Summer Fun in LA

Early Friday morning, we flew to LA for a 5-day business trip and left Caden at home with Daddy and Rose. You have not been to LA since September 2008 since you started school last fall. Once in a while before Caden turned 2, if I had to travel to LA, I would bring Caden with me and Halmoni would watch him while I worked in the LA office. Now it was your turn to join me. The night before, you were sad when Rose left (you wanted to go home with her), but luckily the next morning, you sprung out of your bed and were excited to fly to LA.

Luckily we were both upgraded to business class, so the flight was more enjoyable (even if we took off at 6AM). You ate some breakfast and then watched two movies, Sleeping Beauty and Monsters vs. Aliens. I did some work and catnapped on the flight.

When we landed, we picked up a rental car and drove to the Long Beach aquarium for the LA office summer event.

You had fun playing with bubbles and other trinkets on the tables (fish straws, coloring books and gummy fish kabobs).

After snacking on hot dogs and cookies, we were greeted by a Stingray and then went inside the aquarium.

You love to pose now for the camera - this photo was taken in front of a floor-to-ceiling fish tank. Very cool.

Yikes! Shark attack!

You loved petting the baby sharks and stingrays. How cool.

At one point, you were ready to climb into the tank with the stingrays. Watch out, Sophia.

After an hour cruising through the crowded aquarium, we left early to drive to Pasadena so that we could try to beat the traffic. Unfortunately, it still took 90 minutes to drive to our hotel in Pasadena. We checked in and relaxed for an hour before visiting your cousins, Sara and Scott, and picking up some cupcakes to celebrate their birthdays over the last week. Unfortunately, Sara was sick with a fever so she was asleep, but Scott and you had fun playing in the backyard. Yikes - upside down!


Next was hula-hoops! You still need to practice, but Scott was quite good.

After dinner, we were exhausted so we went to the hotel. We took a quick bath and we were both fast asleep by 9PM (which is midnight in NYC). We slept soundly until 8:15AM so it was good to catch up on sleep.

We decided to go for a quick swim in the hotel pool to start the day - first, a quick pose for Daddy!

After a month in the pool at Packer Summer Camp, you have really improved your swimming skills. You can almost swim without your Elmo floaties except you get too tired of paddling to stay afloat.

After nearly an hour in the pool, we showered and got ready to meet your cousins to watch a new movie, G-Force. On the way there, there was an emergency warning in our rental car to check the right front and right rear tire pressure. When we pulled over at a gas station, I noticed a nail in the rear tire. Bummer. So Uncle Chester took Sara, Scott and you to the movie while Mikyung and I exchanged the rental car at Burbank Airport. What a drag.

After picking up a new rental car, Mikyung and I went for a pedicure while waiting for your movie to end. What a special treat. After the movie ended, Sara was not feeling well again, so we picked up In N'Out burgers on the way home and relaxed at your cousins' house. After a few hours, we went swimming in the hotel pool - Scott and you had so much fun playing in the pool.

Unfortunately Sara could not swim, but she enjoyed reading books and drawing. Poor Sara.

Now you are in a deep sleep snoring away in the hotel room after a long day playing with your cousins. It's too bad we don't live closer so that you could play with Scott and Sara more often.

Nighty night to Daddy and Caden too. We miss you. . . .