Like Brother, Like SIster...My Two Redheads...

My two redheads, Nicole and Matt. I wish I could get my hands on pictures I have of both of them when they were each about two. They are interchangeable. You really couldn't tell them apart. Scary.
They both have incredibly strong personalities (must be the red hair) and unending energy. When it is channelled in creative, nurturing ways it is a beautiful thing. When the persistence approaches whining, I pull out my new favorite phrase, "I expect...(named behavior), you decide (whether to carry out said behavior or suffer the consequences) the entire time affirming how bright and smart she/they are. Granted, this technique is most appropriately practiced with Nicole (she hates it and I appreciate your prayers for patience and perseverance) but I think was happy to learn that it could be applied equally well to her brother.
My angst with Matt has revolved around him setting up his internship this fall at Ithaca College. In case you didn't know, I perfected the role of wooosie, enabling mother a few years back when we were going through some struggles (you can read about them in my first book...)and boy was I good at it! A performance worthy of an Oscar nomination, for sure...
Well, anyway, all that is standing between him and his college degree is a six credit internship. Let's just say filling out the appropriate paper work within the correct time frame has posed some, uh, problems, for me, anyway. I think he did just fine. Well, who wouldn't getting paid to snowboard in Vail during the winter and living in Boone, NC (albeit in a pop up camper) this summer working as a river guide. But everyone agrees this fall would be a great time to wrap it up.
So I have found every possible annoying mom way of asking if he has made the necessary phone call yet. I even used the "I expect/You decide" routine. Well, part of it is, I expect you do to blah, blah blah, and if you do, it will go well for you, if you don't, then...Well, guess what? I was the one it didn't really go that well for.
But then lo and behold, he made the phone call, on the day I didn't ask, no less, My Birthday! and it was the best gift.
So tomorrow he meets with the folks at Primitive Pursuits a Wilderness Organization in Ithaca and hopefully will get all his T's crossed and I's dotted. And it will go well for both of us.
In the meantime I will keep practicing my "I expects" with Nicole. I expect courtesy, respect, not to be interrupted and I have to say, slowly we are getting there.
I love their strong spirits although some days it really does wear me out.

We had an amazing, amazing message at church today about excellence in ministry. It could just as well be excellence in life...and that's a preview of tomorrow.
Shalom.