Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

spring and summer greatest hits: l.a. edition

weepin' willows! tika and dyl do a little tree huggin' at the huntington library chinese gardens.
 dont' bother us, we're having fun. 
readers of this blog might be asking...what has the crew at dylan mac and cheese been doing? anyone home?  well, we've been busy having fun and exploring the city--our 'salad days' if you will, as dyl's the rose-colored filter for our travails and travels through life. he's also our plus one for the car pool lane on the freeways! thanks dylan, high five!

so this spring we've had visitors, namely cousins and friends, and we like to "hang out," as dylan would say.


beachcombin' with cousin amara looking for anemone and crabs near the pier.  
last one in is a rotten egg! says amara.
anemones at redondo beach
at lacma: that's the biggest balloon animal i've seen, dad. yup. 
a little highbrow: daddy and dylan next to a giant jeff koons egg at lacma. 



lowbrow art: i can paint my tongue to match my shirt, and i can do it all day, says dylan. 
even though the little guy is still very 'green' (see photo above) we've realized dylan has made some big leaps: learning to ride a kids bike with training wheels; bonding with his kitty, deniro; learning with favorite pals at school; browsing exhibits at local museums; meeting cousins for the first time; and as always, learning to say goodbye to cherished friends--all a part of life.
dyl, miss k and mr. t play 'pirates of the caribbean attack the playground in search of treasure' game. arrrgh.
we will miss you miss k!! thanks for being best buds. 


dylan and mr. t get their racing gear on.



ciao, ciao! tika and dylan at the huntington, whoopin' it up in springtime.
tika, see you next year in italy bella! 
cousin gabe gives his best 'it wasn't me, it was dylan' mug for the camera while dylan steals sips from uncle ken's smoothie at gumtree cafe in hermosa.  cousin katherine and dylan audition for 'silly kid' contests before hitting the sand. 


we miss our cousins! 


dylan has these odd habits....if you want to call them that. he likes to tote a toolbox everywhere (like in the photo above); likes to wear rain boots with most outfits; has trouble putting on socks and has us do the job; still loves mac and cheese; and starts every sentence with 'can't even' (ex: i can't even put on my socks! i can't even sing this song right now! i can't even find a tissue for my two boogers, etc.). and loves having cousins and enjoys having extended family all around him.

it's never all fun and games and playtimes, though. sometimes we let friends go, wherever their destinations, and keep them in our hearts.

we miss our friends mars, ina, allan, tika, viviana, chris, kelsey, tatiana and sean and wish them well on their new adventures (good luck in oakland, la bella italia, and the bay area guys!).

Sunday, February 21, 2010

cooking, reading, eating doughnuts

our routines are fairly simple at home. we read a lot, both together and alone. every morning dylan hits the books: favorite books include dinosaurs ('bones, bones, bones,' he says), curious george, barney, elmo, puppies, ice cream, trains, trucks, and cars. in that order. we're lucky that dylan is an insatiable reader and will read a book 5-6 times in a row until he's satisfied. the best moment of my day is at night--books, books! says dylan, and runs into the bedroom. 

that's when i tiptoe in, and see john and dylan together, under the lamplight--i stare at them: john animating the characters, dylan, mesmerized. i sort of hold my breath, enjoying seeing them during this quiet part of the day. these are the moments that get burnished into my mind, and that make me so happy and content. 

recently, i've started giving dylan small tasks in the kitchen, instead of fending him off when i'm making dinner. dylan is now learning how to make rice (grab the 25 lb bag of rice, drag it out of the cabinet, scoop out a few cups into the pot, being careful not to spill any rice on the floor. next, put step stool next to sink; then wash, wash the rice with our clean hands; then press the button on the rice cooker) with mom's help, of course. 

rice cooker rice is so simple, even a two-year old can do it. 

he even had a chance to take a whack at some pork cutlets with the meat tenderizer. always wash your hands afterwards! 

'
and when the sun is blazing hot like it was this week, we hit the beach and gaze longingly at faraway lands across the sea, wave at helicopters, look for blimps in the sky, we chase birds and dig endless sandpits. maybe this is why, when i'm putting dylan to bed and singing to him at night, he always smells like the sea. 

weekend comes, and our routine calls for a little sugary goodness. for valentine's, dylan gobbled up a heart shaped doughnut from bob's coffee and donuts at the grove. 

the best doughnuts around! live a little, we like to say around here. 
so even though we've had stormy, rainy weather these past few, we've also had some really nice sunshiney days filled with friends and family. dylan even got to wear uncle john's red sox cap on the double decker trolley at the grove.  
and we are learning, that the best way to eat ice cream is to share your cone with a buddy. yum. thanks for sharing, auntie min! 

we are so grateful to our friends and family! we cherish our friends and want to thank you all for showering us with love, cards, flowers, prayers and support these past few weeks. 

our hearts are filled. 

Friday, February 19, 2010

more cuteness: welcome mars!


more cuteness
Originally uploaded by see_ina

i forgot to make a mention of some new babies in our world. please give a big red balloon welcome to baby mars, born in november. i hear she says 'ohio' and likes to hide out under the covers while her mama ina snaps photos while her daddy allan goes night night. shhh, don't wake up daddy, okay. dylan and i are her biggest fans. isn't she darling? just a beaute.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

dylan rocking the opening


dylan rocking the opening
Originally uploaded by ms.bang
last saturday night, dylan rocked, popped, and deejayed ina's 'momentum' show at the nucleus gallery. we let him enjoy his club night and he got to stay out late. photo from auntie vivian.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

cafe bebe


we hosted our first cafe bebe yesterday, it was a big hit. the babies got to nosh on crackers, raisins, and blueberries while the moms ate pesto-mozzarella finger sandwiches and sipped organic green tea. the babes then splashed around in dylan's 12 dollar kiddie pool from kmart.

we even had a live music session, courtesy of mama yvonne. she cajoled her young fans luca, dylan and arriel to eat healthy, share toys, and behave. instead, they ate chocolate chip cookies, flung toys, and pulled and tugged at each other until they fell to the ground. in other words, a good time being toddlers.


dyl, arriel and luca contemplate just how much fun cheap plastic can be. very!!

Friday, June 12, 2009

a few playdate friends





dylan has been plenty busy with playdates, outings, classes now that it's summer. he just started swim lessons, and can now jump in the pool, put his face in the water, blow bubbles and generally have a fun time splashing about with other babies.

a stone's throw from redondo beach is wilderness park, a small wooded oasis filled with wildflowers, pine trees, and ponds filled with beijing ducks (the white feathered kind). we're learning about ducks and a pack of red-eared slider turtles, found breeding in the pond, even spotting a lone leather-back turtle sunning itself on a rock in a marsh. this has to be one of dylan's favorite places to hike and play. the best thing, according to dylan, is hanging out and romping in the grass with the likes of his buds arriel, matisse and arqum. 


Saturday, April 18, 2009

learning how to share


some pics from a playdate at shiva's (aka shivvie), with fellow toddlers joelle (with her daddy), shivvie and his mama, charlie, and learning how to share with layla. thanks playdate mates--we had an exhausting fun-filled time, and looking forward to our next gathering--big thanks to anu and maneesh for a fab party! 


Sunday, October 19, 2008

welcome baby zowen!!!

we'd like to say 'how-do' to baby zowen, who's traveled a long nine-month road to arrive in our little world! he is our youngest compatriot and newest democrat, and soon-to-be playmate to dylan. zowen james ajemian was born last sunday to proud parents and friends diana and zeth. di and zeth are going to be great parents and we want to send them lots of love, luck and of course, sleep, as usual. here he is, pictured at a mere five days old, and he already has a cool haircut! wow! welcome to the little cutie, zowen!
From october 2008

photo: 'hey world, look out' says newbie zowen james ajemian, weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces. bienvenue!

Friday, October 10, 2008

brunch with adam

adam, dylan, john, gay dads
dylan and adam
another new dylan fan club member has joined the club: adam. at la creperie in manhattan beach, dylan's favorite weekend brunch spot, he got to suck on adam's thumb, while everyone wondered who these two men were, with their asian baby?? g*y d*ds? one has to wonder...