Happy Birthday, Marty!!

On the 3rd, we celebrated Marty's birthday with all things kayak. In the morning Josie and I made him his favorite oatmeal and fruit and then he opened his gift... a new inflatable kayak! It's one of the first times I've bought a gift for him that I'm equally as excited about.
After breakfast we headed down to Oma and Opa's for the day. Between the cakes and fruit (thanks, Oma) and the pizza (thank, Liz) we had another fun celebration together.
But the day was just beginning. After lunch we left the kids at Oma and Opa's and Marty and I headed up to the Redhook Brewery to meet friends for a birthday kayaking trip... not in the new kayak just yet but fun all the same.

Paddling down the slough/river

And afterwards beer, dinner and dessert at the brewery.


A very fun birthday for all of us. I think Josie and Benjamin had as much fun as we did being spoiled by Oma, Opa, Liz, Ed and Stephanie. (thank you!!) Kayaking was so fun that we have decided that all of Marty's birthdays will be action adventure from here on out. At the place where we put in the kayaks they also had a ropes course. I think that will be on the agenda for next July 3rd.

Happy Birthday, Marty!!!

Swim Lessons

Josie started swim lessons yesterday and did SO great. She was placed in the highest level for her age and was so confident in the water. Way to go, Josie!!! I was shocked at how much she has improved since her swim lessons last summer. She will go daily the rest of this week and all of next week. The consistency really makes a huge difference with her improvement and confidence. I will get some videos up later next week at the end of the session.

Doing the "torpedo"

Poor Benjamin! Our water baby didn't quite know what to make of having to sit this one out.

Thankfully, minutes before the swim lesson started Marty showed up for a surprise and helped a lot with keeping little Fritzy out of the water.

Kicking off Summer

The first weekend in June was when we kicked off summer with a perfect weekend. I can't beleive that was a month ago already. Ack! Where does the time go?!? Anyway, the first weekend in June was one of the first sunny weekends of the season. We started off the weekend with a Saturday morning "dance party" and breakfast on our upper deck. Later we all went to a fun 3 year old birthday party for a little friend and then out to dinner with great (grown-up)friends while the kids stayed home with Julie. We ended the night with really great, even if a bit excessive, U2 and Lenny Kravitz concert.
Our seats werent the best, but with the contraption they had for the show, it didn't matter. The "claw" reaches up to the very top seats where there is a HUGE video screen.
Simone, me, Jen and Markus enjoying our free nose-bleed seats and a beer.

Lenny Kravitz

Bono and gang

Marty went to dinner and then gave his ticket to my friend Simone. The photo below is the reason Marty boycotted the show. U2 has 45 of these semi-trucks to transport "the claw" from city to city while on tour. They have not one but two of everything because while one stage is being set up the other is being disassembled and moved to the next city. He felt that U2 started off as a band that was against big stadium shows but that is what they have turned into. Out of conviction he opted out.. Simone was thrilled :)

Our perfect weekend continued with great weather on Sunday as well. We had another breakfast on the deck with a "dance party" Josie loves her dance parties. Then we had a coupon for a free movie that was about to expire. Not the best option for a sunny day but a free movie is hard to pass up. We told Josie she could pick one of us to go with her on a "date" to go see a movie. She chose me, which doesn't happen much these days. We hopped on the bus and headed downtown to see Rio in 3 D. She loved it!!

When we got h0me we found an empty house with a message from Marty saying that he and Benjamin were down at Alki. So we headed down there and ended our perfect weekend with a little beach time and dinner at Pegasus.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

One of the many reasons that I've been too busy to update the blog lately. We have a VERY busy little boy on our hands. I think all the extra sleep (read:almost normal sleep for a baby) has given him the extra energy to climb and explore EVERYTHING.

Updates coming soon on the rest of our busy lives.

Planting Flowers

A few weeks ago we planted our pots. It has become an annual family tradition. Before kids, Marty and I would just do it and now Josie has become involved in every step. This time both kids went with Marty to pick out all the flowers.

When they got home, Josie chose which flowers were to go in each pot.

She helped get the soil ready and poured the fertlizer into the hole where the flower would go.

She poured more water over the roots and helped put the flower into place.

Of course, I forgot the take a photo of one of the finished pots on the day of planting and took this a few days later... raining outside which it has done off and on since we planted them. I guess the rain (and a sun break here or there) is good for the flowers at least.

Taking Turns

Catch-Up

I've had very little time to update the blog lately but I know if I get too far behind I won't ever catch up. So.. this post will be a random mix so that I can feel that the posts are still in a somewhat chronological order.

TULIPS:
We were very late in visiting the Tulip Festival this year. Josie kept asking to go and I kept trying to find an open day. Finally, the first week of May we headed up to see the tulips on their final leg. Most of the fields were plowed under already and a lot of the pedals looked like they were ready to fall but we found one fun garden with a ton of varieties and enough life left in them to make a few pretty pictures.

Josie took the camera the minute we got there and took 200+ photos!! Times have certainly changed. There is no way she would've been able to do that with a film camera as film and developing were so expensive. But she had a blast taking photos.

Here are a few of her favorites:

A few weeks ago we meet up with some friends at the Zoo. Josie and friends enjoying some climbing time.

Benjamin had fun looking at the elephants with his friend, Gavin.

Josie just recently finished her 4th year at Co-op preschool. Next year will be year #5; she will be in the 4's class 4 days a week. I can't believe she only has one more year until kindergarten!!
Here is a photo of her class this year. Because her birthday is in September she will always be one of the oldest and because she has a giant for a father she will probably always be one of the tallest. The three girls in the middle all have fall birthdays... can you tell by how tall and old they look compartively?

Before leaving on their road trip we joined Julie, her parents and her friends at Pegasus for one last Seattle meal. Josie fit right in with the blonde German girls.

Benjamin's favorite place to eat breakfast... in daddy's lap.

Julie's parents brought us all gifts from Germany when they visited. Marty's was the biggest hit with 3/4 of the family :)

Josie always puts on protective ear wear and Benjamin, unless strapped in his high chair, goes completely bizerk trying to catch it and usually ends up face down on the floor. Obviously, I'm only posting the video of him in his chair.