Thursday Three: Reasons I Love Florida in the Fall

Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at katie@mumblingmommy.com.

Florida babies still visit pumpkin patches

Falls in Florida are different than the falls I experienced as a kid and college student in Indiana. Temperature is an obvious difference, but there are other subtle ones too. My grandfather used to say that I could “have Florida. I’ll take my four seasons.” I tended to disagree with him (in my head). There are four seasons here — they are just less obvious ones.

Well into my second autumn as a married mom and stepmom, this fall has really stood out to me. My kids are excited about fall events like Halloween and I am already looking ahead to the holiday season. I’m remembering all the thing that we did last year, and anticipating doing them again, with a new addition to the family.

So without further ado, here are my top three things I enjoy about the autumn months in Florida.

3. The breeze. After the scorching summer sun of July and August, even a minor nip in the air is welcomed. I put on a pair of jeans a few weeks ago for the first time in over a year (last fall and winter I was pregnant) and a T-shirt and was “ready” for the day. I am extra spoiled because I get to enjoy the smell and feel of an ocean breeze, but even when I lived further inland I always appreciated the cool air of fall.

2. Watching my kids re-learn how to wear cold-weather clothes. This is actually pretty funny. I hold out a jacket for them to put their arms into, and they stare at it for a few, puzzling over which arm goes where. All three of the older ones do this, so it stands to reason that other kids down here do the same. Socks are also an issue. While the older two wear socks relatively regularly to school, the three-year-old is consistently stumped by how to get them over her toes.

1. Getting outside — any time of day. There is a small window during the summer months that it is actually safe to have small children outside for extended periods of time. The playgrounds near us tend to not be built in the shade (??), so by mid-morning in July, a trip to the park is a sticky, scorching and dangerous outing. Even running errands with kids in the car is not ideal during the “hot” hours of the summer (pretty much 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.). It sounds silly but I really appreciate fall because I can run to the grocery store, kids in tow, anytime I want. I can also go for a run at 11 a.m. if that’s when it fits into my family’s schedule and not worry about heat stroke. There is more flexibility and wiggle room in our routine. Oh, and being able to enjoy my day in jeans and a T-shirt is pretty nice too.

True stories from the front lines of parenting.

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