New Year's Trip to Los Angeles

So the family traveled to Torrance, CA to bring in the New Year. It's an annual Japanese tradition observed by Stephanie's family and it's quite a big feast. The best thing about getting together with her family is it brings Timmy together with his cousins from Seattle. Cameron is a year younger than Tim, but is about the same size. Casey is a very beautiful girl of 10, who is still not too old to spend all her time with the two younger boys.

Here are the 3 on a train at Knott's Berry Farm.
Timmy was hellbent on having his face painted. Who would've believed that a 4 year old kid would hold stock still long enough to have his whole face done up like a tiger.
Later, the boys came in first and second in the All-Asian Kid pump cart race, beating out a set of different-sized Korean triplets. Well, they all looked the same, anyway. Here they are, well ahead of the pack.

And lest you think the kids were the only ones having fun at Knott's, the moms got in on the act too. Evidently, the ferris wheel is a thrill ride (see Steph and sister Cheryl screaming like ninnies in the middle of the photo, while the three cousins above them raise their hands in glee).
As is tradition, Stephanie and her sisters all get their favorite pie baked for them by their mom. Steph's is lemon meringue and her birthday falls nine days after the new year. We got to celebrate her's a week early and with two pies.