Isn't it funny how our lives change so frequently in a world that is constantly moving forward at the speed of freakin' lightning, yet so many of us still strive to maintain old traditions and favorite past times by pushing them onto our own children and continuing them in our grown-up life? While I love me some technology and am guilty of the fast-paced lifestyle at times, I REALLY, really love me some good ol' Fall traditions -- pumpkin picking, carving pumpkins, dressing up, fall festivals, trick or treating, and for the past couple years - Sloppy Joes and fall brews on Halloween evening. Yes, our lives change year to year, but keeping some activities and traditions constant throughout the years are what really stand out and make up the memories from our own childhood and will hopefully set the tone for our childrens' memories.
We love this time of year dearly.
The Florida fall weather may not be the
ideal fall weather with gorgeous colored leaves and cold crisp winds blowing, but our fall evenings sure are beautiful nonetheless and we appreciate all the 70 degree, windows open kind of nights we get!
It warms my heart just thinking of past memories as well as the future memories we will hopefully create by bringing our children to pick out their favorite pumpkins to carve whatever their heart desires into. These days, we can still sway E's little mind, but soon it may be all about princessy girly pumpkins galore! And that's perfectly fine! As long as we're making those memories for them to look back on, that makes me happy.
She really loves to "wook! wook! wook at all the punkins!"
One day (and it better be a looong time from now!), these girlies won't think it's so cool to head out to the pumpkin patch together, watch 'Hocus Pocus' and 'It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown' multiple times per week, and eat awesome fall meals together all the time. One day, they will be too cool for that (and will eventually come back to think it's fun again once their out of their 'cool' phase), so for now, it's pumpkin activity overload for us! They still think we're cool, fun, and awesome parents, ya know :)
As always, though, the best traditions are those we don't have to try too hard for. The ones that are just fun naturally, without pushing anything. Right now, for this little girl, picking the perfect pumpkin was BEYOND fun, and much too hard to pick just one!
Heavvvy!
Tonight we are off to the Spooktacular Halloween event at the zoo as a little Disney clan. Luckily, we still have a few years of that before it becomes embarrassing :) Last year, we were Hook, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell and this year we are characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And to E, that makes us heroes in her book!
Continuing fall traditions, while incorporating fun new ones as we pick up activities our children love, will make up the memories that 20 years from now we will look back on and smile about. And if those traditions simply mean spending time as a little family without all the extras, I'm perfectly content with that too!
Memories and traditions are more about the people you spend them with than anything else, so spending time as a family, even while J works a crazy, crazy schedule, is what we will always strive for.
Oh how I love these people whom I am so lucky to be making memories with!
Happy Fall, Happy Tradition Making, Happy Pumpkin Picking - from our crew to yours!
