Happy Birthday, Jesse

Friday was Jesse's 29th birthday. Jesse claims he's not a fan of birthday celebrations. Every year he insists that "Grown men don't have birthday parties." I normally throw a party anyway, but decided to follow his wishes this year. (Mostly because there was a LOT going on with our families the week before and after his birthday, and because we will definitely have a party next year for his 30th, whether he wants to or not!) 

James was up crying at 6 am. He never went back to sleep, which was a good excuse for me to make a breakfast casserole while Jesse slept in a little bit. Maddie was still sleeping when he left. The rest of us sang "Happy Birthday" and helped Jesse blow out his candles. (because everyone puts candles in breakfast casserole, right?)

Our lunch plans changed a few times. We originally planned on bringing lunch to Jesse's school, though Jesse ended up going out to lunch with his teammates. The kids and I brought carrot cake. They were so funny sitting in desks like big kids, eating their lunch.

They happily raced around the hallway.

We sang again, then ate cake.

Jesse had a 2+ hour long meeting that sucked the fun out of his afternoon. He picked up Chinese food on the way home (his request) and his mom came over with gifts and cupcakes.

Amelia was clearly sick and not acting like herself at all. Amelia and the birthday boy crashed on the couch before 7 pm. Jesse got his second wind after the kids went to bed, but I was too exhausted to join him. He wrapped up his birthday festivities with beer and Netflix in solitude, which was what he requested all along.

Happy birthday, Jesse! We love you more than we could ever put into words!

Thursday Out

I'm so behind on blogging. I've been in quite a funk the past few days, not wanting to blog, read, or do move, really. Anyway, after a few days at home, we managed to meet friends at the children's museum and the splashpad. Our playdate at the museum was more of a brief exchange while we both chased kids in opposite directions. Despite wearing a smock at the water table, all three of my kids left soaking wet and my friend had to run after her granddaughter. Still, the kids had fun while we were there.  

Maddie really enjoyed building with blocks.

The trio tried to build cars while big brother raced cars down the ramp.

Jackson and Maddie co-piloted the plane.

So wet, so quickly

Captain James

We had already made plans to meet more friends at the splashpad for the final water date of the summer. The kids had a picnic lunch before playing in the water. I included this photo to show the trio's three different hair color.

I didn't even both dressing the girls in their bathing suits because they hate the water so much. I put James in a bathing suit but he didn't play in the water this time. The three of them walked up and down the steep hills, waving to the train every time it passed.

Jackson played enough in the fountains for everyone. Although all of his friends were there, he befriended a stranger and played with that boy instead of the people he already knew.

All but one of my friends' kids will begin kindergarten on Monday or enroll in full time childcare. I'm already sad about the decrease in frequency of our playdates. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics change, and what new friends Jackson makes his last year of preschool.

Enjoyable Days at Home

The kids never left the house from Monday afternoon until Thursday morning. I used to absolutely hate days at home, but we had just as much fun at home for two days as we did running around town. That says a lot since one of our days was a 12-hour day without Jesse (thanks to Open House). The only thing I don't like about being home is the the more you're home, the more opportunity there is to make a mess. The kids proved that again and again. Here's how we spent our lazy days:

James has a sixth sense for when we accidentally leave a door open.
His favorite hobby is to dump all the cats' food in their water dish.

Lots of water play, that ended up with outdoor bath time.

What happens when the pantry door is left open

Matching blankie and pajamas

Painting more than just paper

Indoor jungle gym on rainy days

Reading to siblings and cats

Proof that we got dressed...

...though I clearly didn't pick out everyone's clothes

Trying raw carrots for the first time. Huge success for the girls!

Watching the rain

Cat naps

The kids and I fell in love with our new present from Jesse--a cordless, handheld vacuum. You cannot take the cushions out of our new sectional, so I was having to drag the heavy vacuum and plug in the attachments to try and keep the couch clean. The new vacuum also made cleaning out the van 100x easier!

Amelia figured out how to pull out the bottom of the gate, lift it up, and crawl underneath. James and Amelia snuck upstairs while I was in the kitchen. The gate was still up, but they were upstairs. When I caught Amelia in the act a few hours later, she turned to me and clearly said, "Go away, Mommy. I up!" Then I watched her lift it and crawl under. The gate quickly became pointless, so I officially took it down yesterday. 

Conspiring to lift the gate

The kids now have free reign of both floors. I keep the office, bedroom, and upstairs bathroom doors closed, which only gives the kids access to their bedrooms.

This new freedom has made it a much more relaxed household. A completely unexpected benefit of taking the gate down is being able to spend one on one time with different kids. While the girls played with Jackson in his room, I wrestled and tickled James on the couch. A while later, Maddie came downstairs and brought me a book. She sat in my lap and I read and sang to her, while her siblings played upstairs. This is a big deal to me. For the past year, I've kept the trio contained downstairs, in their room, or in Jackson's room. I've always tried to stay in the same area as them, and when I try to read a book or play with them, all three compete for my attention. I'm sure they appreciate their increased physical space where they are no longer forced to be in the same area.

Of course, James, Amelia, and Maddie just turned two. I still have to supervise them as best I can and make sure everything is toddler proof. I've been mostly successful, with the exception of a broken picture frame. I was in the same room when that happened and the gate was up, so it wasn't a matter of negligence. I just don't know how to keep James from jumping on the couch!

In general, our days at home have become a lot more enjoyable.

Jetton Park

Today was Jesse's first day back to work. He has a full week of workdays, then students return next Monday. Jackson still has two more weeks before he begins preschool, which means these next two weeks are purely fun outings with no real agenda. Our adventure for the day was to spend the afternoon at Lake Norman. As Murphy's Law would have it, the kids didn't get remotely wet since I dressed them in their bathing suits. 

I turned left instead of right from the parking lot, taking us to the rocky beach rather than the sandy beach. Clearly this is the "adult" beach. Our sand toys didn't serve much purpose on this beach, but James found an old beer can that provided ample entertainment.

He then yelled at me when I took the can away.

Sometimes I think I must subconsciously strive to choose the most difficult route. Rather than walking the short trail to the sandy beach, I carried each kid individually up a hill of rocks and walked down to the sand. We stopped for a light lunch before round two of playing. Jackson was cracking me up. As I poured drinks and put food in bowls, Jackson led his siblings to the bench. He then instructed them, "Raise your hand if you want oranges. Raise your hand if you want crackers." The girls always play his games enthusiastically. James is less impressed by his big brother's bossiness.

Not a bad view for lunch

The shore was exceptionally muddy, so none of us wanted to go in the water. (Swimming is prohibited but I don't mind the kids walking ankle deep in the water.)  Jackson didn't explore much closer than this:

Instead, he happily played with his figurines under the shade.

The girls were inseparable today. Oftentimes they fight, but they were best friends today.

James grew tired of the sand and led his sisters along the paved trail. He found it hilarious to throw leaves everywhere. I had to cut their fun short due to the high volume of runners and dog walkers along the path.

I look forward to our easy days before the stressful mornings of preschool drop off begins. Here's to making the most of our next two weeks!

Sayonara Summer

Our last day of summer break had so much potential to be great. It was a good day, but not quite as amazing as it should have been.

My morning began at 6:30 a.m. with a 6 mile run. After a week in Nashville, Asheville, and Lazy 5, it was my first run in eight days! It was also my first long run wearing my new running shoes. I had jogged for a half hour in them on two different occasions and didn't have any issues. Unfortunately, after five miles, my feet were really bothering me. Once I took my shoes off at home, I discovered multiple blisters on the top of my toes and the sole of my foot. 

Our family spent the day together in Salisbury. Jesse's father told us about Super Hero Day at the Harley Davidson shop near them. After a 45 minute drive, we were excited to participate in the festivities. To our surprise, the only thing we were greeted by was a small group of elderly women shag dancing in front of a live band. It took us fifteen minutes to find The Avengers playing in a small back room.

Jackson happily ate free popcorn and watched the movie. (Let's just pretend it's rated PG.) The parking lot was blocked off, so I let the trio run around outside with the music and eat the lunch we packed. Finally, super heroes emerged. As far as we could tell, their only agenda was to pose for the occasional photo. We took a few pictures, grabbed a free poster, then left.

Since Super Hero Day was a bit of a bust, we went to nearby Dan Nicholas Park. I'd been wanting to take Jackson paddle boating. I thought he would love it. We had fun for all of 30 seconds. Jackson couldn't reach the pedals, which meant he couldn't do anything and I had to do all the work. I tried to let him steer, but he kept steering us straight for the "No Boats Allowed" signs. We were both hot, cranky, and dripping in sweat within a few minutes. Our paddle boating lasted a mere five minutes. 

Jesse purchased $1 worth of fish/duck food, which is strangely served in sugar cones.

It took an exceptionally long time to find one lone duck who would eat the food.

We wrapped up our afternoon at the playground. All four kids excitedly navigated to the top of the play structure, which was easily 10 feet high. Only Jackson was brave enough to go down the large tunnel slide. I had to climb up and coax the trio down.

They preferred the familiarity of the wagon.

Once home, the kids and I relaxed while Jesse mowed the lawn. Jesse's parents agreed to watch the kids the same evening so Jesse and I could have a date night. (We had to meet our goal of two dates this summer.) Jesse wanted to walk around NODA, which is Charlotte's arts district. I don't know what he envisioned, but we ended up walking in the rain (with my blistered feet!), standing in an overcrowded coffee shop, and listening to some very amateur comedians. We then drove to Amelie's, a very trendy French bakery. The line was absurdly long. Our date confirmed that we are not a hip, trendy couple. We ended up eating dessert at Macado's, which was a staple during our college years.

Elvis Twist--Croissant sandwich with peanut butter, banana, and chocolate ice cream 

Jesse returns to work tomorrow, signaling the unofficial end of summer. Waa!

Summer To-Do List (Updated)

Here is our progress from the original list I created in June:

Family

Zootastic Teacher Appreciation Day was a success
Hiking  multiple hikes and trails in Boone and Asheville

Overnight trip to Boone

Imaginon Raptor Center, Science Show, & Drum Circle
Discovery Place Uptown and DPK
Splash pad Birkdale, Nevin, and Romare Bearden

Bonnie

Get caught up on Reading List (I've only read 7 books this year and my 2015 goal is 24!) --Only read 2 books this summer!

Acquire health insurance (again!) All out of pocket expense 

Display family yearbooks

Nashville trip with triplet moms (Aug. 7-9)

Jesse

Deck Project (clean, stain, paint table)

Writing Workshop Professional Development (July 20-23)
At least two date nights Dinner and Trainwreck, dinner and stroll through NODA

Jackson

Go to at least two $1 movies Rio 2, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Muppets Most Wanted

Host sleepover with Levi Twice!
Bowling
Overnight with MiMi and PaPa (while I was in Nashville)


Trio
Second birthday party
Begin speech services Currently stalled due to involuntary change in SLPs

Here are the other bonus items we accomplished this summer:

• Got a kitten, Zelda
• Dress like a cow day at Chick-Fil-A
• Rearranged living room/ purchased a sectional 
• Kure Beach trip 
• Day at Lazy 5 Ranch
• Jackson rode a horse during Small Group dinner
• Jesse attended Rolling Stones concert with his mom
• Morning at Jetton Lake
• Two afternoons at Aunt Robin's pool
• Jesse and I began half-marathon training
• Several Girls' Night Outs (book club, game night)
• Paddle boating
• Lots of naps!

Jesse and I agreed this has been our best summer together.

Asheville Overnighter

I wanted to take one last trip this summer, so I convinced Jesse to spend the night in Asheville on Tuesday. We found a cheap hotel room on Priceline and used a Visa gift card I've been saving for the hotel and gas expenses. The plan was to leave right after speech therapy, but it ended up being closer to 3pm before we were finally on the interstate. We returned at 8 pm the following day. Here's what we managed to cram into our overnight trip:

French Broad River Greenway

It was after 5pm when we arrived in Asheville. We checked into the hotel and I dropped our bags off in the room while Jesse stayed in the van with the kids and googled a nearby place to play. The greenway was minutes from our hotel. I was hoping there would be easier access for everyone to play in the river, but the hills were very steep. Jackson and I briefly waded in the river and rock-hopped while Jesse and the trio collected sticks. It was a nice chance to run around and stretch our legs after being cooped up in the van. 

Applebee's

Our carefree moods took a turn while searching for a place to eat. Jesse's phone died and my internet wasn't working after I installed the latest phone update. We roamed around without direction, trying to find a place where kids eat free. At last, we settled upon Applebee's. Up to two kids eat for 99 cents each with every paying adult. The waitstaff was very accommodating and seated us in a large corner booth. Every table had a tablet with games for kids to play. The best part about having so many kids is being able to order four different meals and let everyone share. The kids had an impressive spread of food. 

Guesthouse Inn
Our hotel was more than adequate, especially for the cheap price. It was after the trio's bedtime, but still daylight, when we finally found our way back to the hotel. We changed James, Amelia, and Maddie and attempted to get them settled for bed. Jackson and I played in the pool. I forgot his puddlejumper, so he was attached to me the whole time. James fell asleep in the hotel crib, but the girls were wide awake. Jesse put the girls in bed together. Every time Maddie began to fall asleep, Amelia would yell, "wake up". Jackson and I shared a bed. The girls fell asleep in a bed with Jesse, though Maddie was eventually moved to a crib.

The continental breakfast was sufficient. The kids did surprisingly well considering there was only one high chair and we let them drink from open cups.

Downtown Asheville
We spent the morning perusing the streets of downtown. The only thing on my agenda was finding a church where I could light a candle for a triplet mom friend. It was the one year anniversary of her 11 month old son's passing, and a huge loss in our 2013 triplet community. We parked outside a gorgeous basilica and reverently toured inside. After lighting the candle and saying a prayer, we continued walking around downtown, stopping at various art museums, statues, and stores. No mountain visit is complete without a candy stop. Thankfully Asheville also has a Mast General Store.

Western North Carolina Nature Center
A quick phone call confirmed that our Discovery Place membership was accepted at the Nature Center, meaning our family would receive free admission. We spent several hours admiring wildlife in their natural habitats. The facility was very well organized, clean, and spacious. There were slides, aquariums, a picnic area, and a petting zoo. There was a staffed area where you could hold a snake and turtle. The animal exhibits were well designed. Unlike a traditional zoo, there were walkways and bridges where you could observe the animals from different angles instead of only peering through glass windows. I felt at one with the black bears. Needless to say, we really enjoyed our experience at the Nature Center.

Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education

A friend recommended we check out the fish hatchery off the Parkway. Our phone navigator took us a different route through Brevard. I loved the fact that it was free, but it wasn't an especially entertaining activity for the trio. Most of the time there wasn't anything for the kids to do or see besides walk through a forest. The fish hatchery was neat, but we didn't realize the fish food was in a quarter machine and we didn't have any change with us. I would have been disappointed if we drove 30 minutes just for the fish. Thankfully we found more entertainment a few minutes away.

Cradle of Forestry
The same friend also recommended this sight, which was a school for forestry in the late 1800's. I ran inside to check the place out before we decided to go inside. Apparently there is no admission fee after 4 pm, so that made our decision easier. The museum offered plenty to do for the kids. There were interactive play areas, exhibits with extremely realistic mannequins, and a helicopter simulator over a forest fire. Outside there were multiple paved trails you could take. If we'd had more time we would have taken the longer trail that included a sawmill and steam locomotive. We took the shorter trail through the original school campus. We explored the one-room schoolhouse, general store, and cabin.

Looking Glass Falls
In between the fish hatchery and forestry school, we passed a waterfall. Much like every adventure, Jesse didn't want to stop but he begrudgingly went along with my pleas. The descent to the waterfall required walking down hundreds of stairs. Jesse kept the trio on the lowest platform so Jackson and I could walk along the rocks and play in the water. When the kids get older we can return with our bathing suits and swim under the falls. The water was cold, refreshing, and exhilarating. Jackson adventurously led the way.

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay long since it was hard to occupy the trio and keep them away from the rocks. While walking back up the slippery rocks, a middle-aged woman fell, breaking her fall with her face. Jesse described it by saying, "It sounded like someone dropped a cantaloupe onto a sidewalk." We left while others were attending to the woman.

We pushed our limits and totally lucked out.
-The only nap the trio had was the half hour car ride from the Nature Center to the fish hatchery, yet they were cooperative and playful the entire trip.
-I never even checked the weather forecast in advance, but it was a cool 80 degrees the entire time.
-No one was injured, despite many opportunities to fall on stairs, rocks, and bodies of water. (Obviously we do everything we can to prevent such falls, but accidents happen, especially with four young children.)
-Our trip was cheaper than we expected. We didn't spend a single dime on any entertainment. Our dinner was discounted; breakfast was free, lunch was a packed picnic, and dinner on the way home was a quick fast food stop. We were able to use the gift card to cover almost all expenses.

As we were having a ton of fun exploring the mountains, it dawned on me that overnight trips don't have to be reserved for summertime only. For so many years I've equated "mountains" with "Boone", since that's where Jesse and I spent our college years. Our trip to Asheville was a great reminder that there are many mountain adventures we've been neglecting. We are fortunate to have dozens of cool places to visit within a few hours radius of Charlotte. My mind is already turning trying to plan various trips throughout the year.