Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Brednich Running Club
This string of pictures was taken on Father's Day....what a good group of guys!
A long time ago, Benjy had looked ahead to the day when he might have some running partners. Hard to believe that that day is kind of here.
Everyone gets all in a mad frenzy when they see their Dad getting the running gear on - they all want to go with him. He is sometimes kind enough to let them go a little ways with him - yes, even Hudson. The other night Reece went out and ran 2 miles with his Daddy.
I am trying to catch the running fever myself. A new pair of shoes got me started...and although it isn't always easy to find the time, I was enjoying it AFTER I ran each time. Getting motivated wasn't always so fun. Then, I practically if not actually, broke my baby toe, playing soccer barefoot with Reece in the basement so I am in recovery mode...almost ready to put the shoes back on and run for my own fitness, not just running after the boys! :)
Monday, June 27, 2011
Free Hugs!
"We need 4 hugs a day for survival.
We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance.
We need 12 hugs a day for growth."
Virginia Satir
A quick google for the research behind it lead to be to some neat discoveries that have, in turn, taken over our morning activities. My boys are loving one another and showing it through hug after hug after hug. I hear them saying things like, "please, one more, I need to survive today" :) They are creating secret HUGshakes and forming into HUGgles. It is making me laugh....of course, it is a fine line between a hug-fest and a wrestling match, but hey, so far so good.
Check out these pics of my crew first (the sign they made says "free hugs"), and then see the video below that was their inspiration. And then, of course, go hug someone you love, or someone you don't even know and make their day!
Oh, and just to correct the false assumption that we have this super harmonious hugging home all day through these summer months, or ever, is exactly that: false. We go from hugging to fighting and back again more often than this Momma would care to see. But I do know they truly love one another and I am just thankful we have some hugging too!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Simply Thankful for Both
I can't help but sit and write a few thoughts of reflection and humble thanks for this past year. One year has already passed since we packed up our young family, few belongings, very full hearts and many, many memories and left the country that had become our home and the friends who had become our family.
I believe I will forever stand by my conviction that we will never truly be able to single out the various ways that we were changed by those years in Mexico. It seems trite to call it an "experience" - it certainly was in many aspects.....but all those little aspects blended together to become much more than an "experience" - it became our normal, daily life. We grew and we gained and we lost and we laughed and we struggled and we failed and we doubted and we celebrated and we cried and we questioned and we started over and...we changed.
We left Mexico looking much different than we arrived - and I am not just referring to the increase in family size :)
Several of those things would have likely happened in any place we might have lived. We would have added children to our family, we might have learned a different language, we still would have faced the loss of my Dad, the loss of our babies, our faith would have been challenged and our marriage would have faced its ups and downs. We would have learned about ourselves and experimented with doing our best at parenting. We would have made neat relationships, and we may have thought outside the box, and learned to appreciate people, and on and on.
But those things didn't happen in a different place. They happened in Mexico - and for that reason, Mexico will always be part of us and who we have become and are becoming. Although we aren't living there anymore, it is still living in us.
This isn't a milestone to celebrate..."a year since we left the field!" Yet it is something to thank God for because throughout this year, He has taken care of us and worked things out for our family. We have each faced transition in different ways - the boys, me, Benjy. But He has shown the way and although it hasn't always been easy or completely clear, when I look back I can see how prayers have been answered. I sense we are walking where he has lead us, and that feels good. It is encouraging to be able to look back with fondness and look forward with anticipation while today being simply thankful for both.
I thank God for providing Benjy with a new job which he is enjoying. We continue to make new friendships and develop old ones - here and from afar. And we continue to celebrate great things that are happening in the lives of our Mexican friends.
So, I guess you could say there is some bitter-sweetness to this day. But nothing that a little reflection can't do to soothe the soul.
I believe I will forever stand by my conviction that we will never truly be able to single out the various ways that we were changed by those years in Mexico. It seems trite to call it an "experience" - it certainly was in many aspects.....but all those little aspects blended together to become much more than an "experience" - it became our normal, daily life. We grew and we gained and we lost and we laughed and we struggled and we failed and we doubted and we celebrated and we cried and we questioned and we started over and...we changed.
We left Mexico looking much different than we arrived - and I am not just referring to the increase in family size :)
Several of those things would have likely happened in any place we might have lived. We would have added children to our family, we might have learned a different language, we still would have faced the loss of my Dad, the loss of our babies, our faith would have been challenged and our marriage would have faced its ups and downs. We would have learned about ourselves and experimented with doing our best at parenting. We would have made neat relationships, and we may have thought outside the box, and learned to appreciate people, and on and on.
But those things didn't happen in a different place. They happened in Mexico - and for that reason, Mexico will always be part of us and who we have become and are becoming. Although we aren't living there anymore, it is still living in us.
This isn't a milestone to celebrate..."a year since we left the field!" Yet it is something to thank God for because throughout this year, He has taken care of us and worked things out for our family. We have each faced transition in different ways - the boys, me, Benjy. But He has shown the way and although it hasn't always been easy or completely clear, when I look back I can see how prayers have been answered. I sense we are walking where he has lead us, and that feels good. It is encouraging to be able to look back with fondness and look forward with anticipation while today being simply thankful for both.
I thank God for providing Benjy with a new job which he is enjoying. We continue to make new friendships and develop old ones - here and from afar. And we continue to celebrate great things that are happening in the lives of our Mexican friends.
So, I guess you could say there is some bitter-sweetness to this day. But nothing that a little reflection can't do to soothe the soul.
Monday, June 20, 2011
A New Angle At Confessing Your Past
Benjy left this morning for a business trip. He will be gone all week.
In attempt to get some work done around here, I channeled some of the boys' energy to help me do some yard work...which largely involved getting rid of the straw bales that had been Addy's warm home during the winter. Lots of bagging and discarding and sweeping. The boys worked hard and were quite helpful for most of the afternoon.
There was one interval when two of the middle boys didn't return to the yard for a while. When I noticed I went to the front and called them back.
As we were coming in to get cleaned up I noticed that Pierce had this black streak along his neck - they had been trying to skip with an old rope, I assumed it was from that.
They got showered and cleaned up and we were going to head to the library - loaded them all in the van and backed out of the garage...only to find a totally flat back tire - so weird because we had been out all morning without a problem. "What is that noise?" was my response when I began driving and Pierce quickly states from the back seat... "the tire is flat." I was a little surprised at his quick response as a 4 yr old - but hey - pulled back into the garage and called road-side assistance (finally utlizing what we pay for every month - ha!) So...we walked to the library instead.
That eve, the roadside guy shows up while I am feeding the boys - so I popped out - showed him what he needed and went back into the house. When I go back out to check, the guy has the tire off and it is hooked to his little gadget thing and he says to me..."there is nothing wrong with your tire. There is no leak anywhere." I am like, "well, wait - it was totally flat - what are you trying to say?" He smiles and says - "looks like someone let the air out of your tire."
Ahhh haaa - it all begins to click in that instant and I begin laughing. That boy!!!! The man chuckles and says, "ya - kids think it is super neat to hear that ssssssssssssss sound when they put their little finger right there on the valve!"
He puts the perfectly fine tire back on and heads out.
I play it cool and ask to have a little chat with all the boys...gearing up for reminders about telling the truth. 3 for 3 quick denial of anything to do with the back tire. Time to turn it up a notch: thinking I am being pretty smooth and can ease a confession out of Pierce with no real problem - especially when I ask him to come to the garage and show me how he made the cool sound (ha! - joke was on me - he continued to deny it and had NO idea what I was talking about when I asked him to show me how to do it)
Long story short - he must have done it accidently, or some phantom ghost (maybe neighborhood teenagers) is messing with my van! That is how I concluded the evening.
Until....bedtime storytime and Pierce volunteers to tell us all a story with this unique technique.... it went something like this: back when I was a little boy, one time, I made the tire go flat.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Pierce is still sticking to his story this morning. What a kid!
In attempt to get some work done around here, I channeled some of the boys' energy to help me do some yard work...which largely involved getting rid of the straw bales that had been Addy's warm home during the winter. Lots of bagging and discarding and sweeping. The boys worked hard and were quite helpful for most of the afternoon.
There was one interval when two of the middle boys didn't return to the yard for a while. When I noticed I went to the front and called them back.
As we were coming in to get cleaned up I noticed that Pierce had this black streak along his neck - they had been trying to skip with an old rope, I assumed it was from that.
They got showered and cleaned up and we were going to head to the library - loaded them all in the van and backed out of the garage...only to find a totally flat back tire - so weird because we had been out all morning without a problem. "What is that noise?" was my response when I began driving and Pierce quickly states from the back seat... "the tire is flat." I was a little surprised at his quick response as a 4 yr old - but hey - pulled back into the garage and called road-side assistance (finally utlizing what we pay for every month - ha!) So...we walked to the library instead.
That eve, the roadside guy shows up while I am feeding the boys - so I popped out - showed him what he needed and went back into the house. When I go back out to check, the guy has the tire off and it is hooked to his little gadget thing and he says to me..."there is nothing wrong with your tire. There is no leak anywhere." I am like, "well, wait - it was totally flat - what are you trying to say?" He smiles and says - "looks like someone let the air out of your tire."
Ahhh haaa - it all begins to click in that instant and I begin laughing. That boy!!!! The man chuckles and says, "ya - kids think it is super neat to hear that ssssssssssssss sound when they put their little finger right there on the valve!"
He puts the perfectly fine tire back on and heads out.
I play it cool and ask to have a little chat with all the boys...gearing up for reminders about telling the truth. 3 for 3 quick denial of anything to do with the back tire. Time to turn it up a notch: thinking I am being pretty smooth and can ease a confession out of Pierce with no real problem - especially when I ask him to come to the garage and show me how he made the cool sound (ha! - joke was on me - he continued to deny it and had NO idea what I was talking about when I asked him to show me how to do it)
Long story short - he must have done it accidently, or some phantom ghost (maybe neighborhood teenagers) is messing with my van! That is how I concluded the evening.
Until....bedtime storytime and Pierce volunteers to tell us all a story with this unique technique.... it went something like this: back when I was a little boy, one time, I made the tire go flat.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Pierce is still sticking to his story this morning. What a kid!
Friday, June 17, 2011
You Know You're a 4thBorn When...
You know you are the fourth-born when:
* your pacifier hasn't been washed in a lengthy but uncertain amount of time and you are still alive!
* you don't know what a brush or comb is because your Mom just uses the "quick wet wipe approach" after you are already in the car seat and the van is in motion
* you keep noticing, in all the family photos, that what you thought were YOUR clothes are actually appearing from, oh, say 7 or 8 years ago.
* your diaper bag only contains the bare necessities like diapers, wipes and a little bag of cheerios - not like all the other kids your age who have a plethera of toys, blankets, changes of clothes, and a snack selection like a Wal-mart aisle.
* shoes are over-rated but when necessary they are usually sitting on my knee in the car seat until we arrive at our destination....then they are crammed on my feet while everyone else is jumping past, over, and on top of me to get out of the van.
* you can already kick or throw a ball almost as good as your older brothers - (you've spent enough time watching them do it over and over again) ***this is surely gonna be payoff of a scholarship in the future!
* you are really fast at the grab-a-toy-away-and-run approach...even tho your steps are wobbly and your giggles keep you from getting too far, you have, nonetheless, created the intended riot from snatching the lego or stealing the hot wheel
* if patient, you are bound to eventually find someone who forgets to close the bathroom door so you can capitalize on quick fishing in the toilet bowl - or swishing toys around - or putting socks in - which all drives your Mommy crazy (especially, for some reason, when the water is yellow) - but take note: its a great strategy for gaining an instant bath with lots of soap
* bedtimes prayers are a long lasting series of each brother wanting to hug you and crowd around your crib to pray with you and for you.
* you already know how to mimick shooting guns, smashing super heroes together and flying any object through the air.
* you know how to say "candy" before "mommy" and you somehow manage to find it in all kinds of hidden spots (thanks to older brothers); you realize you are not gonna have it for long in your tightly clinched little fist, so you have learned to just try and get a bit of sweet by sucking through the paper wrapping as fast as you can.
* you have been carried, dragged, or pulled in every shape or form by your brothers or their friends.
* you can climb a bunk bed ladder - but you can't climb down....that's what your loud voice is for, right?
* you have already noticed that it is a rather wild experience at the dinner table, so why not join in the fun and make it much more eventful by making your presence very known at all times.
* you become the object of many fights for who gets to play with you, sit beside you, bath with you, get you out of your crib, and on and on
* you receive more love and affection than anyone can almost stand...and you pretty much feel like a superstar all of the time!
Not a bad life at all to be the 4th!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Power of a Band Aid
Most of my boys are still under that belief that a band aid solves everything. It is taken to the extreme in most cases - meaning that Chase can now easily crawl onto the bathroom sink to reach the vanity and he retrieves a bandaid for every scratch....on any one. Side note: you should see these kids legs - am I doing something wrong as a Mom? Their little legs are so bruised, banged, scraped and just plain-all-the-time-dirty. They play hard I guess. That's a good thing. Bad thing is the fight they always give when I expect them to shower or bath to get all that stink and grime off. Boys.
Back to the point of this memory....
On Sunday afternoon we were at our church picnic/cook out. I have got my sleepy whiney toddler on my hip and am trying to balance several plates of food to a table when I hear Pierce's cry. He had fallen and scraped his knee...with a little blood...but no big deal. So I transfer Hudson to the other side and hold Pierce on my other knee. He, of course, feels like he needs a band-aid :) And, I, of course, am not about to tackle that hunt right now (you'd think I would learn and stash a few in the diaper bag...but, hey, I didn't even have the diaper bag anywhere near me that afternoon so it really wouldn't have mattered in the long run). He calms down, we keep eating, and a few minutes later...
Chase looks at us with a lightbulb moment look and says, "I have a band-aid".
"You have had a band aid in your pocket all of this time??" I questioned.
I look over at him, and he is simply peeling one off of his own scrape to share with his little brother :)
I politely appreciated his kind heart but explained we'd get a new one in a few. What a kid! Gross and sweet all at the same time...(good description of him these days)
Back to the point of this memory....
On Sunday afternoon we were at our church picnic/cook out. I have got my sleepy whiney toddler on my hip and am trying to balance several plates of food to a table when I hear Pierce's cry. He had fallen and scraped his knee...with a little blood...but no big deal. So I transfer Hudson to the other side and hold Pierce on my other knee. He, of course, feels like he needs a band-aid :) And, I, of course, am not about to tackle that hunt right now (you'd think I would learn and stash a few in the diaper bag...but, hey, I didn't even have the diaper bag anywhere near me that afternoon so it really wouldn't have mattered in the long run). He calms down, we keep eating, and a few minutes later...
Chase looks at us with a lightbulb moment look and says, "I have a band-aid".
"You have had a band aid in your pocket all of this time??" I questioned.
I look over at him, and he is simply peeling one off of his own scrape to share with his little brother :)
I politely appreciated his kind heart but explained we'd get a new one in a few. What a kid! Gross and sweet all at the same time...(good description of him these days)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Get in Line Little Brother, I Served My Time...Now It's YOUR Turn!
Scoring Points...
I found an unlikely treasure at a garage sale today. I had Hudson in mind specifically because he seems to love these at every home we visit who has one.
even when the plate spills, we are still more than happy!
there is always more where that came from :)
True, I have a house of boys, but...someday way way down the road... I hope to have some daughter-in-laws. Why not think ahead and score some points with them by instilling some domestic skills in my boys, right?!
Besides, gone are the days when the kitchen is only a woman's domain.
So, I bought this little kitchen...cleaned it up with some bleach and lysol and everyone was thrilled with the outcome... especially since the kitchen became the back deck :)
we've got right handed stirring...
and we've got left handed stirring...
we've got smiles...
we've got pancake flipping skills (even tho
we've got pancake flipping skills (even tho its actually a hamburger bun, whatever, right!)
even when the plate spills, we are still more than happy!
there is always more where that came from :)
And before long... the male gene took over. The next time I peeked out on this happy little scene, athletics was quickly involved on this kitchen deck domain.... and a different form of points were being scored!
cherry pie jump shots...
corn on the cob slam dunk attempts
(check out the intensity in Hudson's eyes!)
and another shot from a different angle!
So, future daughter-in-laws...I am doing my best...but just know that sports are really really fun! :)
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