So it seems like my pattern is that I do really well with the blog until around March and then I disappear until Chase's birthday in July. I can honestly say that I had every intention of making an entry before now but got caught up with, well, life. The simple list of excuses are: triplets end of school year, Chase end of school year, soccer for all 4 boys, Chase baseball at the same time as soccer, my job and the start of summer. That is basically our last few months in a nutshell. Of course the irony is that summer is now over for Chase and has been for a couple of weeks now as he has officially started 1st grade. (More on that when I get to his birthday post - oh yeah, throw that in the list of excuses!)
Okay, let's just go back to the Spring. You see, I started teaching college courses online. The flexibility is great but it means that when I am on the computer, I am usually here for work-related reasons and don't spend time just 'browsing'. I am also off Facebook for a couple of reasons but the biggest one was that it became a time issue for me. When I was on the computer I needed to be working and somehow even just 'checking' Facebook would become a 30 minute project so that disappeared and now I have time to do what matters - hang with my boys.
March, April and May where a complete whirlwind for us. Everybody was in school and had sports. Jack, Graham and Anthony had soccer on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, Chase had practice on Tuesdays after them and games on Saturdays. Then we decided we weren't busy enough and added Spring baseball for Chase during the same time frame. Needless to say we were a family on the go during those months and spent very little time at home.
 |
| Chase winding up to strike the ball |
 |
| In Orange from left to right: Anthony, Graham and Jack |
We got to celebrate Easter with my brother and his family who had moved from North Carolina to Ohio and then to Georgia (near where he and I grew up) and the cousins were ecstatic to see each other again.
 |
| Post Easter egg hunt with the cousins |
 |
| L-R: Meredith, Graham, Mom-Mom, Chase, Bise, Pop-pop, Anthony, Jack |
We also participated in a Family style mud run and although the weather was cold, no scratch that, FREEZING, we had a great time.
 |
| Post-Mud run |
Once we finished up with our sports seasons, the end of the school year approached which meant parties, parties and Kindergarten graduation for Chase.
? |
| Kindergarten Graduation photo - Are you kidding me? |
On a personal note, I completed my first distance race (the Tarheel 10 miler) and then Jason and I ran my first (and only) half marathon together.
 |
| After my first half-marathon (not doing that again!) |
We went to a Kentucky Derby party hosted by friends who had horses for the kids to ride and went to watch Notre Dame play in the ACC baseball tournament in Durham with some friends.
 |
| Graham |
 |
| Jack |
 |
| Mom leading Chase |
 |
| Take me out to the ball game! (G, C, A, J) |
Chase went to watch the Rex Hospital Open golf tournament with Jason and followed a golfer who then signed his ball and gave it to Chase at the end of the round.
 |
| Chase and Jaared |
Then we got to start our summer which meant water time. We got to the beach before Memorial Day while the water was cool and the air was pleasant. We have talked about going back but this has been the summer of the shark off our coast and quite frankly, it deters me from wanting to go just now. We may go this fall after enough time has passed without shark incident but we are fall and spring beach goers anyway so we are okay with that.
 |
| Boogie boards in the surf |
 |
| Passed out after a day at the beach |
We do spend most of our days at the pool. The littles started swim lessons this summer and are now 'float free'. Their instructor was AMAZING and after 6 weeks has them jumping/diving off the starting blocks and swimming almost an entire length of the pool on their own. While it means I spend more time in the water with them practicing, it also means one less item I have to haul which is great.
 |
| Welcome pool season! J,A,C,G |
The boys got to spend a week at camp, Chase did a tennis and swim camp and now has the tennis bug and the triplets did a wet and wild camp. Everyone had fun and is ready for more. Speaking of tennis, Jason is picking up the sport and has joined a men's team and I will play on a team this fall. I love that he is getting into this as it is another thing we can do as a couple and as the boys get older, as a family.
We also made a trip to Charlotte to visit Marc, Sabrina and the boys along with Nana.
 |
| Charlotte Cousins (J, Milo, A, C, G, Seve) |
Then we turned around 36 hours later to celebrate Chase's birthday (his gift from us) and went to Great Wolf Lodge in Virginia with Grandma and Nana in tow. A quick summary of that - indoor water park with water slides for EVERYONE. We all had a blast and the boys want to know when they can go again. We are talking about a trip with my brother and his family to the one outside of Charlotte sometime this winter.
 |
| Great Wolf Lodge |
 |
| Great Wolf Lodge - second view |
 |
| Anthony on the lily pads |
 |
| Graham on the lily pads |
 |
| Jack on the lily pads |
 |
| Chase and Jason under water in the wave pool |
 |
| Celebratory ice cream (largest one I've seen) for Chase's 7th birthday (A, G, C, J) |
 |
| Saying good-bye to Great Wolf Lodge (A, J, C, G) |
We have been trying our hand at carpentry by building things at the Lowes Home Improvement Build to Grow events. We missed the first one but did one in Charlotte and have been doing them ever since. They are having an Avengers series this summer and the boys are really enjoying getting to build toys themselves that they then get to bring home and keep. The irony is they know exactly which one they built even though they are all the same.
 |
| G, J, A, C, Milo, Seve, Uncle Marc after building Captain America's motorcycle |
Summer ended for Chase the day after his birthday as he started 1st grade, which means that summer ended for the rest of us too with early mornings and lunches and carpool but we are still making the most of it. Many afternoons we pick him up from school and head to the pool for a quick swim to burn off some energy before we head home to tackle homework and responsibilities.
 |
| Baseball cake |
 |
| Chase's first day of 1st grade |
Those are our highlights and pictures of the last few months. Hopefully in the next couple of days I can get focused enough to write Chase's birthday entry, although I think I am in denial about it since I can't believe he is getting so big. Hard to imagine what the next few years hold in store as I think about sending the triplets to Kindergarten this time next year......
