2025

One Weldon Day in 2025: The Newsletter

“Daddy’s home!” Brooks and Royce see their dad’s olive green Subaru Outback back into the driveway. Brianna jumps up to speed-clean the entryway. There’s no hope for the rest of the house. Brooks quickly hides in the closet and tells his mom not to tell his dad.

“Dad!” Royce says brightly as Spencer walks in.

“Hi, Royce!” He kisses his wife and says, “It’s colder than a witch’s titty out there. I’m starvin’. Where’s Brooks?”

“Your lunch is in the microwave.” She feigns ignorance about Brooks. “I’ve been trying to work on the newsletter. What is your book recommendation for this year?”

“Reframe Your Brain by Scott Adams.”

As Spencer opens the coat closet, Brooks pops out and yells, “Boo! Did I get you?” as he does every day.

“No, sorry.” A different parent would act surprised every now and then, but Spencer doesn’t believe in participation awards.

“No fair!” Brooks pouts.

“Okay, Brooks, get back to your work,” Brianna says. He returns to his desk and laptop by the front door.

Now sitting at the kitchen table with Spencer, she continues typing.

“I’m really having a hard time deciding what to do for the newsletter. I don’t have any unique ideas this year. And just telling the updates seems lame, partly because it doesn’t seem like much has happened. You got a new car and you’re growing out your hair. Those are hardly fun facts. And I don’t feel like I have anything tangible to report either. I lowered my A1C…”

She pauses.

“How does one convey significant spiritual and identity upgrades in a newsletter?”

“You don’t,” Spencer quips.

Her 2017 MacBook Pro dies without warning. She had earned just enough to buy a laptop but paid for two dental crowns instead. She decides to take a bathroom break.

Royce lets himself into the bathroom. “Mommy, are you pooping on the potty?”

“No, I’m not. I’m peeing.”

“I peed!” he broadcasts.

Knowing he peed twice in the last hour and a half, she becomes suspicious.

“Where?”

“On the couch!”

She had just shampooed the couch.

“Mom, are you sad?”

“Yes.”

Everyone eventually learns to use the bathroom properly.

Forlorn, she wraps up her duties and returns downstairs to her plugged-in computer.

“As I was saying, I don’t feel like much happened. I can report Royce finally stopped nursing…I should find a way to weave in his constipation joke.”

On cue, Royce says, “Have you heard of [the movie] Constipation? It hasn’t come out yet!” Spencer and Brianna laugh, again.

“Mommy, can I watch ‘Cute?’”

Not wanting to distract Brooks, she says, “Not right now. Play with your magnetiles.”

“Ah, no fair!” he protests.

“Mom, do you know how parents do it without TV?” She doesn’t. “They play with their kids,” Brooks says, with judgment.

“I can’t do that…” She says wearily.

“Remember I wanted you to ask people to recommend books so I can explore other viewpoints,” Spencer says.

“Yeah. And of course I’ll talk about Forest School Online.” She adds a note about Lighthouse International closing due to low enrollment.

“Tell them that I won the Children’s Business Fair with LemonBerry Splash!” She types that because it’s definitely news. He won the Highest Business Potential award for the 6-11-year-olds, selling flavored lemonade. He earned $308 and a $50 prize, and now all his business aspirations involve lemonade.

“Good idea!” she replies to Brooks. To Spencer, she says, “I feel like I should be further along.”

Progress isn’t always linear.

“You wrote that essay,” Spencer suggests. She published “Codependency Ruined Christianity for Me” on Substack and Medium in July. He was proud of her for it, and she was proud too, but she had been hoping for momentum, not just a moment. But sometimes, life only makes room for moments.

“How does one write a newsletter that simply holds space…for making it to the next day for the last 365?” she asks.

One cue again, Royce says, “Mommy? I love you.”

2024

2024 Newsletter

Well, well, well, if it isn’t you wanting to know all our business from the past year. Perfect–I don’t write these letters for no reason!

In the last year-end recitation, we left off with Spencer vying for a promotion to bring his financial compensation in line with his contributions to his workplace. That finally came through! He is now the Lead Exercise Physiologist. Nothing has really changed except he stopped talking about needing to make more money. In other news, he started intermittent fasting in the spring, and I’m proud to say he’s killing it. He eats from 2-8 pm and has maintained his results.

Spencer also began studying Stoicism this year with The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. He seems committed to the patient process of embodying Stoic principles. Stoicism is “a philosophy of personal ethics and a methodology for seeking practical wisdom in life,” (internet). We went through Stoicism for Kids with Brooks. It’s fun to hear Brooks relate situations to principles “in the ‘Estoic’ book.” Speaking of books, Spencer’s 2024 recommendation for you is Troubled by Rob Henderson (I read this one too). It’s about foster care and privilege.

Brooks started his second year at Lighthouse International: An Acton Academy. He’s not as enthusiastic about school this year as his age group/studio has gone from 7 children to 3, but he still feels his time is well spent. A studio mate’s mom invited me to join their morning carpool, taking the roundtrip from 1 hour to 40 minutes. This has greatly improved Royce’s and my will to live.

This year, Brooks did a month each of volleyball and tennis lessons. He played baseball, basketball, soccer, indoor soccer, and Taekwondo is ongoing. Baseball is still his best sport; tennis would be up there if we were rich. He has also become obsessed with Pokemon cards.

Brooks said he’s most proud of learning to ride a bike and tie his shoes (each in less than 30 minutes). He said he’s most proud of me for getting my first client because…

I’m a life coach! I did it! I completed Quantum Coach Academy in May and finished up my certifications in November. If you have been on the mailing list from the beginning, you have seen me take up a number of vocations, but Coach Brookins, I promise this is THE one! I am certified in Neurolinguistic Programming, Emotional Freedom Tapping, and Hypnotherapy (and Reiki, but eh). Not only did I become a trained coach, but I changed my own life.

I’m currently specializing in codependency or people-pleaser recovery and religious deconstruction. So if you know anyone with terrible boundaries, has totally lost themselves, or is sorting through their beliefs, send them my way!

Other than that, I FINALLY got to go back to the gym! I had decided to give up until I could take Royce to the gym with me once he turned 2. Working out has helped me feel more like myself. I have made some dietary changes as well, and Royce has stopped saying “baby” each time he sees my bare belly.

Speaking of Royce, he continues to be “the best baby.” Still hasn’t quite learned that his name is Royce, it’s not just part of a phrase, but he has learned to imitate praying and EFT Tapping, which is beyond adorable. Unironically, I would describe Royce as demure. He is reserved and shy, yet charming. He’s got some phrases he calls up to make us laugh. They are–with no context–“Halloween Night,” “[Mathilda] STAHND UHP!” and “Obama Phone!” (circa 2012 Romney event street interview). Oh, he has learned to talk and repeat everything Brooks says.

He loves being outside and does well playing on his own except a lot of times you will find him up on a counter…reaching for a knife. He loves playing with Brooks’ Pokemon toys and “monsa truss (trucks)” and wearing Brooks’ baseball cleats. While he doesn’t exhibit the athletic gifts Brooks has, he has spirit! And strength as demonstrated in his gymnastics class.

All that to say, we are doing “well.” To be frank, I wouldn’t have told you if we weren’t doing well unless you talked to me in person. We’re still not rich, which is trying, but we press on!

What does 2025 have in store for us? Will Spencer be happy with the new car he buys after having his totaled this month? Will I build a dynamic brand or will coaching fizzle out like everything else? Will Brooks get to realize his travel dreams? Will Royce stop nursing???

Tune in next December to find out!

–The Weldons

2023

POV: You’re the president of TLC network.

Howard,

I have a pitch for you for a reality show concept. Interracial family of four back home in St. Louis, Missouri.

The dad is Spencer. White, 35, naturally blonde hair, disillusioned Army Vet. He’s very reserved but also opinionated, and calls himself a “conspiracy therapist.” Doesn’t look nerdy but reads books and keeps telling people about “An End to Upside Down Thinking” by Mark Gober.

Spencer is excellent at his job as an Exercise Physiologist but doesn’t get paid what he’s worth. Will he “quiet-quit” and bring his workplace to its knees or will his company agree to pay him what he’s worth? Many, many Americans can relate to that.

He needs his job though because their oldest kid, Brooks, just started “kindergarten” at a tiny private school that doesn’t have grades. Spencer heard about “Acton Academy” on a Jordan Peterson podcast. Lots of families are becoming disenchanted by public schools, especially since the pandemic, so this is another point of interest for me.

Unlike the middle school kids on the news, mom’s work paid off and Brooks can finally read. He enjoys writing and learning multiplication…as a five-year-old? The school is learner-directed, which means it provides the structure and resources to empower students to learn instead of formally teaching them, so if he wants to learn his times tables, he can. They learn Montessori skills too, and Brooks is something of a cleaning hero. (Good opportunity for Scrub Daddy or Dyson.)

The kid has also been an athlete since he was one and played in a new t-ball league this spring and tried out basketball in the summer, which he says he prefers.

The background of all of this is quite a good-looking toddler who turned 1 in October. The whole family is handsome even though Mom still needs to lose about 20 pounds.

The toddler, Royce, is laid back and happy. Apparently, he barely even pooped as a newborn; once a week. He’s independent, loves to explore, took his first steps at 10 months, and has an affinity for spatulas? Still doesn’t sleep through the night. Shouldn’t be too much of a fuss as a background character, although he can be a crybaby when he doesn’t get his way.

Now there are several potential storylines with the mom, Brianna. She’s black; not as urban as you typically want to see, but she does have something akin to dreadlocks in her hair. Insightful, articulate, and says what most people think but don’t say.

Also feeling pressured by the need to pay tuition for this 14-kid school, Brianna has decided to refocus on her dream of being a successful entrepreneur. While she did invest in microblading training last year, somehow her next training will be different. She wants to be a life coach and says she “knew it was her calling all along”…so that should be fun to watch. And, like I said, she needs to lose the baby weight. I’m sure Weight Watchers would love to partner.

Spencer is cautiously optimistic. He’s been funding this pipe dream for like five years. He doesn’t know if he should really believe her, but his current career limitations make believing in her his best option. Will Brianna start a business as a life coach or simply financially ruin the family?

Another thing of note, Brianna was very proud of installing this gray, stainless steel sink in the kitchen this summer. No mention of any plumbing experience whatsoever. No black female leads in the DIY space are coming to mind, so that’s an opportunity as well.

Then we also have her recognizing that despite being a homemaker, she can still prioritize herself and must find a way to do so lest she lose her identity and her health. This is definitely not an angle we see on Housewives because they have money.

I really think this would work well as a limited series on TLC. Married in the Midwest with the logline “interracial couple struggles to survive as middle class in the middle of nowhere.”

I see the potential for so many sponsors: Applebees, Ozempic, Home Depot… This could either be a triumphant underdog story or a complete disaster resulting in the death of their respective middle-class dreams. Both highly watchable.

Shoot me a text with your initial thoughts so we can approach them before extensive holiday travel strains their relationship.

Talk Soon,

Andy

2022

Wehadababyitsaboy!

That 2000 Geico commercial has been in my head since I gave birth. Before we get to that, let’s do the usual rundown of how everyone grew and prospered this year.

First, please congratulate Spencer on finally earning the Strength and Conditioning Coach certification! He passed the test in September after it was canceled 3 times in 2020. He is interested in a career in sports but breaking into the field is challenging at this stage of life when we need a real salary.

While he still has the same job as an Exercise Physiologist at MovebyBJC, his schedule changed this fall from 12-9 pm to 5a-1ish. I had been worried about him not getting enough sleep and being a drag like he was at the beginning of our relationship when he didn’t eat enough carbs and had to work early, but I guess he’s used to being tired now and is doing okay. Before Brooks and I know it, he’s on his way home to go work out, do chores and complain about toys on the floor, I mean, be present for so much more time every day.

This year, Spencer has read 22 books, most notable of which is the entire bible! His method for consumption was listening to the Dwell podcast and reading along. I have attempted this a few times, including starting with him this year and making it three months, so I, for one, am very impressed.

Brooks’ year kind of revolved around becoming a big brother! I can’t say the experience has lived up to his expectations. First, Brooks wanted a sister because “I’m already a brother,” he said. As mentioned before, “itsaboy.” Second, I didn’t have the attention to give him before the baby, that’s a main reason we had a second.

We started the year implementing the “1, 2, 3, Magic!” discipline method. I honestly thought Brooks needed to see a psychologist, and it wouldn’t work, but it did! We highly recommend this book.

Brooks participated in gymnastics, tee ball, and coach pitch baseball. He didn’t love any of it, but he did enjoy 2 weeks of swim lessons and got to practice with Spencer at the neighborhood pool every weekend. He also attended Safety School for two weeks, which increased his confidence.

I started teaching Brooks to read in March using a DISTAR method workbook. He picks up the concepts quickly but kind of doesn’t get deliberate learning. Most lessons in in a meltdown as he gets frustrated about having to *gasp* try. As a result, we have completed 19 lessons out of 100. Hopefully, he will be more ready to learn when start homeschooling for kindergarten in the fall.

Okay, I know what you really want to read about is me, the baby maker! Well, other than growing and birthing a baby, I accomplished some things I’m proud of this year. I finally did a bunch of DIYS in the house. I personally installed six light fixtures including Brooks’ “granny fan” (his words) *buffs nails*. I painted the kitchen cabinets and decorated Brooks’ room, two bathrooms, and most of the nursery.

Brooks helped me finally venture into gardening. We planted two flowerbeds and a vegetable garden in a kiddie pool which only yielded miniature produce (wasn’t deep enough). I’m glad we did it, but I’m not sure it’s worth it to me. Flowers die too fast.

I laid off entrepreneurship and content creation this year. I kind of ran out of inspiration. It’s hard still not being rich, you know? But before I completely gave myself over to pregnancy and domesticity, I did attend training for microblading, which is semi-permanent eyebrow tattooing. Now, to know me is to love my eyebrows, so I’m very optimistic about my potential in this field. My goal is to build up to two days of appointments per week, starting in my home and then renting a studio space.

So, wehadababy!

Royce Egbuka Weldon was born on October 25, his due date. Full disclosure, I was induced. I agreed to it because my doctor was going on vacation, and I was mentally exhausted from speculating about the baby coming after being in early labor at 35 weeks. I described it as trying to be ready for a 10k race that could start at any time…This might be more descriptive to me as a former track star than you.
My doctor had wanted me to deliver at 39 weeks due to the baby’s size, which I was very much against. I had already delivered Brooks at 10 lbs so I didn’t think we needed to start worrying about it now. Nevertheless, this ongoing conversation was my biggest stressor. While Royce was projected (by me) to be 10 lbs 13 oz, he measured 10 lbs and 21 inches, just like Brooks. Labor was less than 2 hours, and I managed it without an epidural. It was better than my first delivery but still felt harrowing and intense. Pregnancy was also uneventful and “comfortable.” I think I’m built to have babies.

We have taken Royce to the chiropractor a few times to initiate his life of luxury—I mean, to address some breastfeeding issues. He has continued to be exceptionally healthy (read: fat) and charming. At 10 weeks, Royce is 18 lbs. He carries it well. He’s easy-going and doesn’t cry excessively as long as he’s fed. He sleeps well, is starting to wake more to eat, and smiles a lot.

No, we aren’t planning to have another child. I could be persuaded, but it would have to come with a Kia Telluride. Some days raising Brooks while having a baby makes having more than two seem like asking for mental instability, but I have faith we will find our groove.

I feel so blessed this year! First and foremost, we had a baby, and he is healthy. But we also encountered several costly, grown-up expenses that, in my opinion, you have to be blessed to have in the first place (#firstworldproblems). In Spencer’s opinion, you’re blessed if you can pay for them. Here’s to an objectively exceptional 2023 for us all!

The Weldons

Chat back at bri.egbuka@gmail.com or spencer.weldon@bjc.com.

2021

Hello Friends,

2021 was a better year for us, wasn’t it? Less news, more freedom, no diabolical landlords (for us, anyway). We were #blessed. The saying is that no news is good news. We are happy to not really have any news, but Spencer insisted I write a newsletter, so here it goes.

Starting with the tallest, for Spencer, 2021 was about knowledge and growth. If you’re Facebook friends with him, you have noticed his knowledge…and passion. What you don’t know is that his passion for sharing what he feels is truth comes from a depth of knowledge.

Spencer has read over 27 books this year! Prior to 2021, the last book he read was in 2014, during Army Basic Training, so 27 books is a huge improvement. I asked what books he would recommend, and he said that everyone needs to read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Thanks, Uncle Todd) and that the world would be better off. As far as his Red Pill knowledge base, he recommends The Anatomy of the State by Murray Rothbard, which is about what the State is and how it operates.

At first, Spencer didn’t want me to share how many books he’s read, so I jokingly suggested I would share that he started going to counseling. He actually said that was fine. Spencer has been seeing a therapist 2-3 times a month since July. This after he insisted for a year, he was “normal.” Now he knows all of us have burdens we carry. We talk about counseling and feelings openly. That was an education he needed as well.

I finally found a counselor in October, but I think I need to keep looking. Beyond that, I haven’t read either of Spencer’s book recommendations because I’ve been too busy doing woo woo things and contemplating religion. When I finally tired of that, I managed to lose 10 covid pounds! I started with the Whole30 and had an awakening about my misuse of food. I haven’t made it back to clean eating, but I’m still avoiding compulsive eating for the most part.

I had a great half year with my business, Success On Loc! So much so, that I resigned at the end of September. That may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes you have the best view from the top. Even though we created a profitable online course, I still felt keeping the business going was more of a struggle for me than it needed to be for a long term venture.

It has been nice to take that energy and focus on my further personal and spiritual growth. I’ve also revived my YouTube channel, Brianna Entrepreneur, and am working on reaching monetization. Lord, the process is slow (I have 494 subscribers), but still trying to figure out my message so knowing that will help.

Brooks would love to have a YouTube channel, but it’s hard enough to get him to pick up his toys when he’s not bringing in $20,000 a month. Instead, he’s been picking up sayings like “that’s just one of my jokes” and developing his social skills playing with kids in the neighborhood.

If you ask him who his best friend is, he will say “Eliana and Nate and Eva;” they live up the street and have provided us with that quintessential neighborhood experience of running between houses and getting in trouble with other kids’ parents. This was initially overwhelming to me since I’m only used to one kid, but I’ve built my tolerance.

Besides playing, Brooks in still into dinosaurs (kind of), intermittently obsessed with monster trucks, and very invested in the prospect of me having a child, presumably for his benefit. We met a boy at the library the other day who had a sister, and Brooks desolately admitted to him that he didn’t have a baby or a dog. I hear you, Brooks and now that you finally sleep through the night after 3 years, maybe we can explore the possibility.

This year Brooks played tee ball and soccer. Tee ball went as well as you would expect, but he was still kind of young for it. He got to be a little star, but never understood the concept of gameplay and kept coming to me crying, saying “Dee peepo keep getting de bawl,’ when he wasn’t the one to recover the ball in the outfield every single time instead of six out of ten times. The coaches eventually helped him chill out and let other people get the ball.

Soccer on the other hand was a disaster, and I wanted to pull him out. Again, he didn’t understand gameplay, so he didn’t see the point of playing if people were just going to stop him from kicking the ball into the goal. He repeatedly came to me pouting or wanting water, or he would just lie on the ground, and his little teammates would try to pick him up. But, in his defense, it was noon and hot in July. He will start gymnastics in January, and we will give tee ball another go in March.

There’s so much more I could say but people don’t really like to read. I’ll sum it all up by saying we are still incredibly grateful to have bought our house and have become even more grateful as we get to know our lovely neighbors. We have remained healthy this year and grown mentally and spiritually. We wish the same for you and hope to see and celebrate you in 2022.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you, and His face shine upon you.” <3

Brianna + Spencer and Brooks