The next items on the list.....

I love summer! I really do and with the boys getting older and able to do more and more and last longer without naps (well, sometimes that isn't a good thing) we are out and about as much as possible. So, after driving back from Charlotte and being in the car on Friday late afternoon, we woke up on Saturday to beautiful weather in Raleigh and headed to the pool. It was a chance to catch up with my Grandparents and my Mom and let them see the boys. (My grandparents especially enjoy spending time with the boys so we try as much as possible to make that happen).

We spent several hours at the pool just goofing off and being silly. Chase practiced swimming without any flotation devices and the triplets got brave in a deeper part of the pool. We then enjoyed some cupcakes as our own 4th of July dessert.

G. C, J cooling their heels at the pool

Graham discovered ice on this pool trip!

Jack enjoying a snack poolside

Cupcakes! A, J, C, G

We spent Sunday getting caught up after being gone and got ready for Monday - which had the makings of a busy day. You remember that Chase was starting ice skating lessons...well, they started Monday at 5:45. But before we could do that, Chase had a swim lesson at 4:30.

Getting instructions from Coach Gerrard about jumping in the deep end

Mommy forgot his goggles so he held his nose and closed his eyes!

He jumped in about halfway down the lane and swam the rest of the way without assistance! He couldn't even swim a foot before his lessons! So proud of him....can't even begin to express it.

It was funny to me that I had my son in the swimming pool, got him dressed in pants, long sleeves, a jacket and gloves about 20 minutes later for ice skating lessons. The good news, he was not overdressed! How did he do? Very well, in my opinion but I am an amateur skater myself. The lesson was 30 minutes long and I thought it would be a group of kids but nope, it was just Chase and 2 instructors! Sweet, until he fell and HARD! He was practicing turning from left to right around plastic egg dying cups that were turned upside down and he landed square on one of them on his left butt cheek. He cried, so they left the ice. The instructors couldn't get him back on the ice, Daddy couldn't get him on the ice so Mommy trekked around the rink and made him look at the clock. He had 10 minutes left and I promised him the instructors would not let him fall but he had to finish. Well, he did fine and even came back to the wall without help so we could get a few more pictures and videos "for Popi". He told Jason it was harder than the guys on TV made it look! Smart kid that boy of mine! Here are a few shots of his first lesson.

Snowplow Sam - level 1  Day 1

This was pre-fall

The infamous cups that almost did us in!

We spent the rest of the week getting more and more excited about Chase's upcoming birthday. Well, I should say he got more and more excited. I spent the week trying to keep him semi-rational and then attempting (with little to no success) to not have his craziness rub off on the triplets. Next stop, the big day!