Ah! I feel so contented right now! As I sit here at my computer, a cool breeze wafts through the window beside me, lifting my hair and cooling my neck.
Yes, the window is open!! And yes, it is cool outside!!!
I LOVE autumn. I love everything about it: the cool crisp weather, the scent of smoke in the air, the bright colors of changing leaves and the crunch of them underfoot, the feeling of anticipation for the approaching holiday season (not just Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also Birthday Season for our family!). Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year.
And today, for the first time this year, I feel like autumn is really coming. All the rain the last couple days ushered in a cold front, and the temps dropped 20+ degrees overnight. While we had been enduring humid triple-digit weather, today had a high of 80 degrees. And it didn’t even reach that until late afternoon!
I hadn’t yet stepped outside this morning when my husband called. I almost didn’t believe him when he said it’s almost chilly out! But he was right…it was mid-60s and deliciously cool and crisp. Of course we had to take advantage of that gorgeous weather, so the plan was to spend most of the day outside; as soon as Nadia was awake, dressed and fed, we’d head to the park. And since Daddy was on his way home he’d join us! (he’s a land surveyor and the job site was too waterlogged from the rain to work …I’ll have to make a separate post about the oh-so-exciting project they’re working on now).
So about an hour later we pulled up at the park. I drive by this cute little duck pond all the time but for some reason we’d never been there, so we decided to check it out. And we had such a blast! Nadia was in such high spirits, laughing and running and jumping (well, a toddler’s version of jumping anyway, with neither foot leaving the ground!). She chased after the ducks calling “Hi, quack-quack!” and giggling away. I’m sure every mother knows what I mean when I say it made my heart sing to see that! I was a bit worried that the over-friendly/agressive ducks would bite her when she kept trying to feed them directly out of her hand, so I showed her how to throw the bread in the water. It was so funny – she’d toss that bread with everything she’s got, face furrowed with the effort….and it would land 2 inches away. LOL!
I already posted some pictures of the duck-feeding fun for Wordless Wednesday, but here are some more (because you know I always love to share my pics!)
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Oh, I have to comment on that outfit. This morning when it was unexpectedly cool, I had to go looking for some pants for her; the few pairs still in the drawer from spring are now much too small! She’s been growing so fast this summer that I’ve been unsure of what size she’ll be in come winter, and since I had this idea that cool weather is still months away I haven’t really bought any cool-weather clothes (I’m going garage sale-ing this weekend!!). Thankfully I had a box of hand-me-downs – clothes that seemed huge when they were given to me a year ago but fit now! So I pulled out those flowered pants, grabbed a t-shirt and got her dressed (without complaint for once – she likes new clothes!). And her Daddy said “I don’t like that outfit….it makes her look too grown up!” And he’s right. She looks like a big girl…no baby left at all. Look, she even has a waist!
So, we had a great “first day of fall.” Later in the day we met some friends at another park, and then we ended the day with a round of mini golf. The extended forecast shows it staying in the 80s and I’m really hoping this cool weather is here to stay (yes, 80s is cool in Texas!!). I’m ready to get out all my fall decorations and go buy some apple cider now!
