The twinkly season is upon us, but I can’t let fall go without a final check-in on my to-do list.  We had a lovely – albeit extremely busy – season.  As Nugget gets older, it’s easier and easier to get out and about as a family, which is wonderful.  The more he is able to do, the more I look forward to doing with the kids as they continue to grow.  In the meantime, I think we did really well at making the most of fall (my favorite season!).

• Take the kids apple and pumpkin picking.  Done – both!  We visited Stonehill Orchards and took home half a bushel of Gala apples in September, and picked out our pumpkins at Kelkenberg Farms in October.  (Yes, I did dress the kids in their Halloween costumes for our pumpkin picking excursion.  OF COURSE.)

• Visit my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado.  Done!  We had a fantastic trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving.  We spent a week and a half out there exploring Boulder, Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, and more, and enjoying everything that the mountain west has to offer.  Colorado is an incredible state.  I knew this, of course.  Expect lots of waxing poetic when I get those vacation recaps up starting in the New Year!
• Drink hot cider from Main Street Coffee Roastery.  Done!  The Cider Deluxe from Main Street was my Friday treat to myself this fall.  I couldn’t get enough.

• Host family and friends for Nugget’s baptism.  Done!  My parents and my father-in-law joined us – along with Uncle Erik and Aunt Rebecca, Peanut and Nugget’s godparents – to celebrate little Nugget becoming the newest Episcopalian in early November.  We had a lovely little family party and I think our sweet boy felt very loved and celebrated.
• Read some Sarah Vowell.  Done!  I tore through Vowell’s newest release, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, and loved it.  I really enjoy her smart, witty, slightly snarky takes on history.
• Bake pear-almond bread.  Well, I didn’t do pear-almond bread specifically, but I did make some yummy almond thumbprint cookies recently, so I’m calling this good.
• Have a zoo playdate with friends.  Done!  Just this past weekend, but better late than never.  We met up with two of Peanut’s little school friends, their moms and their siblings for a morning at the zoo.  I have some complicated feelings about zoos, but we had a good time.  It’s always nice to get friend time in and let the kids run around, play and enjoy some animals.

• Take Peanut trick-or-treating (for real!) for the first time EVER.  Done!  Peanut looooooooved trick-or-treating.  Last year, I think, she would have been terrified and miserable, but she’s grown up a lot over the course of a year (who’d have thunk?) and she had a ball this year.  The only tears came when we decided that we’d been out long enough, and told her it was time to head home.
• Re-read Anne of the Island or Emily of New Moon (or both!).

• Finish our our year of hiking in a different place every month and take our last seasonal walk through Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve.  I’m calling this one done, even though we haven’t gotten our December walk in yet.  We’ll be hitting Tifft Nature Preserve within the next few weeks, and that will round out a year of hiking in a different place every month.  I’ve still got recaps coming for you (I owe you our fall Reinstein walk – at least, I think I do? – and our November hike is a good one) so keep your eyes open for those.

Not a bad fall!  How about you, my friends, did you accomplish everything on your seasonal to-do lists?