A Change is in the Air

Finally after a long hot, dry, hot, did I mention DRY summer, I feel like fall is finally arriving.

I am one of those people that prefer to live in shorts and flipflops and here in the South I get my wish about 7 or 8 month out of the year.But that doesn't mean that I am not ready for the change of seasons. Maybe because it means the start of the holiday season, which I love and most certainly not because of the inevitable: Do I still fit in my jeans from last winter mystery?

I always loved the fall and winter holidays. Even before children, I decorated our house for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to the hilt.But now that I am Mom, the excitement has multiplied by a thousand. Last week, upon the urging of my daughter, we got out the Halloween decorations............and the Thanksgiving. OK, so I keep them in the same box and since the color scheme is similar and my daughter insisted on it-Our ghosts and Jack-O-Lanterns are happily coexisting with our Pilgrims and Turkeys. And our Indians don't seem to be bothered by their close proximity to the lighted spiders.

This years Halloween theme is "Pirates" brought forth by

1) My daughter wore a very cute Pirate costume in her dance recital

2) thus saving me the expense and time consuming decision of a costume by same daughter

3) My son loves Pirates

4) We went on the Pirate Ship cruise while on vacation so it is still fresh in their minds.

5) I am sorta tired of all the Princess stuff.

6) I need some different Halloween pictures for my scrapbooking. After 3 years of Princess and Prince Charming, I have reached my scrapbook limits of a fresh way to present it. And when they are older I don't want to have to answer why I "Made" them wear the same costume for 3 years. They will of course forget that it was them who insisted upon the repetition.

We always go and trick or treat with their cousins and those cousins cousins, so we are a marauding pack of 9 costumed kids being herded around by 6 adults and 2 infants in strollers.

We are never home to give out treats, so the candy I do buy is strictly for our own consumption. I mean ,who can resist those big bags so cleverly containing a mix of all your favorites.

Halloween also involves two of my favorite rituals-Visiting the Pumpkin Patch and picking the favorite pumpkins(more Kodak scrapbook moments) and then deciding on the face of the pumpkin- carved by Pumpkinmaster-Daddy B Free.

Then the science project of seeing exactly how long the pumpkin can sit on the front porch, dutifully light each night before it collapses into itself in a rotting heap.

And still can I stop and enjoy Halloween , which is still 6 weeks away.

NO!

I am already scanning magazines and websites for the perfect Thanksgiving dishes.

And Yes, my Type A momness has already starting buying some Santa Booty and decided what the Big Red Guy will be dropping down the chimney.

A man's work ends with the sun. A mother's work is never done!!!!!!!!

Now excuse me while I start thinking about this year's Christmas Wrapping Paper Theme.

What???????????Doesn't everybody do this????????????