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This whole food theme seems to be cropping up over and over! That post by dooce, the book that I rec'd for xmas ('s OK it was on my wish list), me and my one little word work... and now this aha! moment I had recently...

I was talking with Eleanor about raclette; explaining it to her and talking about how even my kids eat it, albeit modified. On New Year's Eve we fed all six kids first so they could reach the raclette set in the middle of the table and then us Growned Ups would eat after. Nutella was placed on the table with an explanation that "Drew doesn't eat raclette, he doesn't like melted cheese" or something like that.

I thought nothing of it at the time really. I understand totally, having picky eaters living with me every day... but I realized during my conversation with my friend that Drew's food issue was totally accomodated! I hadn't even realized this up until then. None of the "this is what's for dinner, eat it or else" or "you must try a mouthful of each" or even the cousins "oh, come on... just eat it!". He doesn't eat melted cheese and so he could have a grilled Nutella sandwich. Which he made himself.

Maeve of course asked if she could have one too, and I said sure. She ate some raclette though, didn't even have to tell her to.

I'm not passing judgement. I understand, and it's not a problem with me if my sister-in-law and her husband allow their son to make a food substitution at dinner. It does however illuminate on our food issues from another angle...

I started following Brene Brown on Twitter, and have now registered for an online course that she mentioned. What will my word be...?

I've narrowed down my word choices, and that in itself has been illuminating. Illuminating ruminating... henh.

One thing I've realized is that this is my first home, this house is the first one I've chosen. We've only ever owned two houses, and the first one we moved into and rented from the InLaws and then just cuz it was easier to stay put than move, and the neighbourhood was well located and the school was great... well, it was Good Enough.

But then we moved last summer, and in that process figured out what we did and didn't want in a home. So this is the first place I've Chosen from Scratch so to speak. And it's great. Don't get me wrong, the first place was great too and I was able to renovate it to my liking... but this house is somehow different.

It's not perfect; the backyard is a bit too close to our back neighbours, it sits sideways on the lot so I don't feel as connected to the street as I like and therefore has poor curb appeal. But there's something about it. It's solid, calm, nourished to completion.

Geez, that's so weird-sounding. Sometimes words make concepts difficult to convey. Which is why I'm looking forward to starting that workshop!