The day after Christmas, D and I went out to see The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies since I needed to use my free IMAX 3D tickets. This would not normally be our first choice for a movie, but it was the only one playing in the IMAX theater. We had not seen any of the previous Hobbit movies, but it was still understandable.
For dinner, we went to Umami Burger. They were having a special that week, $8 for the “Manly Burger”. We also ordered a side of fries. I enjoyed the three sauces that were provided in squeeze bottles on the table, as well as the umami ketchup. However, I think Bachi Burger still reigns supreme! 
Happy 2015! We are back to work and school and our routines. We had a good break, but it is good to be a little more productive, too!
Christmas seems oh so long ago now. The kids woke up at their normal time and opened their stocking stuffers. Next, they helped make breakfast. We made stuffed french toast roll-ups.
D made the eggs, and we added bacon and blackberries.
After breakfast, we opened gifts.
D received his own “Snuggie”!
Later in the day we went to my parents’ house. We found this Santa ducky in their neighborhood.
We took a hike at Peters Canyon.
How sad that the water has disappeared due to the drought.
Cousins!
Christmas Eve Dinner
We went to church service on Christmas Eve, so I wanted something quick and easy to clean up. We had our receipt from receipt day last month, so everything was free! Plus, it looked kind of festive with the red and white packaging. 🙂
Christmas Lights in Tustin
We usually try to check out some Christmas lights/decorations at least once a year. This year we went to Olwyn street in Tustin. There were some pretty impressive displays. A singing group was even scheduled to perform at one of the houses, but we were too early. When I see such displays, I always wonder where they have room to store everything the other eleven months of the year! And, what their electricity bill must be like! 
This Christmas village was cool. Love the Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s! 
k’s CPK birthday
We’ve been enjoying the slower pace of Christmas break. It actually started out busy since we hosted k’s basketball team for a cookie decorating party. We also celebrated k’s birthday with a party at CPK. 
The kids made their own pizza. They had to wash their hands, first! 
Next was a behind the scenes kitchen tour. 
The highlight was the walk-in freezer! 
This was the “adult” food. I was able to order my tricolor pizza/salad, which is now an “off-menu” item. Who knew? 
Look at how k’s friend eats her pizza! 
We sang “Happy Birthday” with ice cream sundaes instead of cake. 
For k’s birthday dinner at home, we had kim bap from Zion Market, House chow mein and House chicken from Pick Up Stix (all her faves).
Irvine Park Christmas Train
I was fortunate to win tickets to the Christmas train at Irvine Park. We have been to the park several times, but have never done the Christmas activities. 
First family selfie! (D and I now have iPhones, but that is the subject for a different post.) 
The park was glittering with lights! 
We caught a glimpse of Santa, who was at the midway stop along the the train ride. 
The light tunnel is the highlight of the ride. 
We were given activity tickets, so the kids tried their hand at “ice fishing”. They each won a small stuffed elf (given to everyone who tried). 
They also used tickets to decorate cookies. The sign said “These cookies have come in contact with peanuts…”, which is a little disconcerting as a parent of kids with nut allergies. However, I’m pretty sure they were just trying to waive all possible liability. 
Overall, it was a fun evening. I am glad I won the tickets, though, since the prices are pretty steep! ($12 per train ticket, $5 per activity ticket).
WPC Christmas Program
We attended our church’s annual Christmas program. This year there was bbq from The Newport Rib Company. 
The Nichigo Choir (Japanese-speaking) sang. 
k and n sang with the children’s choir.
k also made her debut with the keiki hula team! They presented “Silent Night”.
8 Is Great!
k turned 8 today. Each birthday of hers feels a little harder to accept. On Amazon, one of the age divisions for toys is “8-13 years old”. That would make her a tween, but she does not act like a tween, so we will hold off on that label for as long as possible!
Today we dropped of n at a karate birthday party at Zen Dojos in San Juan Capistrano. 
While we were waiting, we walked around the historic district and park a bit. I took the opportunity to take some “This is 8” pictures. 
k, The Baller
So, k officially started her first basketball season. She seems to really be enjoying it so far. I think the coaches/teammates are the perfect fit for her. We have been to two games, and they’re pretty exciting! k scored two baskets during the second game, including one shot that tied the game with a minute to go. Unfortunately, the other team scored at the last second–oh well. Score is not officially kept at this age level, anyway. We have also come to realize that although k is tall for her age, there are some REALLY tall second grade girls out there! 
Notice n sitting in on the post-game de-briefing. He also enjoyed some of the extra team snacks!
Christmas Concerts
We were fortunate to be able to attend two Christmas concerts this year. The first one was at Salvation Army Church, which we attended with my parents. The Salvation Army band played, and the choir sang. There was also a play portion, which was The Gift of the Magi. k really looks forward to this production every year. 
The other performance was The Magic of Christmas, featuring The Young Americans. My dad won tickets from the OC Register and let us use them. It was in La Mirada, and it was on a weeknight, so traffic was pretty bad. However, this concert was definitely worth it! The singers/dancers had so much energy and lots of talent. The sets and costumes all added to the “magic”. Too bad we had to leave during intermission, as it was a school night, after all. Someone even followed us out into the parking lot to make sure we knew there were two acts! 🙂 There were traditional songs, as well as some new ones. My personal favorite was the “Boy Bands Holiday Medley”. Photography was not allowed during the performance, so I had to settle for some pre-show pics: 
