Monday, April 9, 2012

Happy Easter!

I can't believe this is already Jack's second Easter.  It was a super mellow Easter this year, which was actually very nice.  Jack slept in a bit and when he woke, he got to find his basket from the Easter Bunny.  I am currently on Spring Break and being home with my baby has made me so happy, even though my poor Jack-Jack is going through a REALLY rough time between two-year molars and allergy season.  But he is the apple of my eye even on his worst day.  Here are some pics our Easter Sunday:

The Easter Bunny visited Jack!  He must have been a very good boy!
Checkin' out the goods.
My happy boy!
No Easter is complete without a Reese's egg!
His new favorite...GUM...just like his Mama.
Hot Wheels...YES!!!!
The Easter Bunny must have known how much Jack likes to help Daddy in the yard...he got a brand new wheelbarrow!
Happy Easter 2012!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Busy and Sick

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post.  Adjusting to working full-time has been a struggle for me.  As much as I LOVE teaching, I miss being home with my Jack.  But I am so grateful to have a job in this economy and I am incredibly grateful that he gets to be with my sister, dad, or Surya all day.  My first few years into teaching, I began to fear how I would be the teacher, mom, and wife I want to be.  As many of you who are teachers know, a teacher's job is not finished when the school day is done.  I remember going to bed as a child only to watch my mom begin her long night of lesson planning and grading.  Now that has become my reality.  For those of you who don't know, I landed a job as an Enrichment teacher at my nieces' school.  It is a private Catholic School literally 1 mile from my house.  I started out part-time in October, which was perfect, but then they offered my a full-time position effective January.  Now I teach small groups of kids grades kindergarten through 5th throughout the morning and then I teach 6th grade Literature in the afternoon.  I also tutor after school Monday through Thursday.  It is a wonderful little school and I actually have one of my nieces in my class!  I try to take everything one day at a time, but knowing I get to come home to see the most beautiful shining faces makes my days brighter.

Jack and I just got hit with the stomach flu...hard.  Luckily, Surya works from home and I have an amazing family who came and helped us out while we were down and out.  Watching Jack go through that was tough.  Oh, AND Jack's second year molars are coming in.  It has been rough waters in the Von Rosen house, but we are making it through the storm!

On a positive note, Surya worked very hard the past few months to get the backyard all prepped for grass.  He really wanted to do it himself and he did such a fantastic job.  Again, we are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.  My brother-in-law, Will, came to help as well as our friend Ryan and my dad.  They couldn't have picked a better weekend either, we had 10 hours of rain yesterday!  Dixie is in heaven with her new backyard (and so am I now that I don't have to look at mounds of dirt).  I can't wait to get some new outdoor furniture and backyard toys for Jack.  It is going to be a great Spring and Summer!  Here is our new backyard:

We are hoping to add a fire pit on that circular cement pad there in the next couple of years.
We're thinking the owners before us had a fountain on the other cement pad.  We are thinking about doing the same.  In the far right corner is a big concrete pad that we will cover and place patio furniture on.  We also want to do a built-in BBQ.  Finally, we want to add a patio cover to the house.  Surya is looking into doing this himself.
Surya wants to make a gate here so we can enter the backyard from both sides.  This is where I want to put a slide and other backyard toys for Jack.

This will one day be the location of our garden!

Thanks for stopping by our blog!  I will hopefully post again soon. In the meantime, take care and be well!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas 2011

I have always adored the holidays and this year I was really able to live vicariously through Jack.  He was only five months old this time last year and not aware yet of how magical this time of year can be.
Jack 2010
This year however, he was much more aware and we had so much fun!  We spent Christmas morning opening and playing with gifts from Santa and family members.  Jack is so blessed to have so many wonderful people in his life that love him so much.  We spent Christmas Day at my aunt and uncle's house this year in Aliso Viejo.  He got to see his great-aunts and uncles, second and first cousins, aunt and uncles, and his abuelita and Nana and Papa.  He barely lasted five minutes in the car on our way home before his little eyelids became too heavy for him to keep open.  We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas this year!

Santa came!!!
That Mini Cooper isn't that much smaller than Surya's!
Can you please move this gift so I can get in my car?
Move that stuff or I'll just run it over!
Adjusting the mirrors...such a safe driver.
Not sure...
Curious...
More curious...
Scared!
Rockin' out on his guitar
Wow!  Another guitar?!
What a nice puppy!
And he let's me sit on him while I play my guitar!
Good boy!
Mr. Cool

Opening gifts SoCal style...outside in almost 80 degree weather!

Help!!



Chillin' in his ride!


Merry Christmas!!!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

On Christmas Eve...

I truly cannot believe that Christmas Eve is upon us and another year has almost come and gone.  It it true what they say - having kids really does speed up time!  The holidays are such a special time for me as a mom because I get to pass on and relive traditions that I hold near and dear to my heart, and I get to create new ones for my baby boy. 

We had a blast this evening with my parents and the Wichtermans.  Jack absolutely adores his Nana, Papa, Aunt, Uncle and cousins.  We had dinner, made reindeer food, opened up a few gifts, and the kids even received a personal video from Santa himself!  What a special time of year, don't you think?

Jack didn't take to Santa too well!
Jack Jack and Mommy in their matching Christmas jammies!
Yummy!
Don't forget to feed the reindeer!
Opening gifts...just a few
Yes!!  A big red ball!  Thanks, Maddie!
Hmmmm...
From Jack
Sweeeeet!  An Elmo guitar!  Thanks, Kaitlyn!
And a giant writing pad!  Thanks, Lilly!  I love my cousins!
Here's to you Santa!
Here's a little poem for all you parents out there:
Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

A Parents Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
In hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."

The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
A kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat....
Let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
If we can't get it right, it goes in the basement!

When what to my worrying eyes should appear,
But 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
So if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
All over the carpet they were scattered about.
"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
"Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
That all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
With "assembly required" till morning's first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
Till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
Before we attached the last rod and last pin.

Then laying the tools away in the chest,
We fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.

Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
And not have to run to the store for a thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
For the perfect, most perfect, Christmas, I bet!"

Then off to dreamland and sweet repose I gratefully went,
Though I suppose there's something to say for those self-deluded...
I'd forgotten that BATTERIES are never included!


Friday, December 23, 2011

Thanksgiving 2011...a little late

I am so ashamed.  Here it is 2 days before Christmas and I have not updated this blog since Halloween!  As you can see, I am still trying to balance out being a working mom now.  I am getting there though.  Before I do a post on Christmas, I thought I better do one on Thanksgiving!

We go up to northern California every year to visit Surya's family.  We drove again this year because I was not about to get on a plane with a 15 month old!  It went okay minus some of the "Get me the hell out of this car!" crying, but we pulled over and Surya was okay ;).  Kidding.  Actually we did have to pull over a few times because Jack just couldn't take being strapped into that car seat one second more.  Surya and I noticed that everywhere we stopped, people were letting their dogs out, not their children.  Oh well!

Okay, enough talking, here are some photos from Thanksgiving 2011 courtesy of Surya's dad, Sri and his great eye and awesome camera.

I wonder where Jack gets his intensity from!
Classic!
Get to that rakin' Rhys!
Our only family photo of the whole trip...lovely.  At least Jack looks cute!
Cousins bonding
Wow, Jack gets pushed around like a prince on both sides of the family!

Okay, now on to my Christmas posting.  We hope everyone had an eventful Thanksgiving!