Summer Adventures at Home
Tara and Chris Alter needed to get creative when their annual summer vacation to their "happy place," Kiawah Island, South Carolina was disrupted not by a hurricane but by the force of their four children, Brody, Harper, Colton, and Tucker's, summer schedule.
"Brody is on the 8U Travel Boys Baseball team and Harper is on the 10U Travel Girls Softball team so there are lots of games during the week and the weekend," said Tara. "Colton does Wyckoff Recreation Camp and Tucker is at the YMCA camp."
Instead of a trip to the beach, their vacation was closer to home, including a day to Point Pleasant, Mountain Creek Waterpark, a hands-on tie-dying experience, and a camp-out.
"I set-up a tent in our backyard and we all camped out overnight together," said Chris. "We could look up at the stars and it was special for the six of us."
Sleeping under the stars together as a family may have been special but what became the most talked about aspect was the morning wake-up alarm.
"I heard my dad scream at 4:45 a.m and he got squirted in the face with water," said Harper. "We were in our pjs so we grabbed the pillows and blankets and ran into the house."
"I thought I shut off the lawn sprinklers," laughs Chris. "Waking up to the sprinklers is the story they told all summer."
A Family of Athletes
It's back-to-school in September and a new schedule of activities.
Their youngest, Tucker, attends Wyckoff Reformed Church Nursery School while Harper, fifth grade, Brody, third grade, and Colton, first grade, attend Lincoln Elementary School.
Harper is in the Xcel Silver Team gymnastic team at US Gymnastics in Mahwah.
"I am looking forward to a competition in February at Disney World," said Harper. "Last season, I was awarded four medals as a 9aah when I placed first at the Star Struck Invitational in Atlantic City."
She is also a competitive dancer at In the Spotlight dance studio in Waldwick.
"We won in the Digi competition in our age group at Starbound National Talent Competition," said Harper. "Digi is kinda like hip hop."
"We get manicures and pedicures together," said Harper. "We are going to go see 'Wicked' on Broadway."
After his travel baseball team made it to the playoffs, Brody switched cleats to gear up for a new sport - joining the Wyckoff Raiders (third/fourth grade) football team.
"I also plan to play travel baseball in the fall and basketball for Garden State Grind," reports Brody.
His parents aren't quite sure about his ambitious participation plans.
"We will have to see what all the schedules look like before we know if we can make all of this work," warns Tara.
Colton plays baseball as well as hopes to try out for the 8U travel team in January.
At 4 years old Tucker is just along with the ride right now, playing with all the other sideline siblings.
"He has big plans to play football, basketball and baseball, just like his big brothers," said Chris.
One sport the family plays together is golf.
"We enjoy playing golf in Kiawah Island," said Chris. "During the pandemic, when the school year was virtual, we relocated to our house there and enjoyed all the outdoor activities."
Enjoying sports is in their DNA.
Chris played both soccer and baseball at Columbia High School in Maplewood.
He then attended Villanova University, initially as a physics and calculus major, before switching to an Economics degree.
"The family are big Wildcats basketball fans and I have taken Brody to some games," said Chris.
Chris volunteers as a coach for his children's teams and recently left the sidelines for the field as a player.
"I played left field, center field, and third base on the Giants, part of the Wyckoff Men's Softball league," said Chris. "Our season was 12 wins and 7 losses."
The Giants won the championship game in July with a score of 12 to 5 over the Dodgers.
Tara was raised on Long Island.
She graduated from Briarcliffe College and was pursuing her Master's degree in elementary education when she decided to take a different career path.
Finding Their Home in Wyckoff
"I went to work for UnitedHealthcare and that's where I met Chris 18-years ago," said Tara.
Tara says Chris was hired two weeks after her and they attended the same training program and became friends.
Chris said he knew the first month that he wanted to date Tara and asked her out multiple times.
"It was a new job and I was concerned about what the corporate policy was on relationships," said Tara.
After six months, Tara finally agreed to a date before Christmas which included a Broadway show, a visit to the Top of the Rock and frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity.
"I finally realized I was pushing-off how I felt for Chris and it was worth sacrificing my position at work if it came down to it," said Tara. "Our co-workers had seen our chemistry and there was no issue."
The couple will be married for 14 years in October.
The Alters first lived in Hoboken and later purchased a two-bedroom townhouse in West New York. When their family expanded to a second child, they began house hunting.
"I remember visiting family and when Harper stepped on the grass and was confused as to what it was it was time to find a house with outdoor space," said Tara.
Tara said she wasn't "sold" on living in New Jersey and wanted Long Island.
"My aunt and uncle lived in Ho Ho Kus so I was familiar with the Bergen County," said Chris.
"Our boss lived in Wyckoff, as did some co-workers, so we focused on Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Mahwah."
The Alters found a house but didn't make an offer.
"I couldn't get the house out of my head," said Tara. "It was now under contract with another buyer."
They reached out to the seller's agent and told them how interested they were in the house and if anything changed to please contact them.
"Lucky for us the deal fell apart and we signed the papers to buy the house in the kitchen of our new home," said Chris.
They have been Wyckoff residents for eight years.
When not shuttling the children to their activities, Tara and Chris will try to squeeze in a weekday "date night" for themselves, but the weekends are about family time.
"The kids like when we invite family over for Sunday Dinner," said Tara.
Their weekend family time includes movie nights, game nights, and watching sports.
"We try to spend as much time together as possible because life is so hectic," said Tara.
While they agree on the Jets football team and the Yankees for baseball, it's a house divided when it comes to hockey.
"Harper and I cheer for the New York Rangers and Chris, Brody, Colton, and Tucker love the Devils," said Tara.
This fall, Harper will bring her enthusiasm to the sidelines of the Wyckoff Youth Cheerleaders.
"I will be an assistant coach for Harper's cheer team," said Tara.
What are Harper's feelings about being the only girl with three brothers?
"They made me a frustration but now I am the oldest I tell them what they need to do," said Harper. "One good thing is that I get my own bedroom and bathroom."
Harper also gets special time with her mom.
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