Briam's Family Blog

It seems as if the days of summer are slipping away and school is on the horizon.  Its not just the tax free shopping day that reminds me either...  Ok, well maybe it is.  That and Paola running around buying school supplies was a big clue...

Here is a pic of the kids at a school function with Matthew kindergarten teacher:  Ms Gamble.  She is AWESOME!!  Constantly challenging Matthew.  Which is not easy by any means.  Of course the new year will bring on a new teacher.

The girls will also still be at the same pre-school (Rockdale Baptist Church).  They also love their classes and teachers.  Not sure what changes this year will have for them.

They are growing up way to quickly.  So much so that sometimes it is hard to remember their ages... or maybe I am just getting old and forgetful.  What?  ...who said that?  

So I believe that my brother has the same allergic reaction that I have.  He is allergic to the phone... just like me, we are not much for the chit chat or the phone calls.  Some might say that most men are like this (and I would not disagree).  Well, so my brother Damian (Kurt) calls me last Wednesday.  What what?  Yeah.  Thats what I said.  We had not talked in a long time, and it was very nice to hear from him.  He is doing well, and looking forward to trying out some new business ventures soon.

Well, we were chatting and he mentioned he had taken some phone pics of Liliana since she had recently had a birthday.  He sent them to me so I thought I should share.  How quickly they grow up!!

Its great that the kids are all getting bigger and older... but somehow I can't help feel like I am older than the wind.  Specially when you start getting questions like "...who is fred flinstone?"  They say it will get easier... (yes, but for whom?)

I hope we get to go visit soon.  It would be very nice to see Lili, Karen, and Kurt.  I know that my parents are talking about going out there in a few weeks.  Maybe we can sneak on the trip with them.  Perhaps hide in the luggage.  Happy belated B-Day Liliana!!

There once was a little girl name Sophia.  She was a cute little three year kid with a great love for animals.  She was constantly asking if she could have different pets... from lions and wolves to turtles and rabbits.  From dogs and cats to horses and whales...  And like all smart parents who wish to avoid picking up poop after lions and horses, we told her that she could save up for a fish.

But not just a fish.  She would have to save up her allowance for the tank and food and possibly one little fish.  With the modest allowance that she received, we figured that would buy us enough time for her to lose interest in starting up her Noah's Ark.  But we had overlooked one thing.  For her 3rd birthday she had received some cash!!  Oh well.  At least with a stern father to take her shopping we would be able to control this situaion... Unfortunatly I was not as stern as I could have been, and we ended up buying more fish than we have space for....

So the aquarium started out with around 9 or 10 fish... We quickly realized they would not all survive in the little 1 Gallon tank.  We ended up donating a few... and a couple died.  We were not sure if it was the overpopulation situation or over feeding.. or what.  I think one of the fish had a drinking problem... anyways.  The end result is one fish in one little tank.  Sophia named this one "Goldie" ...and then renamed him later "Swimmy" ... I think there was yet a third name, but I don't recall what that was.

Every now an then, its good to have some 'do nothing' slack time.  Around our house we are usually go go go... so those rare moments are hard to find.  A few weeks ago, we have a lighter than normal weekend that started out with a quinceanera.  A what?  Thats right.  Its the right of passage party in Spanish culture for girls.  Kind of like a sweet sixteen party, but they do it at 15 years old.  And these get very elaborate.  Sometimes more than a wedding!  You should see the dresses and shoes and other stuff that goes along with this celebration ...

So, this picture above is us at the party.  We had a great time, and got a chance to see some friends that we had not seen in a long time.  Four or five hours later ... we were off to our home for some rest and relaxation.

Step one in achieving the perfect slack day is to find the perfect spot to lounge.  It is important that this location be comfortable and free from distractions (like work or ... a tribe of kids).

Step two is to make sure that when distractions come your way, that you don't let them knock you out of your lounging spot... as you can see in the picture, I lost this battle.

Step three... listen carefully.  This is the most important step of all.  Every now and then you need to STOP DOING STUFF!!  ... sit back. ...appreciate the blessings that you have been given.  Now go out there and SLACK!!

Ah summer time heat means summer time swimming.  We did not put the kids in swim classes this summer... due to global warming.  But that did not stop the kids from finding water (in large quantities)

So, one day while I was out having tons of fun (working at the office on computer stuff ... yeah, I know you are jealous), the kids got an invite for a little pool time with some good friends of ours.  Click on the Pic or HERE to check out some more pics.  Next time, I hope that I will be around so I can participate...