Special Person's Night

Benjamin had a "special person's night" at co-op preschool a few weeks ago and so Marty went and got to see what Benjamin does each week at school.  This meant that I got the (sadly) very rare opportunity to hang out with my girl, just her and me.
It was a gorgeous, 80 degree evening so the kids hopped on their bikes and we all headed to preschool to drop the boys off and so that Josie could swing by and say hello to her previous preschool teacher's.
Josie and I then headed to Menchie's for frozen yogurt and played Uno and and fun, brain stretching, German game.  This is her saying YES, while pulling her fist down.

After Menchie's we hit Hiawatha park on the way home so she could show me her moves on the bars.  She is really pretty good on the single bar and the monkey bars.  She has huge calloused over blisters and amazing back and arm muscles from so much practice.   Here is a quick video that shows some of her progress.  Now she is up to skipping two bars and can climb and swing from just about anything.  We were talking about practicing things and how if you want to be really good you have to practice something a lot and that is how people get into the Olympics.  We could see her little mind working and then she cocked her head and asked, "Do they have monkey bars in the Olympics?"  Sadly, Josie, they don't for if they did you would be well on your way to being an gold medal Olympian.  I am signing her up for a gymnastics camp but as Marty points out, she will almost definitely be too tall to become really good at gymnastics.  If only she had a short mom to pass on her short genes... what a minute!?! :) 

And then we headed home, her on her bike and me running beside trying to keep up.  What a metaphor for what life with her has become lately.  She is growing up fast, that is for sure.  I'm so thankful for the times, even if few and far between, that we get to spend together.  

Water Boy

This kid LOVES the water.  He can literally spend an hour in the bath, swim all day and now with the garden a bit of warmer spring weather spend half the day in the yard making mud puddles, watering the garden, spraying the house.  He is definitely a water kid.   If it didn't waste water I'd have him do it all day.  I usually just put the hose or the bath water on very low and let him at it.  Water + Benjamin = Happy

Mother's Day 2013

On Mother's Day this year when I woke up and came down the stairs I was welcomed to this lovely flower-lined stairwell.  Such a nice way to wake up.  Along with the flowers, Josie and Marty had made breakfast and coffee! 

 The flowers continued down the stairs and right to these two cuties and toward the front door where outside a beautiful fuschia was hanging.

 Josie under the fuschia.

My one request was to get a good swim in at the pool, which was granted, and the rest of the day Marty and the kids worked together to plant all the plants in our pots on the deck on on the front porch.  

 So many flowers and so many ways to arrange them.  Josie did a great job being the designer and the boys did most of the planting and watering. 

 Squishing the plants out and into the pots

 Two little helpers. 

 Ready to water

 Beautiful flowers, beautiful girl!!

He is always ready with the water

 The final touches.  The pots turned out beautifully.  I really hope this becomes an annual tradition!!

 And the day ended with dinner out with my three loves.  Thank you Marty, Josie and Benjamin for a very special Mother's Day :)

Goodbye, Franziska!

It is really hard to believe that an entire 13 months have passed since Franziska arrived!!  On May 8th Benjamin and I took Franziska to the airport to help send her off and back to Germany to her other family.  It was a great year, thanks for everything that you did while you were here and we will miss you, Franzi but I know we will see you again the next time we are in Germany or you are here in Seattle. 

 One final kiss from Benjamin to "Franteeka"   

3 on the 23rd

In addition to Benjamin's family party we also celebrated on his actual birthday, the 23rd.  I got a great deal on a music class from an auction we attended back in October.  The first class was on his birthday.  Here he is with a tambourine around his neck. They also had bells, drums, cymbals and a lot of signing.

And that night we celebrated with a slice of birthday cake and candles, of course.
Happy Three, little buddy.

 May all your wishes come true

Bike to School Day

May 8th was National Bike to School/Work Day.  Marty biked with Benjamin in a back seat carrier and Josie rode her bike the entire way.  I helped push Josie up the three hills and then hopped in the car to meet them since we couldn't ride bikes home that day.  Josie made it... but not without a bit of drama.  She is a great bike rider when the course is relatively flat.  Unfortunately the route to and from school has some major hills.  I got her up the hills but she still have 3 or 4 major hills down.  She fell once but got back on and made it just in time for the group photo. She is in a purple coat on the right. 

 She normally rides the bus with her best friend, Elliott.  But being the good friend that she is Elliott met Josie as she entered school on her bike and boy did Josie have stories to tell about her adventures to school that day.

T H R E E ! !

This cutie patootie goofball turned 3 on April 23rd.  He has no clue he is only three he is fully convinced he is 6 like Josie and already has a preference over which friends she brings home.  I can foresee some crushes on his older sister's friends in the future.  He is really rough and tumble but also extremely tenderhearted and sensitive.  He will smack you for no reason and then give you a huge hug and say a heartfelt sorry.  He is very social and LOVES to be around people.  He has come a LONG way in the separation (mostly from me) department and now ventures up to just about anyone and asks them for something that he wants.   Normally it is to pet their dog or play with a toy or the other day we were at the beach and about 20 feet away from where we were sitting he saw a young teenage girl burying her legs in the sand. So he walked right up to her, sat down and asked her if she could bury his legs.  She was so sweet with him and buried his legs and then played with him for about 20 minutes building sand castles.  Happy Birthday to our big/little man, Benjamin Fritz.   We love you more than you will ever know. 

As usual, we celebrated with several parties.  A few days before his birthday we had the whole Riemer clan over for traditional German breakfast. 

A little before breakfast birthday flying.

Josie entertains the group at the piano after breakfast and before presents.

Happy Birthday to you... waiting to blow out the candles.  I'm not sure what he is more excited about the fire or the chocolate cake.

Ready, set,... BLOW

I

Alright, Mom!!  Just give me a piece, already!!

Benjamin happily eating while the others wait in anticipation :)

We didn't get a good photo of the whole group but here are a few of the Riemer women

Here's to a GREAT year of being THREE!!

I forgot to add these videos to the original post.  Enjoying the birthday gifts.