In California, autumn isn’t quite like the autumn I grew up with in
Michigan, but it’s still my favorite season by far. Despite the eighty-degree
heat in the afternoons, I will bust out my fall boots and colorful scarves,
because post-baby body or not, boots and scarves always fit.
Even though I am ridiculously busy right now with my new SAHM/WAHM/WOHM employment
status, I have fun fall activities planned. Here is my Autumn Bucket List for 2014.
- Decorate! First and foremost, you know I do it up right with the fall decorations. Even though I’m just itching to paint something, I know I won’t have time for a new fall décor project this year. So I will try my hardest to avoid Pinterest and just put up my fall décor awesomeness from previous years.
- Visit the Pumpkin Patch! One of my favorite fall activities is taking Quinn to the pumpkin patch.
My friends and I have done this every year since our preschoolers were babies. The kids wear their costumes
while we go on hay rides, run through the pumpkins, and take a bazillion
photos, in which not a single child is looking at the camera. We all have
second babies now, so this year should be extra interesting. Even if we have to
plop down into a pile of dirty hay to nurse the babies, we’re doing this! And if
we can get a group photo of the “Bigs” and “Littles” in their costumes, it will
be a Halloween miracle.
- Throw a Party! I can’t believe it, but Reid will be one year old near the end of October, so I’m planning a dragon-themed Halloween/birthday party. I will rely heavily on Pinterest for inspiration (while trying NOT to look at fall decor ideas). I already have ideas for a “pin-the-tail on the dragon” wall and crock-pot “dragon stew.”
- Dress up for Halloween! Hubs and I haven’t dressed up for Halloween since 2008. That year, we went to a party as Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife, Beth. Yeah… nobody had kids back then. This year, we’re bringing back the adult costumes for our party. I won’t give it away yet, but I can’t wait to see what couple/family costumes our guests come up with.
- Carve a pumpkin! I love carving pumpkins. I bust out the Dremel and everything. Last year, I was too busy having a baby and spent the whole month of October clenching through contractions. So pumpkin carving wasn’t high on my list. (Although somehow I managed to paint some letters… Nesting can get strange… ) Anyway, I felt bad that Reid didn’t have one for his first Halloween (even though he was only five days old). So this year, I will find the time.
- Pick apples! Apple picking was a huge part of my childhood, and I had a great time picking apples with my gal-pals in Boston a couple years ago. I think Q would have fun, especially if there are cider and donuts at the end.
- Get outside! Hubs and I started a tradition our first year together. On Thanksgiving Day, we go for a long walk in the brisk air with the sun on our faces and the crunchy leaves under our feet. Years later, Quinn stops to investigate every leaf, acorn and insect. Hubs and I smile contently as the usual chaos that is our lives enters the calm eye of the storm. No longer summer and not quite Christmas, this annual Thanksgiving walk is usually a brief reprieve. Although I have a feeling Baby Reid will have something to say about that this year.
- Give thanks! Now that Q is three, my plan is to talk about what we’re thankful for every day. I want to write down the things he is thankful for every year and keep it in some sort of scrapbook. (And by “scrapbook,” I mean “Word document on my computer.”)
- Give back! I also want to teach Q about giving back, but I’m not quite sure what is appropriate for a three year-old. I will start by letting him pick out some toys to donate, but beyond that… what? He’s too young to serve at a soup kitchen, and he would wreck havoc in a food bank. Any ideas you have for volunteering with a preschooler would be much appreciated!
- See Gone Girl! Back before the “Littles” were born and my friends and I had a book club, and we all read Gone Girl together. OMG. This. Book. Even though I know all the plot twists (which might be vastly different in the movie), I can’t wait to see it. It’s one of those books that I didn’t want to end, so this movie extends the book for me. (OH SNAP! I just remembered that I promised to tell you all about the books we were reading A YEAR AGO and I never did. I wrote about that stupid smut book, and then I had a baby, and then I was all like, “Books? What are books?” #BloggingFail)
So, tell me. What’s on your autumn bucket list?
I'm getting Back to Blogging with The
SITS Girls this week!
