DRINKING FROM A STRAW!!!

I am on my way to bed but wanted to let you all know that Joel drank from a straw today (Wednesday)! It may not sound like much to some of you, but it is. I have been working with Joel for about a year trying to teach him to drink out of a straw. To date he had either wanted nothing to do with it or got really frustrated because the drink wasn't coming to him. The concept of closing his lips around the straw AND sucking is really complicated. Well, over the last month or two Joel has decided he really likes anything we have in a cup that has a straw in it (probably because it is usually some kind of drink with sugar in it). So when he wants it I have been encouraging him to drink out of the straw. Every time I have done that he has pushed it away and fussed because he wanted me to give it to him from the bottom of the straw with my finger over the top (you know how you do it with little babies). Today was totally a God thing. We were shopping at Costco for our trip (we are going to Big Bear this weekend to hopefully show the kids some snow) and as we were headed out I was craving something from the Food Court. Well, I am trying to be a good girl so I resisted and went and loaded the car. As I was loading the car I saw something in the car I needed to return, so I went back in and made my return. Resisting two times just wasn't possible so as I headed for the Food Court I was trying to decide what I was going to get. I was really hungry, but knew dinner was going to be soon, so I decided not to get a hot dog. I fully intended to get a soda as I entered the line but at the last possible moment something (or should we say Someone) told me to get a berry smoothie instead. I did and as soon as Joel saw it I knew I wouldn't get much of it. Mmmmm, mmmm is the sound he makes when he wants something, and this was a very loud mmmmm. The great thing was that the smoothie was so thick that after I sucked it up in the straw he could get some by biting the straw. How is that good, you ask. Well, after working with him about ten minutes and coaxing him to suck, HE DID! And once he did it, he did it again and again (with some biting interspersed...note to self, get two straws). He looked so proud of himself and he was enjoying it (and being cheered on) so much that I stood in Costco parking lot for almost half an hour holding the cup for him and encouraging him to suck from the straw. These are the rewarding moments when all the hard work melts into the background and it's all worth it. HE DID IT!!! No Wordless Wednesday today! And by the way, if I had never gone back into the store, or given into what I thought was temptation, or listened to that little voice telling me what to get, none of this would have ever happened. Thank you, Lord, for giving me a little push and blessing me today. Isn't God incredible?!