I love fall.  I love the month of October the best.  Every October, I get energized when the chill in the air begins to penetrate my late-summer clothing.  My chest tends to expand to near bursting when I drive on highway 196 to town and am assaulted by the bright reds, yellows, and oranges that flank the road.  I want to soak it all in.

September 16 is exactly 100 days before Christmas.  Not only are there presents to buy, gifts to wrap, cards to send, a party to plan, and a family meal to prepare, but there are other holidays and special occasions that demand action as well. 

Good health is a never-ending quest.  You don’t come by it without a lot of thought and effort.  Maybe in the elementary school years when recess was built into the day, but as adults, a conscious effort to pursue a healthy lifestyle must be made. 

Leaving homework, dinner schedules, and bedtimes to chance has a tendency to create chaos and frustration during possibly the only family time of the day.  Establishing a routine does not have to mean never allowing for flexibility, but it gives parents and children alike the feeling of comfort that comes from knowing what is expected. 

Eighteen years are usually all we have to unabashedly demonstrate to our children how much they mean to us.  Though everyday should be an opportunity to love and appreciate them, birthdays give us license to truly make a child feel special.  There are many ways to celebrate a child’s birthday.  The important thing is to find the right combination to fit your child and your family.