my relections of autumn.

i have to agree with wicked on this one and say that i'm not a real big fan of fall. and with each year i age, i find myself dreading it more and more. i think the reason is because i have kids who adore being outside. as the season changes, their noses begin to run. allergies and colds abound which equals sleepless nights for me. we can no longer swim at the pool or jump on our bikes to chase down the ice cream truck. no, as the days grow shorter, we find ourselves stuck inside with boxes of tissues stashed strategically around the house.

my girls are most comfortable in flowy skirts, t-shirts, and flip flops. as such, we battle each morning over putting on pants, tennis shoes, and *gasp* socks. (as a side note, did you realize that socks were created as a torture mechanism?) it really is a pain, especially now that both of them can voice their opinions about it. it's much easier in the summer when they can throw on whatever they feel like and slip their flip flops on in a matter of seconds. actual clothes, shoes, and *gasp* socks take mucho more time to put on.

crap, i just realized that this wonder isn't about how i feel about autumn, it's about what i LIKE about autumn. okay, let me change directions here...

what i love about autumn is the fact that i get to bundle up in turtlenecks. i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE turtlenecks and have a million of them in all shades. i get to wear my rockin', black knee high, high heeled boots (which always fetch me compliments) and my new red coat that my folks are going to buy me for christmas (hint, hint, mom.).

another thing that i love about autumn is that it ushers in football season. i love football and have watched it every sunday afternoon for as long as i can remember. growing up, our family sundays consisted of going to church, eating lunch, slipping back into our pjs, and devouring a large pan of rice kripsy treats. i loved this tradition and, now that my girls are older, hope to continue it with my own family.

this morning gave me yet another reason to be thankful for autumn. as i drove rascal to school this morning, we saw a gorgeous tree whose leaves had already turned red. i pointed it out to her and she said, "i see! the leaves changed color from green to red." "and do you know why they turned colors?" i inquired. "yes, because it's fall!" she informed. and with that simple conversation, i realized that my 3 yr old daughter is a genius (just kidding. well, only slightly kidding!). no, our conversation reminded me that with yet another passing autumn season, my daughters are growing and changing and becoming real, live human beings. they are growing into marvelous young women who are learning about and capturing this world at breakneck speeds. it's humbling to see how much they've grown since last october. to look at pictures and watch videos and to remember them how they were only 365 short days ago...well, it's mind blowing, really.

so, even though my girls and i can't lounge at the pool or hose off our sticky ice cream fingers in the side yard, or even enjoy the warmth of sunshine on our faces, we still have lots to be enjoy this autumn season. i just need to remember to take each day as a gift and to enjoy the present, not wishing the season along, but enjoying it for what it is with my girls and favorite boy, each and every day.