People Can Change

By Jennifer Ebeling | October 17, 2013

“People Can Change, Mom.”

That’s what John told me last night.

I had made spaghetti and meatballs and I was plating up the kids the same way I have for years. Years.

Will – Noodles, little sauce, 3 meatballs.

Emma – Few noodles, little sauce, 2 meatballs.

PJ – Gobs of noodles, sauce, 5 meatballs.

John – Noodles only.

I was about to plate up some for myself, and I heard John softly ask for sauce and meatballs.

“What did you say, John?”

This is child number four. We haven’t cajoled, harassed, fought or cried for one second about his finicky eating. If he doesn’t like what I make for a meal, he can make himself a cheesy wrap. Done. No drama.

And yet, it must have been getting on my nerves. Because when John asked for sauce and meatballs on his spaghetti last night, I nearly broke into a dance… but I didn’t. This is child number four. We take it all in stride.

He looked at me and said with a little “like-duh” tone in his voice, “People can change, Mom.”

Yes, they can John. Yes, they can.

Here’s John from last week… BEFORE he decided to try spaghetti sauce & meatballs.

Back then, he was pretty tickled just to put a macaroni noodle on each tine of a fork.

P.S. After reading the first draft of this post, John said, “Just so you know, no matter what you do, I will never eat your Chili…”

To which, I just smiled and said, “People can change, John.” 🙂

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Jennifer Ebeling

Producer & Host at Still Growing... Gardening Podcast

Jennifer Ebeling is a proud Minnesotan and U of MN alumni. Gooooooo Gophers! Each week, Jennifer produces and hosts Still Growing - a gardening podcast dedicated to helping you and your garden grow. The show is an in-depth interview format. Guests featured on the show share a passion for gardening and include authors, bloggers, professional gardeners, etc. Listeners and guests of the show can join the Still Growing community on Facebook. It's a place to ask questions, share garden stories, interact with great guests featured on the show, and continue to grow and learn. Jennifer and her husband Philip have four children, a big golden lab named Sonny, and live in lovely Maple Grove, Minnesota. P.S. When she's not teaching her four kids a new card game - or teaching them how to drive a car - Jennifer loves inspiring individuals and groups to maximize and personalize their home & garden.