Oh Fall, where are you? We’ve had some nasty humid weather. I think there was one day this week where it actually felt like fall. I’m trying really hard to just enjoy the days as they come….the more sunshine the better.
It’s hard though….all over the place are posts, pictures, window displays, and crafts related to fall. I’m itching to make homemade hot chocolate and I can’t bring myself to do it when the temperature is 80 degrees.
I’m hoping to visit a pumpkin patch this year. I feel really bad that I haven’t taken the kids to a hayride or anything of the like in 3yrs. Hope that doesn’t disqualify me from the mother of the year award. I keep telling myself it doesn’t need to be this grand gesture. We can keep it simple with books, songs, and a craft or two in favor of the current season. Yet, with every new season I feel like a slacker mom for not rolling out the red carpet in honor of the change.
Why doesn’t the motherhood handbook make mention of these healthy doses of mommy guilt?
Certain things make us feel like better mothers, and being able to create some sort of seasonal tradition is one of those things for me. No matter what’s going on in our lives, those traditions can give us a sense of home and security. It’s one of the things I always wanted when I had my own family.
That’s why I’m sitting here at 1:30am surfing the net for the perfect-for-us fall activity. I’m tired of whining about the things I don’t do… instead I’m finding ways to live the life I’ve always pictured. A really great place to check out(cue shameless plug)is the Autumn Edition of the Year Round Blog Carnival. I think we’re going to start with collecting various bits of nature from this time of year….I do have one project in mind.
So, are you experiencing true fall where you live, or is the weather confused? What are your favorite fall rhythms, traditions?
The Mahogany Way 
Oh Autumn, how I love thee! My personal favourite thing to do is to collect all sorts of fall nature treats and dream up ways to craft with them. Leaf crowns, acorn people, solar paper feather prints, rock painting, and on and on. Usually I love a trip to the pumpkin patch but as we grew our own pumpkins this year we enjoyed our pumpkin patch everyday. Skipped that and did our own pumpkin patch photo shoot in our yard. That was fun. We also went to a local apple festival sponsored by our local CSA, called Applepalooza. Cute name, right?
Honestly though, my favourite thing is to get out jogging in the cooler, wetter weather we have here on the northwest coast, breathing in the new air. Autumn smells so good.
We’re finally getting our fall like weather. I’m super excited to be pulling out all the cute sweaters we got during off season sales this past spring. Plus, Moo has been living and breathing her riding boots. At least she won’t look out of place wearing them now that’s is much cooler out.
I’m hoping to hit up the pumpkin patch at our local farmer’s market. Since the Mr works at night, we have the car during the day for a while to get out. But for the most part, we celebrate the changing seasons and holidays through crafts, books and food.
There hasn’t been a lot of crafting this autumn here yet, although it does feel like autumn! We are doing lots of baking though, and walks, picking up leaves and conkers and splashing in puddles. I usually save the pumpkin for later in October, but I think this year we’ll dive in a little earlier!
Well, we do pumpkins yearly. Sometimes, we go to a patch, sometimes it’s a local produce stand. We are still in search of a favorite patch here. Next year, I’m planning to grow my own. I always decorate for Halloween (already done) since lots of holiday decorations is something Luis carried from his childhood. Wanted to go apple picking this year, but not sure it will happen. We have gone to a fall festival most years here, and if we’re in town, will go again. The kids get to make s’mores and apple cider, paint pumpkins, go on a hayride, etc. We also collect acorn caps and I buy those little peg dolls and we dress them in fabric and yarn scraps. Last year, we covered pinecones in paint and glitter in seasonal colors and displayed them around the house. I can’t remember anything else at the moment. I don’t mind it warming up a bit this week, it’s ripening my tomatoes. The temps will drop next week and then I’ll make my famous sweet potato chili. Mmm.
Like you, Our familyhas been off on the traditions. Apple picking, pumpkin farm, corn maze, we have been with only one car for about 3 years and that is ususally with my husband for his job. But like you I would like to take advantage of walks and book reading. We did visit a local fall themed carnival in the city and we enjoyed that. Love your family can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Hi Roberta, I feel you on being a one car family. That fall carnival sounds nice, I’m going to look for something like that here.