Briam's Family Blog

If you have followed this blog for any amount of time, you will quickly learn that my kids, my wife, my sister, her kids, parents, friends…etc…. go out a lot.  A LOT.  They plan stuff all the time.  Of course I am not always able to go…. I have to do my part and go to work.

It sure must be nice to be able to go to all these fun and exciting things on a regular basis…. I do wish I could go out with my family more, but at least I do love my work.

Today the kids, and cousins, and my wife, and my sister, and my mother…. Pretty much everyone but me, went to Fernbank Science Center. 

Here is a picture of my nephew Ricky being dragged around by Megan….I think the younger kids had more fun than the older kids on this trip (with the exception of my mother who had a blast!)  

I don’t think I have been there in almost 20 years (since middle school).  I do wish I could check out the Planetarium show… just to see if it is as awe-striking as my memory makes it.

At least I can dream about the stars, even if I dont get a chance to see them....

We see the kid’s innocent smiles, and we hear their innocent voices… but what are they really thinking?  Today let’s take a trip into the minds of my children and see what they were thinking.

Here is a nice cute photo of Megan playing with Lego blocks…. Or is she?

Megan:  “It’s only a matter of time before I beat you Matthew!!  I will build a fortress so strong, that you won’t be able to catch me.  Then you are doomed!!”

Here is a nice cute photo of Matthew who was playing along side his sister…. It looks like he is having fun.

Matthew:  “I will build a trap to capture Daddy, then his keys are mine… And I am out of here on my way to Disney Land!!...for now, just keep smiling.”

Here is a nice cute photo of Sophia trying on a new hat.

Sophia:  “Does this hat make me look silly?  I wonder when I get to start picking out my own clothing.  There are laws against this type of treatment you know!”

Well, maybe sometimes its not good to know what people really think.

At some point… with three kids, you start thinking, WOW, that was pretty bad.  At least they won’t do anything worse than that.  I remember my son stabbing me in the foot with a fork once, because I would not give him more M&Ms.  

I remember my son trying to push me down the stairs… (I don’t recall why).  I remember my son pushing his sister down the stairs, because she was moving too slowly…

But Megan has not yet gotten up to that level.  But I guess she is working her way up.  I got home early today… so I had time to play with the kids before Matthew’s swim class.  Before it was time to go, I noticed that my office was a bit of a disorder.  And wouldn’t you know it… one of the ink boxes for the photo printer had been open.  It’s a Canon photo printer that uses different cartridges for each color…

Well, Megan had chosen the black ink cartridge.  It is hard to tell because some cleaning was done, but I am sure that she was trying to put on some type of war paint for the upcoming battle.  Undoubtedly she was planning some devious attack that I would be powerless to stop.  She has already discovered that she can disarm any level of anger I have with her innocent smile.  If it were not for my wife being immune to that smile, she would be ruler of our household by now.

Pray for us!!  J

It almost seemed like we were living other people’s lives…  J  almost.  We were able to take the kids over to Aunt Astrid’s house to play with their cousins.  And the kids were very excited to go… a full day of play time!  Sophia did have to make a visit to the doctor’s office to see about a rash on her tooshie…. The doctor gave us some cream…and she is doing much better.

While my wife took her to the doctor, I was able to get some work done from home.  But after that we were free!!  …ah what to do with the time.  And who better to spend it with, than my beautiful wife.

We were able to have a nice peaceful lunch.  Chatting about the last six years, and how it seems we just got married.  The time just flew by...  Then we went to catch a movie:  “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”  An entertaining movie, but we don’t think it will win any Oscars.

Overall a nice and enjoyable day… we hope to have more days like this, now that Sophia is a big girl (2 months).  J

Ah six glorious years together.  It seems like only yesterday we were married.  Where does the time go?  (I seem to ask myself that a lot)

Today is our Six year anniversary… and of course today was also Sunday.  Here is Sophia in her Sunday dress.  Like most baby cloths, she will most likely only get to where it once or twice before it no longer fits…. Go figure.

Like most Sunday's we were over booked, and did not really get a chance to spend some quality time alone.  But my sister, Astrid, has been generous enough to offer to give us a slice of peace for a few hours tomorrow.   J  We will get a chance to drop off the kids with her and go do our own thing for a few hours ALONE!!  One does not start to realize and appreciate how little ALONE time one has, until they have kids.  It promises to be a nice time out... just me and my beautiful wife!!

"Buscad, pues, hermanos de entre vosotros, a 7 varones de buen testimonio, llenos del Espiritu Santo y de sabiduria, a quienes encarguemos de este trabajo." - Hechos 6:3

• Un buen lider: ora por su gente, les llama, les manda cartas, les visita, se preocupa por ellos, les ayuda en lo que puedo, ... Es un buen ejemplo para el/ella.  Pone a Dios primero en su vida; trata de vivir una vida agradable al Senor.  Pone a Dios, a su familia, y a los hermanos antes que el/ella misma.
  
• Un buen cristiano: ora por su lider, le llama, se preocupa por el/ella, y lo/la ayuda en lo que puedo;  trata de seguir los consejos de Dios y de su lider.  Pone a Dios primero en su vida; trata de vivir una vida agradable al Senor;  Pone a Dios, a su familia, y a los hermanos antes que el/ella misma.

Astrid Rodriguez

Ah... a nice day of rest today....

I got a chance to spend the whole day with the family at home...  The game my kids seem to enjoy playing the most is "Jump on Daddy until he cries"

After a few hours of that... they finaly got bored of it and we played other things... so nice to take a day off from work or running around and just chill at home with the family.... enjoy it... because this too shall pass.  :-)

My son’s best friend Diego just had a birthday the other day…. He turned the big 4!!  Ah, I remember those early years….. Who am I kidding… I have trouble remembering what I had for lunch (that’s one of the reasons I keep this blog).

But what is a birthday without a birthday party?  And in our circles… that also means piñata!!  

Oh yes… what evil things these piñatas must have done to us many years ago.  For now they are the target of all our Hispanic celebrations.  We teach our kids that these piñatas must be beaten.  Beaten good!!  …for the terrible things that they did to us so long ago…

And if you beat them hard enough, you will be rewarded.  J CANDY!!  That is better than gold to children….

Do you ever feel that no one understands you?  That you work your butt off and it goes unappreciated?  We all do sometimes.  That is part of life.  Sometimes we need the appreciation, and sometimes we do not.  When we don’t need this pat on the back, it is because we are strong and sure of ourselves.  But you can’t be like that all the time.  That’s just not realistic.  Sometimes we get beaten down and tired, and no one seems to understand or appreciate us.

Then you start thinking things like, “why do I bother” or “I wonder if it’s worth it.”  Or even, “If they could only walk a mile in my shoes … maybe they would understand.”

Lighten up.  Things start getting better the moment we stop pitying ourselves.  We have to stop focusing on how tired we are, and start appreciating all the things we have… while we still have them.  You know nothing lasts forever… so don’t let the important things pass you by without appreciating them.  That makes it all worth it… and that makes me feel less tired…. J

I had finished my blog entry for the evening, when my wife mentioned that she had taken a cute picture of Sophia smiling.  So tonight is a special "Two For One" ... Everything must go!!

Wow,... they do grow up so fast.  Here is Sophia at two months to the day.  She is so big for her age....  I think we are going to be in trouble when all three are walking... That maybe next week!!  J

So, a few people have asked me.  "How are your work outs going? Did you give up yet?" 

L

Such positive reinforcement… but oh well.  It actually goes very good.  I did 6 straight days of Taebo death!  Add to that a cut back on my eating, and I have dropped 10 pounds in one week!!  J  I am happy about that.

But you know what they say, “first 10 pounds are the easiest.”  Who are “they” and why are they so mean to me?  What did I ever do to them.  Maybe for me the first 10 were the hardest.  Yeah right… I wish.

But I am still going at it.  I took Sunday off (Father’s Day) and picked backup today.  I am still dead tired… but motivated by the progress.  To tell you the truth, what really keeps me going, is the little old man in the video who is also doing it.  He must be 100 years old… and he looks like he is having a heart attack… but he keeps on going.  I often wonder, as the work out finish… where is the old man… I don’t see him in the final part.  Maybe he did die!  …. That can’t be good. 

Well... sleepy time.... tomorrow I go to work early.

This has been another long weekend.  Where does the time go?  Ah Father’s Day!!!  This of course will be my baby brother’s first Father’s day!!  Is he in for a treat!  A new born baby…. Who makes all the demands in the world, and who in return, gives you diaper full, after diaper full.

J  But that first smile you get when they recognize your voice, or face is truly priceless (just like the commercial).

Well, ok.  They don't seem too happy in this photo, but it is cute non the less.

It was a nice enjoyable day... At church service they gave a flower to the fathers in recognition of all their service to their families (some more than others).  In our culture (Spanish), there is a tendency for fathers to play a more hand's off approach.  But thank God that my father showed us differently.  I truly love and appreciate my Dad for so many things.  The most important things he taught me were by example.  These are the things that I strive to be in my family.  Loving, caring, strong, fair, and present (and accounted for).  Sometimes the family just needs the father to be there.... even if it is just to play another game of "Catch the Monster" or story time.

Here is to you Dad.  I love you!

Oh, Dios, de mi alma, se tù mi vision;

Nada te aparte de mi corazòn.

Noche y dìa yo pienso en tì.

Sabidurìa, sè tù mi ser ;

Quiero a tu lado mi senda correr ;

Como tu hijo, tenme, Señor,

Siempre morando en un mismo amor.

Sè mi escudo, mi espada en la lid,

Mi ùnica gloria, mi dicha sin fin.

Del alma amparo, mi torreòn ;

A las alturas condùceme, Dios.

Riquezas vanas no anhelo Señor,

Ni el vano halago de la adulaciòn,

Rey de los cielos, tesoro mejor.

Luis Medina (Sr)

  Well you see kids.... long long ago... in a galaxy far far away....no wait.  Thats were yogurt comes from.  J

My son got a chance to go see Batman Begins today.  I have not even seen this yet... probably the first of many.

Well his really good friend Diego Jose (and father) invited him.  He had a great time.  Diego Jose and my son (Matthew) always seem so happy to see each other... and normally when the fun ends, are so upset that it can't last longer.

But at that age, like most things, it is almost like a love hate relationship.  They play, they fight, the play, the fight.....  It's almost as if, when we get older, we make our relationships dull.  We take the intensity out of it, and it is no longer "YEAH your here" ... and "I don't want you to leave".  It becomes "Hi" ... and "See you Later"

As we get older, it is hard to keep really close friends.  Or worse, it becomes hard to be close to our spouse.  We all get so many distractions like work, chores, errands, family, pets, etc...  Its hard to spend the time to feed these relationships that make life worth living.  We are not just supposed to work year after year, just so that we eventually make it to our death.  We need to stop "doing things" and we need to start "living life with our loved ones"  That has value... much more than a paycheck every other week.

I want more time with my family.... so that I don't miss out.  J What do you think?  Please leave a comment...

I worked out again today…  L  I feel hurt where hurt should not be…  but such is life.  When I finished, I found a little surprise from my wife.  She had taken this cute picture of Megan.

Megan… Daddy’s girl.  You hear that expression a lot, but it takes on a whole new meaning when you are the dad that has a daughter.  I find it hard to discipline Megan more than Matthew.  It makes me sad when she cries, or pouts, and I have to find myself consciously trying not to give in so that we can be fair and equal to all of our kids.

Sometimes my wife has to rescue me, and she is more by the book with Megan… I hope that when Sophia grows up, her and Megan don’t gang up on me… or I am doomed.

Father’s day is coming soon… and my wife has asked me what I want.  But to tell you the truth, I have more in my life than I ever could have dreamed…  all I need is just more time with my family.

Sleepy time… Good night everyone.

My son started taking his swim classes in the evening, and today I worked early so that I was able to go with the family to check it out.

Although he lacks a lot of discipline, Matthew has lost all fear of the water.  I am not sure if that is a good thing yet.  As he took his class, he did have a hard time focusing on the instructor’s direction, because he was distracted by all the cute girls.

This is a perfect example.  As the instructor is asking Matthew to swim across, he is obviously distracted by the girl on the steps.  After his swim turn was up, in a sign of true affection, he took her floating noodle thing away and almost made her cry….. ahh to be young and in love.

After a disastrous defeat with the ladies, we walk back to the car and he is comforted by his sister who explains to him that there are plenty of fishes in the sea.

=============== Topic Jump ================

So, I had a physical today at my family doctor.  Don’t worry … no bad news.  Well kinda.  He checks me out and sees all the results from a bunch of stuff and says “You are fit as a fiddle, nothing wrong with you…”  J  Ah, a clean get away!!  “…but …there is one thing….. you weight 10 pounds more than you did at your last years physical.”  L

So that got me thinking.  This was the same message that he had given me last year.  All ok but I had put on 10 pounds!!  Do you know what this means?  By the time I am 40 I will weight 235 pounds.  By the time I am 50 I will weight 335!!!  Will it ever end?  

Ok, so maybe it is not that bad… but I do want to drop a few pounds.  So I am trying not to gorge myself.  And I am starting to work out.  My wife says to me “you should do my Tae-bo tapes with me, …they are really good.”  Inside I laughed, because I thought it wouldn’t be that bad.  So why not…  Well by the end of the session…. I was crying in pain and was covered in what I hoped was sweat and not blood…  J  That really kicked my butt.

But I will keep at it… No pain no gain….  Why do they say that?  Can’t we ever just get a little gain without the need for the pain part?  …I guess that is close to the old saying … you get what you pay for….. and believe me brother, I am paying.   Peace out!!

There are few things in this life that are as comforting and reassuring as “The Thumb.”  And this magic gift does not seem to last very long when we are young.  Studies show that most kids give this habit up by the age of four, naturally. 

Our little angel, Megan, is only 1 & 2/3 years old, and still has not lost this magic. 

But what if it never ended…. I know some older kids that still do it…. And a couple of adults…  J   Comfort comes in many forms.  Some people rely on others…. Some on food…. Some on a bottle….. some on “The Thumb.”

In the big picture of things, we should be careful on the things we pick to comfort us.  There is a fine line between “a temporary comfort in time of need”, and “a crutch that becomes a life long habitual impairment.”

• ¿Porquè es tan difìcil decir la verdad, pero tan fàcil una mentira?
• ¿Porquè estamos dormidos en la iglesia, pero cuando termina el sermon nos despertamos?
• ¿Porquè es tan difìcil hablar acerca de Dios, pero tan fàcil hablar acerca de lo sucio?
• ¿Porquè es tan aburrido mirar a revista cristianas, pero tan fàcil mirar a las revistas sucias?
• ¿Porquè las iglesias disminuyen, y el nùmero de clubes de danza aumentan?

PIENSA.  ORA.  Y CONVIERTE LO DIFICÌL EN FÀCIL PARA TI.

Colaboraciòn : Ricky Rodriguez

It’s almost like an epidemic.  We had Sophia a few weeks ago…. A couple of Paola’s cousin had theirs a bit ago.  A couple of our friends are pregnant now.  And two days ago my brother and his wife also had a baby…

But that is not the most alarming part…. All the babies lately have been girls!!!  I am a statistics man, and the numbers are not adding up.  Maybe this is some plot to enslave all men on this planet?  …or maybe its God telling us men, that we have really messed up and now it’s the women’s turn.

On a totally separate subject, here is a picture of our cute daughter.  My wife told me if I did not put a picture of her on my blog, that she would hit me…. Hmmm, maybe it is not such a separate subject from the inevitable world domination plan by women!

Be kind to us new masters!  J

Congratulations to Damian and Karin, although I belive Karin did most of the work.  :-)

They sent some more awesome pictures.  Check them out.

Look at that cute baby!!!  Thank goodness she looks more like her mother than her father.  :-P

I bet both sets of grand parents can't wait to spoil this little princess with gifts!!  ...almost makes me wish I was a little princess... :-)

Hey guys, 

Damian and Karin had their baby girl!!

 

The weekend was long … and tiring (but fun)…. So I thought I would get a chance to get some rest on Monday….. nope (kinda busy) …. So then I thought I could get some rest on Tuesday…. Nope (I really should just give up on getting rest)

Long day at the office… followed by some errands.  Then took my nephews and nieces out for a little ice cream at Bruster’s (AWESOME ICECREAM)

….so afterwards it was everyone over to our house for some fun.  When we got to my house there on the lawn was a Slip and Slide.  I have not seen one of these for years.  Apparently my wife had gotten it with one of my son’s birthday gift cards.

Here is my niece trying to show everyone how its done.  Yeah Alex!!

Evening turned into night…. Turned into long night…  J  Now time for some sleepy time… maybe tomorrow will be a bit more restful.  Who am I kidding?  I probably wont get any rest until the kids are off to college.

After church on Sunday we ate out with some friends, and then we went off for a little pool time.

It was a lot of fun.... how fast the time passes.  We had a great sunny weekend.... funny this same night... rain storms rolled in....

Matthew and Diego Jose are both in the same swim classes.  It really shows that they are getting bolder in the swimming pool.  Long gone are the days were Matthew will only stay on the steps of the pool.  He has moved on ... and left me in the dust, just me and Megan on the steps now. 

All this 'sun' time.... Matthew is starting to sport a nice tan.  Me ... I turn red like a lobster!!  Good thing I am the one holding the camera.... or there would be some good blackmail pictures.

This summer is off to a nice beginning.

After I had done last night’s post I was catching up on some email and found a picture from last year.

Very funny.  All that talk about clowns, and I forgot that my mom and sisters sometimes play the part.  From left to right:  Astrid (Older sister), Ivana (Younger sister), and my Mom.  I am the ugly clown with the beard.  This was a picture (last year I think) at a festival/fund raiser at my sister's church.

J  I guess it just goes to show you, people in glass houses should not throw stones…. or crème pies… or something like that.

Today we went to the Renaissance Festival.  It was our first time and it was a lot of fun.  There were tons of things to do with the kids there, and that is always a good thing.  They loved the games, and the rides, and all the neat costumes!!  There were tree people and dragons.  There were ponies and birds.  You name it, it had something for everyone.  Add to that a co-worker gave us free tickets (thanks Jeff!!).

There was fun to be had by all.  We even went with a friend (Dorothy) and her Daughter (Merial).  The kids always find ways to amuse themselves.  We got some photos and put them in our Gallery.  One thing that stuck out in my head was the jester.  

Or Clown if you will.  Have you ever noticed that not all kids like clowns?  I had to ask myself why.... I know some kids love clowns, and depending on costumes, and the person playing the part, it is normally easy to understand why.

Coulrophobia:  An abnormal and persistent fear of clowns.

Is it unreasonable to think a small child would be scared of an adult who wears strange clothing and paints, normally making loud irrational comments, and wearing a maniacal smile?

So I guess I can see why some kids fear these strangers in strange outfits and with strange faces... but sometimes its just nice to laugh at silly people.

People are going to start thinking that we beat our children….. I am not sure where our kids get it from, but they are very prone to hurting themselves.  Some time ago my son Matthew jumped off a table and thought he could clear the living room to a near by lazy boy…. But he was wrong.  He hit his head right above his left eye… he has a little scar as a reminder that he can’t fly.

Tonight our little girl Megan (1.6 years old) was getting her bath time with her brother (3.1 years old).  It seemed like nice bath time fun with very little turmoil.  So I turned around to get their toothbrushes when I hear a scream that sounded like a banshee!!

First thought that comes to mind was that an old fashion jail house fight had broken out, and that everyone was reaching for their shiv!!  I had to remind myself that freaking out only spokes the kids more than they need to be.  So I pick up my little girl out of the tub and wrap her in a towel.  She cried for a little bit and then wanted to go back to playing.

It was not until I was putting on their pajamas that I noticed the shiner near her eye!! She must have hit hard…. My wife put some ice on it… but there is bound to be some more swelling.

It is now only a matter of time before we are investigated…. But I am confident that if our kids spend time with anyone, they will quickly realize that we are not the cause of their wounds.

Night kids…. (sleepy time is a moment of rest for the parents!!  THANK YOU GOD!!!)

Today we found out that Nicky is not feeling so well.  He is currently fighting an infection and was getting some more test done today.  We hope he gets better soon.

Hang in there little man!!  I dug up this picture of Nicky and his cousins when we visited them in Tennessee last year.

Were praying for you.  We hope we can come see you soon!