Fall thoughts...

The weather is cooling down and it is really starting to feel like fall this week. I have started planning for the Christmas programs and classes are well underway at church. The kids are all into a good routine in school, and the leaves on the tree out front are falling off- a true sign that fall is just around the corner.

For fun, Elise and I have been following Eliot around to his cross country meets. We pack a bag and a blanket to aid our wait for the start time, then we hurry to cut Eliot off and encourage him to finish strong. Every time we go, we learn something new about this sport. At the first meet we learned that this is a sport that encourages all runners, from all schools, at all levels. The second meet we learned that Eliot really kind of likes it when we shout for him and he isn't embarrassed by us... and Gatorade was a better treat than chocolate milk. That day, I was also proud to watch the Southeast runners yell and cheer on their teammate, the final runner. In the third meet we learned that Eliot has a favorite song to get him pumped up, AND that Elise needs to think hard if she needs to use the bathroom before we leave. In the forth meet we learned that Eliot can endure pain as long as we are there to encourage him to push through it and persevere. Luckily, I had ice and gatorade and some patience as Eliot mentally worked off his emotions. I am really proud of how he is doing, and I think he's proud of himself too.

Adrienne seems to be thriving in college. She loves being on campus, is taking 17 credits and studying hard, is working at the campus newspaper writing articles for the arts section, has joined a couple of clubs, works out regularly at the campus rec, enjoys the dining hall food, and has been able to come home for at least a couple of hours on the weekends to do her laundry. When I get to talk to her, which can be rare, she likes to tell me about the people she's met and the crazy stories around them.

We're all adjusting to having Adrienne at college. Eliot and Elise don't seem to miss her until she's home, then they pester the crap out of her. She doesn't seem to mind too much. Scott seems to be content with taking her out for coffee or lunch a couple of times a week. I've gotten used to walking by her room and knowing that we have truly moved on to the next stage.  I think the transition has been relatively easy because she's still here in Lincoln and not a few hundred, or thousand, miles away. I can still see her occasionally and take her shopping. Today I will enjoy that peace of mind.