7 Quick Takes: Fall Is in the Air!

FALL IS HERE! Seven reasons why I love fall (or autumn as my son prefers to say):

1. Weather -  I am one of those weirdos who much prefers cold over hot weather (much to the chagrin of Mr. ADM). I am loving the cool temperatures that don't quite require a coat, but I can wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt without sweating. I also enjoy the changes in colors of the leaves and watching them fall and even raking. Yes, I realize I do not actually have a yard, but the few times I've lived in a house with trees that were big enough to produce enough leaves to cover the yard (or helped out my in-laws with their beautiful yard), I've enjoyed raking leaves.

2. Pumpkins - Pumpkins are fun to carve. Pumpkins are fun to eat. Pumpkin pie is something I grew to love as an adult and pumpkin bread, well, enough said.

3. Apples - Really, you can make 1,000 different things with apples. My mother is great with apples. Each fall, she buys a ton of apples, accepts offerings from friends and neighbors and rescues apples from abandoned apple trees locally. And she fills her kitchen (or refrigerator) with apples and spends days upon days making various apple delights. Applesauce is one of my favorites! She also makes apple butter, dehydrated apples, not to mention the desserts!  Along with all those delicious treats, she shares her apples with us and my kids (and husband) LOVE apples! Our newest favorite snack is apples dipped in chocolate almond butter. We also enjoy apple cider coming into season - I bought my first jug of it today. I wish I had a picture to post. We are also hoping to make it to a local Applefest, which I've never been to. Apple donuts, here we come!






4. School Days - My boys have begun homeschooling with their grandma. They are learning SO much and all 3 are having a ton of fun with school. I am so blessed to have a mother who's been willing to do this while I work. I look forward to the day when I can take over, but until that time, I know my children are in capable and enthusiastic hands. My favorite part of the day is when they show me what they have done in school that day. Their little faces light up when they tell me about their projects and what all they learned. I hope and pray that they continue this enthusiasm as they grow.

5.. Halloween and All Saints' Day - One goal I have this month is to make my children more familiar with the saints. Halloween is an easy holiday (and a non-religious one for us) that the boys are familiar with. They love it and have chosen their costumes and are looking forward to trick-or-treating with friends and family and getting candy. All Saints' Day is one religious celebration we have not had the chance to celebrate with full-force. I am looking forward to doing that this year! I hope that they remember All Saints' Day with the fondness I do from growing up Catholic. And I hope they grow to love the saints and crave to follow in their footsteps toward holiness.






6.Hayrides and Bonfires - These are two parts of fall that both Mr. ADM and I both love. Mr. ADM loves fire in general, but a BONFIRE. Now, that's big (literally and figuratively). Both represent such great memories of my childhood that I want my own children to experience and remember with the same fondness.















7. More Fire! - I am so thankful that we chose an apartment with a fireplace. There's something so relaxing about having a fire to warm you up. One of my favorite traditions is to light up a fire and say a family Rosary. I hope we have many of those this fall.

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You Know You're a Mom When...

...you try on 10 different shirts and they all have stains on them...

Courtesy of going to put on my favorite bathrobe yesterday and finding a massive stain across the front of it that I had never noticed before. As my mom used to say (not about clothes), "This is why I never have nice things." ;)

Reminding Myself

I was sitting in rush-hour traffic the other day, pondering, as I usually do. I was thinking about life and making a real effort to keep myself alert, even though the hot sun beating down on our little black car made me want to just snooze and pray my guardian angel would take the wheel. I had half a thought about how my husband hasn't been very romantic lately. In my thought, we have hit a rut. It's not that I doubt his love for me, but that he's just not inclined to being conscious about being romantic and "sweeping me off my feet."  I really didn't dwell on it, as I know my husband is a good man and once again, I never doubt his love for me. Ever.

Yesterday, I let that thought float back in my mind, as I was on my way to picking him up from work. And I scolded myself, in my head. I may not get candlelight dinners and flowers for no reason, but my husband IS romantic. Why did I even think he wasn't? I am writing this post as a reminder to stop focusing on the negative and look to the positive. So often, I realize that many of the memories that are easiest to recall are those events in my life that were hard, hurtful, or the cross I needed to bear. So often, I forget about all the smiles, the laughter and the good times.

In the past couple of weeks, as I've gone back to work full-time, I've realized how easily the adjustment has gone. Why? Because my husband was there to pick up and then some.

One of my favorite pictures - Mr. ADM and my dad

Mr. ADM has...

* Not only kept up with the laundry, but CAUGHT up with it! We only have to do 1-2 loads a day and they are small because I haven't let it build up for a week. AND folded it - which has always been my job. AND put it away.

* Makes dinner every single evening that I work. Without complaint.

* Keeps our apartment in tip-top shape. And that's not easy with 3 littles who like to play hard.

* Takes our children on walks. I know this sounds silly, but it's one of those things I just rarely did. It seemed like a daunting task with baby wiggles. A park? Sure! The mall play area? Absolutely! But a walk without another set of hands just overwhelmed me.

* Instituted a chore chart/allowance with our children.

* Wakes up with me some mornings and will help me get out the door in time.

* Made me a hot breakfast this morning so I wouldn't miss out on the deliciousness that he and the kids would enjoy later :).

* Spent time with me even when a friend called to see if he could hang out.

He always has a smile for me and even when I've been a wreck, he's always there to offer his shoulder and a hug. When he proposed to me 7 years ago, he told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life loving and serving me. And he has done just that. What could be more romantic than a husband who willingly lays down his life for me each and every day?

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

This is a picture of a picture my son or possibly sons plus another friend of theirs (who is male) made.

Conversation about this picture:

Mom(me): Oh! You used your stickers! You did such a good job with your picture! Are the owls floating around in bubbles?

Matthew: No, they are bad guys and they are in jail.