Fall in Full Swing

Nicholas got his bottom braces on this week. So now he is just two short years away from being done with braces. And what I realized about him starting braces a little early (5th grade -- almost two years earlier than Chris started his braces), is that its an extra two years of having to worry if he's wearing his retainer or not! And will he leave it in a napkin and have to search the trash cans? Two extra years that it will be in his pocket waiting to fall out and get crushed by a kayak as we take it off the top of the car (is that how that really happened, or am I remembering it incorrectly? Now that I'm writing it down, it sounds a little made-up.)

That's the last thing a mom needs -- an extra two years of worry about ANYTHING! What was I thinking?!

Speaking of moms and worry, I read the best article on how to feed your picky children and help them learn to eat anything. I SOO wish I'd had this 15 years ago! It's mostly common sense and how to best respond when they don't want to eat something. APPARENTLY, that's ok! So very Crestwood Hills Co-op, and now I'm mad they didn't have a workshop on this while I was there!

I am posting a link so anyone in that stage can benefit -- that would be Rebekah and Rachel. But I don't think anyone reads this blog but Courtney. And Dan about a month or two after the fact. So the three of us, let's remember this article for when the rest of our boys have their own picky eaters. (That is one thing I can't wait for!)

http://news.yahoo.com/sensory-therapists-teach-us-feeding-picky-kids-135841676.html

Parents of young children commonly commiserate about their kids' eating habits. 

Complaints often relate to a child's exceedingly limited "kid food" diet, rejection of anything green, 

refusal to try anything new or the explosive mealtime battles that make dinnertime stressful for everyone.

Speaking of mealtime, we went to Benihana for Family Night and because we were a small group we were seated with 3 other girls. We were in conversation with our family and they were in conversation with themselves (not the painful small-talk we had on the cruise--aaack!). But Marty noticed we were all ignoring the chef. We'd simply glanced at the onion volcano instead of oohing and ahhing over it. Then, we realized he didn't do the "catch a flying shrimp" throw. Do you think they are relieved when they don't have to put on a show? Or disappointed?

Tuesday
My friends have missed the last month of scripture class which means no one has saved me a seat (because they are always early and I am always late -- always been that way). The room is crowded but usually friendly faces scootch over and make space for me. This week it was two of my mom's best friends -- Suzanne Hansen and Robyn Bechthold. Almost like being in Young Women's again!

The crux of the lesson focused on the Jonah and the Whale story. Do you remember that Jonah is ticked off because God showed Ninevah mercy? And he just wanted justice. He sat on a hillside waiting for them to be destroyed, but instead they repented and God forgave them. And Jonah was so bugged. I think sometimes we're all like Jonah. It's really not fair when we're trying to be good and people who aren't just suddenly repent and everything's forgotten. I felt like that once in college and was telling my dad about the kids who partied in high school and then were just going on missions even though "they partied!"

"If you're so upset that you didn't get a chance to drink and they did, go ahead and get drunk and see what it's like." he said, "But if it's because you think they got off easy, just know, repenting isn't easy, Angela. It's hard."  I think he was referring to breaking habits, changing lifestyles, even saying you're sorry. Forgiving yourself. I came to learn that he was right. But the good news, I also learned to be more forgiving of others.

After class I went to Costco (and got a close parking spot)! When I arrived home, my plumber had just arrived to fix our broken water heater. (Which last time it broke was 6 years and 10 days ago -- I know this because he wrote the replacement date on the heater. AND last time he installed the heater in a metal "basin" with a 2" rim with pipes directed to the drain so that it would drain instead of flood the basement (like it did the first time). AND he added shut off valves to the individual heaters so if one broke, we could shut the water off and still use the other.

There are some older men in my life that I'm just little bit in love with. Joe, our plumber is one. Don, our cabinet installer, is the other. In fact, they kind of look alike, both are probably my Dad's age, are problem solvers, do things "the right way" and it kinda feels like they're looking out for you. That's why I'm a little bit in love with them. Actually, I'm going to categorize my own Dad, and father-in-law, Marty in this category too. And Dimitrios. The group of men that can do anything. But I'm a lot in love with those last three men.

(I think Joe's wife might get a little freaked out if I said I'm in love with her husband. I already feel awkward every time I have to leave a message with her because I call so much. And of course, he doesn't have a separate cell number. Now that I think of it, he actually does have a cell phone because I've seen him with it. I guess I should take that as a hint.)

Back to my arrival home from Costco and Joe arriving to fix the water heater, the Christmas Lights guys were also at the house hanging lights in the trees! Yay!! Tis the season is approaching!

When I got out of the car to talk to Joe, he asked, "Are you always smiling?! Seriously, every time I see you you have the biggest smile! Even when I almost arrested you when you were a teenager, you just had the biggest smile!" (That arresting story is a good one but I'm not going to tell it now. Suffice it to say, Joe used to be a volunteer cop and I was driving with my friends in a church parking lot near his house and he came to check us out and make sure we weren't hooligans. And when he asked for my license I announced I had TWO! (With a big, totally innocent smile!) There's so much more to the story!)

But I'm sure I was smiling because it felt like the perfect fall day -- temp was cool, but not cold. Leaves were changing colors and just beginning to fall. The Christmas lights were being hung and I didn't even have to nag anyone to get them done. They called me to ask if I'd like lights again and I said, "Yes!" The water heater was being fixed and we hadn't even had to be without hot water. AND they company covered the warranty even though it was 10 days over.

To top it off, the missionaries were coming for dinner and I was making a really yummy Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole from Pinterest and Costco had the already-shredded rotisserie chicken. Everything was going my way.

One of our new missionaries is from Alaska, has been out 2 1/2 months and is 10 days younger than Marty. That was something to think about. The other missionary has 2 months left to go and is from Missouri. It's been a great thing for our family to have the missionaries come.