If you know me, you know I was not here for “hot-girl-summer” (which was really the summer of bug spray and anti-chafing products, am I right?) and come November, I’ll be full-on Grinch-Mom. I don’t hate things just to hate them, but I can be kind of a nay-sayer when the band wagon comes around. But Fall? Give me my Basic Mom sign. Because I am in. I am all in.
I am pumpkin cold brew while I stomp crunchy leaves in my brown boots in. I am apple cider (hot or cold) in my cable knit sweater in. I am apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, and trunk-or-treats in. The cooler Fall evenings make for perfect camping: the day is warm and perfect for picnics and hiking, the evening has the crisp chill that makes you delight in a campfire. Don’t even get me started on the beauty of hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows. And the colors of Fall! I love orangey reds and mustard yellows. I love seeing the striped sky as the sun sets early enough to enjoy it.
This year, I get to share my love of Fall with my son. He’s 3, and full of questions. He notices everything. So I’m making a bucket list of things to do with my kid, and I’m keeping expectations low and options variable because toddler life is unpredictable.
- Tent camp. Maybe in the back yard, or maybe at a campsite. But I want to pitch the tent and listen to the crickets and cozy up with my family in a big old sleeping bag.
- Make apple sauce. Maybe with apples we picked at an orchard, or maybe with apples we picked out at the grocery store. We’ll see. But I want to talk to him about the different kinds of apples and let him smell the different smells.
- Go leaf-peeping. Maybe on a walk in the neighborhood, or maybe through a park, or maybe on a hike. Maybe we’ll find one treasured leaf to take home or twenty.
- Pick a pumpkin. This is a Fall tradition we started when kiddo was 3 months. The idea is that every year, he can pick a pumpkin he can carry (that first year, mom and dad picked a tiny pumpkin that he could hold in his tiny squishy hands). I can’t wait to see his pumpkin choice get bigger as he gets bigger!
- Embrace the season and slow down. Let it be what it will be. Don’t force a fifth item because it makes a neat list (haha), but be open to doing what the toddler wants to do, at his pace.
Does Fall make your heart pitter-patter? What do you do with your kids this time of the year? Whatever your thing is, it’s okay to love the thing that everyone else loves. You don’t have to hide your pumpkin spice lattes for fear of being called basic. After all, ‘tis the season.
