Yellow Submarine

Got the chorus down. Now onto the verses.

birthday toys and bun bo

We got a special package in the mail: a rocketship from Cousins J, Uncle M, and Auntie A! Rosie assembled it about a dozen times off the bat and learned a new word: astronaut!

Another birthday treat was a set of farm-themed Legos from bff P. We broke it open this morning and had a Lego marathon. Pretend play included trick-or-treating, delivering the mail, and taking care of a sick Vavó.

Yesterday I took on the challenge of making Bun Bo. While it still doesn't begin to compare to Ba Ngoai's bun bo, I have to say it turned out pretty well considering I haven't attempted this since 2006. And the pickiest of judges seemed to enjoy it as well! Hooray!

Best Friend Birthday Day

To wrap up birthday week we had a special birthday day with Rosie's best friend, who is just 8 days younger.

It was a sunny and clear day at the Oakland Zoo.

Grooming the goats:


C and Rosie checking out the huge tortoises. It was sweet to see Rosie gravitate toward C, whether it was to smile her way into being carried or just calling to him to show something exciting.


Giraffes! Later in the day when I asked Rosie what her favorite animals was she said, "mango," which I took to mean the giraffes since that's what she was snackin on in front of them:


Rosie and her fellow tigers:


The girls took a power nap in the car as we headed to San Jose to P's house for lunch, playing, giggling, and another birthday treat:

Oh and of course a photoshoot:

















Naptime after playing:


Big thanks and love to our great friends for a great day!

Thankful 2012

Thanksgiving at Tio and Tia's house. Cousin M led the charge for a super delicious, made-from-scratch feast! Night was full of great company, a rousing game of Liar's Dice, Rosie running around with various family chasing after her, laughs, and, of course, hugs and kisses!

24 months = 2 years!

Highlights:

• Early onset empathy. If there is a kid crying somewhere in earshot, Rosie knows it and wants the exact details of the situation. It's quite sweet, except for when the crier is a young child throwing a tantrum, and she points right at them and says, "crying." That's just awkward...and kinda hilarious.
• Memory. It seems each day Rosie's memory gets better and better. She remembers the extraordinary (foot stuck in an escalator) and the mundane (the sound of the truck that sucks up leaves off the street....which is different from the garbage truck). 
• Storyteller. Along with Rosie's growing memory has been her knack for telling stories. She can recount the previous day's adventures, the story of the 3 Little Pigs, an episode of Diego. Her stories are full of hand motions, gripping dialogue, morals.
• Family. Rosie has grown so loving and comfortable with family. She easily goes into the arms of her aunts/uncles/cousins when she's being dropped off. When we get together, she has that magical effect on the family that often results in full-on chases around the house with everyone from Vavô to her youngest cousin. The laughter that fills the air is priceless.
• Oppositional. Doctor No in the house. Rosie definitely has an opinion, though that opinion can often change the next moment. But while she might put up resistance to many of our suggestions (for those of you familiar with the book "Knuffle Bunny," she has mastered the 'boneless' tactic), it is always short-lived and ends in a sweet smile. She also has a growing need for independence. One of her favorite things to say now is, "by myself" (which sounds a lot like "special) when it comes to...anything. Other amusing bossy phrases includes, "No talk Mommy/Daddy,"and "No hold you." 

• Attachment/Affection. This little bug has become a cuddle monster. She has this heart-melting move that wraps us tighter around her little finger each time. Whenever she wants to keep us near, Rosie puts each of her tiny palms on our cheeks. And just holds on. Seriously?! So loving.
• Pet-owner. Rosie is an official pet-owner of Marlin and Coral, her little fish. Every morning she tells them to "wake up" and feeds them breakfast.

Two years. Hard to believe!

Birthday in San Francisco

Birthday celebrations continue! Yesterday was Rosie's actual birthday day and what a great day we had.

We started the day with some homemade pancakes from Daddy (Yum-O!):

Then we had a birthday call from Rosie's BFF:

Next, we loaded up into the car and headed west. First stop was to Little Saigon to Turtle Tower Restaurant. The fresh noodles and simple broth really hit the spot:

With bellies full and happy we shifted over to Union Square for a nice long walk while Rosie took her afternoon nap in the stroller surrounded by worldly travelers, shoppers, and families holiday break. She woke up and witnessed her first ice skating. It'll be a couple years until she straps on skates, I think.

We dropped the stroller off at the car and then headed on foot with Rosie in the lead. She more or less led us to Yerba Buena.

The line for the trolley was a bit ridiculous so we hit up the next best thing, the F train, old above-ground trains that they brought into San Francisco. We got a free ride thanks got a very friendly conductor who told us to use the money to buy our baby an ice cream (a bit of foreshadowing).

Next stop: Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf!

"Hear," says Rosie:

 Bubble hunter:

After a dinner looking over the bay, we headed for a special treat to sing Happy Birthday one last time. Rosie requested pink ice cream with a cherry.

And what would a trip to San Francisco be without Rosie's first trolley/cable car ride (not so crowded this time!). Rosie shmoozed with some nice people, included a little girl who shared her pictures of the aquarium and a family of teachers. It was a bumpy and iconic trip back to Union Square.

About 10 minutes in the car Rosie was fast asleep. A few minutes from home she awoke in a happy mood, singing along to Maroon 5 on the radio. When we got home we snacked on cereal and then chatted with Ba Ngoai and Ba Co in Vietnam. Rosie was in a very animated and funny mood. Before hitting the hay Rosie was sure to say goodnight to Marlin and the collective Coral. 

Such an amazing and packed day. It's hard to believe two years have passed. Every day we are amazed by how much Rosie is learning and how much her personality is growing into a kind, empathetic, comedic, rhythmic, and loving soul. Love you Rosa!

First adjustment

After a fun night with Auntie G, Uncle G, A, and J, Rosie got her first adjustment by Uncle G. He was awesome with her, and Rosie was a very good patient.

Meet Marlin

Very exciting additions to our family, Marlin the goldfish and 3 little tetra fish collectively named Corral (or Carla).






Thanks to Tio, Tia, and the cousins for the awesome tank!!