Searching for Fall

My daughter is at her morning “school” class, my littlest is still bedheaded and pajamad while I feed him oatmeal one-handed and type this… a line I’ve written and backspaced too many times. I’ve got about an hour to throw a suitcase together and figure out how to read through the cracked screen of my iPhone before I head off to the airport for Miami. It’s a trip for work that usually gets me out of the cold snap that always hits Michigan in the fall. The one that always makes us wonder why it’s so cold already, and it’s not even winter yet. We bundle in scarves and hats and ride in wagons filled with hay before picking apples to make the perfect spiced apple pie. But this time, I’m not in Michigan, and the cold snap that’s hit us still lets me wear flip flops and not regret it.

Now that I live in Florida, just a quick little plane away from Miami, we’ve been searching for Fall.  So before I run off without any clothes packed, I’ll just leave you with a few little things that have brought fall closer to home.

1) The Neighborhood Boo

And the way my girl squealed with delight when we left the house and started our journey down the sidewalk to homes that we knew housed kids.  And the way we’d ring the doorbell and high-tail it out of there, only to turn around and find my girl hiding behind a tree in wait because she “wanted to hear them when they found their present.” And every time they did, she’d wait till they went back inside and then run to me exclaiming, “This is SO much fun!” or “There was a little boy in there, I saw him, he’ll love it!”

2) Finding bits of fall on the trail behind our house.

… 3) And filling our basket with big crunchy leaves and pine cones for a craft project later.

4) Fall festivals that give us pony rides!

… there will be more on that festival later, for now, I have to pack.

What is it that you’re enjoying lately? I’d LOVE to hear.