A Love Affair with Autumn

Autumn is, in my opinion, the BEST of all seasons. I love to watch the colors change up on the mountains and in my yard. I like that during the day I can still wear flip flops, but at night I need a jacket (since it is after October 1st it terribly unfashionable I know but, flip flops are so comfy that in my book it negates the fashion faux pas).

I love pulling out the winter clothes...it's like rediscovering long lost friends (there is something comforting about a good hoodie). It is magical to listen to the sound of crunching leaves and the sight of deep orange pumpkins nestled on porches makes my heart soar. It smells crisp and clean like laundry fresh out of the dryer (although there is that not so clean smell that happens for a short period while the lake turns over...but I try to block that from my brain).

Soup is an acceptable dinner, hot chocolate no longer sounds repulsively HOT but toasty and comforting, and the smell of baking pumpkin bread fills the house. I don't want you to think I've forgotten the best part of Fall...Halloween. I have warped at least one of our children into thinking it's a great holiday. I asked Ben what his favorite holiday was and he said Halloween. My dad would be horrified to hear that the answer was anything besides Christmas...he always wondered where I fit into the family with my strange obsession on this "Pagan Ritual...begging for food dressed up like a spook-stupid holiday". I didn't have to pierce anything, wear a mow-hawk, sneak out or date someone my dad hated to rebel...my form of rebellion came by dressing up and participating in Halloween! Of course now that he is the grandpa he is completely interested in what costumes the kids are going to wear and what time they are coming to his house to Trick-or-Treat. My Dad is awesome!

Another part of Autumn for me is making Halloween costumes. I love making costumes, I'm not very good at it but I love it anyway! My theory is, I don't need a pattern, that will just confuse me, and if it doesn't look quite right, hot glue can fix it! Oh what a seamstress I am! I should have not been such a jerk to my mom when I was a teenager and she was trying to teach me to be a domestic diva. Sorry Mom...you're a saint for trying!

One of the funniest things I have going with Halloween is that I have my kids believing that we HAVE to have a family costume theme. I'm waiting for Lauren or Ben to catch on that most families don't do this and request to stop. Rachel tried to rebel from this years Star Wars theme and announced she was going to be Cinderella. Lauren promptly replied "You can't. You wouldn't match the rest of the family & that's just not going to work." Ironically Rachel took that as gospel truth and never brought up Cinderella again. Ben has already put in his suggestion for next year's theme...but it usually changes about twice during the year so I'm just going to file the suggestion away in my brain for now.