IT'S FALL!!

First off, I am sorry I have not been posting as regularly as I had planned. Been a crazy few weeks around here. Nonetheless, I am back! So, where to begin...

It's FALL! I love fall (aside from the collection of coats that end up at school/daycare at the end of a week. Need a coat in the morning, not in the afternoon and not in the habit of remember to grab it!) with the crisp cool air, warm days, and chilly nights. The beauty that surrounds us is breathtaking.

This fall I found myself in a teaching moment with my two boys. My youngest, Jace (4), asked me about the varying trees. Why did some still have green leaves, others had colorful leaves, and why some had no leaves? I could have just told him it was due to the season changing and the weather getting colder. But, I didn't. My creative mind when to work and my son got a lesson in life.

I explained to him that the trees are going through their circle of life. He stared at me with a 'what?' face and then proceeded to ask me "where is the circle in the trees mommy?" Okay, let's take a step back.

Me: "This is the time of year that the trees drop their leaves to prepare for winter."
Jace: "Will I lose my hair?"
Me: "No son, but great analogy."
Jace: "What's anollogeee?"
Me: "A comparison...but, we will get back to that one later. So, the trees are losing their leaves because the leaves cannot live in the very cold winter. The leave die and fall off. In the spring, new leaves will grow."
Jace: "The tree is DYING (very dramatically)?"
Me: "No, the tree is not dying, it's just shedding it's leaves to make room for the new leaves in the spring. The leaves that fall provide a covering for the ground and make great piles for you to jump in to." - He giggled! "The trees that are still green over here (pointing) will eventually start to look like the tree over here (pointing to a tree with some change). Before long, a majority of the trees will look like this one (pointing at a tree with no leaves). See...the leaves have grown up. They are moving away from home now and making families of their own. In the spring the tree will have new 'baby' leaves. Those leaves will grow into big beautiful green leaves that provide shade and protection from the sun. As the weather gets cooler, the leaves are getting older, and in the fall, they are all grown up and move away."
Jace: "Kinda like kids go to college?"
Me: "Yes, but they do not come back. New leaves are born. Those leaves will eventually leaf the tree as well. This is the circle of life babe."
Jace: "So when I am big will I fall off."
Me: "No, but you will eventually move out and just come to visit."
Jace: "I don't want to move out, EVER!."
Me: "You have many, many, many falls before you are moving out."
Jace: "Okay....let's say good-bye to these leaves and wait for the baby leaves to be born. Can I get some ice cream now."

Okay, so it wasn't an in-depth philosophical approach to the circle of life - but, I think he got it, at least to an understanding of a 4 year old.

Aside from the constant dosing of allergy medications and the lost coats at school (see above) we enjoy fall time. We spend a LOT of time outside and love embracing the beauty. Our favorite - leaf piles! We use the blower (don't judge...who wants to spend time raking when a blower will do the job just as good) and pile up all the leaves. Then....1, 2, 3...JUMP! The boys laugh and giggle. They toss leaves around and bury themselves. We hide toys in the leaves and have 'treasure hunts' and make leaf-angels.

In the photos you see here I caught my boys playing in the leaves by themselves. They had no idea I was watching from the window and not a clue I was snapping photos. The innocence that is caught in their eyes and expressions in the photo above is priceless. Two brothers forming a bond over leaves. Two brothers that are enjoying nature and embracing the beauty around them. Two boys - my boys, full of love, laughter, and FUN!

Joyfully,

Their Mom

Do you see anyone? (Clay buried himself in leaves)

"Ahhh...what a great place to relax!" (Jace)