Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Beautiful and Goofy--Traditions

It's Fall.
It's time for pumpkins and leaves and traditions and ahhhh!!!!
I love it all.


But there is less and less time for it all.



I refuse to let traditions die.

Sure they may change or be rushed and most definitely be messy and ridiculous, but they will be done (or at least most of them will be anyway). Rushed and messy and ridiculous is my whole life anyway right now. Life is also surprising and sweet and full of love and laughter. And I want my kids to remember all the messy, sweet, good stuff. I want to remember it. Years from now, and even a week from now when I (and maybe all of us) feel overwhelmed with something or other and want to be reminded of the surprising and the sweet and the love and the laughter.



Traditions like the pumpkin patch are the kick-off to our most tradition-filled season--Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and dun-du-du-daaaaa (my trumpet-y sound)....Christmas. The pumpkin patch sets the tone for all of it. And all of it is important, to me. So last week we had 30 minutes in between games and birthday parties and homework and church and work, and we went to the patch for our pumpkins.







This year we added a corn maze to our tradition. Everyone loved it. Except me, I didn't love the corn maze. Maybe it was too much like my mind, all twists and turns and no certainty. Waaaa. Or maybe it was the fact that my whole family made it out and I didn't for a long time. They picked their pumpkins and were ready to go by the time I got out, and I was like "wait, what? I didn't take pictures or give an opinion and what?" They laughed. And again I was like "wait what?" Then we all laughed.











Last weekend, Tim and I got in a fight about something stupid and I left without him to take our annual "Fall Kid Picture." The kids were oblivious to our bickering. They posed and played together. An impromptu game of football broke out because of course. 








When I got back to the house, Tim and I laughed at how dumb we were being and sat together and looked at the pictures on my camera. 

"Look at how grown up they are!," Tim said kind of shocked. 

"And beautiful," I added. "And goofy."

We needed a reminder. That's what traditions and rituals and pictures do sometimes.They remind us that our life is surprising and sweet and full of love and laughter.





The tone of our traditions this year? Beautiful and goofy. Here we go....



5 comments:

  1. Gosh, your kids are gorgeous! Happy fall!

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  2. Hello I have just come across your blog as I was on google asking it as you do about things if four kids is too many . I have three gorgeous boys josh 12 , keir 9 and my wee Noah 2 but I know deep down that I want one last baby . I am 37 we live on a farm in Scotland we have plenty of space in the house for one more and have a great life here with all our animals it's a great place for kids. Your words that I have just read has really made me realise not to worry about what other people think , as I keep thinking what will people say omg look at her with all those kids . Children are what makes your life they are all so special and have different personalities and I wouldn't have it any other way. So thank you for making me realise u regret in life for what you don't do and I know I would regret it if I don't have my one last baby . Ps me and my husband have little tiffs also but we also realise they are silly and always make up . Pat on the back from me a fellow mummy who loves big families , for creating four beautiful children , you are very lucky .

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