Fall Schmall.

Am I the only one who gets a bit sick of all of the Fall adoration going on? This happens every year, and it's especially pervasive when one is on Facebook. Normally-sane, reasonable people completely lose their minds when Starbucks breaks out the pumpkin flavoring. They post incessantly about their pumpkin carmel macchiato-capuccino or whatever the hell (I know nothing about coffee), they post selfies holding their pumpkin coffee, selfies eating their pumpkin bread, selfies with their scarves on, selfies with leaves in the background, pictures of their pumpkin scones and cakes and casseroles coming out of the oven, pictures of just the toes of their boots on the sidewalk, I'm assuming with their feet inside (?). You'd think these people had never been through a change of seasons before.

Fall is nice, I agree. The weather becomes tolerable after the blazing, searing summer heat, the leaves change into pretty colors, the apples are being harvested around here, the air has a wonderful crisp. I love taking my kids to the pumpkin patch just as much as anyone else-- I will rock that pumpkin patch with the best of them. I love taking pictures of my adorable children with their cute jackets on, sitting with a pumpkin. I will tolerate the pumpkin carving. I love an (occasional) walk in the nice, fall air. Fall is nice. For a minute. 

The reality is that when Fall comes rolling around, that means Christmas is just around the corner. And you know what happens before Christmas? Thanksgiving. And you know what Thanksgiving requires? Lots and lots of cooking and baking. LOTS. And possible big get-togethers. Where you have to get all formal and make small talk and spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about and dealing with food. And remember what comes after Thanksgiving? Christmas. CHRISTMAS, people. Christmas means very little about Jesus anymore and everything related to buying as much useless, junky shit as possible to prove to your kids how much you love them. Or is that just me? I can understand why so many people get depressed during the holiday season. They must all be parents. With budgets. If I had no kids in the house I'd go to the holy days at Church, and I'd enjoy every second of the Christmas Masses, and I'd observe Advent in my own little heart, maybe buy a bottle of sparking apple cider, and call it good. With kids in the house? Good grief. It's insane. There are so many freaking activities to do during the holiday season, so many things we're supposed to craft and make and bake and organize and stay on top of and BUY to make the season "meaningful" and "special" for our little snowflakes. That is hell for an introvert like me who doesn't really like to expend much energy doing anything, let alone groupy-festivey-expensivey things.

Just call me grinch.

But you know what? Even though I have sworn that This Year we will keep it simple, we'll make it about giving and not getting, we'll stick to a contained and precise formula of gift giving that will remove 51% of the stress and expenses and keep the focus where it really should be during the holiday season- on baby Jesus and not making him cry with our commercialism and greed. Inevitably, I will get sucked into the excitement that permeates our home as the children count down the days and get geared up for Christmas, the light in their innocent eyes, the constant, incessant requests for gingerbread houses and Christmas lists and crafts (blah). And I will get over myself just a little bit and participate. I will smile as I see them smile, and laugh as they laugh. I will be truly joyful. And my icy-cold, Grinch-like heart might even grow a size or two. I will craft and bake (okay, maybe not bake, that's pushing it), and decorate and give. Because that's what good parents do. Right? They get over themselves to make things special for their kids.

And maybe this year, we can implement *one little* Advent ritual that we will carry with us over the years and then maybe next year we can implement *one other* tiny little ritual, until in a few years we will have a more solid foundation established of what Christmas should be about. Auntie Leila Style. ((Dear God, please let me someday be as sacramental and devout as Auntie Leila. Amen)) Even if, for now, it's just one devotional book we go through together, or one meal we make each year after Christmas Eve mass. Or something. But probably never an Advent wreath //defeated sigh.

Fall, bring it on. Just don't expect any boot selfies from this chick.