I'm just going to say it. Fall is the best season. I love it. It makes me come alive. In the fall I am motivated to get things done, to workout more, to be outside with my family more. It is possible I have the opposite of Seasonal Affective Disorder. In other words, I am not SAD. See? Fall even makes me punny.
So I guess the focus for this post is all the fall fun we have been having. And also to update y'all on Elliot, since she seems to be a new, more sophisticated lady every day and I am afraid if I don't record it somewhere it will all fade away.
She has perfected camera coyness.
This girl has developed a 'tude. And most days that means she will not pose for the camera if her life depended on it. If she catches me with the camera she will either turn away completely or tilt her head to the side at the last minute. In the name of cute Instagrams, I have resorted, on occasion, to bribery.
We are eating and preserving our way to winter.
We had an epic garden season. And fortunately that means we are now enjoying the fruits of our labors. The freezer is stocked with soups, broths, and sauces. That combined with all the delicious flavors of fall...yum. Our kitchen is the place to be!
Baking with my sous chef.
Getting the last of the fall harvest.
Erik turned 30!
My sweet husband took the involuntary plunge out of his twenties and I am following quickly on his heals. But that is a story for another blog post! He did not want to do anything big to celebrate. His only requirements were that we go out to a nice dinner and that I make him a pumpkin pie. So that's what we did.
We also went to the pumpkin patch because he is the best Daddy, and Elliot REALLY wanted to go to the pumpkin patch. We all had a really good time though.
Daddy is tall. But Elliot is catching up!
And he even got to have a birthday nap before we went to dinner. It was actually a day that perfectly encapsulates Erik: low-key, relaxing, cozy, and full of family time.
And because she's spoiled...
...she got to go to another pumpkin patch! Ells and I went to Bill's Berry Farm with my Mom. To be honest, none of us liked it as much as Country Mercantile. But I know some people love it, so to each her own. It was still a lot of fun, and we got pumpkin doughnuts!
Oh, and a pony ride.
And a caramel apple.
Halloween Festivus
Halloween was an event this year! It was the first year she was old enough to really get into the spirit. And also, the first year she realized that all she had to do was knock on complete strangers' doors, mumble a little "trick or treat" and they would give her candy. Her favorite thing. She practiced with my Dad for weeks. She would knock on the door with her little bucket in hand, say the magic words, and Dad would give her a treat. When it was finally show time we did experience a few hitches. (Ahem, a complete meltdown at the end of the driveway wherein she declared she did not want to go trick or treating at the neighbors.) While I didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to, I knew how much she was actually looking forward to the whole thing, so we finally convinced her she should try at least one neighbor. Then the neighbor wasn't home! In fact, most of the neighbors weren't home. We finally found some, she got her candy, and the night was a success.
First look at herself dressed up like a squirrel.
Obligatory (and unappreciated) front porch shot.
What all the neighbors missed out on.
Poppy stopped by to congratulate her on a job well done. And to deliver even more treats.
The morning after. This grouchy magoo did not come out of her post-Halloween funk until after her nap that afternoon.
The things that pictures cannot put into words:
While I do a lot of photo journaling of Elliot's days and years, there are some things that cannot be pictured, but that are important parts of her. She is developing into a real life person, with expressed thoughts and feelings, with an imagination, and with a big heart. There are certain things we, as parents, can teach her. Like to say "please" and "thank you." But there are some things that are intrinsic to her nature for which I cannot, in good faith, take credit. She is kind. She is thoughtful. She is very funny. She is terribly smart and consequently can be manipulative, but she uses that "gift" sparingly. She occasionally embarrasses me in public, but more often makes me proud. I could write a book on everything she is, and on one of the things she isn't, which is getting younger. I am simultaneously thrilled and saddened by this unavoidable fact. Probably all parents experience this confusing sentiment. When I look at her long, braided hair I think of the first time I ran my hands through the her dark, fuzzy hair the day she was born. When she speaks to me in clear sentences such as "Mommy, I want to watch Nemo, with previews," I think about when she used to communicate through a series of grunts a cries. Time flies.
I love my big girl. She is the best.
The Wrap-Up
Winter is coming. I am going to say this is probably going to be my one and only post this fall. I might have a Thanksgiving post in me. We'll see. I don't know how professional writers do it, day in and day out. So with that in mind, I wish you coziness, delicious foods, and the comfort of family and friendship this autumn.
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