Life Under the Big Top

People are bound to ask "Why did you call your blog Breck Family Circus? What is the meaning? Are you comparing yourself to that old cartoon 'Family Circus'?" Let me assure you all up front that there is no deep meaning and that it has nothing to do with that stupid cartoon where the strangely bloated little kids are always making cutesy, barf-me-out comments that are supposed to make us chuckle and say, "aaaww." No - it has nothing to do with that.

The Breck Family Circus moniker came into existence long ago in 1997, when Justin and I were a mere dating couple and I was beginning the whole "meet the family" process. Before I go too far, I may need to remind some that I came from an only-child, two working parent family - basically, things were very quiet and chaos was at a bare minimum in our house. Upon meeting Justin's family (mom, dad, 2 sisters and a younger brother) and experiencing them all together in one place, I was immediately overwhelmed by their noise-level alone. The large family, multi-sibling pandemonium was all new to me - the shouting to be heard, the constant friendly and sometimes not so friendly arguing, the whole "trying to decide what to do today" custom of waiting around the house for dad to decide what to do (all the while engaging in the aforementioned shouting and carrying on). At some of the first family affairs, Justin would find me holed up in a downstairs bedroom just sitting there, away from all the hubub and confusion. It was never that I didn't like his family. I loved them, but it was all just so LOUD and CRAZY to me, and I didn't really know how to handle it. Ultimately, it reminded me of a circus - three rings of frantic, in-your-face activity, lots of lights and sounds and occasionally, things flying overhead. Dizzying, exciting, yet sometimes a little scary...

After almost seven years of marriage, I can say with confidence that I love the circus and am, in fact, one of the chief clowns. I love the noise and the drama and have gotten quite proficient at dealing with all of the little sideshows that crop up here and there. Now I am even gaining skills in handling the combined Breck & Brainerd Family Circus, the calamity that can only be experienced when my mom and dad and their 2 pound poodle (a show dog if there ever was one) arrive to join in the festivities. I have developed into a true ringmaster yet I am still often tested by the daily events of the circus.

The newest Breck, Wyatt, is the most recent addition to the show and the Breck/Brainerd clans could not be happier. Wyatt commands center stage much of the time and we are all more than happy to pipe down and simply stare as he performs his amazing feats. Anyway - this blog is all about my daily circus as a mom, a wife, and a member of the greatest show on earth. Come back soon to see some photos...