reason.  Sorry for the poor eye genes kids! :p

We went to the local No Kings protest in Milpitas and met
with Jen and Michael and their girls.. Trying to show our kids
that it's important to stand up for what you believe in.

Drive in movie to see Super Mario Galaxy..  It was a lot of fun!  We
brought our clock radio and portable battery and sat in the back of the van.  Much
less expensive ($30) than going to the theater (probably $100+).

Then it was spring break!  We planned a trip with Viet and Dina.  Initially, we thought of going to Hawaii but tickets were very expensive :(  even some international tickets were cheaper and for a bit we thought of going to London or Singapore but in the end, decided that a week was too short.  We ended up going to Salt Lake City and then driving to Moab to hit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  Overall, the trip was great and our families traveled very well together.  We rented a sprinter van so we could all be in one car (great idea, Viet!) and that really helped with the long drives.  Lots of  "I Just Might" by Bruno Mars :)  

With the TSA being unfunded, we went to the airport early but
got through security pretty quickly.. Amy and the kids went around 
looking for all the chick displays (while I watched the bags :)

Kids room at our SLC airbnb.. six kids in one room!  They got
along very well, Kai often pairing off with Marco, Sora with
Kayla, Jad with Gracie but often interchanging 

Family pic above SLC, supposedly where Brigham Young
climbed up to view the Salt Lake Valley and declared 
"This is the place" 

Lunch stop after a hike at a food hall.. we cooked and ate in when we
could so saved some money that way.  Went to several food halls and 
food truck parks.  

The SLC Planetarium was great.. we spent hours there and
even went back the next day.  They had a lot of interactive "game"
exhibits and even the adults had lots of fun with them

It was also free!  What a great resource for the kids that
made learning fun and accessible :)

The Airbnb had a hot tub so everyone took a dip 

There was a lot of video game time.  The switch is very portable with
the mini dock.. but only if  you bring the right ac adapter!  Luckily, 
Amazon express delivery saved us :p

Park stop with the kids while the Nguyens went thrifting.. We heard that the Mormons have
the best thrift shops, not sure how accurate that is

Stop by Mormon Tabernacle Choir where they were tuning the
organ and we got to hear several songs

The Salt Lake Temple in Temple Square.. pretty quiet
place.. lots of people welcoming you 

We found a street art exhibit with signs showing opposite/contradictory
things..  pretty cool (except tomatoes)

Had to take a cute picture to make the kids cringe :)

After two days we headed out of SLC to Moab (4 hrs away).. on the way, 
we stopped at Sheel's a giant sports supplies store with an indoor
ferris wheel.. only $1 to ride!

The landscape of the southwest is very beautiful and different from what we see here in California.  The towering mesas, striated layers and deep canyons were super cool.  We went to Zion and Bryce 3 years ago and this time, hit Arches and Canyonlands and I'm glad we spaced them out.  We overheard one family who had gone to the Big 5 NPs of Utah and also the Grand Canyon and they were all spectacular'ed out by the time we saw them.  Maybe in a few years, we can go to Grand Canyon and Capitol Reef NPs .. would be super cool to raft down the Colorado River for a few days!

View while hiking up to Delicate Arch, the iconic one that you see on all the Utah license plates.. We started early and hit this one first because it was 3 miles round trip with 500 ft of elevation gain.  The kids did great but I got there too, slow and steady

Had to make this picture extra large so you could pick out our family :)  What you don't often
see in the pictures of Delicate arch is there's a big hole right next to it and you have to walk
around it to get there.  Luckily, the dry rocks were grippy and we didn't worry about the kids too much

Same hike.. just a view from a window through another rock face

Kids had more energy and were leaving me behind :D

Some pictographs in the background from the Ute and Paiute
Native Americans tribes

Sand Dune Arch.. it sits in a medium canyon and there is sand everywhere.  
The kids spent a good hour digging and climbing around this area.  Nice
break from all the sun exposed hiking

Sneaking and climbing up a small crack at the end of Sand Dune Arch 

Balanced Rock

One of the reasons we chose Moab was there there was a conference there.  So we stayed in the SpringHill Suites and they had a fun pool with waterfalls.  After going out to hike from about 8am to 3pm, the kids were happy to come back, chill out in the room and then go to the pool in the evenings.  

Good break from the hot weather

Jad has become a pretty good swimmer, though 
not quite trusting him in deep water yet

Hot tub time for both Nguyens and Udoms

The next day we headed out to Canyonlands NP with a stop first at Dead Horse Point.  I thought the view from Dead Horse Point was just spectacular with the Green River (later joins the Colorado River eventually to the Grand Canyon) winding around.  It's hard to capture the vastness and majesty of these landscapes in a picture or video and something you really have to see in person.  The information post said the canyons were about 2000 ft deep which already looked huge but then parts of the Grand Canyon are 5-6k feet deep.  Amazing!

View from Dead Horse Point.  This was a separate paid state park but totally worth the fee.  We spent an hour walking around and looking at the view

Cool giant cave we found.. haha, jk, it was a small gap that I put my phone
into.. looks pretty cool though and almost like a real big wind cavern

Full two family pic over Canyonlands near Mesa Arch

The Upheaval Dome.. pretty cool and it does look like a meteorite hit 
causing this uplifted area

A view from the Grand View Point hike .. the kids were pretty done by this point
so we didn't go all the way to the end but the view was really amazing..
This looks like a giant dinosaur footprint to me

Kids back to swimming..

..while adults relax by the fire pit

The next day, we decided to go back to Arches to hit a couple of the hikes we missed the first day.  We heard that Goblin Valley was pretty cool but didn't make it there so maybe save that for next time.  We told the kids that these are ever evolving places and next time they come (probably when they are adults), these arches may not be there.  Landscape Arch (below) is one of the longest natural arches in the world and lost a large chunk from the middle in 1991.  

This one may go on the Christmas card :)

Partition Arch which had a great view.  You could even walk through to the other side!

On the way to Navajo Arch (pretty cool but not spectacular) there were these holes
in the wall where the kids (and dads) had a great time climbing around.. I think
if we were strict, we would not have done it but it was really a lot of fun
and I don't think much harm was done

We got a huge dinner from a food truck which was basically a whole roasted
chicken, rice and veggies.  A great deal to feed 10 :)

Viet and Dina have a very similar travel style to us and are pretty
relaxed so we got along well

A shot of the inside of the van on the drive back to Salt Lake City airport..
Marko is concealed behind Jad

Airport drop off and returning the car.  Thanks, Turo!

And then we were back home!  Sesame was very clingy and missed us while we were gone.  I don't know what he's going to do this summer when we go to Australia/NZ

Viva Calle shut down the streets again and we rode down
Alum Rock almost all the way to downtown SJ

Some photo comedy near Japantown

After being back home for 9 days, Amy went off to Chicago... What?!?  Yes, she has been planning this trip for a while with her high school friend, Vanessa, and they went to visit Suzanne who has lived out there since she finished medical school.  The main event was a concert featuring Joe Hasaishi of Ghibli fame so pretty cool. 

Breakfast without mom.. I drove Amy and Vanessa to the airport at
10 pm so was gone for 2 hours.. luckily, the kids are old enough now
that we didn't worry too much about them even if they woke up

That's a nice looking brunch!

Wandering around Chicago landmarks

Meanwhile, I was rushing around to soccer practices,
kid concerts and gymnastics lessons :p  It's not easy
being a single parent!

Amy is especially cute here at the Starbucks Reserve,
where they serve whiskey aged in coffee barrels.. she 
looks so well rested :D

Fancy concert!  They said that Joe Hasaishi played some original pieces but
no one was really excited until he started playing the Ghibli pieces :)

Meanwhile, at home we made stickers of the kids.
I'm impressed it captured Jad's Pokemon shirt so well

See, AI is good for some things..
Sora is very Kawaii here

I think this one of Kai is hilarious

Kids went to Noble Spring Carnival.. it's cute that they
can play all day then meet up again after school and don't
want to leave even if they'll see each other again the next day

Chris and Mae-Ling hosted the garage party this month and they had
an axe throwing toy in the backyard.. glad the neighborhood
kids still have fun together

Chris is also into retro games and consoles so he has the Atari,
Commadore 64 and NES set up .. Duck Hunt was a favorite

Jad also had a soccer tournament that weekend.. they did great and made it to the
finals.  The other team only beat them because of an accidental hand ball and 
penalty kick

Sora and Jad also had a dance performance for a Matsuri in Japantown (between soccer games!)  Sora is the oldest in the class but she is also the best dancer there, I think.  Thanks for supporting Jad!

2nd place medals!  The kids were still happy because they played really well in this tournament.  
They have gotten a lot better this season and better with passing to each other and awareness.
Very proud of Jad and his team 

See, I told you I was busy.  Luckily, Amy returned and everything went back to normal.  The end of the school year is always very busy with PPP, track meets, field trips, celebrations and Amy also signed up to help lead Science Olympiad this year 😅 Anyway, we'll do our best to get through to summer (we have to plan for our summer trip too!)

AT, Kazu and Jad working on their straw tower Science Olympiad
competition.  Height x pennies carried all assembled in 15 mins.  I think
Jad is going to go for a shorter height with stronger base build.

Kristin and Rich were supposed to come down to visit us then go see Les Misérables but their son was ill so they cancelled.  We bought the tickets from them and got to see the show.  Les Mis is my favorite musical and I wanted to see if it would live up to my memory of NYC Broadway.  This production was quite good and they did amazing things with the lighting.  Great date night with Amy :)

Sora went off to Science Camp for a week.. She was nervous
at first but quickly got over it once she was on the bus.. the
house was quiet without her :)

Having a great time with the girlfriends :)  She took a digital camera along and took a lot of
fun pictures

Slept in a cabin with 24(?) other girls and made lots of friends..
She's looking forward to seeing some next year as many will
end up at the same middle school for 6th grade

Back home on Friday.  Her eyes are puffy because she cried all the way home
because she'll miss her new friends so much.. this girl is all drama 😆

Sora also had her semi annual piano recital with Dali

She did great (though she says she messed up a few times
but I couldn't hear it :)

Later that day, Kai got a haircut and then we went to get Ramen and
Yogurtland to celebrate his birthday (13!).. coincidentally, Yogurtland
is 20 years old, which is how long ago Amy and I met 💕

Amy never wants much for Mother's Day so we celebrated with making her Sunday breakfast, went to church then got In-N-Out.  Later that day, we went to hang out with Amy's mom before her trip to China.  Amy was taking a picture of her mom's passport and realized that her mom did not have a visa for China.  Luckily, the tour agent had dealt with this before and we were able to straighten it out (though it was a stressful couple of hours :)  

Ok, that's it for now.. this is already a super long post.  Hope everyone is well!  I'll leave you with this pic of me eating my burger with tomato.  I don't like raw tomatoes and have my burgers without but this was a special effort for Amy's on Mother's Day.  Thanks for being such a great mom and wife 💑

I look crazy :D