Oklahoma City family fun is ours to enjoy.
Crisp mornings are here to stay. Brisk weather is on the horizon, even as we enjoy a mild autumn.
September's oddly warm days will soon fade into October. I've stocked the pantry, bought the warm clothes, washed and folded away summer things.
It's starting to feel like that time of year, the pre-holiday season, fall before winter and family gatherings.
Like they do every year, oatmeal and hot chocolate will feature heavily. Scarves, skinny jeans and soft-wash hoodies will replace this summer's t-shirts, overalls and sunscreen. Hats and mittens will be added to the daily items we're keeping track of around here; wooly items will go missing and that will have to be okay, part of the season somehow.
We're getting ready but there is fun to be had along with all the responsibilities we oversee, the holidays we plan, the foreheads we kiss goodnight rain or shine, year in and year out.
More exciting than gloves and coats, October is all about Halloween, with its incredible costumes and community events. I look forward to it every year and my family obliges me as I decorate and plan.
I wanted to create a family costume this year. Specifically, I thought that dressing up as one of two paired graham crackers would be the way to go, with Sam, Isaac and Gabriel as marshmallows and a chocolate bar.
That is a cute idea. Please take that idea and run with it if your family is more willing to be a s'more this year than mine. My husband, who is from Costa Rica and did not grow up with this tradition of adults dressing up as anything to comply with a holiday that's difficult to explain, isn't going for it. Like the season's lost mittens, letting each child choose his or her own costume is part of the deal. I think we'll end up with Harry Potter, some kind of Transformer and a teddy bear.
My children are free to choose their own costumes but I do get to have some fun this fall too. As the keeper of our calendar, I see what's coming up:
- Mummy and son dances: Isaac, age 4, is finally able to attend. He's officially old enough to meet the age requirement. I plan on dancing with my middle child before that fear of dancing in public kicks in; maybe it never will, but just in case, we'll enjoy the occasion now.
- Haunted houses: Sam, age 9, has been asking to go to a haunted house since last year. I think fourth grade is old enough to enjoy the experience without getting too scared.
- Fall festivals: Getting outdoors doesn't feel like a chore when you're at a festival together. If you're looking to go a little farther this fall, check out our list of top places to see fall foliage. Hayrides, pumpkin patches and horseback riding also beckon this time of year.
- Day of the Dead celebrations: Nov. 1 is Day of the Dead and my sons are largely unfamiliar with related traditions. Click here for local community observances.
This year, we'll be trick-or-treating on our tree-lined street. Sam and Isaac are already Fabout caramel apples, Sour Patch Kids, candy corn and whether or not freezing candy bars can make them last all year.
I might just be looking forward to it already too. Being the mom has to have some perks; I know very well that good things come in small packages, like the fun size chocolates in their plastic pumpkins.
I have to go dust off my witch's hat. Happy fall!
