The Last Day of Summer

The kids and I went for a long walk around the neighborhood today on this last day of summer. It is a beautiful, warm afternoon and you would never guess that fall is just around the corner.

I have mixed feeling about the arrival of fall this year. There are many things I am looking forward to this fall: the arrival of my best friend's first baby in October & a trip to see them in early November, our fourth wedding anniversary at the end of the month, the red & orange colored leaves on the trees, all of the fun fall holidays, spiced cider, taking Nicholas to see Toy Story 3 on ice in late October, carving pumpkins, homemade soup, and quiet movie nights in front of the fireplace just to name a few.

There are also many things that make me wish that summer would hang around a bit longer. With all the rain that we get in Washington, it makes it difficult to go for walks or just play outside with the kids which is something that we have really loved doing this summer. It also means that the wading pool gets put away and which equals no more splashing and playing in the afternoon for Ella and Nicholas and no more quiet, lazy afternoons of lounging in that thing for me during the kids' nap time. It also means that we have to be very cautious about cold and flu germs. We don't get to have as many play dates or people over for socializing. We don't go out and about as much anymore. In fact, we are on a semi-lock down to keep Nicholas as healthy as possible. It means we all have to endure the painful prick of a needle when we get our flu shots, and it is tough to explain to young children why they have to be vaccinated in order to stay healthy.

All in all, mostly I would say we are looking forward to fall and all it brings. But, we will take advantage of this glorious summer weather as long as it is here!