Fall ~ Theme Thursday

Apologies to all of you East-coast readers who have repeatedly told me that you like to read Chaos with your coffee first thing in the morning. But I just didn’t get a chance to post last night since I was finishing up a project and J. got home from his trip. So instead I am drinking my coffee and posting in the peace and quiet of my house this morning. I have 26 more minutes before my silence is broken, so I better be quick here…

Stacy’s theme today is Fall and I have been drooling over everyone’s beautiful fall-colored photos and realized I don’t have any pretty leaved photos. Since moving to southern California, fall kind of takes on a new meaning. Don’t get me wrong – I have always been a fall advocate, the colors, the sweaters, the football, the warm, yummy comfort food – it is all good! But just like winter out here, you have to adapt a bit and find other things to like about fall.

Thankfully, fall here still involves football games (and homecoming parades!). I so love where we live. We can walk in one direction for a few blocks and be in the little mission district of a town, and walk in the other direction and be on the main street of an entirely different town.

So the girls and I walked last week up to the parade. Waiting….

There it is! (Note the still very green leaves on all of the trees.)

Emma seriously studying the cheerleaders.

Addie trying to figure out what the baton twirler was all about.

And of course, they zeroed in on the only puppy along the entire parade route, and had to make friends. (Note, a few leaves! They pretty much just get brown and fall off. Bah.)

I can’t remember what the name of this little guy was, but I guarantee if you ask the girls they can tell you. Obsessed. On our run the other day Addie was telling me the type of breed of each puppy we passed. It is pretty funny to hear your three-year old say, “Awww, Mama! Look at that beagle puppy!” (I know, I know! But puppies are soooo much work. Must hold them off as long as I can…)

Our weather did take a little turn this week, it has been chilly in the mornings which means I need to have a daily battle with Addison to wear sweaters, long-sleeves, and tights or leggings with skirts and dresses. It is not a fun fight. And of course, by afternoon she is peeling everything off again since the temps are back up into the high 80s.

But the cooler mornings and sub-100 degree temperatures also opens up other opportunities. Parks that we avoided all summer, are now cool and comfortable and playable again!

See…long sleeves.

Leggings.

Cool, fun days at the park.

We are all hoping that fall hangs around for a little while longer.

And we are heading to the pumpkin patch this weekend, so I should be able to find some more traditional fall photos. But for more traditional fall photos, head over to Stacy’s today.

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P.S. One other thing that fall brings to SoCal is the Santa Ana winds. Which brings a bunch of wildfires. They are thankfully a few miles away from us so we are not affected, but please keep the thousands of evacuees, those that have lost everything, and our firefighters in your prayers.