LA : Part Three

The next morning we walked over to the Original Pantry Cafe for breakfast. This restaurant has been open since 1924, a Los Angeles icon. Check out the size of the ham steak Sam and Steve shared for breakfast! Afterward we spent some time in hotel lobby before getting ready to check out.

We went all out on this mini "staycation", but we packed a lot in two days and one night. Future summer events include a visit to Walnut Creek, and Anna going to junior camp. :)

LA : Part Two

Sam was the youngest in this Owl City concert audience but there were a few other kids in attendance as we made ourselves comfortable for the opening acts and the main event. Steve and I enjoyed hearing Mat Kearney, and Owl City made their music very dramatic and upbeat, with a violinist and cellist along with their other band members. It was hard to read what the kids thought of the concert until afterward when they described it as "awesome" and continue to sing their songs today.

LA : Part One

We bought concert tickets to see Owl City on July 21st. This is a band that both Sam and Anna enjoy listening to and know the lyrics to many of their songs. Since the concert was in Los Angeles and wouldn't end until at least 10pm, we decided to stay at a hotel near Club Nokia afterwards. On the way to LA we stopped for lunch in Japan Town. There, we told the kids if they were on excellent behavior, we would buy them a little souvenir from on of the shops. Thus, the big silly grins before heading over to buy their little gift and a Pinkberry snack. Anna picked out a pink Domo plush and Sam got a sparkly Domo mini-doll.

We stayed at the JW Marriott, a short walk away from the concert. We liked the spacious room and the beautiful pool.

Same Age for Two Days

Yumi and I were born 363 days apart, 2 days short of a year. When we were younger, my mom would make two birthday cakes on the same day, double layer butter or chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. We would pick the meal that we wanted her to make as well. This day, Yumi and I were treated to a sushi dinner by our mom. So as you can see, she's still taking care of us. P.S. Yumi let me trade her uni for one of my pieces of sushi. That was a nice plate of seafood.

My Birthday

This day, the family knew I would dictate what we would do, with minimal complaints and arguments. The kids were on their best behavior as we went to the Grove for shopping, and lunch at the adjacent Farmer's Market. I knew this location had a variety of foods choices for everyone: I had tacos, Steve had a pastrami sandwich, and the kids ate corn dogs. Then we enjoyed frozen yogurt at Pinkberry.

Afterwards we headed over to LACMA. This museum currently has a free youth membership program, Arts for NexGen. We spent most of our time in the Boone Children's Gallery, painting special masterpieces. One group of art fanatics stood by Steve for a good five minutes admiring his self-portrait and asked where he got his special skills. We also enjoyed the Pavilion for Japanese Art.

We ended the day with pizza for dinner, and Sprinkles Cupcakes for dessert. We taste-tested all the flavors shown below, and the big winners included the key lime cupcake, and the salted caramel one. Other flavors included red velvet, mocha, lemon, and chocolate. It was a fun, and yummy day.

Best Photo of the Day

This photo was shot on my birthday at LACMA, taken by a friendly stranger, composed by Anna.

Huntington Gardens 2011

We try to make an annual trip to the Huntington Gardens. It was quite a warm day in San Marino but the kids were totally immersed in the beautiful grounds and especially the interactive displays. We spent a lot of time in the Children's Garden, Conservatory, and the Chinese Garden. One could spend a whole day here and not cover everything this place has to offer. We were satisfied with a couple hours here with the kids and a cooler of ice-cold drinks waiting for us in the car for the drive home.