It's that time of year

No, not Christmas... although I did see Christmas stuff out at Michael's a few weeks ago. And one of my neighbors has their lights up already. Well, not already...still. They still have their lights up. No, it's that time of year where I let go of my beloved summer and commit to liking fall. I really don't mind the season on it's own. It's the reminder of the imminent long winter that prevents me from fully loving it.

But I'm committed to liking it now. I turned on the heat for the first time this morning. I can handle the house temp a little cooler, but I'm not sure Evan can. Especially since my fellow summer lover hates wearing socks! Plus my thin-blooded now-Floridian parents were coming over and I didn't want them to freeze! The leaves are starting to change. I can get away with cooking heartier hot meals. The flip flops are getting less use since it's cool enough to prefer socks. I bought cider donuts and apple cider. I'm looking forward to going apple picking with my extended family on Saturday (Evan's first time!). And we're going to have a Thanksmas dinner afterwards. We were just going to keep it low key with a bbq or pizza, but my sister Ginger being the adorable kook and cook that she is happened to have a large and small turkey in the freezer and threw that idea out there. My parents are in Florida for Thanksgiving but visit for Christmas but we have a low-key Christmas dinner so this is the second time we're having a big Thanksmas dinner before they head south.

I like this season even more now that it reminds me of the anticipation we had before Evan was born last year and life with newborn Evan. The late night chilly walks trying to trigger labor, cooking up a storm to freeze a bunch of meals, checking into the hospital, bringing him home and going for walks with the stroller running over the crunchy leaves. It all stirs up such wonderful memories of my little bitty guy who is now a chatty crawler/climber who eats solid foods, has a tooth, plays in the bathtub, torments the cat and wears 18 month clothes.