Autumn is Here! In a normal time, in a normal world, this is definitely my favorite time of year. I love the changing season, our belated SF summer, the pumpkins patches and hayrides. And, of course, watching the joy on my children's faces as they anticipate Halloween night. This year, it seems like so many questions linger, and there is a bit of grief hanging in the smokey air as we wonder how some of our favorite traditions might be a bit different. But there are also glimpses of hope and expectation as we head into this special season. Watching the pumpkin patches go up and finally working up the courage to brave the Trader Joe's lines to get my pumpkin everything (they were much better than they looked) have certainly raised my spirits. For my older children who are deeply imbedded in the trick-or-treating tradition, this year we are having to get pretty creative. We are planning to get together in the park with costumes, a few friends and a lot of candy-bonus we can choose healthier organic candy! We also got "boo'd" with a Halloween Box and are planning on having some fun with this tradition! Earlier in the month, we're planning on riding the Roaring Camp Railroad outdoor train to the pumpkin patch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
We are also going to do some extra special Halloween decorations this year, to make things feel a little more festive, and have found some great crafts to keep our Halloween spirits up! (Thanks Kellam!) See Witches' brew below and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for more Fall activity and crafting tips such as the pumpkin painting and washing pictured above. Toddlers and preschoolers can be entertained for sometime by painting, then washing, then painting again! You may be surprised how the end product turns out! However you celebrate the season this year, we hope you find ways to make it festive and fun!
Rebecca and the ECM team: Kellam, Alexis and Evelyn!