Date Night

We have gotten spoiled having Juli here to watch the kids so that we can go on a weekly date night. Normally, we just hit a happy hour somewhere in West Seattle. A great meal for under $20 and a couple hours alone together each week has been such a treat.
A couple weeks ago we decided to change things up a bit.

Here are Juli and Benjamin on their "date night." Juli often laments the fact that Benjamin is too young to be her actual boyfriend... oh, and the fact that they are related.

Marty, Josie and I headed off for our "date night" Unfortunately, it was raining but we still trekked up to the Admiral Junction.

We watched Toy Story III

Ate across the street at Josie's favorite restaurant - Indian Food.

Then headed to the nearby Baskin Robbins

And finished the night off with a few books at the public library.

Successful date night had by all :)

Soccer Mom??

Josie has been LOVING soccer. I'll have to get a video up soon showing how much she has improved.
Last week I had to bring snacks for the team after their Saturday game... does this officially make me a "soccer mom"??

Westport

We had a great time in Westport a few weekends ago. We went to hang out with our friends Markus, Jen, Mia and Ellie. Our families are similarly matched and we keep finding out more and more strange things that both families share... Josie is a few months older than Mia and they are both very strong willed and determined. Ellie is one day older than Benjamin. Markus is from Switzerland and speaks Swiss German (I'm told it is nothing like German) and Jen and I are both almost the same age, born in the same month with a ton in common, too. Needless to say, there is never a dull in conversation.
Here we all are at the Cranberry Festival Festivities... really just a barn filled with cranberry baked goods and "interesting" local talent.

Saturday it poured down rain all day... And I mean, really poured.
The girls had a great time running around in the rain at the cranberry bog tour.

The regular rain apparently was not enough. Here they are playing in the water coming out of the down spout.


And the wet bus ride back.

Benjamin and his girlfriend, Ellie.

The next day started out much better with just a bit of clouds and a nice walk along the marina to go find breakfast.

Later that day, we headed down to the beach. It was such a beautiful, sunny day one that you rarely experience at the beach in October. We had fun flying kites, building sand castles and putting our feet in the water.

Juli, who loves the ocean, just wanted to get a few photos and so she stepped out a ways to get a better shot. While she was focused on her camera, a huge wave came and went up to her knees and filled her boots... she was such a good sport!!

Marty just happened to capture it all on video while flying a kite. Multi-talented :)

This is how the girls started out their time at the beach.

And although not all that warm, this is how they ended their time...

They must love being naked... remember this:

http://familyriemer.blogspot.com/2010/08/girls-just-wanna-have-fun.html

Preschool

Having Juli here has been so great. In a very short time she has really become part of the family and we are all already dreading the day she has to go back to Germany... granted, it isn't for another 9 months or so but we are hoping that she falls in love with the UW campus and decides she wants to stay and study here in Seattle.

With absolutely no background in early childhood education, she has taken on a "German preschool" with Josie and Bryn. They meet twice a week for 4 hours each time. They work on letters, numbers, singing, piano, art and more, all in German.

When she is with just Josie and/or Benjamin she often takes them on little "field trips" Josie often goes to the beach, the zoo or the children's museum. Benjamin, typically goes on walks in the stroller down to Starbucks. Together, the 3 of them walk up to the park.

My Little Pumpkin

Benjamin continues to be a very happy, social and talkative baby. His smiles and giggles are contagious and he already seems to like to be in the spotlight... uh-oh!!

He really is a little baby cake :) So sweet!

We've been having the most amazing sunny days. I don't know if I can remember an October this beautiful. Here we are at Lincoln Park after Josie's most recent soccer game.

He isn't techinally crawling yet, but he is slowing moving forward on the floor... it won't be long.

Doin' the Puyallup

All five of us piled in the car and headed down to the Puyallup Fair. But before we left I was trying to cut Benjamin's finger nails (that seem to grow long over night) and I accidently took a chunk of skin off the tip. Here he is showing his battle wound. Tough little guy, squirmed a little but didn't even cry.

Josie is at a really fun age where she just couldn't get enough of the rides. She ran from ride to ride and had a ball!! Benjamin is not at a fun age for the fair and will have to make up for lack of his photos in the next post :)

I even took a couple turns with her on the Super Slide. FUN!!

She really wanted to go on the roller coaster. Fortunately, for me and unfortunately, for her, she was not yet tall enough.

And what fair experience is complete without a bit of cotton candy?

Although, the jury is still out whether or not she actually liked it.

FOUR!!

Four years have flown by. It seems so cliche to say that "they grow up too fast" but it really is true. I can't believe Josie turned 4 on the 29th of September. With four has come a vast improvement in her attitude and behavior with a healthy dose of drama thrown into every day.

It is interesting and fun to see how she changes with each new year. Right now she is very loving and affectionate towards us, towards Benjamin and Juliane. She still has her spicy, fiesty personality and continues to be very determined and stubborn. I keep reminding myself that those are great qualities for the future. Overall, she is a happy, healthy four-year old who loves to be outside, to be making art projects and be around friends and family.

At her Dr. appt. she weighed in at 38 lbs. (65%) and 41.5 inches (85%)


Josie's best friend, Bryn, turned four a few days before her so the girls decided to have another joint party. This time "princess" was the theme but true to Josie's eclectic personality, Mikey Mouse, Dinosaurs and Dragons were also represented.

Here are the birthday girls with their good friend, Boyan.

It was fun to see all the girls in their "party dresses"
But Josie is never too dressed up for a little monkeying around :)


There were foam cut-out crafts so that all the princes and princesses could make their own crown. Even Benjamin got in on the action.

Josie and Mia eating cupcakes

The kids may have been a bit too young to really whack hard enough to actally break the pinata but they had a lot of fun trying.

Josie cheering on Bryn. The lesson at this age is it doesn't matter who breaks it as long as it breaks eventually.

Finally, the pinata broke and the kids had fun collecting the goodies.

They also played "put the princess in the castle" (AKA: pin the tail on the donkey)

Thanks Dawna and Kurt for the fun games and hosting in your amazing backyard!

And on her actual birthday I told her she got to choose what/where we ate. Her choice: Indian food followed by an ice cream cone at the nearby Baskin Robbins.

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY JOSIE!!