Heelys

Greg and Sammy both have Heelys. These are must-have shoes. They look like ordinary sneakers, but there's a wheel hidden in the heel of the shoe. Hence the name. By placing one foot in front of the other foot while raising your toes off the ground, you can skate on the wheel in the heel.

Heelys are not allowed in school, but they are big fun in our driveway, in the aisles of grocery stores, in parking lots, and sometimes on our hardwood floor at home. Here's a picture of Sammy using his Heelys in the parking lot of a Korean strip mall while Greg and I were having a haircut at the Un Ga Hair salon.

Happy birthday to one amazing guy

Greg had his birthday party today. He wanted to take his friends bowling. A lot kids showed up at the bowling center, and Greg came home with a truckload of presents.

Mr. LaPorte led the kids to sing Greg's birthday song. And that was including the Eat Mor Chikin yell in between the official lines.

Ben Tobin

For almost a year now, Sammy has been talking about Ben Tobin songs. First I thought Ben Tobin was a teenage music star, later I found out Ben Tobin makes classical music. In fact, Sammy calls all classical music Ben Tobin music.

Sometimes Sammy's teacher plays a Ben Tobin song in the classroom. And the music teacher has a picture of Ben Tobin. He looks like George Washington, says Sammy.

Tonight, I finally understood that Ben Tobin's real name is Ludwig van Ben Tobin. Or something like that. Here's Sammy doing an impression of Ben Tobin's famous piece Für Elise.

Steve Irwin - the crocodile hunter

On Monday this week, Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter died in a stingray attack. He was the most passionate and energized wildlife documentary filmer I ever saw. Often I wondered whether he was taking too much risk. He did not do anything by half, and I guess that earned him the respect of even the most dangerous croc or snake.

Many Steve Irwin tribute videos have been posted this week. My favorite is the one below. It shows what he was about: passion, danger, showmanship, and ultimately wildlife protection.