Bredford Family: graduation

A huge thank you to everyone who supported us as we raised money for Boston Children's Hospital! (Official Thank Yous will be sent out in the next week or so.) The walk was on Sunday and the weather was perfect. We got there early so that we could try out the games, face painting, etc. and then headed out before the crowds.

The "official" team photo in front of the Hatch Shell.

I added our team name to the back of the shirts.
Cutting out the stencils was a bit tedious, but freezer paper stenciling is pretty easy.

Bennett liked playing in the bubbles.

Getting his face painted for the first time. He wasn't so sure what to make of it.

Hmm, would Bennett be a tortoise or a hare?

Bennett and Fiona pre-walk.

And we're off!

Perhaps the cutest moment of the day was when Fiona took Bennett's hand as we started off and then held his hand for the entire walk! He asked a couple of times to be picked up, but we suggested that he take Fiona's hand instead and he kept on going!

Bennett and Fiona are just 2 of those 500,000 patients!

Another way they raise a little more money is by selling these "honor flags". They are pretty inexpensive (only $20 each) so I'm surprised that more people don't buy them. Alicia thought in the future there should be an "add-on" option on the donation pages so that donors might be able to more easily purchase them.

With our flags.

After the walk we went to the playground that was next to the start/finish line. There was a climbing structure with a nice big slide. This is not an easy climbing structure! It got even worse at the top where you had to maneuver between two small platforms that had widely spaced netting between them. Bennett kept wanting to go up again but Daddy couldn't handle it anymore. I think twice was two times too many for his liking.

Instead the kids tried out this spinning disk. Bennett seems to love all of these "thrill" type activities. Can't wait to go to an amusement park with him!

Hugs as we said goodbye.

Now let's review what happened the rest of the week.

I have a helper in the garden. He also tried watering it one day recently by taking a microfiber towel, dipping it into his pool, and then dripping/squeezing the water out over the plants. Not a very effective method, but it kept him happy.

He's also been very interested in puzzles. Of course his favorites are a set of four Curious George puzzles that we have, but those are only 12 pieces each so they aren't very challenging. We also have a few 24 piece puzzles that he enjoys.

I'm not sure how it happened, because I certainly didn't get any older, but Hanna somehow turned from the three-year-old that I first met into a high school graduate!

During the processional. I wonder if they are smiling because someone else was taking their picture. I was so far away they would have had no idea that I had a camera aimed at them. (Yay zoom lenses!)

And speaking of growing up, when did this happen? He looks so much older to me in this picture. (Taken during a mini run-around break during the ceremony.

A note to all people who will be on stage at a graduation, especially those who will be handing out diplomas or shaking hands with the graduates and thus having your picture taken: Please be aware of the school colors and don't dress in conflicting colors. The school colors were maroon and white. The person handing out diplomas was wearing an orangey-coral. It looked horrid next to the maroon robes! (It doesn't look quite as bad to me in this picture, but in real life it was horrible! Even Chris agreed.

Of course the wind picked up just as Hanna had to cross the stage, so she was fighting with her cap and her hair the whole time.

Throwing caps. It looks really cool, but it must be a pain to try to find your cap again. I asked Hanna how hard it was to find her cap and she said she only did a mock throw. Smart girl!